Iron sword wars have caused quite a few changes in the passport issuance processes. At the same time, the Americans declared a visa exemption for Israelis who hold a biometric passport only, and in addition, the winter tariff has been introduced, which can save hundreds of shekels per family in the process of issuing passports. Following all this, we have put everything related to issuing passports in order.
As of November 1, passport prices have dropped significantly, so for example, renewing a regular passport will cost NIS 165 instead of NIS 280, for those paying online by the end of February next year, and appointments can be made until the end of April. The discounts apply to the issuance of all types of passports and vary depending on the type of passport and the reason why you will need to issue a new passport. In addition, there are discounts for soldiers and reservists who are included in the IDF's lists, which allows renewal of a passport at a cost of about NIS 80.
Not everyone can enjoy a US visa exemption, Photo: Getty Images
In order to receive a visa exemption to the United States, it is necessary to issue a biometric passport, one that was valid in advance for 10 years, for an adult. Currently, it is possible to issue a biometric passport for 10 years from the age of 16, minors under this age will be able to enjoy a US visa exemption with a biometric passport that is valid for 5 years to begin with, even if it has a validity period of less than 5 years.
Following the war, it was possible to issue a first passport at Ben Gurion Airport, which has not been possible until now. It is necessary to present a flight ticket for the next 48 hours. The temporary passport issued at Ben Gurion Airport is valid only for one year, so it is not relevant for those who want to enter the United States without the need for a visa.
It is also possible to issue a first passport at Ben Gurion Airport at the moment, Photo: Coco
An Israeli citizen living abroad cannot issue a biometric passport at Israeli missions overseas, so in order to enjoy the US visa exemption, it is necessary to return to Israel, issue a biometric passport here and only then apply for a US visa exemption.
Due to the war, it may be a little more difficult to get passport appointments. Yoel Lapowicki, head of the Population Administration at the Population and Immigration Authority, explains: "Before the war, we reduced waiting times from a few days to up to two months, but during the war we had to close many bureaus, so it is recommended to check the website for updates about the open bureaus." Asked how long it takes to get a passport during this period, Lipovitzky replied: "Right now it takes up to four weeks to get the passport and hopefully soon it will be even less."
The Population Authority has acted and continues to act to assist the evacuees from their homes in all matters related to issuing documents and documents, Yoel Lipovitzky explains about the easing of restrictions given to the evacuees: "From the moment the war began and the residents of the Israeli envelope, Sderot and the residents of the north were evacuated, we decided to act immediately and completed technological development within a few days that allows us to operate mobile bureaus whose purpose is to provide service throughout the country to all the evacuees. These are biometric stations that reach out to evacuees in order to help them as much as possible. We decided that we would not charge them for issuing identity cards, passports, other registry services and more. Since most of them don't have an address, we expedited the issuance of ID cards and passports, and then sent our employees to pick it up and give it to them at their points of stay within a few days."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us