Work visas in Israel for Brits who aren't making aliyah: experts, founders and partners

If you can't or don't want to make aliyah, you need someone to vouch for you: an Israeli employer, the Israel Innovation Authority or an Israeli partner. There's no points system and no way to apply on your own.

The short version

• Most Brits come on a B/1 work visa for foreign experts, applied for by the employer. You must be a specialist Israel lacks, or be paid at least twice the average Israeli wage [1].
• The long-term expert visa can last up to 63 months; a short-term permit covers jobs of up to 45 days [1].
• Tech founders can apply for the innovation visa, a permit to stay and work for up to two years, through the Israel Innovation Authority [2].
• Partners of Israelis use the "graduated procedure": a B/1 partner visa, then temporary residence (A/5), then permanent status, over about four and a half to seven years [3].
• Wait for the permit before you book flights. Working on a visitor's permission can get you detained and deported [4][5].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = ILS 4.3162).

How a work visa works in Israel

Israel runs a two-stage system. First the employer gets permission from the Population and Immigration Authority to employ a foreign expert in a specific role; then you get the visa. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, which runs a guide for international companies setting up in the city, says the application can come from an Israeli-registered company or from a foreign company that appoints an Israeli representative by power of attorney [1].

The visa ties you to that employer. Change jobs and the new employer has to apply again, which is a bit of a faff, so negotiate the move before you resign.

The main routes, side by side

The expert visa

The B/1 expert visa has two doors [1]:

1. The specialist track. You have expertise in a field where Israel lacks it. This track needs renewing after 24 months.
2. The salary track. You're paid at least double the average Israeli wage. That's a high bar, as the average wage figure includes everyone, so it mostly suits senior tech, finance and engineering roles.

The average wage figure is updated regularly, so check the current threshold with your employer rather than relying on an old article. Your contract has to meet the threshold for the whole of your stay.

What your employer must provide

Israel puts unusual duties on employers of foreign experts. They must buy you health insurance and provide adequate housing, and can deduct only a capped amount from your pay for each [1]:

• Health insurance: the lower of a third of the monthly cost of the policy or ₪124 (about £29) a month.
• Housing: between ₪244 and ₪447 a month (about £57 to £104), depending on the area.

In practice, many expert-level hires get a relocation package that goes well beyond this, but those are the legal floors.

The short-term permit

For a quick job, such as a consultation, an inspection or repairing equipment, there's a short-term expert permit of up to 45 days [1]. It's only for holders of passports from visa-exempt countries, which includes the UK [1]. Family members generally can't come along on it [1].

The innovation visa for founders

If you've got a tech idea rather than a job offer, the Israel Innovation Authority runs the innovation visa. You apply to the Authority with a project, a supporting organisation that backs you, and a statement of how you'll fund your living costs for the whole stay [2]. A professional examiner looks at your background, the innovation, the business plan and the global potential, and the Authority's chief executive decides [2]. If it says yes, the Population and Immigration Authority can grant a B/2 permit to stay and work for up to two years [2].

There's no money attached: approval comes with no grant [2]. Founders stay at one of 12 approved "landing pads", and if the project becomes an Israeli company with the Authority's approval, you can move on to an expert visa of up to five years [1].

Partners of Israelis: the graduated procedure

If your other half is Israeli, the route is the graduated procedure, run by the Population and Immigration Authority's visa department. The Israeli Association for International Couples, a charity that supports mixed couples, sets out the stages [3]:

The B/1 partner visa lets you work for anyone, and the A/5 brings an Israeli ID card and full social rights [3]. Both are renewed every year, and each renewal involves documents, letters and sometimes an interview to show the relationship is genuine [3]. If you're both in Israel you apply online; if you're both in the UK, you apply through the Israeli Embassy in London [3].

Health, National Insurance and tax

B/1 holders aren't residents for Bituach Leumi purposes, so you don't join a public health fund [6]. Your employer still reports you and deducts a small employee contribution, which buys limited cover: work accidents, maternity, the employer going bust and victims of terrorism [6]. That's why the employer's private health policy matters so much. Partners move into the public system once they reach the A/5 stage [3].

Expect to pay Israeli income tax on your Israeli salary. The UK and Israel have a double taxation convention dating from 1962, updated by a 2019 protocol [7], so you shouldn't be taxed twice, but leaving the UK tax system properly is down to you. Our guides to Israeli taxes for Brits and the Statutory Residence Test explain how.

If you're staying on a UK payroll, read working abroad for a UK employer and ask HMRC how the UK–Israel social security agreement applies to you. A tax adviser who knows both countries can check your situation.

Practical tips before you apply

1. Get your UK paperwork legalised. The FCDO says UK good conduct certificates must be legalised, and the embassy publishes guidance on swearing an oath there when a long-term visa needs one [4].
2. Don't book flights early. Processing times vary, so the FCDO advises waiting until the permit is issued [4].
3. Skip the ETA-IL once you have a visa. Holders of a valid Israeli visa such as a B/1 or A/5 don't need the electronic travel authorisation [8].
4. Never work as a visitor. The FCDO warns you can be detained and deported, which can take months [5].
5. Check the travel advice. When we checked on 7 November 2026, the FCDO advice was still current at 7 November 2026 and last updated on 27 October 2026 [9].

Swapping notes with others who've done the B/1 or partner visa slog helps, and our community group for Brits in Israel has plenty of them.

Sources

1. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality: Work visas (checked 7 November 2026)
2. Israel Innovation Authority: Innovation visa for a foreign technology entrepreneur
3. Israeli Association for International Couples: Partner visa in Israel – overview (last modified 21 February 2025)
4. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Israel and Palestine (last updated 14 November 2024)
5. GOV.UK (FCDO): Israel travel advice – entry requirements
6. Israeli Association for International Couples: Why am I paying National Insurance on a B1 visa? (last modified 14 May 2025)
7. GOV.UK (HMRC): Israel tax treaties
8. Israeli Association for International Couples: ETA-IL guide (last updated 5 August 2026)
9. GOV.UK (FCDO): Israel travel advice (still current at 7 November 2026, updated 27 October 2026)

Keep reading

• Moving to Tel Aviv as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Teudat zehut, Bituach Leumi and your first month in Israel
• Healthcare and health insurance in Tel Aviv
• Double taxation agreements and reliefs