Just before the summer holidays, good news for those traveling abroad: Starting today (Tuesday) for the first time it will be possible to issue a biometric passport from home – without going to the bureau. According to the law approved by the Knesset, for a limited period of time it will be possible to issue passports and biometric identity cards by submitting an online application without the need to personally visit the Population and Immigration Authority.
Thanks to technology, it is possible to issue passports remotely, and there are some highlights that you should know before proceeding to issue your passport from home.
The conditions for issuing a biometric passport remotely
1. Only those who have been issued a biometric passport in the past.
2. Citizens 18 years of age or older, those who are in Israel and the computer with which they access the website of the Population and Immigration Authority is at an Israeli address.
3. Add a recent face photo, as similar as possible to the one already in the database.
4. It will not be possible to change the details in the database.
5. The passport will be valid for 5 years only – its validity is shorter than the biometric passport that we issue at one of the bureaus of the Population and Immigration Authority. This is also the reason why it is not possible to issue a new visa to the USA because it is required to be valid for 10 years.
An illustration picture shows a new Israeli passport and an Old Israeli passport with different stamps in Jerusalem, on January 18, 2023. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90
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What is the change in passport approval?
According to the law approved by the Knesset, for a limited period of time it will be possible to issue passports and biometric identity cards by submitting an online application without the need to personally visit the Population and Immigration Authority.
Should I cancel the renewal appointment I made?
If you have already made an appointment to renew your existing passport, it is advisable not to cancel it, in case there is a problem with the online system.
Can any passport be renewed online?
No. Issuing passports and identity cards online is only possible for adult Israeli citizens who already have a biometric identification document and whose fingerprints have been saved in the biometric database. In addition, you can only renew passports that have expired in the last six months, or that are expected to expire in the coming year.
Those who previously issued a biometric passport for a period of 5 years without confirming the storage of their fingerprints in the biometric database – will still be required to make an appointment in front and physically arrive at the service stations of the Population Authority for the purpose of renewing the passport.
What about renewing a child’s passport?
The remote application submission procedure is only valid for adult citizens over the age of 18. That is, whether the child already has a passport or whether the passport is biometric or not – still in order to renew the passport for him, it will be necessary to physically go to the service stations of the Population Authority.
How soon will I receive the renewed passport?
According to the authorities, the processing time for the identification documents for which renewal requests are submitted online will be the same as for those for which renewal requests are submitted face-to-face at the service stations. After a few weeks, the renewed documents will be sent to the applicant’s address by mail.
Are there additional conditions for online renewal?
To submit the application for passport renewal online, you must be in Israel at the time of submitting the application. In addition, the online submission is only possible for those who have previously applied for biometric documentation when they were between the ages of 21-60.
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