The Woodman-Scheller Israel Studies International Program (WSISIP)

Additional Information

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Visa

Students accepted into WSISIP must obtain a student visa (A2) prior to traveling to Israel. Students who enter into Israel on a tourist visa (B2) will have to exit the Israel to reapply for the correct visa at their own expense. The airline also has the right to refuse a passenger if their return trip is booked for a date that falls outside the time limit for permissible stay on a tourist visa.

To apply for a student visa, each student must be in contact with the Israeli embassy or consulate in his or her home country. For information regarding each embassy’s procedures and requirements, please go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. You will need to supply the Israeli embassy or consulate with an official acceptance letter from the Ben-Gurion University provided by the Student Affairs Coordinator, the completed and appropriate visa forms accessible here, 2 passport-sized photos, and payment of the fee. We strongly suggest you ask for a multiple entry visa, as it will let you travel at your discretion. You have the opportunity to apply for a multiple entry visa while on campus.

It is important to make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months following your final departure at the end of the program, or approximately two years from your date of arrival in Israel. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Student Affairs Coordinator.

Visa Extension

Please note, according to the Interior Ministry, your student visa will be valid for one academic year and can be extended for up to one additional academic year. BGRI is unable, by law, to extend your student visa after the end of your studies.

In order to renew your visa and multiple entry visa, please contact Sigalit Cohan, The Hospitality Administration Department at elcabir@bgu.ac.il or 08-659-6711.

Family Member Visas

If your spouse and/or child will be accompanying you during your academic studies, they are required by law to have the correct visa.

For visa costs, see Tuition and Fees.

Transportation Options

Train
There are two train stops in Beersheva that serve as a gateway to the rest of Israel. For train timetables in English or Hebrew go to rail.co.il or use Google maps. The Central Train Station (Beer-Sheba Merkaz) is located adjacent to the Central Bus Station (Tahana Merkazit).
Bus
If you want to travel from Sede-Boqer to Beersheva in the north or Mitzpe Ramon in the south, you must take Metropoline buses 60 and 64. The bus stop is right outside of the entrance to the Midresha.
For more transportation options, please consult Google maps. Please note that public transportation is suspended from early Friday afternoon until Saturday evening.

Health Insurance

You are required to purchase medical insurance immediately upon your arrival.
For the time between your arrival in Israel and the start of your benefits, we suggest that you arrange for supplemental medical insurance through a provider from your home country. This can be done at the Office of Student Services on campus.

The cost of foreign students insurance is $2.15 per day and it provides you with medical services at the local clinic and throughout the country. In light of complications in the past where students with medical insurance from their home provider could not receive medical treatment at the local clinic and had to travel by bus to Beersheva, we strongly suggest that you use the local insurance provider. To apply for insurance please fill out these forms.

Any questions should be directed to Sigalit Cohan, The Hospitality Administration Department at elcabir@bgu.ac.il or 08-659-6711.

Religious or Cultural Needs

WSISIP welcomes students from all backgrounds to our program. We understand that students may have different religious or cultural needs and aim to help ease the transition. If, in advance, you would like to talk to a fellow student that shares your needs, let the Student Affairs Coordinator know, and, if possible, we will arrange a Skype call.