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Immigration & Aliyah

Can a new immigrant get an Israeli passport immediately after making Aliyah?

Yes, but the first document carries limited validity. Following the 2017 amendment to the Passports Law 5712-1952, new immigrants receive a genuine passport rather than the laissez-passer travel document issued in earlier years, and that first passport is normally valid for about one year. A standard ten-year passport is issued once the Ministry of the Interior is satisfied that the oleh has settled in Israel, in practice after roughly a year of residence. The application is made in person at a Population and Immigration Authority bureau, where biometric data is captured.

Citizenship and the passport are two different things, and olim often conflate them. Citizenship vests on the day of aliyah under the Law of Return and the Citizenship Law, and the identity card (teudat zehut) is issued at the airport aliyah desk or shortly afterwards. The passport is a separate administrative act governed by the Passports Law, which lets the Minister of the Interior set the validity period of a first document. The policy behind the short first passport is straightforward: it distinguishes immigrants who genuinely settle in Israel from those who acquire status and leave. Once the residence condition is satisfied, the oleh applies again and receives a full-validity biometric passport on the standard terms.

During that first year most new immigrants simply keep travelling on their existing foreign passport, which is entirely lawful for dual nationals. One rule catches people out: an Israeli citizen who holds an Israeli passport is expected to use the Israeli document when entering and leaving Israel, so carrying both and presenting the right one at each border is the norm rather than a workaround. Book the biometric appointment early, because bureau availability in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the larger absorption centres is often several weeks out. Applicants also need their teudat zehut and, for children, the presence of both parents or a notarised consent.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Passports Law 5712-1952, as amended in 2017 to replace the oleh laissez-passer with a short-validity passport
  • Competent authority: Population and Immigration Authority (Rashut HaOchlusin VeHaHagira), Ministry of the Interior
  • Fees: approximately NIS 175 for a standard adult biometric passport and approximately NIS 600 for the urgent service (2026); a first document for a new immigrant is commonly issued without charge
  • Validity: roughly one year for the first passport, replaced by a ten-year passport once the residence condition is met, normally after about a year in Israel
  • Timeline: production takes about 10 to 14 business days and the passport is delivered by registered mail; same-day service is available at designated bureaus
  • Attendance: in-person biometric enrolment is required; a child's application generally needs both parents present or a notarised consent from the absent parent

From the full guide: Israeli Passport: How to Apply After Aliyah, Renew, and What Dual Citizens Must Know

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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