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Ben Mehagrim Visiting Israel

Joshua Pex
Joshua Pex

This article, “Ben Mehagrim Visiting Israel,” addresses how many days a year a ben mehagrim can visit Israel. If you are abroad, you can reach out to the Israeli consulate closest to you for assistance with registering your ben mehagrim status. A lawyer can help make this project go smoothly as well as assist with complicated cases. 

What is a ben mehagrim?

Ben mehagrim (for boys, “bat mehagrim” for girls) refers to a minor who used to be an Israeli resident (lived in Israel) but left the country with their Israeli citizen parents before the age of 16. We provide much more information about the legal consequences of the status and reporting for military service in our article, “What Is a Ben Mehagrim.”

Ben Mehagrim Visiting Israel

Ben mehagrim visiting Israel, days permitted

A registered ben mehagrim may visit Israel for up to 120 days per calendar year and continue to have the right to defer their military service. Additionally, they may come for a one-time-only long visit of between 121 and 365 consecutive days called a “shnat shehiya” (i.e. a year of dwelling) with the stipulation that they must spend at least 60 days abroad immediately before this long visit and at least 60 days abroad immediately following the visit. 

Moreover, a “ben mehagrim” may spend up to four years studying in an institution of higher learning or a yeshiva in Israel without losing their right to defer their military service as long as their parents live abroad, they themselves had been living abroad since before the age of 10, and they properly registered with the government agencies.  

If a ben mehagrim overstays these time frames, they will be considered residents of Israel and therefore lose their status as ben mehagrim and will no longer be allowed to defer their national service. 

The exact length of the mandatory military service depends on the person’s age, gender, and marital status.

Additional articles of interest

We provide more information on this topic in our articles on military service exemptions, how to choose a ben mehagrim lawyer, and more. 

Contact us

If you seek legal assistance around the issue of a ben mehagrim visiting Israel, please contact us. Advocate Joshua Pex specializes in this issue, and he would be happy to be of assistance.

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