Application for an Israeli Travel Document for Olim

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Categories of Olim and travel document types

   This procedure covers three categories of Olim:

   1. Olim who have not yet passed 1 year from their Aliyah date.
   2. Olim for whom 1 year has passed since their Aliyah, but fewer than 5 years have passed.
   3. Veteran Olim for whom 5 or more years have passed since their Aliyah.

   Passport validity under law: Under section 4(a) of the Passports Law (Chok HaDarkonim), the validity period of a passport is 10 years from the date it is issued. The Minister may grant a passport for a period shorter than 10 years, or may instruct that a specific type of passport or Teudat Ma'avar be issued for a period shorter than 10 years.

   Which document you receive depends on when you apply and on your settlement in Israel:

   • An Oleh who has not yet passed 1 year from their Aliyah date will receive a Teudat Ma'avar Le'umit (national passport substitute), valid for 5 years, instead of a national passport.
   • An Oleh for whom 1 year has passed but fewer than 5 years, who has settled in Israel, will receive a passport valid for 5 years. An Oleh in this category who has not settled in Israel will receive a Teudat Ma'avar valid for 5 years instead of a national passport.

   Note on previously issued passports: If you previously received a passport and are now requesting a new one, your eligibility must be checked in accordance with your settlement in Israel.

2. 2

   Settlement check: Olim between 1 and 5 years from Aliyah

   Whether you receive a passport or a Teudat Ma'avar depends on how much time you have spent in Israel.

   General rule (section 1.7.2): If you spent at least 60% of the time between your Aliyah date and your application date inside Israel, you are eligible for a passport valid for 5 years. If you spent less than that time in Israel, you will receive a Teudat Ma'avar instead.

   Exception — settled in the preceding year (section 1.7.4): If you do not meet the 60% settlement threshold, but in the year immediately before you submitted your application you were present in Israel for at least 60% of the time, you can receive a passport valid for 5 years. After that passport expires, your settlement will be re-examined in accordance with section 1.7.2.

   Exception — family settled in Israel (section 1.7.5): If you do not meet the settlement conditions in sections 1.7.2 and 1.7.3, but your immediate family members (spouse, minor children, or Israeli citizens who made Aliyah together with you or nearby) prove settlement, residence, and presence in Israel — and the reason you cannot meet those conditions is that your livelihood and work are abroad — a passport can be issued valid for 5 years. After 5 years, both your settlement and your family members' settlement will be re-examined.

   Adults and minors: All of the above rules apply equally to adults and to minors.

3. 3

   Olim who have passed 5 years since Aliyah

   If more than 5 years have passed since your Aliyah date and you are eligible for a passport, the validity is 10 years. After you prove settlement in Israel, the relevant information is recorded in the registration file so that any future passport application is handled accordingly.

   If you have not settled in Israel, you will receive a Teudat Ma'avar instead of a national passport.

4. 4

   Exiting Israel with a foreign passport in the first 110 days after Aliyah

   If you are a new Oleh who did not receive an exit approval and you arrive at the border to exit Israel using a foreign passport, your exit will be approved using that foreign passport. The border control officer will update your file.

   Validity of the exit approval: An exit approval that can be used for re-entry is valid for 110 days from your Aliyah date.

   The border control officer or Population and Immigration Authority branch worker will add a note in the computer system against your ID number: "exit approved with foreign passport; committed to using an Israeli travel document within 3 months."

   After 3 months from your Aliyah date, you must exit and enter Israel using an Israeli travel document.

5. 5

   Applying for a travel document when you have been in Israel for less than 3 months since Aliyah

   If you have been in Israel for fewer than 3 months since your Aliyah and you want to apply for a travel document, the following applies:

   1. You have the right to waive your option to declare that you do not wish to be Israeli. You will be guided to submit a waiver-of-right notice to the registration officer — but only after the officer has confirmed that you are a foreign citizen.
   2. You will be directed to contact an Olim association or a lawyer to understand the legal implications of receiving Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, and the implications for your prior citizenship.
   3. The Authority worker will continue processing your application only after confirming that you have received appropriate guidance on your citizenship status and that you have decided to submit an application for a travel document.
   4. 5. After receiving the waiver declaration, the worker will update your citizenship code in the computer system:
      • Citizenship code 42 (per section 2(b)(2) of the Citizenship Law) — for an Oleh who came as an Oleh and submits the declaration within 3 months.
      • Citizenship code 43 (per section 2(b)(4) of the Citizenship Law) — for a tourist or temporary resident registered as an Oleh who submits the declaration within 3 months.
   5. The worker will inform you that you may apply for a Teudat Ma'avar instead of a national passport, valid for 5 years.
6. 6

   Applying for a passport when you have been in Israel between 3 months and 1 year since Aliyah

   Under the 2023 amendment to the Passports Law, if less than 1 year has passed since your Aliyah date, you are not eligible for an Israeli passport. You are, however, eligible for a Teudat Ma'avar instead of a national passport, valid for 5 years.

   The Authority worker will explain to you that once 1 year has passed from your Aliyah date, if you have settled in Israel, you will be able to apply for a passport. If it is found that you have not settled in Israel at that time, you will continue to receive a Teudat Ma'avar instead of a national passport.

7. 7

   Applying for a passport when you have been in Israel between 1 year and 5 years since Aliyah

   Under the 2023 amendment to the Passports Law, once 1 year has passed from your Aliyah date, you are eligible for a passport based on your settlement in Israel:

   1. If you have settled in Israel — spent at least 60% of the time between your Aliyah date and your application date inside Israel — you will receive a passport valid for 5 years.
   2. If you have not met the 60% settlement threshold — you will be eligible for a Teudat Ma'avar valid for 5 years.
   3. If you have not settled overall but spent at least 60% of the year immediately before your application in Israel — you will receive a passport valid for 5 years.
   4. After 5 years, passport renewal will be possible based on a settlement check in accordance with section 1.7.2.
8. 8

   Forms and downloads

   • Application for passport / biometric Teudat Ma'avar (form dr/41)
   • List of passport validities and stamps (form dr/24)
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   Related guides

   📖 Check the article «Applying for an Israeli Travel Document (Teudat Ma'avar)» — the standard citizen procedure covering booking appointments, fees, and general requirements.

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   Other guides in the Travel documents series:

   • Applying for an Israeli Travel Document (Teudat Ma'avar)