Foreign Media in Israel Press Card

This article addresses how to obtain a foreign media in Israel press card.

Qualifications for Foreign Media in Israel to Apply for a Press Card

Foreign media in Israel can apply for press cards through the Israel Government Press Office (GPO). There are different types of press cards that are longer term or shorter term. In order to be applicable for the press card, the media outlet must meet a number of criteria. It must have been operating for a minimum of two years, and it must have demonstrable reach. For example, if the media outlet prints newspapers, it must sell 10,000 papers per issue. If the outlet is primarily online, then it must have 100,000 hits per day in order to be considered “media” according to the GPO standards. No more than 40% of the publication can be advertising, and at least half of all the publication in the print or online paper must be written by the outlet’s employees.

Foreign Media in Israel Press Card Application

The Israel press card application process has a few qualifications and the application can be found on the GPO website. The press card is valid for a number of months up to one or two years, depending on the type of press card you are seeking.

Foreign Media in Israel Press Card Security Review

If it is the applicant’s first time going through the Israel Government Press Office, then the applicant will need to go through a security review. This is fairly simple for most foreign media staff and personnel, as it examines whether the applicant ever committed a crime while in Israel, if the applicant was ever deported from Israel (for working illegally, overstaying a visa, etc.), or if the applicant comes from a country hostile to Israel. The GPO can be flexible on some of theses issues, and it makes decisions at its own discretion.

Foreign Media in Israel Visa, Press Card Rejections, and Other Issues

In the event you not only seek to obtain a foreign media in Israel press card but a foreign media visa, we provide more information on this process and the B-1 visa in other articles. We also discuss what to do if your press card application is rejected, cancelled or suspended.