Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Israel and Japan signed an agreement on Friday permitting citizens of each country to go on a working holiday in the other country for up to a year.

The agreement was signed by YAMADA Kenji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen at a reception commemorating the 75th Independence Day of the State of Israel at the ambassador’s residence in Tokyo.

The agreement permits a citizen of the other country who possesses a valid working holiday visa to stay for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date of entry and allows that person to undertake paid employment as an incidental activity of his or her holiday for the purpose of supplementing his or her travel funds. 

The agreement will come into force on the 90th day after the final receipt of diplomatic notes by which Japan and Israel notify each other of the completion of their respective internal procedures necessary for the agreement to enter into force.

It is expected that the working holiday program will promote youth exchanges and mutual understanding, and further deepen ties between the two countries. 

Japan says its working holiday programs are designed to provide the youth of Japan and its partner countries/ regions with wider opportunities for them to appreciate the culture and general way of life in the partner areas.

Israel will be the 31st country/ region in total, and the first country in the Middle East, to which Japan will introduce a working holiday program.