Passport & Visa | hdnaisrael

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Passport and Visa

Every participant is required to have a valid passport. If you already own a passport, make sure you check the expiration date to ensure that it will not expire during the course of your time in Israel or within 6 months of your expected return date. If you do not have a passport, applications can be obtained at most Post Offices or online. If you need assistance in expediting your passport application (i.e. require a copy of your ticket reservation or an official letter from Habonim Dror), please contact the central office of Habonim Dror North America.

Israeli Passports

If you have a parent who is an Israeli citizen, then you are considered Israeli as well. If you do not obtain an Israeli passport, you will have complications renewing your visa while in Israel. Please be in touch with the Israeli Embassy to apply for an Israeli passport and Army Deferral as soon as possible to ensure that you do not have a problem once in Israel.

Passport and Travel Tax

If you were born in Israel, or if one of your parents is an Israeli citizen, please check on passport procedures and travel taxes with the Israeli Consulate or a shaliach/a (Israeli representative) in your area. There may be an added “exit tax” for Israeli citizens that tuition for the Workshop program does not cover. Be prepared to bring extra money to cover this tax. Neither Habonim Dror nor the host Kibbutz is responsible for the cost of an exit tax.

Army Deferral

If you are an Israeli citizen (you are considered to be Israeli if one of your parents holds an Israeli passport, even if you do not have an Israeli passport of your own) you must obtain an army deferral from your local Israeli Consulate. Call the Israeli Consulate nearest you to find out the necessary procedures for a deferral. Should you require a letter from the program, email programs@habonimdror.org.

Visa
Upon arrival in Israel, Workshop participants receive a 90-day tourist visa at the airport. A few weeks into the program we take the group to retrieve their special gap-year visa allocated to us through Masa. You must register with Masa once you have been accepted onto Workshop in order to receive your student visa once you are in Israel. Before departing for Workshop, please ensure you have access to PDFs of a scanned copy of your passport, a scanned copy of your birth certificate, and the signed letter from Masa confirming your participation in the program.

As of the start of 2025, Israel now requires that all tourists entering the country obtain an ETA-IL visa. Approval generally comes quickly, but you must apply at least 72 hours before the date of your flight. The ETA-IL enables American citizens to enter Israel for up to 90 days, and is valid for 2 years for entry into the country once approved.