Study abroad in Israel: the European Health Insurance Card does not apply there. A social security agreement names health insurance, but according to the German liaison office for health insurance abroad (DVKA) it mainly covers employed persons and does not expressly name students. Before entry you need an electronic entry permit, the ETA-IL. The Federal Foreign Office issues a partial travel warning for parts of Israel and the Palestinian territories. The DAAD sets a monthly scholarship rate of 875 euros for students as a guide figure for living costs.
Study abroad in Israel at a glance
| Item | Information (status October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | European Health Insurance Card does not apply; the agreement names health insurance for employed persons, students are not expressly named | European Commission, German liaison office for health insurance abroad (DVKA) |
| Visa | Germans up to three months without a visa, plus the ETA-IL before entry | Federal Foreign Office (page dated 25.10.2026) |
| Travel document and tuition | Passport, provisional passport or children’s passport; tuition depends on the exchange agreement of your university | Federal Foreign Office |
| Living costs | 875 euros per month as DAAD scholarship rate for students, a guide figure, not a budget | DAAD, scholarship rates (no date) |
| Study grant abroad (Auslands-BAföG) | Possible; the DSW leaflet does not name Israel | German Student Services Organisation (DSW), leaflet (January 2026) |
All information is general information, not individual advice. The linked official pages are the authoritative sources.
How are you health insured in Israel?
European Health Insurance Card and social security agreement
According to the FAQ of the European Commission, the European Health Insurance Card applies in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Israel is not part of this area, and the page makes no explicit statement about travel outside this area. The card on the back of your German health insurance card therefore does not help you in Tel Aviv.
Germany and Israel have a social security agreement. The German liaison office for health insurance abroad (DVKA) names health insurance within its scope on its page (status 12.01.2026), covering benefits in kind and cash benefits of the health insurance funds. The page describes the application for employed persons temporarily working in Israel, with reference to the requirements of a posting under section 4 of Book IV of the Social Code (Ausstrahlung). Students are not expressly named. Clarify in writing with your statutory health insurer whether this agreement applies to your semester abroad, before you sign the Learning Agreement.
If you are privately insured, you will find the basics in the guide Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German), and the specifics for non-EU countries in the guide Private health insurance for students in non-EU countries (in German).
Health care and vaccinations
The Federal Foreign Office states that no vaccinations are mandatory for direct entry from Germany. The page names hepatitis A and polio as travel vaccinations and the standard vaccinations of the STIKO schedule. Depending on your individual risk, it adds hepatitis B and rabies. For the Palestinian territories it names typhoid, and for Gaza possibly cholera. The page strongly advises health insurance with repatriation cover and, in addition, travel with medical evacuation cover. We have not verified whether your host university requires its own insurance. Ask the International Office.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The Federal Foreign Office strongly advises health insurance cover abroad with repatriation insurance, and in addition a medical evacuation insurance. We have not verified whether your statutory health insurer covers repatriation from Israel, so ask your insurer about its scope. More background is in the guide Travel health insurance for Erasmus, USA and work and travel (in German).
Do you need a visa for Israel?
Not for stays up to three months, as far as the Federal Foreign Office states. Germans born after 1 January 1928 need no visa for a maximum of three months. Before entry the electronic entry permit ETA-IL is mandatory. The page names no fee for it. On arrival at the airport or at certain borders you receive an entry card, the B2 stay permit, which you must keep until departure. Whether and which visa you need for a study programme is determined by the diplomatic mission. The Federal Foreign Office page does not address study, so we do not state a rule of our own.
According to the Federal Foreign Office, a passport, a provisional passport and a children’s passport are accepted. An identity card or a provisional identity card is not permitted. The documents must be valid for at least six months on entry; with an ETA-IL, the page states, three months are enough. Keep the following documents ready:
- Passport valid for six months on entry, or three months with an ETA-IL according to the page
- Electronic entry permit ETA-IL, applied for before entry
- B2 stay permit, the entry card you keep until departure
- Proof of health insurance abroad with repatriation cover for the full length of your stay
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is a partial travel warning for Israel (page status 25.10.2026). The page warns against travel to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (except East Jerusalem). It strongly advises against travel to the area around the Gaza Strip and to northern Israel, and advises against travel to other parts of Israel and to East Jerusalem. Travel exclusively to the West Bank requires prior approval from the Israeli authority COGAT. The page describes the situation in the region as extremely volatile and points to the risk of terrorist attacks. No travel warning for the whole country applies according to the page.
What does a semester abroad in Israel cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees apply at the host university depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. We do not name a general amount, because we have not found an official statement on it. Ask your home university and the host university before you accept a place.
Living costs
The DAAD sets a monthly scholarship rate of 875 euros for students in Israel. This is a guide figure, not a budget. The DAAD list carries no publication date; we retrieved it on 25.10.2026. We have not found a verified monthly amount for living costs from your host university or an official body. Ask the host university for its budget for exchange students.
Funding: Erasmus+ and study grant abroad (Auslands-BAföG)
Funding through Erasmus+ requires a partnership of your university with an institution in a programme country. The European Commission publishes the list of programme countries. Check with your International Office whether a partnership exists for Israel. More on this is in the guide Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).
The study grant abroad (Auslands-BAföG) is possible for part of a degree abroad if you have studied at least one academic year in Germany beforehand and have a permanent residence in Germany. The leaflet of the German Student Services Organisation (DSW, status January 2026) does not name Israel, so ask the office for training assistance abroad about responsibility before you apply. The application should be submitted about six months before the start. The leaflet names tuition fees of up to 5,600 euros for one year at most. The regulation provides a travel cost supplement of 500 euros for each outbound and return trip outside Europe. All details are in the guide Study grant abroad: requirements, amount and supplements (in German).
Calculation example: For a stay of five months, the DAAD rate of 875 euros per month gives a guide figure of 4,375 euros for living expenses. Flights, the ETA-IL, insurance and your university fees are not included, because we have no verified amounts for them. The total is an orientation, not a promise.
How to prepare before you leave
- Ask your health insurer to confirm in writing whether the social security agreement with Israel applies to your semester abroad.
- Take out health insurance with repatriation and medical evacuation cover for the full length of your stay.
- Apply for the electronic entry permit ETA-IL in good time before entry.
- Check that your passport meets the validity requirements and that you do not travel on an identity card.
- Ask your doctor about hepatitis A, polio and the standard vaccinations named by the Federal Foreign Office.
- Before you plan, check whether your place of study lies in an area covered by the Federal Foreign Office warnings, and find out about the approval requirement for the West Bank.
- Submit the study grant abroad application about six months before the start and confirm responsibility with the office for training assistance abroad, if you want funding.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card apply in Israel?
According to the FAQ of the European Commission, the card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Israel is not among them. Whether the social security agreement applies to your semester abroad is for your health insurer to clarify, because the DVKA page does not expressly name students.
Do I need a visa for Israel?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, stays of up to three months generally need no visa for Germans born after 1927. The electronic entry permit ETA-IL is mandatory before entry. Whether a study programme requires a visa is for the diplomatic mission to decide.
Do I have to pay tuition fees in Israel?
That depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. We do not name a general amount, because we have no official statement on it.
What are the living costs in Israel?
The DAAD sets a monthly scholarship rate of 875 euros for students. This is a guide figure. We have not found a verified monthly amount from your host university or an official body.
Does my health insurer pay for repatriation?
We have not verified any statement from the statutory health insurance on repatriation for Israel. The Federal Foreign Office strongly advises repatriation insurance. Ask your insurer about the scope of its benefits.
Who is responsible for the study grant abroad for Israel?
The leaflet of the German Student Services Organisation (status January 2026) does not name Israel. Clarify responsibility with the office for training assistance abroad before you apply.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Israel: travel and security information (page status 25.10.2026, in German)
- European Commission, FAQ on social security: European Health Insurance Card (no date)
- German liaison office for health insurance abroad (DVKA), Israel: scope (status 12.01.2026, in German)
- German Student Services Organisation, leaflet on study grants abroad (January 2026, in German)
- Federal Training Assistance Act supplement regulation, section 4 travel cost supplement (no date, in German)
- DAAD, scholarship rates for students and graduates (no date, in German)
Sources retrieved on 25.10.2026 unless stated otherwise.
Related reading
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies? (in German)
- Study grant abroad: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Study Abroad in Jordan: Insurance, Visa, Costs 2026
- Study Abroad in Lebanon: Insurance, Visa, Costs 2026
- All countries for your semester abroad at a glance (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information and does not replace individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
