Israeli Citizenship Law
Only a Jew by nationality, a Jew by religion and a Jew by birth can become a citizen of Israel.
However, this law often includes relatives of Jews, for example, their wives and husbands, who may be of a different nationality, and their children. The law was adopted on July 5, 1950, and according to one of its provisions, everyone who wants to obtain Israeli citizenship must prove their Jewishness.
This law has its exceptions. According to it, anyone who has been or is engaged in activities directed against the Jewish nation, or anyone who may pose a threat to the well-being and tranquility of the country cannot become a citizen of Israel. This also includes those who, after committing a crime, try to hide in Israeli territory on the basis of this law.
Immigration Citizenship Rules
Individuals of Jewish nationality, as well as those who have converted to Judaism and undergone the corresponding ceremony, can obtain Israeli citizenship through a simplified procedure. In the first case, immigration is possible for the children and grandchildren of Jews.
According to Jewish law, nationality is transmitted through the female line. Therefore, if your mother or grandmother was Jewish, there is a chance to get an Israeli passport without any problems. But the relationship will have to be proven. But a father or grandfather with Jewish roots is not taken into account in this case.
Citizenship of a child during childbirth in Israel
If a female tourist gives birth on Israeli territory, the child under no circumstances can become an Israeli citizen after birth. Giving birth in Israel does not at all mean the assignment of automatic citizenship. He will also not receive citizenship of this country. Israeli citizenship by birth can only be obtained by a newborn who was born in Israel and one of his parents had the citizenship of this country.
If a child was born outside of Israel, then he can obtain citizenship only if one of his parents had the right to citizenship by birth, that is, he was born in Israel, and did not receive it under the Law of Return or another way.
Conditions and stages of acquiring citizenship by Russians and other foreigners
To obtain an Israeli passport for a foreigner who does not have preferential conditions (he is not an ethnic Jew or a military man), he must:
- legally live in Israel for 3 years;
- be of legal age;
- know Hebrew and observe the laws of the country (including religious ones);
- have housing and a legal source of income.
If these conditions are met, the foreigner can try to obtain Israeli citizenship and a passport. Even if they refuse at first, it’s worth trying after a year.
How to obtain Israeli citizenship in Moscow
The easiest way to obtain Israeli citizenship is at the Israeli Embassy in Moscow. But for this you will have to visit it more than once or twice. At the initial stage, the applicant and the consul meet. It’s good if you bring to this appointment all the necessary documents, completed forms, birth certificates of your relatives and much, much more, including photographs from the family album.
If the consul does not have any questions, then it is quite possible that the next step in obtaining citizenship will be your application to a specially created Jewish society, which will literally give you tickets to fly to the country. After this, you will be given repatriate documents, and this is a certificate called “Teudat Ole” and a medical certificate. You must bring them to the Ministry of Internal Affairs office in Israel.
Most of those who have received Israeli citizenship ask questions about taxes. Here you need to know that having received Israeli citizenship, you are not required to pay taxes in a country in which you do not live. Israeli citizens pay taxes in relation to the “center of their vital interests”, and not in relation to citizenship.
Secondly, the country has a program to encourage repatriates, and it provides complete tax exemption for a period of up to 10 years. In addition, income that was not received in Israel is not subject to tax. For 10 years, a new member of the state is also exempt from filling out a tax return.
How to obtain Israeli citizenship for a Russian
But what about those who do not have Jewish roots, but still want to obtain Israeli citizenship? There are several ways you can go here. And the first way is to become the spouse of a person who already has Israeli citizenship. In this case, the law “On Return” comes into force and the newly made spouse will be able to obtain citizenship of the country after some time. However, to do this, you will have to prove that your marriage is not fictitious and you did not get married in order to obtain Israeli citizenship.
Widows of Jews also fall under this law, even if the deceased spouse did not have Israeli citizenship. However, there is one exception here. If a Jewish widow remarried, but her second husband is not of Jewish nationality, then she will simply be denied Israeli citizenship. If the second spouse also has Jewish roots, then obtaining citizenship will not be difficult.
As for children, a different law applies. If a child was born in Israel, he can become a citizen of this country only if one of his parents is an Israeli citizen. If parents of minor children receive citizenship, then the children are also automatically assigned Israeli citizenship. And finally, a child can become a Jew if he is adopted by Jews who have Israeli citizenship.
And finally, you can become a citizen of Israel by naturalization. However, here you can very often get a refusal from the country’s authorities, since most often, according to this law, citizenship is given only to those people who can actually bring benefits to the country.
Methods of immigration to Israel
Before you obtain Israeli citizenship, you need to explore possible ways to do so. This is repatriation, marriage to a Jew, naturalization.
Marriage to an Israeli citizen
According to the laws of the country, a foreigner can obtain citizenship only if the husband or wife has the appropriate nationality. The union can be registered abroad, but it is better to get married in Israel. Having an Israeli spouse does not guarantee accelerated acquisition of citizenship.
To do this you need:
- apply for a visa giving the right to work (B1);
- six months after entry, issue a temporary certificate;
- renew the document annually;
- After 3 years, apply for citizenship.
This procedure remains the same for foreigners who wish to immigrate through marriage. During the entire period, they need to legally reside in the country by obtaining a residence permit, work, etc.
Repatriation (return of Jews to their homeland)
It is easiest to emigrate under the Law of Return to Israel. The following have the right to do this:
- children and grandchildren of Jews;
- legal spouses of Jews, as well as widows and widowers;
- foreigners who converted to Judaism.
The main requirement is Jewish roots on the maternal side if we are talking about the return of ethnic Jews. At the same time, it is more difficult for great-grandchildren to get this opportunity. If only a great-grandfather or great-grandmother had Jewish roots, the applicant will most likely be rejected.
Naturalization (naturalization of children)
Naturalization as a method of obtaining citizenship for adults implies long-term and legal residence in the country. With children everything is a little different:
- The birth of a child, if one of the parents is a citizen, also automatically gives him the right to citizenship.
- If a newborn was born from foreign parents, then they can apply to assign him the appropriate status. But they must reside permanently in the country for at least 5 years.
- A child born abroad to parents with citizenship automatically receives it.
For naturalization, it is very important to renew the residence permit, learn the language and comply with the laws of the country. Even if you are refused the first time, you can try to get an internal passport again.
Labor and business immigration
Neither working nor opening your own business in Israel gives foreigners the right to a simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship. They can use the standard naturalization procedure.
Citizenship for treatment: how to obtain
Many foreigners try to enter the country for treatment. But such a visit is not a basis for obtaining citizenship. An official visit to the country for treatment in one of the clinics must be carried out with a special temporary visa (if the countries do not have a visa-free regime).
To apply for a visa, you need to contact the Israeli embassy at your place of residence. The package of documents is standard. The period of stay is limited to 3 months, so upon expiration of the document, the foreigner needs to leave.
What documents are required to obtain Israeli citizenship?
A complete list of documents required for obtaining Israeli citizenship can only be obtained at the consulate. And one of the important documents is a certificate of no criminal record, which must be obtained for each family member receiving citizenship, even for newborn children. Without this certificate, the rest of the collected documents will not be accepted at the consulate, and if citizenship is obtained in Israel, the process of reviewing the documents may be very delayed.
All documents collected to obtain citizenship must be certified by a notary and translated into English, and preferably into Hebrew.
You need to have with you:
- All birth certificates, including grandparents' birth certificates.
- Photos of relatives.
- Parents' marriage certificate.
- Marriage certificates of grandparents of Jewish origin.
- Work books.
- Educational documents ranging from a school leaving certificate to diplomas of higher education and advanced training.
- Documents of close relatives in Israel, if available.
Not a single document when accepted at the consulate when applying for Israeli citizenship will turn out to be superfluous or unnecessary.
Procedure for obtaining citizenship
If the passport applicant meets all the conditions, he needs to prepare documents and submit them to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is followed by verification of the provided data and an interview. If a repatriate applies, he needs to have evidence of Jewish roots (but not on the paternal side). Sometimes genetic testing is required.
Submitting an application and list of documents
In order to travel to Israel to obtain citizenship, the repatriate needs to contact the consulate of the country at the place of residence. You should have a number of documents with you:
- passport;
- application (a sample can be obtained at the consulate or on the Internet);
- photograph (if other family members are traveling, you will need their photos);
- diploma, work record;
- all available certificates (birth, marriage);
- a certificate to prove no criminal record;
- papers confirming Jewish roots (up to the third generation);
- information about relatives living in Israel (if any).
All documents must be translated into Hebrew. In some cases, the candidate needs to confirm financial solvency. If the applicant wants to marry an Israeli, this fact will have to be confirmed additionally.
Response time
Review of documents does not take long. According to Israeli law, many applicants have to wait several days for a response after the interview. You need to leave for Israel to obtain citizenship no later than 6 months - that’s how long the visa is valid.
Consular check, interview
All repatriates are required not only to prove their Jewish roots, but also to undergo all possible checks. One of these is an interview with the consul. You can make an appointment online. If members of his family are leaving for Israel with the applicant, then all of them must be present during the conversation.
An applicant for citizenship must fill out a special form to confirm personal information. The question of religion is obligatory. The consul may inquire about the applicant’s future plans and employment. You cannot refuse an interview.
Obtaining an Israeli passport
Previously, repatriates had to live permanently in Israel for 1 year and not leave the country for 3 months or more. But the legislation has changed, and thanks to these changes, they are now trying to issue a passport right away. In addition, many receive documents immediately at the airport, as soon as they go through customs and passport control.
Refusal to obtain citizenship: reasons
If an applicant for citizenship can claim that he has Jewish roots, this does not mean that the Israeli Migration Service will not refuse him. Usually the refusal comes immediately after the interview with the consul. The reasons are as follows:
- the person could not prove his origin;
- he has a criminal record;
- the documents submitted for consideration cannot be recognized as real;
- a marriage concluded with an Israeli citizen is fictitious.
The refusal must be made in writing. If the reasons can be eliminated, then the applicant has the opportunity to contact the consulate again.
Conditions for obtaining Israeli citizenship
The most common way to obtain Israeli citizenship is to fall under the terms of the law on the repatriation of Jews to their historical homeland. The second way is to obtain citizenship subject to permanent residence in the country and the availability of real estate. The third way is to obtain Israeli citizenship by birth. There is another way to obtain citizenship for people who are not Jews. This is naturalization. Finally, in particularly important cases, Israel may simply grant citizenship to a person based on the importance of his residence in Israel.
Those who can apply for Israeli citizenship under the naturalization law are:
- You were in the country for 3 years out of the 5 years that preceded the filing of your application for citizenship.
- You have permanent resident status in Israel.
- You are married to an Israeli citizen.
- Your “center of vital interests” is located precisely in Israel.
- Are you ready to renounce Russian citizenship or have already renounced it?
However, this does not mean that even if all these points are met, you will not be denied Israeli citizenship. The country's authorities do not explain their refusal in any way.
In some cases, the country's authorities may simply grant Israeli citizenship. This is most often done for refugees, scientists, musicians, and athletes. That is, in the case when a person can bring benefit to the country.
However, in any case, before starting to collect documents and submit an application for obtaining Israeli citizenship, both Jews and non-Jews should definitely consult with lawyers who practice resolving this particular issue.
How to get dual citizenship
Cast aside doubts about whether it is possible to have dual citizenship in Israel. The Israeli government provides the opportunity to leave your old citizenship by obtaining a new Israeli one. This decision was made in order to simplify the process of returning repatriates to their historical homeland. However, other foreigners also have the right to take advantage of this law.
The only exceptions are immigrants who intend to become Israeli citizens under the Naturalization Law, according to which renunciation of citizenship is one of the main conditions. Thus, a positive answer to how to obtain second citizenship for a Russian in Israel exists only for persons who can confirm their Jewish roots. This is also true for migrants from other countries.
That is why many Russians, as well as other citizens of CIS countries, prefer to receive only permanent resident status instead of Israeli citizenship.
How to obtain Israeli citizenship for a Jew
Jewishness in Israel is passed on through the mother. This means that a person whose mother is Jewish by nationality will also be a Jew, and if only his father is Jewish, then he is not a Jew, however, despite this, he also has the right to receive Israeli citizenship.
But even if you are Jewish by nationality, you may be denied Israeli citizenship if:
- You have a criminal past.
- You have converted to another religion.
- Your marriage is not registered.
- You are a widow or widower.
- Are you divorced.
In this case, it will not be so easy for even a Jew to obtain Israeli citizenship. Israeli citizenship itself is issued only on Israeli territory. However, before this, you need to collect a huge number of different documents and certificates, which will be checked by consuls and employees of the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs. All this can be done through the consulate.
If the first meeting with the consul was successful, you were able to answer all the questions posed, found and showed documents that confirm your Jewishness, then during the second visit to the consulate you will be issued a visa for repatriation to Israel. The visa is valid for 6 months and then needs to be extended. After this, the repatriate can safely go to Israel, where he will be given an internal passport and a certificate that he is a repatriate. After this, you need to wait a certain time and then apply in Israel to obtain citizenship of the country.
