Israel Updates Partner Visa Process, PIBA Offers Two-Year Visa for Couples

Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority has revised its partner-visa process, allowing eligible international couples to receive visas valid for up to two years after the first year of the gradual status route.

The authority released updated procedures in July 2026. Protocol 5.2.0008 covers foreign spouses married to Israeli citizens, while Protocol 5.2.0009 covers unmarried and same-sex partners.

The first visa remains valid for one year. Later B/1 work visas and A/5 temporary-residency visas may run for up to two years, subject to the authority’s discretion and the couple’s continued compliance with the process.

That reduces the number of annual renewals. It does not create an immediate path to settlement.

Adv. Lior Beres of the Israeli Association for International Couples described the July change as a package of new policies, including the longer validity period.

"The July update introduces several brand-new policies. with some very good news. Visas can now be granted for up to two years at a time."

Beres made the statement on July 23, 2026. Joshua Pex, a partner at Decker, Pex, Levi Law Offices, said the longer period should give couples more stability while reducing repeat appointments.

"The option to receive a two-year visa is a meaningful improvement for international couples, reducing renewals while providing greater stability throughout the gradual process."

Pex made the statement on August 5, 2026.

Married couples and other partners now follow separate protocols

The married-couple procedure is formally titled the treatment procedure for granting status to a foreign spouse married to an Israeli citizen. The second protocol applies to other partner cases.

Couples already applying should identify the protocol governing their file. The distinction affects whether the case falls under the married-spouse procedure or the route for unmarried and same-sex partners.

The underlying process remains staged. A foreign partner generally begins with B/1 status, which permits work. The A/5 stage provides temporary residency, an Israeli identity card and social rights.

Annual reviews have not disappeared from the broader system. Relationship verification and status changes remain part of the gradual process, even when a later visa lasts two years.

The married-couple route usually reaches eligibility for permanent residency or citizenship after about five years. Common-law partners may wait up to seven years.

The longer visa therefore changes the timing of renewals, not the overall character of the route. Couples still must demonstrate that their relationship is genuine and satisfy the authority’s requirements at each stage.

Fewer renewal visits can reduce paperwork and recurring costs

Applicants have historically visited an authority office each year to renew status. Those appointments could include separate interviews about the sincerity of the relationship, shared financial records and documents authenticated with an apostille.

The revised schedule can reduce how often couples repeat that work after the initial year. It can also reduce recurring expenses connected with notarized translations and applications.

The standard initial family-reunification application fee is ₪945, approximately $255 USD. A longer visa period may reduce the frequency of some administrative steps, although the process still requires reviews and supporting records.

The change also affects legal continuity. A B/1 visa supports the foreign partner’s work authorization, while the A/5 stage connects temporary residency with an Israeli identity card, social rights and access to state health insurance.

Those benefits depend on the status actually granted. The two-year option does not automatically place every applicant in A/5 status or guarantee approval.

Travel authorization remains separate from partner status

Visa-exempt foreign partners entering Israel in connection with a partner application still need ETA-IL before travel. The travel authorization costs 25 shekels and remains valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

ETA-IL is a travel requirement. It is not the same as the B/1 or A/5 status issued during the gradual process.

The distinction is important for couples planning an entry around an application or appointment. A travel authorization does not replace the status application, relationship review or document requirements handled by the immigration authority.

The update follows a wider push toward digital administration

The longer visa period arrives after bureaucratic backlogs linked to regional security developments and a transition to digital systems. That transition includes the ETA-IL travel authorization, launched in early 2025, and a broader move toward digital and biometric services.

Boaz Yosef, director-general of the Population and Immigration Authority, has framed service improvement as a wider institutional priority.

"Service is a top priority. the new platform is an additional step in improving service for foreigners."

Yosef was appointed director-general on March 23, 2026. Israel Ozan serves as director-general of the Ministry of the Interior, while Yoel Lipovetsky heads the Population Administration within the authority.

MK Gilad Kariv, chairman of the Knesset Immigration and Absorption Committee, has also pressed for improvements to the system. Separately, the Knesset Committee on Foreign Workers recently advanced a bill that would create a Unified Identification Number for foreigners.

That proposal is aimed at making banking and healthcare access easier, areas that can become complicated when foreign residents repeatedly receive changing annual visa documents.

The July protocols are already being applied. Legal experts and advocacy groups confirmed successful implementations on August 5, 2026, as couples began using the longer validity option.

Applicants must still meet the requirements attached to their category and stage. The new procedure changes how often qualifying couples may renew, while the gradual route continues toward longer-term status over several years.