Israel and Japan signed two agreements on Friday, the 28th of April, as part of the Israeli 75th Anniversary celebrations held at the Ambassador's residence.

One is a working holiday visa agreement, and the other is a memorandum of cooperation in the fields of telecommunications and postal services.

The agreement was signed by Gilad Cohen, Ambassador of Israel to Japan, and from the Japanese side by Kenji Yamada, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Hiroshi Yoshida, Vice Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.

Under the framework of the Working Holiday Visa Agreement, Israeli and Japanese citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 could obtain residence visas in the other country for up to 12 months. Working-Holiday Visa holders will be able to combine work and language study as part of their vacation, or to stay for various training programs in the host country. The agreement will also allow young tech talent from Israel, known for its skill as a startup nation, to work in Japan.

Furthermore, in the agreement signed in the field of telecommunications and postal services, within its framework, Israel and Japan will exchange information on improving and developing postal services, promoting technology in the telecommunications sector, broadband and the deployment of 5G network.

Ambassador Cohen said, “The signed agreement is an important pillars that will strengthen the relationship between Israel and Japan over the years. Signing the agreements during the 75th anniversary to our independence is a testament to the appreciation of the Japanese government to Israel, and we are thankful for that. Despite the geographical distance between the two countries, today, with direct flights and expanded travel routes, Israelis and Japanese are closer to each other than ever before. I am confident that the relationship between our two countries will only continue to deepen and that Israel and Japan will work together to forge further cooperation that will benefit both our peoples. ”

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*The Working-Holiday Visa agreement will be effective in a due course in line with the completion of the necessary internal processes at each country. An update on the implementation of the new visas will be published through the Embassy's website and social media accounts.