For Colombian nationals interested in working as licensed caregivers in Israel, the process runs through a formal work visa application handled by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Israeli mission in Colombia serving as the local point of contact. This is a well-established labor migration pathway, and it’s part of a broader system in Israel where roughly 75,000 licensed foreign caregivers are currently employed, with demand steadily rising due to the country’s aging population.
Understanding How the Process Works
Applying to work as a caregiver in Israel involves a mix of eligibility tests, government permits, and legal paperwork that must be completed in a precise order, and the process differs depending on whether you’re the employer sponsoring a caregiver or the applicant seeking the position. To work legally, the prospective employer in Israel must first apply for an employment permit from the Population and Immigration Authority — this permit is the legal backbone of hiring a foreign caregiver, proving the employer has the right to bring one into the country, and without it, even a fully qualified caregiver cannot work legally in Israel.
Once that employer-side permit is approved, the caregiver applicant then applies for a B/1 work visa at the Israeli mission in their home country — in this case, the Israeli mission serving Colombia.
Eligibility Requirements
The service enables foreigners over age 18 who wish to work in Israel as caregivers to submit a work visa application. Importantly, a work visa procedure can only start after receiving approval from the Ministry of the Interior in Israel — meaning the employer-side permit must be secured before the applicant’s own visa process can move forward.
Documents You’ll Need to Gather
The required documentation is extensive, and gathering it accurately is one of the most important steps in the process. You’ll generally need:
- A completed application for an entry visa to Israel
- A passport valid for at least three years (caregiver visas specifically require three years of validity, longer than the standard two-year requirement for other visa types)
- Two recent, identical passport photos (color, white background, full front view of face, measuring 5×5 cm)
- A criminal clearance certificate, valid for 6 months, translated and certified
- A birth certificate, translated and certified
- Confirmation of medical tests completed at a laboratory or hospital recognized by the mission
- A signed declaration agreeing to be fingerprinted and photographed
- An employment contract with the sponsoring employer or family
- A training certificate
- Certification from Colombia’s local labor ministry confirming that the recruiting employment agency holds a valid brokerage license
Document Translation
Because several required documents need to be translated into Hebrew, the mission maintains a list of qualified local translators for applicants in Colombia — though it’s worth noting that being included on this list isn’t an official recommendation, and using any particular translator’s services remains the applicant’s own responsibility.
Fees and Payment
Visa processing fees must be paid in Colombian Pesos (COP), and services requiring payment must be settled at the time the application review process begins. If a visa application is ultimately denied, the amount already paid is not refunded. Accepted payment methods include credit and debit cards, bank transfer, and the secure online payment platform PSE, with cash accepted only when genuinely necessary. On the Israel side, separate government processing fees apply at various stages — as of 2026, the employment permit application fee runs NIS 1,270, with an additional NIS 450 visa processing fee for the initial B/1 visa and NIS 260 for annual renewals, all paid through Israel’s Tashlum Online portal.
The In-Person Interview
Applicants cannot complete this process remotely. The applicant must present himself for a personal interview at an Israeli mission in the country where he lives, and visiting the mission requires scheduling an appointment in advance — walk-in applications generally aren’t accepted for this type of visa.
Working With a Licensed Agency
Because the process is complex and involves coordination between two countries’ labor and immigration authorities, most successful applicants work through a licensed manpower agency rather than navigating the paperwork alone. Only licensed agencies can legally facilitate bringing foreign caregivers to Israel, and agencies typically handle visa applications, documentation, and pre-arrival screening and preparation conducted in the caregiver’s home country — working through an unlicensed intermediary can create real legal risk and delay.
Official Contacts
Embassy of Israel in Bogotá, Colombia
Website:
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Caregiver Work Visa Service Page:
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Phone:
031-667-0167-8
Israel Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA) — employer-side permit information:
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Join The Discussion
Are you exploring this caregiver visa process, either as a Colombian applicant or as someone in Israel looking to sponsor a caregiver? What part of the documentation or approval process has felt most confusing — the employer permit stage, the translation requirements, or scheduling the consulate interview? Share your questions or experiences with the process below.
