Short answer: A foreign specialist cannot apply for a B/1 expert visa alone. An Israeli employer first gets a permit from the Population and Immigration Authority to employ that person in a specific role, and only then is the B/1 work visa issued. For long-term expert permits the base salary must be at least twice the average Israeli wage, reported at NIS 27,132 a month for 2026. Short jobs of up to 90 days a year, for nationals of visa-exempt countries, run on a faster track without the double-wage test.

This guide is for two readers: the engineer, manager or specialist who has been offered work in Israel, and the HR or legal team at the Israeli company that wants to bring them. It covers which track fits, what the employer has to file, the wage rule, families, renewals, and the mistakes that most often lead to a refused or delayed file.

1. What the B/1 Expert Visa Is

B/1 is Israel's general temporary work visa. It is issued under the Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952, while the employer's side of the arrangement is governed by the Foreign Workers Law, 5751-1991, and by the Authority's published procedures. "Foreign expert" is one category of B/1, separate from caregivers, construction and agricultural workers, who come in under quota systems of their own.

Two features shape everything else:

  • The employer applies, not the worker. The permit belongs to the Israeli employer and names the worker and the approved role.
  • The visa follows the permit. No permit, no B/1. Entering as a tourist and starting work while "the paperwork catches up" is unlawful work, and in Israel that carries real penalties for both sides.

The employer files through the gov.il service Apply for a permit to employ an expert foreign worker. A foreign company with no Israeli branch can still apply, but it needs to give a power of attorney to whoever files on its behalf. For the employer's side in more depth, see our guide to sponsoring a B/1 work permit as an Israeli employer.

2. The Three Tracks

Most expert cases fall into one of three routes. Picking the right one at the start saves more time than anything else.

  • Standard long-term expert permit. For an expert who will work in Israel for months or years. It requires the double-average-wage salary and proof that the person brings expertise not readily available in Israel. The visa is usually collected at an Israeli consulate abroad before entry.
  • High-tech expert track. A route run with the Israel Innovation Authority for companies it recognizes as technology-intensive, for example companies that received Innovation Authority support or meet R&D spending or headcount tests. Handling is expedited, and permits can run for up to a year at a time. The double-wage rule still applies to experts on this track.
  • Short-term expert permit (up to 90 days a year). For a temporary task that needs the person's specific skills, such as installing a system or fixing equipment, by a national of a country whose citizens do not need a tourist visa for Israel. It is quick, but it cannot be extended or converted inside Israel. Details are in section 6.

Older guides refer to a 45-day short-term permit (often called SEA). The Ministry of Interior raised that cap to 90 days per calendar year in 2021, so material quoting 45 days is out of date.

3. Who Counts as an Expert

No statute defines "expert." The test comes from the Authority's procedure: the worker has unique expertise that is not available in Israel, and the Authority has broad discretion over whether to approve the employment and on what terms. In practice the file has to answer one question: why this person, and why not someone already in Israel?

Roles that often fit include senior engineers and R&D staff, specialists with know-how in a particular product or system, technicians installing or servicing imported equipment, and managers sent by a foreign parent company. Jobs that local candidates could fill, such as general administrative, sales or entry-level roles, are hard to justify.

The supporting documents the gov.il service asks for include the worker's CV and diplomas, degrees and certificates showing education, qualifications, experience and expertise. Documents that are not in Hebrew or English need a notarized Hebrew translation. Expect to add a police clearance certificate from the worker's home country and proof of medical insurance at the visa stage.

In Practice — Write the "why this person" letter first: The weakest expert files describe the job and attach a CV. The stronger ones spell out the specific knowledge the role needs (a proprietary platform, a certification, years on a particular machine line), show how this person has it, and explain what the company did to look for it locally. Draft that explanation before you collect any other document; if it is hard to write, the permit will be hard to get.

4. The 2026 Expert Wage

Under the expert procedure, the base monthly salary paid to a foreign expert cannot be lower than twice the average wage of a salaried employee in Israel. The Authority may require a higher salary in fields where pay is normally above the national average. The figure is updated at the start of each year.

  • 2026 figure: immigration alerts published in January 2026 report a minimum of NIS 27,132 gross per month, double an average wage of NIS 13,566.
  • Who it applies to: new applications and renewals filed from January 1, 2026, and applications still pending on that date. The Ministry of Interior said it would reject files that do not meet the new minimum.
  • Base salary means base salary. The test is on the base monthly wage. Do not plan to reach the threshold through bonuses, allowances or equity.

The employer usually has to commit to keeping the salary at or above the threshold for the whole period of employment, which means a renewal in a later year has to meet that year's figure. Short-term permits of up to 90 days are not subject to the double-wage test.

Government fees depend on the type and length of the permit. They change from time to time, so check them with the official fee calculator for employing foreign experts on gov.il rather than relying on numbers quoted in third-party articles.

5. Step by Step: From Employer Permit to Working in Israel

For a standard long-term expert, the sequence usually looks like this:

  1. Confirm the track and the salary. Check whether the company qualifies for the high-tech track and whether the offered base salary meets the current double-average-wage figure.
  2. Prepare the file. Employment contract, company documents, the expert's CV and diplomas, translations, and the explanation of why the expert is needed.
  3. Employer files the permit request online through the gov.il expert service and pays the fee.
  4. Permit decision. If the Authority asks for more documents, respond in full and quickly; a partial answer only restarts the wait.
  5. B/1 visa application. Once the permit is approved, the expert applies for the B/1 visa, normally at an Israeli consulate abroad, with the permit, passport, police clearance, medical insurance and, if relevant, family documents. Issuance inside Israel is the exception, not the rule.
  6. Entry and start of work. The expert enters Israel on the B/1 visa and can start the approved job. Keep copies of the permit and visa with HR.
  7. Calendar the renewal the day the visa is issued (see section 8).
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In Practice — The passport and clearance trap: Many files stall on documents nobody thought about until late: a passport that does not have enough validity left for the permit period plus a renewal, or a police clearance that takes weeks to obtain and must be apostilled or legalized. Ask the expert to check passport validity and order the police certificate as soon as the offer is signed.

6. Assignments of Up to 90 Days

The short-term expert route is built for urgent, temporary work. Its main conditions are:

  • The expert is a citizen of a country whose nationals are exempt from a tourist visa for Israel.
  • Total work in Israel does not exceed 90 days in the calendar year. The days can be split across several trips, but each entry needs its own approval.
  • The task is temporary and needs the expert's particular skills.
  • The double-average-wage rule does not apply, although Israeli minimum labor standards do.

Because visa-exempt travelers need an electronic travel authorization, the expert also needs an approved ETA-IL before flying, and the form should state the actual purpose of the trip rather than tourism. After arrival, the B/1 is completed in Israel within a short window (practitioners describe two working days), and the employer needs to handle that step on time or the work is not covered.

The limits matter. A short-term permit cannot be extended past 90 days in the year, cannot be converted into a long-term permit from inside Israel, and generally does not cover accompanying family. If a project might run longer, start the standard permit application in parallel from the beginning rather than hoping to switch later.

Hypothetical scenario: A German field engineer is sent to commission a production line at an Israeli plant. The job is planned for five weeks, so the Israeli company uses the short-term route. Three weeks in, it becomes clear the line needs a second phase in the autumn. By the end of the first trip the engineer will have used about 35 of the year's 90 days, so the company can file a new short-term request for the second trip. If the work later turns into a year-long role, the company would need a standard expert permit, filed while the engineer is outside Israel.

7. Spouse and Children

A long-term expert can usually bring a legally married spouse and minor children. Each family member applies for an accompanying visa, normally a B/2 visitor visa that matches the expert's stay. Expect to provide a marriage certificate and children's birth certificates, apostilled or legalized, and, when one parent is not relocating, the other parent's notarized consent for the children.

  • Unmarried partners are not covered by the standard accompanying-family arrangement and generally need a separate route.
  • B/2 does not allow work. A spouse who wants a job in Israel needs their own work authorization.
  • High-tech track spouses. The high-tech arrangement has allowed spouses of experts employed under it to apply for a B/1 permit to work for any employer, without a separate employer permit or the double-wage test. This started as a pilot, so check the current procedure before relying on it.
  • Short-term permits: family members generally cannot accompany experts staying up to 90 days.

For more on dependents' status and work rights, see family dependent visas and work permits in Israel.

8. Renewals, the 63-Month Ceiling and Changing Employers

Long-term expert visas are normally granted for up to a year at a time and renewed while the employer's permit stays valid. File the renewal at least 60 days before the visa expires. Each renewal is a fresh review: the salary has to meet that year's threshold, and the employer has to show it kept to the terms of the permit, including paying the declared salary.

The general ceiling for a foreign worker's stay is 63 months (five years and three months) from the start of work. Going beyond it requires exceptional circumstances and a request filed well in advance, typically months before the ceiling is reached. Plan around this limit from the start rather than discovering it in year five. An expert who has Jewish roots should look separately at the Law of Return; Aliyah is an entirely different path to status.

Changing employers. The permit is tied to one employer and one role. A new employer, including a different company in the same corporate group, has to obtain its own permit before the expert starts working for it. Significant changes to the job itself should also be reported to the Authority. Short-term permit holders cannot change employer or status from inside Israel at all.

9. Employer Duties and Enforcement

Hiring a foreign expert brings the employer under the Foreign Workers Law, on top of ordinary Israeli labor law. The points that come up most often:

  • Medical insurance. The employer must arrange health insurance for the foreign worker, because B/1 holders are generally not covered by Israel's public health system the way residents are.
  • Pay and labor rights. Israeli employment protections apply to foreign employees, including working hours, leave and pension rules. See foreign worker rights in Israel.
  • Payroll and tax. An expert employed by an Israeli company is on Israeli payroll, with income tax and National Insurance handled through it. Residency status and tax treaties can change the picture, so get advice from an accountant before the move.
  • Unlawful employment. Employing a foreign national without the right permit exposes the company and its managers to administrative fines and criminal liability, and the worker to removal and a possible entry ban.

If a permit or visa is refused, there are routes to challenge it. Our guide to appealing a visa refusal in Israel explains them.

10. Official Sources

Procedures, wage figures and fees are updated regularly. Check the current version on gov.il, or with an Israeli immigration lawyer, before filing.