Passport Requirements
OLIM · ADVICE
ALIYAH ADVISORY
Passport
Requirements
A complete guide to passport documentation for aliyah — what to copy, what to submit, and what to avoid.
Published by Olim Advice · olimadvice.com
The current
valid passport.
Your passport is the single most important document in the aliyah process. Get the passport documentation wrong and the whole application slows or stops. Get it right and the bureaucracy moves around you, not against you.
The requirements look simple on the surface — submit a copy of your current passport. In practice they are not. The Entry/Exit Form needs seven years of passport history. Multiple citizenships must all be disclosed. Old expired passports you no longer have must be accounted for. Maiden names, name changes, damaged booklets, missing pages, and minor inconsistencies between passport and birth certificate all create work that compounds if it is not handled early. This guide covers what to copy, which passports to include, how to meet the validity requirement, and how to avoid the small mistakes that cause large delays.
You need a valid passport from your country of citizenship. It must be valid for at least six months beyond your anticipated aliyah date, and in good physical condition — no damage, no tears, no water damage. Anything less, and you risk rejection at the border or at the visa stage.
This is the international travel standard, and Israel requires it for visa processing. Your aliyah visa is issued on the basis of a valid passport, and you need time after arrival to process Israeli documents — including your Teudat Zehut and Teudat Oleh. If your passport is expiring soon, renew it before starting your application. Avoid beginning with a passport that expires in less than six months; processing delays could push you past expiration and force you to redo work.
Passport renewal can take four to twelve weeks depending on the country and service speed. Build that timeline into the start of your aliyah process, not the middle of it.
The bio page
and what follows.
This is the most critical page. It carries your photograph and all your personal details: full name, passport number, date of birth, place of birth, sex, nationality, dates of issue and expiration, issuing authority, your signature, and the machine-readable zone at the bottom.
- Colour copies preferred, though black and white is usually acceptable.
- Clear and legible — all information readable.
- The entire page included, with no cut-off edges.
- Make several copies for your own records.
- Keep the original passport safe — you will need it at multiple stages.
If your name has changed through marriage, divorce, a legal name change, or adoption, copy the page in your passport showing the name-change notation. Some countries place this on the main page; others have a separate amendments page. Also submit the supporting document — marriage certificate, legal name-change court order, or divorce decree. Israeli authorities need to connect your current name to your birth name to verify your identity.
If your passport was extended, include the page showing the extension — both the original and the new expiration date. This is less common now, as most countries issue new passports rather than extending old ones, but where it applies, include the documentation.
- Blank pages.
- Visa-stamp pages (not needed for the standard application).
- Entry/exit stamp pages (not needed for the basic application).
Only copy the main bio page, pages with name changes, pages with date extensions, and any page carrying information relevant to you.
The seven-year
history requirement.
This is a specific requirement that causes more confusion than any other part of the passport documentation, because it asks for significantly more than the basic application does.
The Entry/Exit Form is an Israeli government form required for everyone aged seventeen and above making aliyah. It exists to track your travel history, prevent issues with Israeli military-service obligations, and establish whether you previously left Israel and when.
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 · Oleh Chadash | Born outside Israel to non-Israeli parents. Never lived in Israel. First-time olim. |
| 2 · Ezrach Oleh | Born outside Israel to Israeli parents. Israeli citizen from birth. Never lived in Israel, or only briefly. |
| 3 · Katin Chozer | Born in Israel, or made aliyah as a child, then left Israel before the 14th birthday. Now returning as an adult. |
Categories 1 and 2. Submit copies of the first page of every passport you hold, for every nationality, for the past seven years from your anticipated aliyah date. This includes expired passports, plus any pages with name changes or date extensions.
Example: if you are making aliyah in July 2025, include every passport you held between July 2018 and the present — even one that expired in 2020, and even if you have never been to Israel.
Category 3. Submit copies of the first page of every passport, for every nationality, since your 14th birthday — not just the past seven years. Plus any name-change or date-extension pages.
Every passport,
every nationality.
If you hold more than one passport, you must submit copies of every passport from every country. Common situations include dual citizenship — US and Canadian, or a European passport plus a birth-country one. Some people hold three or more citizenships. All passports must be submitted, even one you rarely use. The Israeli government needs a complete picture of all your travel possibilities and your full legal status. If you hold a citizenship but never obtained the passport, note this clearly in your application.
Yes — you need to submit expired passports if they fall within the required timeframe. For the Entry/Exit Form, include any passport, from any nationality, from the past seven years — even one that expired five years ago. For the basic application, you need only your current valid passport's main page.
If you have lost or disposed of expired passports, do not panic — and do not fabricate. Write an explanation letter stating which passports you held and their approximate dates, explaining they were lost, destroyed, or disposed of, and giving passport numbers if you remember them or have records. You may be asked to request passport history from your government, as some countries keep records of passports issued. This will not necessarily prevent aliyah — but be honest and upfront about it from the start.
The fastest aliyah applications are the most honest ones. The slowest are the ones where something was hidden, forgotten, or fudged — and had to be reconciled later.
Clear labels.
Faster processing.
Each passport copy must be clearly labelled. A neatly organised submission moves through the system faster than a complete but disorganised one.
- The passport holder's full name as it appears on the passport.
- The passport number.
- The country of issuance.
- Which page it is (for example, “Main Page”, “Name-Change Page”).
- Write directly on the copy (never on the original).
- Attach sticky notes to the copies.
- Type and print labels.
- Clear handwriting is acceptable.
If you already hold an Israeli passport, submit both your Israeli and your foreign passport, following the same requirements for each. The Israeli passport does not need an apostille or special certification. If you have one, you do not need an aliyah visa — the Israeli passport itself proves citizenship — though you still complete the rest of the aliyah process.
If your passport is still in your maiden name but you are now married with a different surname, the recommended approach is to renew your passport in your new name before starting the application, and submit the new passport together with the marriage certificate. Alternatively, you can submit the maiden-name passport with the marriage certificate and an explanation of the discrepancy — but this needs more documentation to connect the names, and creates more friction.
Across damage, irregularities, maiden-name mismatches, and near-expiry, the same answer keeps appearing. A fresh passport — in the current name, in good condition, with full validity — removes an entire class of friction from the file. Renewal costs weeks; the alternative costs months of reconciliation.
Minors, and
renewals mid-process.
For minor children making aliyah, you need the child's passport main-page copy, valid for six or more months. Both parents must typically consent to a child obtaining a passport. Passport photos of infants and very young children can look quite different from the child today — this is normal and acceptable, as long as the passport itself is valid and legitimate. Children under seventeen do not complete the Entry/Exit Form; they need only their current passport main page.
- Renew immediately.
- Update your application with the new passport.
- Submit the new passport copy to your Israel Aliyah Center — the Jewish Agency office handling your Tik Aliyah.
- Notify them of the passport-number change.
- You may need to reapply for the visa with the new passport.
- Renew immediately.
- Update the visa application.
- Bring both the old and the new passport when making aliyah.
Passport renewal can take four to twelve weeks. Plan ahead. The cost of being caught between an expired passport and an in-flight aliyah application is measured in months of delay.
Country-specific
considerations.
| Country / Region | What to know |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Standard format, clear bio page, easy to copy. Often issued for ten years. If you hold both a UK and an EU passport, submit both. |
| European Union | Standard format across the EU. The bio page contains everything needed. |
| Canada | Red cover, bilingual bio page (English and French). |
| South Africa | Smart-card format (new) or booklet (old). Both are acceptable. |
| South America | Various formats — card and booklet. Copy both front and back of card-style passports. |
| Former Soviet states | Submit the external (international) passport. Copy the transliteration page showing your name in Latin characters. |
The same principles apply: submit the bio page for every passport you hold or have held within the required window, label clearly, and disclose every citizenship.
Avoidable mistakes.
Right habits.
DO NOT
- Submit a photocopy of a photocopy — always send a clear, first-generation copy.
- Cut off the edges of the passport page.
- Use a passport photo in place of copying the whole page.
- Forget to include name-change pages.
- Submit an expired passport for the current-passport requirement.
- Forget to label your copies.
- Send your original passport by mail — keep originals safe.
- Forget about your second-citizenship passport.
- Ignore expired passports within the seven-year window.
- Assume visa-stamp pages are needed for the basic application — they are not.
DO
- Make clear, legible copies.
- Include complete pages.
- Label everything.
- Keep originals safe.
- Check expiration dates.
- Include all citizenships.
- Follow the specific rules for the Entry/Exit Form.
- Ask questions whenever you are unsure.
When to do
what, exactly.
- Check passport expiration dates.
- Renew if expiring within twelve months.
- Gather all old passports.
- Make copies of everything.
- Submit passport copies with your application.
- Ensure everything is labelled.
- Keep originals for future stages.
- Bring original passports to your Jewish Agency interview.
- Keep them with you at all times.
- Update if anything changes.
- Use your passport to apply for the aliyah visa.
- Your original passport is needed for the visa — the visa is placed inside it.
- Bring your original passport in your carry-on luggage.
- You need it for boarding and arrival processing.
- Never check your passport in your hold luggage.
Frequently asked
questions.
Can I submit colour copies, or must they be black and white?
Colour copies are preferred. Black and white is usually acceptable, as long as the copy is clear and legible.
Do my passport copies need to be notarised?
No. Passport copies do not need notarisation. Clear copies are sufficient.
My passport spells my name differently from my birth certificate. What do I do?
Note this in your application and provide an explanation. You may need additional documentation connecting the two names.
I once travelled to Israel on a tourist visa. Do I need to show this?
Not necessarily for the basic application — but be honest on the Entry/Exit Form. Previous tourism does not prevent aliyah.
Do children need their own passports if travelling on a parent's passport?
Most countries now require children to hold their own passports. Check your country's specific requirements.
Can I make aliyah on an emergency or temporary passport?
This is complicated — consult the Jewish Agency. A regular passport is strongly preferred.
What if I hold a diplomatic passport?
Submit it along with any regular passport. Diplomatic status does not prevent aliyah, but it must be disclosed.
My passport number changed when I renewed. Do I still need the old one?
Yes — for the Entry/Exit Form, if it falls within the seven-year window. It also helps establish continuity of identity.
The final
checklist.
- Current valid passport with six or more months of validity.
- Copy of the main bio page with photo.
- Copies of any name-change pages.
- Copies of any date-extension pages.
- All pages clearly labelled with name and passport number.
- All passports from the past seven years, for all nationalities.
- Including expired passports within the timeframe.
- The main bio page from each passport.
- Clearly labelled with dates and passport numbers.
- Check all expiration dates for six or more months of validity.
- Make multiple copies for your own records.
- Label everything clearly.
- Organise by family member.
- Keep originals safe for later stages.
If you have any uncertainty about your situation — a missing old passport, an unusual citizenship, a name discrepancy — speak to a professional before submitting. A vetted aliyah lawyer or experienced adviser can resolve in twenty minutes what could otherwise hold up your application for weeks.
The cheapest
insurance.
Your passport is your primary identity document, and passport documentation is fundamental to your aliyah application. Accuracy is critical, clear copies prevent delays, originals stay safe, and the file is updated whenever anything changes during the process.
Almost everything in this guide reduces to a few habits applied consistently: a current passport with at least six months' validity beyond the aliyah date; clean, complete, first-generation copies of the right pages; every citizenship disclosed and every passport within the seven-year window included; clear labelling on every copy; and originals kept safe for the interview, the visa, and the flight. Preparing it correctly, including all required passports, and labelling everything clearly is the cheapest insurance policy in the entire aliyah process.
Where a situation is genuinely unusual — a lost old passport, a complex citizenship history, a name that does not match across documents — the right move is to ask before submitting rather than to reconcile afterwards. The fastest applications are the most honest and the most organised; the slowest are the ones where something was hidden, forgotten, or fudged, and had to be untangled later.
Passport documentation sits alongside the other founding documents of your file. For the documents that travel with it, see the companion guides — Marriage Certificates for Aliyah and The Chain of Names. For what to carry on the aliyah flight itself, see The Carry-On Bible.