Israeli Consular Posts Suspend Visa Processing In China, India and Turkey

At a Glance

• Israeli consular posts in China, India and Turkey have suspended visa processing since June 26, 2019 until further notice.
• The impact is expected to differ in each country and foreign nationals applying for Israeli visas in the affected countries should check if their local visa application centers will process any pending or new applications.

The issue

Since June 26, 2019, Israeli consular posts have suspended visa processing in China, Turkey and India with some exceptions. The suspension is expected to continue until further notice from the State of Israel.

A closer look

• China. All Israeli visa applications submitted from the afternoon of June 26, 2019 are suspended except A/2 student visas. Applications submitted before the afternoon of June 26, 2019 will be processed, but applicants should expect delays. Foreign nationals can submit visa applications to TLS Contact Centres, however their applications cannot be transferred to the consular post for processing until further notice.
• India. All applications for B/2 – Tourism/Business/Conference Visit visas are suspended. The Israeli Visa Centre is still accepting applications for all other visa types (A/2 Student, A/4 Dependent, B/1 Expert, B/1 Caregiver, B/4 Volunteer).
• Turkey.  All Israeli visa applications are suspended with the exception of student visas and health care employees.

Impact

Foreign nationals applying for Israeli visas in China, Turkey and India should check the official notice at their local visa application center before submitting applications and should expect delays in visa processing until the suspension is lifted.

Looking ahead

The service recovery time for affected visa applications has not been confirmed and the suspension is expected to continue until further notice. Fragomen will report on the suspension once further notifications are released.  

Fragomen in China is Fragomen (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in China. Fragomen in India is Fragomen Immigration Services India (Pvt) Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in India. Fragomen worked closely with the Bener Law Office in Istanbul and with Kan-Tor & Acco Law Firm in Israel to prepare this alert. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.