Israel seeks to attract more tourists. In an interview with Vremya Novostei a year and a half ago, the then Minister of Tourism, now Minister of Finance, Avraham Hirchson stated: “The visa issuance procedure, especially in Russia and CIS countries, is hampered by bureaucratic red tape. We risk losing this segment of tourists.” A year and a half later, the Ministry of Interior finally simplified the visa regime.
The biggest visa concessions await persons eligible for permanent relocation to the Jewish state. According to the Law of Return, Jews, as well as children and grandchildren of Jews, can repatriate to Israel. For these people, especially if they have relatives or friends in Israel, the opportunity to obtain a multiple-entry visa valid for ten years will arise. Previously, such a visa was issued for no more than three years.
In addition, now not only Russian citizens but also residents of CIS countries can submit a visa application online, they just need to correctly fill out the form on the Israeli consulate website. Applications for visas for individual tourists will be processed in the same manner as applications from tourist groups. Previously, to visit relatives, tourists often had to buy a tour to Israel, because obtaining a group visa was easier than an individual one. Furthermore, the Ministry of Interior abolished the requirement to post a financial deposit when obtaining entry permits for relatives or friends of Israeli citizens. “The requirement for a financial deposit will be imposed only in ‘exceptional cases,’ whereas today about 3% of all tourists arriving from CIS countries face this,” the Israeli Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
The deposit in question amounts to 15,000 shekels ($3,500). The sum had to be paid for invited guests if officials suspected the purpose of their visit. This most often happened when young unmarried women from CIS countries traveled to Israel. If after the expiration of the tourist's stay in the country the person for whom the deposit was paid did not return home, the Ministry of Interior did not refund the money. But far from all Israelis could afford to pay $3,500 just to meet with relatives.