What an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal costs, the three conditions for a fee exemption, and what Procedure 5.1.0003 requires. Our office guides appellants.
You received a decision from the Population and Immigration Authority — a refusal of a family-reunification application, cancellation of a residency permit, denial of a humanitarian application, or a removal decision — and you decided to file an appeal with the Appeals Tribunal for immigration matters. One of the first questions we hear at our office is how much this costs, and what to do when there is no money to pay.
The answer requires separating two distinct worlds. The first is the appeal fee — the amount paid to the Tribunal so that the appeal will be heard. The second is the fee paid to the Population and Immigration Authority when filing the application for a visa or residency permit. Each is governed by separate law, has a separate exemption track and a different decision-maker, and an exemption from one does not grant an exemption from the other. A fee, we should stress, is paid at the outset of the proceeding as a condition for it to be heard, whereas costs are awarded at its end against the losing party — a separate subject discussed in another article on this site.
The appeal fee is governed by the Entry into Israel Regulations (Fees at the Appeals Tribunal), 5774-2014. Regulation 2(a) provides that a person filing an appeal must pay, upon first filing it, the amount stated in Item 6 of the Schedule to the Courts Regulations (Fees), 5767-2007. Regulation 2(b) adds a sharp procedural rule: a tribunal will not deal with an appeal unless the fee has been paid or the person filing the appeal is exempt from paying it. An appeal for which the fee was not paid and no exemption was granted is not heard on the merits.
How much is it in practice? The amount is updated from time to time. In a January 2026 decision the Tribunal set the fee at 755 ₪ (Appeal (Tel Aviv) 3847-25 (8 Jan 2026)), and in an August 2026 decision it already stood at 774 ₪ (Appeal (Tel Aviv) 3111-26 (3 Aug 2026)). One should therefore check the current amount at the time of filing rather than rely on an old document. The tribunals emphasize that this is a relatively low fee, set from the outset to fit the situation of foreign nationals seeking status in Israel (Appeal (Tel Aviv) 1515-25 (25 Feb 2025)).
This is where the most common misunderstanding lies. Regulation 3(d) conditions the exemption on three cumulative components: that exceptional circumstances exist that justify granting a fee exemption; that the applicant lacks the ability to pay the fee; and that it appears to the Tribunal that the proceeding discloses a cause of action. If these are met, the Tribunal may exempt the applicant from the fee, in whole or in part, for reasons to be recorded.
This yields two practical points. First, the appeal's prospects are part of the test, and the Tribunal examines, within the exemption application itself, whether the proceeding discloses a cause of action. Second, the exemption can be partial, and it is sometimes advisable to request, in the alternative, an exemption from part of the fee rather than making the application an all-or-nothing matter.
Regulation 3(e) excludes three circumstances that are not, on their own, considered exceptional: that the applicant has no relatives in Israel; that the applicant does not hold a visa or permit allowing him to work in Israel; and a previous court decision that exempted him from a fee. On the other hand, Regulation 3(f) establishes prima facie evidence of inability to pay: a declaration issued in the two years preceding the application that the applicant is a limited-means debtor under section 69(c) of the Execution Law, 5727-1967, or a declaration of bankruptcy. If you hold such a declaration — attach it.
Regulation 3(a) requires that the exemption application be attached to the notice of appeal itself, when it is first brought before the Tribunal, together with documents and an affidavit verifying the facts. Regulation 3(b) sets out five particulars that must be included in the affidavit: the applicant's property, the property of his or her spouse and of relatives on whom he or she depends; income and its sources in the six months preceding the application; the date of entry into Israel and the type of visa received; the place of residence during those six months and the rent paid for it; and the fee paid or agreed with the lawyer in this proceeding. Regulation 3(c) adds that the Tribunal may require additional documents.
The last particular is the one that trips up many applications: the Tribunal wants to understand how someone claiming to lack a few hundred shekels is funding legal representation. If representation is provided free of charge or for a token fee, this should be stated explicitly and supported by evidence. It is also advisable to attach current bank statements for all accounts, proof of income or benefits, confirmation of welfare-agency involvement, and a breakdown of fixed expenses and the number of dependents. The more concrete and documented the record, the greater the chance of success.
The appeal is filed within 30 days of service of the Authority's decision, under section 13כד of the Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952. The exemption application is attached to the appeal upon its first filing, not at a later date. If the application is denied, the Tribunal sets a short deadline for payment — in the decisions reviewed below, 14 days and 7 days were set — and non-payment leads to the appeal being struck out.
It is especially important not to delay filing the appeal until money is found. In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 3847-25 (8 Jan 2026), a request for an extension of time based on inability to pay the fee was denied. The Tribunal held that even someone who lacks means can file an appeal on time together with an exemption application, or at least request an extension before the deadline passes and detail what has been done to raise the money. The appeal was dismissed and costs were awarded.
A Tribunal judgment may be appealed to the District Court sitting as the Court for Administrative Affairs within 45 days. However, a decision on a fee is a procedural decision, and the appellate court is not inclined to intervene in the broad discretion exercised in matters of fees and security for costs. The main investment should go into the original application.
In parallel, almost every application for a visa or residency permit carries a fee to the Authority itself, in the amount set in the "Fee Schedule" referenced by the various procedures (for example, clause ב.9 of Procedure 5.10.0001). This fee is unrelated to the Tribunal fee and is not offset against it.
The exemption from it is governed by Procedure 5.1.0003 (Procedure for Granting a Fee Exemption in Applications for a Visa or Permit under the Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952), edition dated 24 August 2021. Clause א.1 provides that, under Regulations 24-25 of the Entry into Israel Regulations, 5734-1974, a person required to pay a fee may request an exemption, and that the authority to decide rests solely with the head of the Population Administration or his deputy. That same clause adds a unique consideration: if the application is approved and the applicant obtains status, he may become eligible for National Insurance Institute benefits, and the amount of the benefit will be taken into account.
The threshold documents are similar to those required by the Tribunal: an exemption-application form (Appendix A to the Procedure, clause ג.2); a detailed explanatory letter, which — if the applicant is staying in Israel without a valid permit — must also explain the length of the stay (clause ג.3); and an affidavit detailing the property of the applicant, his or her spouse, and relatives on whom he or she depends, sources of income and place of residence during the six months preceding the application, and the fee paid or agreed (clause ג.4). A clerk at the office may require any additional document (clause ג.5).
The file passes from the local office, together with the office manager's recommendation, to the desk at headquarters and from there to the decision of the head of the Administration (clauses ד.2–ד.5), and the response is given in writing (clause ד.7). If the application is refused, clause ד.8 requires that the response note the possibility of filing an internal appeal under Procedure 1.6.0001 — in writing, without delay and no later than 21 days. And a budgetary point: the Authority's procedures state explicitly, regarding applications for a passport and a travel document, that the fee is charged for filing the application and not for providing the service, and is therefore not refunded if the application is denied (clause 4.21 of Procedure 3.2.0001).
In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 3111-26 (3 Aug 2026), an exemption application was denied even though the judge expressed empathy for the appellants' situation. The reasons were cumulative: the bank statement attached was not current and did not demonstrate an inability to pay; the appellants did not explain why they could not pay the fee out of benefits exceeding 5,500 ₪ a month; and they did not detail how they were covering their attorney's fee. The lesson: an old bank document is almost as bad as no document at all.
In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 1714-26 (17 Mar 2026), an application was denied for the opposite reason — what was missing entirely: no bank statement, no breakdown of property, no sources of income, no expenses, and no fee arrangement. In both cases only a short grace period for payment was given, failing which the appeal would be struck out. The lesson: Regulation 3(b) is a checklist, and every item on it must be addressed.
In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 1515-25 (25 Feb 2025), it was held that a claim that the appellant's economic situation is "unstable" does not, on its own, justify an exemption, and that even residing in a hostel for people without means is not sufficient evidence. The Tribunal also examined the appeal's prospects and found them slim, noting that someone basing an application on ties in Israel is expected to first turn to those very ties for assistance. A similar approach emerges from Registrar Appeal (Tel Aviv) 10893-06-26 (4 Jun 2026), where an appeal against a refusal of exemption was dismissed, among other reasons, because the appellant was supported by his community.
On the other hand, an exemption has indeed been granted where a record was presented. In Appeal (Tel Aviv) 2994-26 (22 Jul 2026), an exemption was granted in circumstances where the appellants were minors who were represented, it was claimed, free of charge. In Appeal (Jerusalem) 2291-24 (16 Jun 2024), an exemption was granted "in this specific case" based on claims regarding economic hardship, even though the appeal itself was dismissed at the threshold — a sign that the fee issue is examined on its own.
Finally, a trap worth knowing. In Appeal (Jerusalem) 1912-25 (6 Apr 2025), which concerned a refusal of entry into Israel, the Tribunal drew a lesson from the exemption application itself: from the applicant's admission that she could not bear a fee of 755 ₪, it inferred grounds for concern that she was "potentially settling in" the country. This reasoning is reserved mainly for entry-refusal proceedings, but it shows that an exemption application should be drafted as part of the overall argument.
Our office guides appellants and their family members through proceedings before the Appeals Tribunal and with the Population and Immigration Authority. In every case we first examine the timetable — so that the appeal is filed on time even when the fee issue has not yet been resolved — and then build the exemption application as a well-supported document: an affidavit addressing each of the particulars in Regulation 3(b), current evidence, clarification of the fee arrangement with counsel, and a brief argument that the proceeding discloses a cause of action. At the same time we check whether an exemption from the Authority's fee is also needed under Procedure 5.1.0003, and what the correct route is for challenging a decision on that matter. Nothing said here guarantees an outcome, and in every case an individual review of the circumstances is required.
The fee is set under Item 6 of the Schedule to the Courts Regulations (Fees), 5767-2007, by virtue of Regulation 2(a) of the Entry into Israel Regulations (Fees at the Appeals Tribunal), 5774-2014. The amount is updated periodically: a January 2026 decision set it at 755 ₪, and an August 2026 decision at 774 ₪. One should therefore check the current amount at the time of filing rather than rely on an old document.
No. Regulation 3(d) requires three cumulative components: exceptional circumstances justifying an exemption, inability to pay, and that the proceeding discloses a cause of action. This means the appeal's prospects are also examined within the exemption application. The Tribunal may exempt the applicant from the fee in whole or in part, so it is sometimes advisable to request a partial exemption in the alternative.
The Tribunal sets a short deadline for payment — in the decisions reviewed, 14 days and 7 days were set — and if the fee is not paid, the appeal is struck out. It is therefore important to file the appeal on time even while the fee issue is open, rather than waiting to file until the money is found. A request for an extension of time based solely on inability to pay the fee was denied in Appeal (Tel Aviv) 3847-25 (8 Jan 2026).
No. These are two separate proceedings. The exemption from the Authority's fee is governed by Procedure 5.1.0003 (edition dated 24 August 2021), and the authority to decide rests solely with the head of the Population Administration or his deputy, under clause א.1 of the Procedure. An application form, an explanatory letter and a detailed affidavit must be attached, and if the application is refused, an internal appeal may be filed under Procedure 1.6.0001 within 21 days (clause ד.8).
As a rule, an exemption application is a legitimate procedural right, but it should be filed carefully and as part of the overall argument. In Appeal (Jerusalem) 1912-25 (6 Apr 2025), in an entry-refusal proceeding, the Tribunal treated a declaration of severe economic hardship as support for a concern about settling in Israel. In other proceedings, such as family reunification or humanitarian applications, this consideration is not central, but the wording still matters.