IsraelResidence permit

A/5 visa through marriage in Israel

A graduated procedure for regularising the status of the foreign spouse of an Israeli citizen or permanent resident. The authority checks step by step that the marriage is genuine and the only one and raises the foreign partner's status to a temporary resident visa.

Source: Population and Immigration Authority of Israel (PIBA), gov.il

How the status changes according to the status of the Israeli spouse

The spouse is an Israeli citizen

The graduated procedure lasts 4 years, entirely on the A/5 temporary resident visa
The permit is renewed annually provided the conditions of the procedure are met and the new checks reveal no obstacles
On completion of the procedure an application may be made for permanent residence or naturalisation

The spouse is an Israeli permanent resident

The graduated procedure lasts 5.3 years: first 27 months on a B/1 work visa (or a permit from the Coordination and Administration Directorate in the Gaza Strip for residents of the Area), then 3 years on the A/5 temporary resident visa
The permit is renewed annually provided the conditions of the procedure are met
On completion of the procedure an application may be made for permanent residence or naturalisation

What it costs

Fee for regularising the status — on filing the application	1 020 ILS
Fee for regularising the status — on receiving citizenship	+780 ILS
Fee for replacing the visa or permit	+195 ILS
Entry fee for a partner from a country that requires a visa	+100 ILS

Documents to gather

All the documents listed are compulsory — without them the application will not be accepted for consideration. Further documents are requested after filing only through the same online account.

Application form: entry visa/3 if the invited partner is already in Israel; entry visa/1 if the partner is abroad; entry visa/6 for renewal of the permit; the CV form for residents of the Area; the form for a change of personal status
Passport photographs of both spouses
Copy of the Israeli spouse's identity card
Copy of the foreign spouse's passport, valid for at least 2 years
The foreign spouse's birth certificate, apostilled and translated
A current certificate of marital status from the country of nationality (recently issued)
The foreign spouse's criminal-record certificate, issued no more than 6 months earlier
A joint letter from the spouses on the history and circumstances of the relationship
An affidavit signed by both spouses as to the authenticity of the documents
Evidence of a joint centre of life over the past year: joint photographs, a tenancy agreement, joint bank accounts, letters and references from relatives and friends with copies of their identity cards

How the process runs

The application is filed online; if the invited partner is still abroad, the Israeli spouse files the application in advance, before they enter Israel.

1
Preparing and filing the form online
All the required details are entered, the form is scanned and all the requested documents are attached.
2
Paying the fee
Consideration of the application begins only once the fee has been paid and all the documents have been provided, including originals certified by apostille or consular legalisation.
3
Confirmation of filing
After submission the applicant receives an email confirmation with a case number.
4
Checking the documents
Staff of the Population and Immigration Authority check that the documents are complete, accurate and genuine; where necessary they request further documents.
5
Interview with the couple
If the application is complete, a date is set for an interview with both spouses; at the interview the originals of the official documents from the foreign spouse's country of origin must be produced.
6
Decision and issue of the A/5 visa
If the application is approved, the foreign spouse receives a permit to live in Israel — the A/5 temporary resident visa.

Who you can bring with you

Separate conditions apply to minor children from previous relationships and to spouses who are residents of the Area under the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law.

Minor children from a previous marriage

A birth certificate and a passport valid for at least 2 years are attached; for a child over 14 — a criminal-record certificate; for a child over 15 — proof of the relationship over the past 2 years; the position of the other parent is taken into account.

A spouse who is a resident of the Area (under the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order), 5763-2003)

A male citizen or permanent resident applies for status for a wife who is a resident of the Area and is over 25; a female citizen or permanent resident applies for a husband who is a resident of the Area and is over 35. The permit is renewed annually, but the status is not upgraded.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Foreign nationals entered in the population register who have held an A/5 permit under the graduated procedure for at least a year — or, where there are no children in common, at least two years — may seek a further change of status.

The A/5 permit is renewed annually provided the relationship remains genuine and exclusive, the centre of life is shared, the new checks reveal no obstacles and the passport is valid (for at least 2 years). Before each renewal an interview is held with both spouses, and a separate fee is charged on the spot for renewing the visa. On completion of the graduated procedure the applicant may apply for permanent residence or naturalisation.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

The graduated procedure leads to permanent residence.

Route to citizenship

A permanent resident married to an Israeli citizen and running a joint household with them applies for naturalisation. They prove that they have settled in the country and that their centre of life is here: work, housing, registration with a health fund.

Frequently asked questions about A/5 visa through marriage

Who can file an application for the A/5 visa through marriage?

The application is filed by Israeli citizens or permanent residents of the country who are married to a foreign national. The application on behalf of the foreign partner is filed by the Israeli spouse.

How much does regularising status through marriage cost?

The family reunification fee consists of two payments: 1,020 shekels when the application is filed and 780 shekels on receiving citizenship — 1,800 shekels in total. A further 195 shekels is charged for replacing the visa and 100 shekels as the entry fee for a partner from a country that requires a visa to enter Israel.

How long does the graduated procedure take for the spouse of an Israeli citizen?

For the foreign spouse of an Israeli citizen the procedure takes 4 years, entirely on the A/5 temporary resident visa; the permit is renewed each year provided the conditions of the procedure are met.

How does the procedure differ for the spouse of an Israeli permanent resident?

For the spouse of a permanent resident the procedure lasts 5.3 years: first 27 months on a B/1 work visa (for residents of the Area — a permit from the Coordination and Administration Directorate in the Gaza Strip), then 3 years on the A/5 temporary resident visa.

What happens once the graduated procedure ends?

On completion of the procedure the applicant may apply for permanent residence or for naturalisation in accordance with procedures no. 5.2.0008 and no. 5.2.0011 of the Population and Immigration Authority.

How are minor children from a previous marriage taken into account?

For each minor a birth certificate and a passport valid for at least 2 years are attached; for children over 14 — a criminal-record certificate; for children over 15 — proof of the relationship over the past 2 years; the position of the other parent is taken into account.

How does this differ from the procedure for a common-law marriage (cohabitation)?

Couples who are not officially married but living together apply through a separate gov.il service — Application to obtain a legal status in Israel by virtue of a common-law marriage — which has its own set of conditions.

Other ways to move to Israel

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Israel.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.