Israel’s Work & Holiday Visa for Australians
Israel offers young Australians the opportunity to live, work and travel in the country on a working holiday visa for up to a year!
If you’re an Australian aged between 18 and 30 years old, the Israel Work and Holiday visa allows you to live in Israel for 12 months and work in Israel for up to 3 months per employer. You can also study in Israel for up to 4 months with this visa, and depart and re-enter Israel as many times as you like during that time.
This page contains information about the Israel Work and Holiday Visa for Australian citizens. It was last updated on 6 October 2022.
COVID-19 entry requirements may still apply for travel to Israel. Check the Israel Ministry of Health website for details.
Key facts about Israel
- Population: Approx. 9 million
- Official language: Hebrew
- Capital city: Jerusalem
- Largest cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, Petah Tikva
- Name of the country in Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל
- Currency: Israeli Shekel (ILS)
Israel Work and Holiday Visa requirements for Australians
In addition to Australians, Israel offers working holiday visas to citizens of Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand & South Korea.
The information on this page applies to Australian citizens. Please check the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website or the embassy in your country for information applicable to citizens of other countries.
To apply for an Israel working holiday visa as an Australian citizen, you must meet the following requirements:
- Aged between 18-30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
- Are in good health
- Have enough money to support yourself in Israel
- Have a return plane ticket to Israel or enough money to buy one
You cannot apply for this visa if you:
- Will be accompanied by dependent children
- Have a criminal record or are wanted by police in any country
- Have already participated in the working holiday program in Israel
Documents needed to apply for this visa
When applying for a working holiday visa for Israel as an Australian citizen, you will need to provide the following documents:
- Australian passport valid for at least 18 months from the intended date of departure to Israel
- Photocopy of the passport photo page
- Working Holiday visa application form (PDF)
- Police clearance (e.g. Australian National Police Check or police certificate of integrity)
- Return flight ticket to Israel (or proof of enough money to buy one)
- Bank statement/s from the past 90 days showing you have enough money to support yourself in Israel
- Medical certificate from your doctor stating that you are in good health
- Proof of travel/health insurance covering your entire stay in Israel
- Two recent 5x5cm colour photographs
There is a $79 visa fee (subject to change) for B/1 visa applications in Australia. This is payable by bank transfer to the Embassy of Israel in Australia. You should attach a payment receipt with your application.
You will also need to provide an additional prepaid Australia Post courier envelope (with tracking number) for the return of your passport/documents if you are unable to collect it from the embassy in person.
More information is available on the Embassy of Israel in Australia website.
How to apply for an Israel Work and Holiday Visa
As an Australian citizen, you will need to apply through the Embassy of Israel in Canberra before you travel to Israel.
After paying the visa fee by bank transfer, send all required documents by mail to the Israeli embassy. This can be done by registered mail or via email. If sending via email, you will still need to show originals of your documents at the interview.
Ensure you include your contact details with the documentation so the embassy can contact you to arrange an interview at the embassy, should you be eligible for a Work and Holiday visa. The interview is done in-person at the Israeli embassy in Canberra and is the last step in the application procedure.
After your visa is granted, you will need to enter Israel within 3 months. The visa allows you to stay in the country for up to 12 months from the date that you first arrive in Israel.
See the Embassy of Israel in Canberra or Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for more information about applying for this visa. You could also contact the Israeli embassy in Canberra if you have any further questions.
While best efforts are made to keep this information updated, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you spot an error, would like to suggest new information to be added or simply have a question, please let us know in the comments and we’ll endeavour to respond or update the article as quickly as possible!
Hello,
Could you please tell me why there is an age restriction to age 30 for Australians wanting to work in Israel.
Thank you
kind regards
Roz
Hi Roz, there are two main reasons for Work & Holiday visa age limits.
Firstly, the Work & Holiday visa is specifically intended for young people to take a gap year and/or get a taste for life in another country after finishing their studies. People on this visa are allowed to work to help fund their holiday, but it’s not intended as a work visa as such.
Secondly, it’s based on reciprocity. Australia only offers this visa to Israelis aged 18-30, and Israel does the same in return.
There are most likely other visas available to Australians over the age of 30 which are more suitable for work purposes.