Strike halts all consular and visa services

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? A strike at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has put all consular services on hold.

What does the change mean? Israel’s diplomats will not issue visas or provide any consular services during the strike.

• Implementation timeframe: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: All visas and consular services.
• Who is affected: All foreign nationals processing through an Israeli consular post.
• Impact on processing times: Depending on how long the strike lasts, it could cause a backlog and impact processing times.
• Business impact: Any stoppage of visa issuance will impact the cost and timing of assignments in Israel.
• Next steps: The strike may have additional organizational implications that BAL will continue to report as they develop.

Background: The Ministry has been in mediation to avert a strike for seven months. Those efforts failed. On March 6, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release stating that Israel’s diplomats will no longer meet with foreign counterparts, make official visits either in Israel or abroad, or provide any consular services, including issuing visas.

BAL Analysis: Businesses should plan for delays and possible backlogs for consular services.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Israel. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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