Hire a Japanese Chef in Israel: Ethnic Restaurant Permits

Israel is unusual among the markets in this series. Its Japanese restaurant count is large for the size of the country, its Japanese community is mostly made up of permanent residents, and its foreign worker system has a category for ethnic restaurants with its own fees and levy. This guide explains how a restaurant in Israel can hire a Japanese chef, based on the Japan External Trade Organization's (JETRO) summary of Israeli rules, last updated 24 December 2025, and Japanese government statistics. We could not open the Israeli government's own pages during this update, so treat the figures as a starting point and confirm them with the Population and Immigration Authority.

1. A market with a settled Japanese community

• Japan's agriculture ministry (MAFF) counted 320 Japanese restaurants in Israel in 2025, unchanged from 2023. That is more than the UAE's 190.
• Japan's foreign ministry (MOFA) recorded 1,010 Japanese nationals in Israel on 1 October 2025, down 2.9%. Of those, 725 (72%) were permanent residents and 285 long-term residents.

That permanent share is the opposite of the Gulf, where almost every Japanese national is tied to a work visa. In Israel a Japanese cook who already lives in the country may not need a work permit from you at all. Check each candidate's status, but start the search locally. Israel is not one of Japan's 32 working holiday partners (as listed by MOFA in 2026), so that route is not available.

2. When Israel allows foreign workers

According to JETRO, Israel permits foreign employment only where the worker has outstanding skills, where the job needs expertise not available locally, or in sectors short of labour such as agriculture and construction. Employers apply to the Ministry of Interior. The government sets quotas by sector (JETRO cites 70,000 for agriculture, 115,000 for construction and 5,000 for transport infrastructure), and some quotas are limited by nationality. JETRO lists no general obligation to employ Israelis.

The Israeli minimum wage has been NIS 6,247.67 a month since 1 April 2025.

3. The ethnic restaurant category: fees and levy

JETRO's table of employer charges includes a line for ethnic restaurants, including cooks. The employer pays an application fee and a foreign worker levy:

The 2024 figures were NIS 1,000 and NIS 8,020 for ethnic restaurants. JETRO does not give 2026 figures, and it does not set out the conditions a restaurant must meet to use this category, such as how many foreign cooks it may employ or what it must show about its cuisine. Those conditions are what decide whether a Japanese restaurant qualifies, so ask the Population and Immigration Authority before you recruit.

4. The expert route and its salary test

A senior chef can also be considered as a foreign expert. JETRO notes that a foreign expert's monthly salary must be at least twice the Israeli average wage, which was NIS 13,153 a month in January 2025. That puts the floor at about NIS 26,300 a month on those figures. Few restaurant chefs are paid at that level, so for most kitchens the ethnic restaurant category is the more realistic route, and the expert route is mainly relevant for an executive chef or a short guest stay.

5. Permit first, then the B/1 visa

For stays of 90 days or more a year, JETRO describes this sequence:

1. The employer obtains the work permit before the worker enters Israel.
2. After obtaining a work permit recommendation, a B/1 work visa is applied for from the Ministry of Interior. Visa applications are made through the Israeli embassy, whose consular section can confirm current documents.
3. Entry and exit are through Ben Gurion Airport only.
4. The visa is usually valid for one year and must be renewed each year. For Japanese nationals, total stay is in principle limited to 63 months.

Plan the chef's contract with the 63 month limit in mind. It is a natural point to plan succession in the kitchen; see succession planning for a Japanese kitchen.

6. A guest chef for up to 90 days

For a short stay, such as a guest chef for an opening or a seasonal menu, JETRO describes an expedited procedure for foreign experts from visa exempt countries:

• The employer applies to the Population and Immigration Authority online before entry, with a description of the work, proof of the fee payment, the passport copy and evidence of expertise translated into English or Hebrew.
• An answer is given within 6 working days, and the permit is emailed to the employer.
• Within 2 working days of arrival, the work visa application is filed on the Authority's website (in Hebrew only).
• The permit is valid for 90 days from entry.

Note that since 1 January 2025 visa exempt visitors need an ETA-IL electronic travel authorisation (NIS 25), but JETRO states that it does not cover people entering on a work or study visa. Do not let a chef come to work on an ETA-IL alone.

7. Step by step

1. Search locally first, including Japanese residents with permanent status.
2. Ask the Population and Immigration Authority whether your restaurant can use the ethnic restaurant category, and what the current fee, levy and quota are.
3. If the category is not available, check whether the chef can meet the expert salary test.
4. Recruit and test the chef; gather certificates of experience with translations. See translating employment certificates.
5. Obtain the work permit before travel, then the B/1 visa through the embassy.
6. Diary each annual renewal and the 63 month limit.

General information based on JETRO's summary of Israeli rules (updated 24 December 2025) and Japanese government statistics, checked in September 2026. We could not open the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority's pages, and 2026 fees were not available. This is not legal or immigration advice; confirm with the Population and Immigration Authority or an Israeli lawyer before acting.