How to change your status from a tourist to an immigrant at the Ministry of Interior
Who can apply to change their status from tourist to immigrant with the Ministry of the Interior?
Anyone who is a resident of Israel under the Law of Return can request this service.
The applicant who wishes to change their status from a tourist to an immigrant must visit the Ministry of the Interior in order to do so.
What documentation should I include with my request to change from a tourist to an immigrant status at the Ministry of the Interior?
| The application must be accompanied by a valid foreign passport, valid for at least a year from the date the application is submitted. Request for an immigration certificate. | ✔️ |
| Form for applying for a national identity card The passport photo must be a recent and colorful visual on a smooth, light background. It should measure 3.5 cm x 4.5cm. We will not accept photos of poor quality or uniformity, nor photos taken with a home printer. | ✔️ |
| Recent certificate of integrity from the applicant’s country of origin (including any name changes). You may need to provide a federal or district-level certificate of integrity if necessary. Original certificate translated in Hebrew with a notarized interpretation (no need to translate the original into Arabic, English or French). | ✔️ |
| Original documentation verified and translated in Hebrew by a notarized translator of the applicant: Original certificates as well as certificates proving Judaism and Shabbat eligibility will be translated. Birth certificate for the applicant. It is not necessary to verify the birth certificate if it was an original. If the names of the applicants (individual or families) have been changed, a public certification attesting to this name change translated by notaries must be presented. | ✔️ |
| A notarized translation of a public certificate, issued recently by the country in question attesting to their current and prior personal situations. | ✔️ |
| The certificate can be verified in any of the following methods: The apostille is used if a certificate has been issued by an official or government institution in a Hague Convention signatory country (to avoid the need for legislation to be enacted for public documents from abroad). You must contact the Israeli Embassy in the country the certificate was issued to get instructions on verifying it. | ✔️ |
What documentation should I include with my request to change from a tourist to an immigrant status at the Ministry of the Interior?
Form for applying for a national identity card
| Form for applying for a national identity card | ✔️ |
| What documentation should I include with my request to change from a tourist to an immigrant status at the Ministry of the Interior? | ✔️ |
| The application must be accompanied by a valid foreign passport, valid for at least a year from the date the application is submitted. | ✔️ |
| Original documentation verified and translated in Hebrew by a notarized translator of the applicant: Original certificates as well as certificates proving Judaism and Shabbat eligibility will be translated. Birth certificate for the applicant. It is not necessary to verify the birth certificate if it was an original. If the names of the applicants (individual or families) have been changed, a public certification attesting to this name change translated by notaries must be presented. A notarized translation of a public certificate, issued recently by the country in question attesting to their current and prior personal situations. | ✔️ |
| Recent certificate of integrity from the applicant’s country of origin (including any name changes). You may need to provide a federal or district-level certificate of integrity if necessary. Original certificate translated in Hebrew with a notarized interpretation (no need to translate the original into Arabic, English or French). | ✔️ |
| The certificate can be verified in any of the following methods: The apostille is used if a certificate has been issued by an official or government institution in a Hague Convention signatory country (to avoid the need for legislation to be enacted for public documents from abroad). You must contact the Israeli Embassy in the country the certificate was issued to get instructions on verifying it. | ✔️ |
The passport photo must be a recent and colorful visual on a smooth, light background. It should measure 3.5 cm x 4.5cm. We will not accept photos of poor quality or uniformity, nor photos taken with a home printer.
Original documentation verified and translated in Hebrew by a notarized translator of the applicant:
Original certificates as well as certificates proving Judaism and Shabbat eligibility will be translated.
Birth certificate for the applicant. It is not necessary to verify the birth certificate if it was an original. If the names of the applicants (individual or families) have been changed, a public certification attesting to this name change translated by notaries must be presented.
A notarized translation of a public certificate, issued recently by the country in question attesting to their current and prior personal situations.
Recent certificate of integrity from the applicant’s country of origin (including any name changes). You may need to provide a federal or district-level certificate of integrity if necessary.
Original certificate translated in Hebrew with a notarized interpretation (no need to translate the original into Arabic, English or French).
The certificate can be verified in any of the following methods:
The apostille is used if a certificate has been issued by an official or government institution in a Hague Convention signatory country (to avoid the need for legislation to be enacted for public documents from abroad).
You must contact the Israeli Embassy in the country the certificate was issued to get instructions on verifying it.
How can I change my status from tourist to immigrant?
The application for an immigration certificate and the application for an ID card must both be filled out.
Once you have completed the form, you will need to bring all the necessary documentation to the nearest Population and Immigration Authority office.
Please note that additional documents could be required for any request to change your status from tourist to immigrant with the Ministry of the Interior.
The answer will depend on the particular case of the applicant.
