Last updated April 8, 2021

For further information on all services discussed here, visit the website of the U.S. Embassy.

Consular Report of Birth Abroad and First-Time Child Passport

To register a child born in Israel as an American citizen, you must apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (the equivalent of a US birth certificate). If you plan on obtaining a passport for your child, it can be arranged at the same time. Registration with Social Security can only be taken care of together with a CRBA/passport application in Jerusalem, if desired, but not in the Tel Aviv Branch Office.

Passports of children are valid for 5 years.

Step One: Schedule an Appointment

Your child’s CRBA appointment will include the option to apply for a first-time passport at the same time, if you wish.

In Jerusalem

To schedule any passport-related appointment, including a CRBA and first-time passport appointment, at the Jerusalem Embassy, click here. Print out the appointment confirmation page you receive and bring it along with you when you go for the appointment. If you will not be using your appointment, cancel it so that someone else can use it.

In Tel Aviv or if Jerusalem is Booked until Your Flight

To schedule a CRBA and first-time passport appointment in Tel Aviv, or if there are no appointments available online for Jerusalem before you need to travel, email the relevant office as per the following instructions.

Jerusalem Embassy: jerusalemcrba@state.gov – note that the Jerusalem Embassy is generally less responsive

Tel Aviv Branch Office: telavivcrba@state.gov

Include subject line “Request for CRBA Appointment – [Name of Child].” The Embassy will contact you via the address you email from, so it should be one that you can access readily. Include the following information:

1.Full name, date of birth, phone number and email address of all those who will be present at the appointment.

2.Scanned copies of:

a.Form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad, completed but not signed, scanned and attached to the email. If you are applying for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for more than one child, send in a separate copy for each child.

b.Marriage certificate of parents, if you are legally married

c.Child’s Israeli birth certificate

d.Parents’ passports

3.Your top two preferences for appointment date, or simply as soon as possible

4.If you will be applying for passports for the Report of Birth Abroad applicant and/or other people at the same appointment, specify the full name of each person (first, middle, last), their dates of birth and the service(s) they each need.

In Tel Aviv, emails are often answered within 1-2 days. Jerusalem’s official policy is that emails are responded to within five business days (approximately one week), but in heavy travel seasons it may take longer.

Adding Other Services to Your CRBA Appointment

In Jerusalem, a CRBA appointment cannot be combined with another service because they have designated certain days of the week only to CRBA services. In Tel Aviv, however, you may email the address above to request that other activities be taken care of at the same time (for example, another family member’s passport renewal). Include the names, dates of birth, and services needed for all other family members who will be coming to the appointment. See this form for a template to follow.

A Note on Social Security

You cannot register your child for Social Security in the following scenarios:

• a.Your child holds a limited-validity passport
• b.You apply for a CRBA and first-time passport in the Tel Aviv Branch Office

If you do not register your child with Social Security at your initial CRBA appointment, you will need to either schedule a separate appointment with the FBU at a different time or you take care of Social Security application in the States, once your child has a full-validity passport.

Step Two: At Your Appointment

Be sure to arrive on time; if you are over half an hour late, you will be asked to reschedule. Given security screening and waiting and processing times, prepare for your appointment to take approximately two hours.

Note that baby carriages are not allowed into the office. There is an area where they can be left outside. You will also need to hand in your cell phones to security officials before entering the building, and they will hold it for you until you exit.

Who Must Come

When applying only for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, only one parent and the child need to be present on the day of the appointment. To apply for a passport, though, both parents – American or not – must be present or provide notarized consent of the passport’s issuancetogether with a copy of the same ID document used to notarize the form.

What to Bring

On the day of your appointment, bring the required legal documents with you. Forms do not need to be copied.

If Both Parents Are American Citizens

1.Child’s original teudat leidah (Israeli birth certificate) from Misrad Hapnim, preferably in English but acceptable in Hebrew, plus three photocopies

2.Passport photo of the baby on a white background. When taking the picture, specify that it is for an American passport. Photo must be 2x2 inches and the height of the head must be between 1-1 3/8 inch. A newborn baby (up to a few weeks) does not need to have his eyes open, but ears should be visible.

3.Marriage certificate (or certified copy), in Hebrew or English, plus one copy. If parents are not legally married, this is not required.

4.Original divorce or death certificates from any of the parents’ previous marriages, if applicable

5.U.S. passports of both parents, plus three copies (an expired passport may be used as ID up to three years past expiration)

6.Child’s Israeli or other foreign passport, if they have been issued one, plus one copy

7.Original signed and dated statement that your child has not been issued a Social Security number by the Social Security Administration.If your child has already been issued a Social Security number, skip this form and include his or her Social Security number on the passport application form.

8.Proof of physical presence in the United States: the U.S. citizen parent(s) may present W-2 forms, immunization records, employment records or other acceptable proofs of the fact that they physically resided in the U.S. (School transcripts may be accepted as proof when combined with others.)

In a case where both parents were born and raised in the U.S., a passport and driver’s license are usually sufficient.

9.Form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad, completed but not signed

10.Form DS-11: Application for U.S. Passport, completed online or by hand but not signed

11.Fees – paid via U.S. credit card or in cash, exact change only in dollars or shekels (according to the day’s exchange rate). Payment is non-refundable, even if the consular officer later determines that your child is not eligible for citizenship.

For a CRBA: $100

For a passport: $115

Total when applying for both: $215

If Only One Parent is a U.S. Citizen, or if Both Are U.S. Citizens but Only One or Neither was Born in the U.S.

In addition to bringing the above:

1.The U.S. citizen parent(s) must fill out an affidavit of physical presence.

2.The U.S. citizen parent(s) must bring proof of time spent in the U.S., and prove that s/he was a U.S. citizen prior to the child’s birth. Acceptable proofs of U.S. residency include W-2 forms, immunization records, and employment records. School transcripts may be accepted as proof when combined with others.

3.The non-U.S. citizen must bring a form of valid foreign ID (e.g. passport, teudat zehut), plus three photocopies of the biographical page of the document.

A child's passport is valid for 5 years.

Passport Renewal

Children Under Age 16

Make an appointment online in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. The child and both parents must be present unless one parent sends a signed and notarized Statement of Consent (see above). At the appointment, submit:

1.Child’s most recent U.S. passport, plus copy

2.Original birth certificate

3.Proof of identity of the parents, such as a passport, valid driver’s license, or teudat zehut, plus copy

4.Form DS-11, completed but unsigned, including child’s Social Security number

5.Two U.S. size passport photographs

6.If you have changed your child’s name or one of the parent’s names no longer matches the name as it appears on the evidence of relationship, you must provide documentation of the name change.

7.Fee of $115, paid via U.S. credit card or in cash, exact change only in dollars or shekels (according to the day’s exchange rate)

Children’s passports are valid for 5 years.

Your First Passport Over Age 16

If you received your old passport when you were under 16 and are now 16 years or older, make an appointment online in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.

Who Should Come?

For 16 and 17 year olds: child and one parent, with proof of ID (preferably a passport)

For 18 year olds and older: applicant himself

At your appointment, parents need not be present. Submit:

1.Your most recent passport

2.Form DS-11, completed but unsigned

3.Two passport photos

4.If your previous passport was issued more than 4 years ago, present your teudat zehut

5.Fee of $145, paid via U.S. credit card or in cash, exact change only in dollars or shekels (according to the day’s exchange rate)

An adult passport is valid for 10 years.

Adult Passport Renewal

If your old passport was received both when you were over 16 years old and within the last 15 years, you may renew your passport either by mail or in person, by appointment. You will need:

1.Completed form DS-82

2.Old passport

3.Two current U.S. passport pictures

4.If there was a name change since the last passport was issued, bring either your marriage certificate or three proofs of your new name (e.g. school records, property deeds, driver’s license, teudat zehut, medical card, insurance records).

5.If you made Aliyah since your last passport was issued, a copy of the Aliyah Certificate must be included. In addition, include a statement regarding whether you intended to relinquish your American citizenship at the time you made Aliyah.

6.Fee of $110 – when mailing in your renewal application, this may only be paid via cashier’s check – i.e. a check made out from a bank – drawn on U.S. dollars and made out to U.S. Embassy, Tel Aviv or U.S. Consulate General, Jerusalem. Personal checks are not accepted. You may obtain this in a bank in the U.S.; otherwise, it can be difficult finding a bank that has the ability to issue it in Israel. In person, payment can be made by credit card or in cash, exact change only in dollars or shekels (according to the day’s exchange rate)

To mail in your renewal application:

· Mail all of the above requirements to the Embassy or Branch Office using Israeli post. Doar Yisroel has a special service for items sent to the U.S. Embassy. Just enter any local post office, present the clerk your prepared envelope and request that it be sent to the U.S Embassy (specify Jerusalem or Tel Aviv). You will pay a fee and be given a tracking number.

· Once the office has completed processing, the new passport will be mailed back to you using a courier service of the Israeli post. The Israeli post will contact you for payment of the delivery fee. After you have paid, they will deliver your documents within four business days.

Please note: at any stage of the process, you can track your passport application status online using this link.

Mailing Addresses

American Citizen Services, U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, P.O. Box 290, Jerusalem 9100201

American Citizen Services – Passports, U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv, 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 6343229

Delivery or Pickup

An American passport usually takes about three weeks to be processed and delivered, but it can be longer or shorter depending on the season.

For delivery of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and/or passport, you may submit a self-addressed stamped envelope (at least NIS 16.70 per passport). For a more secure alternative, you may use the Israel Post’s courier service. Fill out your details on a Doar Shlichim envelope. When your documents are ready, Doar Shlichim will call you for your credit card information. They will bill you approximately 50 NIS, then deliver your documents directly to your address or call you for pickup at one of their centers.

If you are in a rush or prefer not to use a middle party, opt to pick up your documents yourself. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem allows pickups on Thursdays from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm. The Branch Office in Tel Aviv allows pickups only in emergency situations.

Adding Visa Pages

Effective January 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of State does not add visa pages to passports. Applicants in need of additional pages in their valid passports must apply for a passport renewal. Frequent travelers can request 52-page passports instead of the regular 24 pages at no additional cost.

Emergency Passport

An emergency passport is given on the spot or within 1-2 days of application.

In order to obtain an emergency passport, you need proof that you will be traveling in the next few days; namely, a paid ticket. An itinerary is insufficient; it must have proof that it was already paid for.

If there are no appointments available at all before you need to travel, request an emergency appointment.

FOR AN ADULT PASSPORT – Embassy: jerusalemacs@state.gov or Tel Aviv Branch: telavivacs@state.gov

FOR A FIRST-TIME PASSPORT – Embassy: jerusalemcrba@state.govor Tel Aviv Branch: telavivcrba@state.gov

Include your phone number and the full names and dates of birth of all those who will attend your emergency passport appointment. Include “EMERGENCY” or “URGENT” in the subject line to ensure a timely response, state the date of travel, and attach evidence of a paid ticket. An emergency appointment scheduled by email will be for 8:00 am only. The above email addresses are monitored between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding all American and local holidays.

For any reason other than a life-and-death emergency, the Jerusalem Embassy generally does not schedule emergency passport appointments. But if you have an appointment already, you can bring your paid ticket to the appointment and they will likely grant you an emergency passport. The Tel Aviv Branch Office has shown to be more responsive in non-life threatening emergencies.

At the appointment, if your need for an emergency passport is approved, you will receive a limited-validity emergency passport, generally for one year. The fee is the same as a regular passport.

If you applied for a full-validity passport but you have not received notification that your passport has arrived, you may contact the Embassy for an emergency passport following the directions above, including a copy of your paid itinerary. You will need to submit a new application form and photos. However, you will not need to pay the application fees again unless they have already mailed the passport to you.

Exchanging an Emergency Passport

To exchange an emergency passport with a full-validity one, submit (by mail or by appointment):

1.Your emergency passport

2.A passport picture (if the emergency passport was for a newborn, the new picture should be a current one)

3.Form DS-5504 (if the applicant is under 16 years old, one parent must sign the form on his behalf)

4.If you do not have a Social Security number (common in the case of new babies), include a signed and dated statement that you or your child was not yet issued a Social Security number.

This application may be submitted by mail, by courier, or by appointment. If you want the passport returned to you by mail, include return service. If you want it returned by courier, or if you want to pick it up yourself, write that down and place it in the application package along with your contact information.

If the exchange is made within one year of the issuance of the emergency passport (i.e. before it expires), it is free.

Social Security

Learn more about Social Security in Israel online.

Please note: The Social Security Administration in Israel is difficult to reach. Whenever possible, we recommend contacting the offices in the U.S. and even submitting applications there when relevant.

When applying for a Social Security number for the first time together with report of birth and passport in the Jerusalem Embassy, a separate appointment is not necessary. Simply add form SS-5-FS to the rest of the forms you present and request that your child receive a Social Security card.

To apply only for Social Security, make an appointment on the FBU’s new calendar page online in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. For follow-up or other inquiries, contact the SSA as follows.

Telephone: 02-630-4031, Monday and Thursday 8:30 am-11:30 am

Email: Online Contact Form or FBU.Jerusalem@ssa.gov

Fax: 02-630-4147

Applying for a Child Under Age 12

To apply for a Social Security card separately from a first-time passport, you must schedule an appointment with the FBU. Applications can take several months to be processed. At an in-person application, only one parent (not the child) needs to be present. Present or mail in the following original documents, plus one copy of each. Certified copies without originals are not acceptable.

1.Application for a Social Security Card from Abroad, form SS-5-FS, filled out in capital block letters. All questions must be filled out legibly.

2.Proof of age: either original U.S. birth certificate (if unavailable, complete Form SSA-L706), foreign birth certificate, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

3.Proof of U.S. citizenship: original U.S. birth certificate or valid U.S. passport; original Consular Report of Birth Abroad; or original Naturalization or Citizenship Certificate.

4.Proof of identity: original U.S. passport or original foreign passport, unexpired and signed.

5.If a parent is signing the application, provide proof of parent’s identity: U.S. or foreign passport, unexpired and signed; driver's license; or country or national I.D. card with a current photo. A parent can sign the form for a child up to age 18; a child can sign the form past age 12.

Note that you are not allowed to submit a Social Security application at an emergency first-time passport appointment, or subsequently if you only hold a limited-validity travel document.

Applicants Over Age 12

If the Social Security card applicant is over 12 years old, he or she must appear in person at the Social Security Administration with one parent for an interview. Schedule an appointment and appear in person with the required documents and copies listed above.

Replacing a Social Security Card

To apply for a replacement, make an appointment with Social Security. Submit form SS-5, filled out in capital block letters, along with proof of identity. For children under age 18, also submit one parent’s proof of identity.

Changing Your Name

To change the name on your social security card, make an appointment with Social Security. Submit form SS-5, filled out in capital block letters. You will also need a legal name change certificate (e.g. marriage certificate) and proof of identification showing the new name.

To speak to a Social Security Representative, call the Federal Benefits Unit Call Center from 8:30 am-11:30 am, Mondays and Thursdays only, at 02-630-4031. In general, the office is difficult to get through to. Contacting the U.S. office directly, by phone (press the option for callers from within the U.S.) or by mail, is often more likely to succeed.