Refusals and appeals
Written by Alon, founder of IsraelVisa · Based on the procedures of the Population and Immigration Authority
A refusal in the Gradual Process is given in writing with reasons, by the email address you gave when you applied and by registered mail, and the decision must state the appeal options. Keep the letter and note the day you received it: the deadlines run from receipt. If the foreign partner holds a licence given under the process, the refusal cancels it, and when the refusal rests on the findings of the interview the Authority requires departure from Israel within 30 days.
There are two routes. The first is an internal appeal to the Authority, filed in writing no later than 21 days from the day the decision was received, under procedure 1.6.0001; an appeal filed later is not handled. The second is an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal, a judicial body that hears decisions of the Authority on entry, stay and residence in Israel; it is filed within 30 days of the decision, in Hebrew, with an affidavit and a fee, and it is a legal proceeding in every sense, with pleadings and a hearing. After a refusal, a new application is as a rule possible only one year after the last decision on the application, unless the couple shows a clear change of circumstances.
Refusal of entry at the border is a separate matter, under the border control procedure. The traveller receives a written decision, may be returned on the next flight or held in the airport facility, and can appeal to the Tribunal within 30 days; the appeal alone does not stop the flight, an interim order from the Tribunal does. The refusal is recorded and weighed in any later application, which is why the procedures ask the couple to apply before the foreign partner travels.
The articles below explain each route in detail, the deadlines, and what to do in the first days after a refusal, whether at the office or at the border.
Application refused: what are the options
What to do when the Population Authority refuses an application in the Gradual Process: an internal appeal within 21 days, an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal, what happens to the licence, and when a new application can be filed, under procedures 5.2.0008 and 5.2.0009.
Published: 18 October 2026
Refused entry at the border: your rights, the Tribunal and the next application
A foreign partner refused entry to Israel: what border control may do under procedure 6.4.0010, the written decision and the airport facility, the 30-day appeal to the Appeals Tribunal and the interim order, and how a refusal weighs on a later application under procedures 5.2.0008 and 5.2.0009.
Published: 5 November 2026
Frequently asked questions
How long do we have to appeal a refusal?
An internal appeal to the Authority within 21 days of receiving the decision; an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal within 30 days of the decision. The deadlines run from receipt, so note the day you received the letter.
Does the foreign partner have to leave Israel after a refusal?
A refusal cancels a licence given under the process, and where it rests on the findings of the interview the procedure requires departure within 30 days. As part of the appeal you can ask that departure not be required until a decision; a lawyer will usually check this first.
Can we file a new application after a refusal?
As a rule only one year after the last decision on the application. The office manager may allow an earlier application when the couple shows a clear change of circumstances.