- March 11, 2026
- 10:05 pm
- Israel
Israel has officially updated the policy regarding the stay of Ukrainian citizens on its territory. The Population and Immigration Authority announced the extension of the collective protection regime for Ukrainians who are in the country after the start of the war.
According to the new position of the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, this policy is in effect until June 30, 2026, or until the end of the war in Ukraine and the possibility of safe return, whichever event occurs first.
The decision directly affects thousands of Ukrainian citizens living today in various cities across the country — from Tel Aviv and Haifa to Ashdod, Bat Yam, and Netanya. For many of them, the extension of status means the opportunity to continue living and working in Israel without the risk of immediate immigration sanctions.
New policy of the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding Ukrainians
The updated policy was published by the Population and Immigration Authority under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Israel on March 9, 2026.
The department explained that the decision was made considering the elapsed time and accumulated experience since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The document emphasizes that the Israeli authorities will not apply coercive control measures against the employment of Ukrainian citizens, if two key conditions are met:
at least 90 days have passed since the person entered Israel
they have a Ukrainian passport
This means that employers can hire Ukrainian citizens without the risk of sanctions from immigration services.
Employer responsibility
At the same time, the Israeli authorities separately emphasized an important point.
The responsibility for checking documents lies specifically with the employer.
The employer must ensure:
that the person is indeed a citizen of Ukraine
that they have been in Israel for more than 90 days since entry
This model is already used in practice in various sectors of the economy where Ukrainian citizens work.
Extension of B/2 tourist visas
Another important element of the decision was the extension of stay visas of type B/2 (tourist) for Ukrainians.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Israel decided to extend these visas for Ukrainian citizens who:
were in Israel legally at the time the war began,
or entered the country after it began.
In fact, this is about maintaining the humanitarian regime introduced by Israel after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
For Ukrainians who fled the war, this means the opportunity to continue staying in the country legally.
In analytical publications dedicated to migration policy and the Ukrainian diaspora in Israel, journalists of the project NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency previously noted that such a policy became a compromise between humanitarian support and the strict rules of the Israeli migration system.
What will happen after June 30, 2026
The Israeli authorities separately emphasized that the current policy is not final.
Upon the completion of the specified period, the situation will be reviewed based on current data — primarily depending on the course of the war in Ukraine and the possibility of safe return.
If the war ends earlier, the conditions of stay may be reviewed sooner.
If hostilities continue, Israel will again assess the humanitarian and migration situation.
Education and healthcare
It is separately noted in the message that issues of access to education and medical services are regulated by the relevant ministries.
For information, Ukrainian citizens are recommended to contact directly:
the Ministry of Education of Israel — for questions about schools and children’s education
the Ministry of Health of Israel — for questions about medical assistance
These procedures operate in parallel with migration policy and may be regulated by separate government decisions.
Why this decision is important for Israeli society
The extension of collective protection is not only a humanitarian step.
For Israel, it is also a practical decision that takes into account the reality of recent years. Since the start of the war, a significant Ukrainian community has formed in the country, which works, studies, and integrates into local life.
At the same time, the state reserves the right to flexibly change the rules depending on the development of the situation in Ukraine.
That is why the new policy clearly formulates two conditions for ending the regime — June 30, 2026, or the end of the war, depending on which occurs first.
For thousands of Ukrainian families in Israel, this means one thing: at least in the coming months, their legal status remains stable.
