B-2 Visitor Visas for Business Travel to Israel
Q. What are the categories of visitor's visas available for foreign nationals in Israel?
A. Israeli law provides for one general type of visitor's visa for foreign nationals: the B-2 visa. This visa covers both business and tourist travels.
Q. What are the permissable activities during a business trip?
A. The term “business trip” is not specifically defined in Israeli law. Nonetheless, it is clear that if the purpose of the proposed travel to Israel entails productive work of any kind, a work permit must be obtained. This is regardless of the expected duration of the individual’s stay in Israel.
Q. How can I know if my proposed visit in Israel is defined as "work" or "business trip"?
A. Because “business trip” is not specifically defined in Israeli law, we recommend that the company first consult with Liam Schwartz & Associates with regard to appropriate visa options.
Q. Do I need to obtain a B-2 visa prior to my travel to Israel?
A. As a rule, nationals of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other nations are admitted to Israel without an entry visa. An employee seeking to travel to Israel on business, who is a national of a country not on Israel’s visa waiver list, must obtain an entry visa from the Israeli consulate with jurisdiction over his place of residence.
http://www.israel-embassy.org.uk/web/pages/visa.htm
Q. What basic procedure is used to obtain a temporary pre-entry visa?
A. For business travelers, B-2 procedure normally includes 2 separate steps: (1) Issuance of the B-2 visa at the relevant Israeli consular post abroad, prior to entry into Israel; and (2) Extension of the B-2 visa at the Ministry Of Interior (MOI) after arrival in Israel, if necessary
Q. What conditions or restrictions apply to business visitors?
A. No employment of any kind is permitted during this period.
Q. What is the validity of a temporary visitor visa?
A. As a rule, nationals of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and other nations are admitted to Israel without an entry visa for a period of up to 90 days. Extensions of this initial 90 day period may be approved by the MOI for a maximum stay of six months.
Where the visitor is from a non-waiver country, the entry visa will be provided for a period of up to 30 days. Extensions of this initial 30 day period may be approved by the MOI for a maximum stay of six months.
Q. How long does it typically take before a B-2 visitor visa to be issued?
A. Total processing times for B-2 visitor visa typically range between 2-4 weeks. (May vary from consulate to consulate and connected to the different visa requirements).