People have always been attracted to everything new, unknown to them. That's what pulls a person to travel, get acquainted with new countries and people, with the cultural and ethnic characteristics of all corners of our planet. One of these countries is Israel. The small state is located along the Mediterranean coast in Southwestern Asia. Israel is oversaturated with historical monuments, which has led to a large influx of tourists from many countries. Archaeological excavations, remains from the past of Christian, Jewish and Arab culture - all this can be found here. Moreover, after a trip to Israel, visiting a country with European standards of living, economically developed, with good social protection of the rights of its citizens, many involuntarily thought why not move to Israel for permanent residence. How are things going with immigration to Israel from Russia today?

Israel is very popular among immigrants from the post-Soviet space (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and others). And after an agreement on a visa-free regime was concluded between the countries, the number of tourists from the Russian Federation began to grow rapidly. And today the Russian Federation is second only to the United States in terms of the number of citizens who visited the "promised land".

A visa to Israel for residents of Russia is not needed in cases where the purpose of visiting the country is tourism, recreation and health improvement, a meeting with relatives or a business non-commercial trip. The period of stay in the territory of the state is limited, and is 90 days. But this is quite enough to make a trip to Israel: to see the sights, get acquainted with the national culture, cuisine and way of life, visit the monuments of the historical culture of different peoples and religions.

Repatriation to Israel

To date, obtaining Israeli citizenship for immigrants from the Russian Federation has become much more realistic, although the country has always been aimed primarily at the return of Jews, as well as foreigners with Jewish roots.

It is emigration to Israel with Jewish roots (the law on repatriation) that is by far the most effective way for Russian citizens to move. The "right of blood" in this country is of fundamental importance, and applies to the entire family, up to the third generation (that is, to great-grandchildren). However, you need documentary evidence of this fact, and the more and more substantial they are, the more chances you will have to move to a permanent place of residence and obtain Israeli citizenship.

A big advantage when trying to emigrate to Israel is religion. Immigrants who are Jews can apply for an accelerated program. There is also the possibility of moving to Israel on the basis of religion. Immigrants who are Jews can receive Israeli citizenship under the accelerated program. And vice versa, even an ethnic Jew who has abandoned Judaism for one reason or another will forever be banned from living on the territory of the Israeli state.

Ways of emigration to Israel from the Russian Federation

Repatriation, as a way of emigration to Israel, and the reunification of all Jews with their historical homeland, creates a continuous and very intense migration flow into the country. That is why Israel's migration policy regarding foreigners is much more strict.

Today, one of the most effective ways for Russian citizens to move to Israel is to open a work visa, which gives them the opportunity to work in the country. A work visa is popular with immigrants from Russia, as many Israeli companies are not averse to hiring qualified and experienced specialists, offering them consistently high wages (especially since the host party is most often involved in paperwork).

Often, Russians send their children to study at Israeli universities. Although the Israeli legislation states that students do not have the right to apply for permanent residence in the country, however, a long stay in the state, as well as a demanded specialization of education, as a result, after graduation, can turn into multiple job offers, and on very favorable terms. Of course, in this case, you will need to reissue a student visa for a work one, but this is not such a problem, since the company hiring you will most likely take on all the responsibilities.

Also, one of the possibilities of emigration to Israel is to marry a citizen of the country. But be prepared for the fact that you will have to go through a long stage: first, obtaining a residence permit in the country, after which you will be able to apply for permanent residence after some time, and only then to obtain citizenship. But in the future, if you have elderly parents in Russia, they will have the opportunity to reunite with you in Israel and receive citizenship under an accelerated program.

Note! Upon obtaining an Israeli passport, citizens of the Russian Federation will have to renounce their previous citizenship. But if you are a repatriate, then you have the right to keep both passports.

List of required documents for obtaining an Israeli visa

Immigration to Israel is possible only with an open visa of the appropriate type (depending on the goals that you are pursuing). When it comes to moving to Israel for permanent residence, those who wish can apply for:

• Repatriation visa;
• Student;
• Working;
• Visa for the relocation of clerics.

Do not think that emigration to Israel will be easy for you. Russians who are going to immigrate to Israel need to be prepared for a long and laborious process, for multiple requirements and checks.

To obtain a visa, you will need to prepare the necessary documents and submit them to the Israeli Embassy in Russia. Moreover, the only consular office of Israel on the territory of the Russian Federation that accepts applications for this type of visa is the Moscow Representative Office.

• Your national passport;
• Birth, marriage, divorce certificates;
• Passport and its copies;
• Two photographs of the established sample;
• Application form for an immigrant visa, completed and signed personally by the applicant;
• International insurance policy;
• certificate of no criminal record;
• Receipt of payment of the consular fee.

Note! The entire list of required documents must be translated into Hebrew, and also duplicated in English. Copies of all documents must be notarized.

After you submit the entire package of required documents, you will be scheduled an interview with the consul. It is the consul, after a conversation with the applicant (and his family, if necessary), who makes the sole decision to grant an Israeli visa. That is why it will be necessary to clearly and reasonably explain the motives for obtaining permission for permanent residence in Israel.

Note! An important factor that can influence the decision of the consul is knowledge of the national language (Hebrew).

You should not resort to trying to emigrate to Israel illegally, for example, at the end of the visa-free permit to stay in the country. This can be fraught with consequences: deportation and imposition of a ban on entry into the country for the next 10 years, regardless of the purpose of the future visit, or to much more serious consequences.

The standard of living in Israel is not comparable with the same level in Russia... The price level in Israel, if you translate everything into rubles, is very different from the Russian one. So, from a financial point of view, moving to Israel for permanent residence will be very difficult to implement if you do not have enough funds in reserve for the first time (especially if you decide to move with the whole family at once).

• Renting a one-room apartment in prestigious areas of big cities costs 700-800 euros per month, in a bedroom - about 500.
• Utilities: electricity, gas, water, garbage collection - from 150-300 euros. For unlimited internet you will have to pay about 30 euros.
• For food for one adult, you will have to pay at least 150-200 euros per week (plus the prices for cigarettes and spirits in Israel are much more expensive than in Russia).
• Transport costs: about 1 euro for a city bus ride. Taxis are very expensive. The cost of gasoline (“95”) is a little over 2 euros per 1 liter.
• Entertainment: a ticket to a cinema or a museum costs about 8 euros, to an underwater observatory or safari zoo - about 20 euros. Excursions - from 60 euros. Therefore, you can safely forget about active recreation at the initial stage.

At the first stages it will be very difficult because of the difference in mentality with the local population. In general, Jews are emotional people. The country has a very strong propaganda of patriotism, against the backdrop of the cult of the army. Only in Israel, standing in line at the bank, you can meet a man with a weapon - and this does not frighten anyone.

Israeli Refugee Policy

But as for obtaining refugee status in Israel, this is not so easy to achieve, as in most other countries. There are refugees on the territory of the state, due to the geographical proximity to the regions in which there are active local military conflicts. However, the policy of the country's authorities is mainly aimed at making the stay of "intruders" in Israel as difficult as possible, forcing them to leave the country "of their own free will." It seems that only the convention on the status of refugees stops the country's government from taking active measures.

Note! According to the convention on the status of refugees, an asylum seeker cannot be forcibly sent back to his homeland (due to the principles of humanity), even if he was denied the appropriate status. The Convention allows for the expulsion of unexpected settlers only in cases where this occurs in the interests of national security.

Only a few receive a refugee certificate in Israel, despite the fact that refugee status, according to Israeli law, does not provide a person with any social rights, neither medical care, nor the right to employment, it is only a temporary permit for a person to stay in the country.

Emigration to Israel as a refugee most likely will not lead to anything. The country's authorities are closely monitoring the situation in all regions where IDPs come from, and at the slightest opportunity, deport a person back to his homeland.

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