Israeli citizenship for non-Jews

Possibilities
Advantages and disadvantages
Methods
Procedure
Refusal

Living in Israel provides many advantages, and not only citizens with Jewish family members, but also representatives of other nationalities can move here. Thanks to the current visa-free regime between Israel and the Russian Federation, Russians can stay in a foreign country 180 days a year, without the need to prepare any documents. However, those citizens of the Russian Federation who decide to stay in Israel for a longer period of time will need to obtain a residence permit.

There are three types of Israeli residence permit:

Transitional (issued for a period of up to 5 years).
Temporary (up to three years of stay in the country).
Permanent (indefinite).

In essence, the rights of a person with a residence permit in Israel are equal to the rights of citizens of this country, with the exception of some features. Thus, a residence permit does not imply voting in local elections and prohibits running for office and also working in certain government positions.

Unlike some other countries, purchasing real estate or buying a business in Israel does not automatically mean that you will be granted a residence permit. At the same time, for non-Jews who have a residence permit in Israel, the country provides certain benefits, free medical services in accordance with insurance, as well as deductions from the pension fund. In turn, a person who receives an Israeli residence permit and then citizenship undertakes to comply with local laws, faithfully pay taxes and serve in the Israeli army.

What does an Israeli residence permit provide?

For Russians, as well as citizens of other CIS countries, for example, Ukraine and Belarus, obtaining an Israeli residence permit will be extremely beneficial. Having a residence permit in hand, they will be able to receive benefits and get a well-paid legal job. In addition, the Israeli government takes special care of people who have just received an Israeli residence permit. Thus, for 6 months, a newly-minted resident of the country will receive assistance, and he will also be partially compensated for utility costs and housing costs.

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Citizenship rules for non-Jewish partners of Israelis have been tightened

According to the current instructions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, non-Jewish spouses of Israelis after six months of stay in the country receive permanent resident status and after another four years receive citizenship. In this case, we are talking only about people who formalized their relationships abroad and informed the Ministry of Internal Affairs about this. According to Haaretz, the changes did not affect this category of citizens.

According to the publication, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has adopted new instructions regarding the step-by-step procedure for obtaining citizenship by non-Jewish partners of Israelis. We are talking about cohabitants who have not formalized an official marriage (such relationships in Israel are called “recognized in society” (“edua be-tsibur”), and partners have all the rights of legal spouses), as well as same-sex partners. Now this category of citizens will have to wait three years to receive the status of “permanent resident of Israel”, and only after that they will be able to receive health insurance and benefits from the National Insurance Institute.

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Advantages and disadvantages of Israeli residence permit

The desire to obtain an Israeli residence permit by citizens of CIS countries is completely justified, because it entails a number of significant advantages. First of all, it is a country with a high standard of living; it ranks 22nd among other developed countries in the world. For comparison, Russia is in 49th place on this list. Israel has a pleasant, mild climate, locals friendly to foreigners, and a high level of medical care. Among other advantages of living in Israel, it is worth noting the low crime rate and good salaries, the average level of which is $2,500.

Of course, there were some drawbacks here. Offhand, it is worth highlighting the rather tense relations with some countries located on the border with Israel. In addition, everyone has probably heard about periodic military conflicts at the local level and terrorist attacks on Israeli territory. Despite this, the number of people wishing to obtain an Israeli residence permit is not decreasing. This indicates that the significant advantages of living in the country still dominate the small number of disadvantages.

Who can get a residence permit

A residence permit in Israel is issued on the basis of the Law of Return of 1950 (for immigrants), the Law of Entry into Israel of 1952 (for other categories of foreigners) or the Law of Foreign Workers of 1991. But residency in Israel is only readily available to ethnic Jews.

Foreigners of other nationalities can obtain the status of temporary or permanent residents of Israel if they come to work at the invitation of a company or to study at a university, as a priest of the Jewish religion or a student of a religious school, a volunteer or a family member of an Israeli citizen.

Residence permits can be obtained by spouses of ethnic Jews (even if they themselves are not Jews), and not only official ones, but also civil ones.

The right to reside in the country is also issued to children (including adopted children) of Israeli citizens and their elderly parents.

A separate category is people who receive a residence permit for humanitarian reasons: refugees or people with serious illnesses.

How to obtain a residence permit in Israel?

For Russians and citizens of other CIS countries, there are several fairly simple ways to obtain a residence permit in Israel. Among them:

Repatriation.
Obtaining a work visa.
Marrying a Jew.
Obtaining a residence permit for parents of an Israeli citizen.
Refugee status.
Acceptance of Judaism.

Comparing the above methods of obtaining an Israeli residence permit, it is worth saying that repatriation for citizens of the Russian Federation and other Russian-speaking countries is the simplest option. Applying for a residence permit in other ways will be somewhat more difficult. Also, do not forget that a student visa, owning a business in Israel or having real estate in the country are not sufficient grounds for issuing a residence permit. Below we will consider the methods of obtaining a temporary residence permit in more detail.

Repatriation

Repatriation to Israel is possible based on the Law of Return, adopted in 1950. Two categories of persons can participate in the program of returning to their historical homeland:

Ethnic Jews.
Persons of Jewish origin up to the third generation.

Jews of halakhic origin, to whom Jewish blood was passed on through their mother, can also apply for repatriation, but only in the case of the Jewish religion. Jews “following the Pope” can apply for a residence permit in Israel, while remaining atheists.

For Russian citizens who want to obtain an Israeli residence permit, it is enough to contact the consulate of this country located on the territory of the Russian Federation and provide documents that confirm their Jewishness. The last stage will be an interview, the successful completion of which guarantees the issuance of a residence permit. However, before this, the applicant for a residence permit receives a repatriate visa. With her, he can freely stay in Israel for six months. This time is provided for a full-fledged move to the country.

Interestingly, persons moving to Israel for repatriation are entitled to free plane tickets, as well as free transportation of additional luggage. To receive such benefits, you will need to contact the Jewish agency Sokhnut. Upon arrival in Israel, Jews “by mother” immediately receive citizenship of the country. The remaining categories of citizens moving here due to repatriation are first assigned a transitional residence permit for 5 years. After this period, you can apply for permanent residence and/or citizenship.

Work Visa

Despite the visa-free regime for Russia and Ukraine, you can work in Israel legally only with a B1 work visa. It is drawn up by the employer himself, who invites the person to work. To do this, he must contact the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs and sign all the necessary documents there. After this, the employer acts as a guarantor for his employee, that is, he vouches for him. A work visa can be issued for a period of one year, five years or another period specified in the employment contract. After the expiration of a work visa, a foreign citizen can extend it or apply for a residence permit.

Marriage to a Jew

To apply for a residence permit, you will need to officially marry an Israeli citizen or a person living in the country on permanent residence terms. In this case, the residence permit is issued for a period of 1 year. After this, within 5 years, you will need to renew your residence permit, after which you will need to apply for permanent residence. The so-called civil marriage also gives the right to obtain a residence permit, but in this case it will be necessary to renew the residence permit for 7 years. Also, specialized Israeli services will regularly visit the couple in order to confirm the reality of the concluded union.

Residence permit for parents of an Israeli citizen

An Israeli citizen has the right to obtain a residence permit in this country for his parents living in another state. Some restrictions apply:

The mother of an Israeli citizen must be 65+ years of age.
The father of an Israeli citizen cannot be younger than 67 years of age.
A married couple should not have other children living in other countries of the world.

Having lived in Israel for 5 years, holders of a residence permit can apply for permanent residence. The next step after this will be obtaining citizenship.

Refugee status

The first step in obtaining refugee status in Israel is arriving in the country. To do this, you can use any visa, even a tourist one. Next, you will need to contact the relevant department and prove that this person’s rights are being violated in his home country. For example, he is persecuted for political or religious reasons. In addition, in order to obtain refugee status in Israel, you will first need to submit the same request to the appropriate authority in your home country and receive a refusal there. Obtaining refugee status in Israel is quite difficult, since all the evidence provided is extremely scrupulous and takes a long time to verify. During inspections, a person can legally live and work in Israel.

Conversion to Judaism

Having converted to Judaism and not being Jewish by blood, a person can also apply for a residence permit in Israel. At the same time, in Israel there are special authorities called upon to consider applications from persons who have converted to Judaism and wish to obtain a residence permit. Their employees decide whether a particular appeal was sincere. That is why residence permits based on the adoption of Judaism often end in refusal.

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Israeli citizenship: advantages, conditions, methods and procedure for obtaining

A permanent state of war with our closest neighbors - the Arab states. Over the past decades, the country has been under martial law almost continuously. Israel has a common border with countries where the situation is very unstable: Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, Iraq. On the other hand, the country's armed forces are quite combat-ready. Moreover, Israel is supported by the United States. Also in the interior of the country, in some of its regions, the situation is also very turbulent (Judea, Samaria).
The country has a difficult environmental situation. Firstly, this concerns the shortage of fresh water. Secondly, there is severe air pollution due to the heavy load from industrial enterprises and a very large population.
The climate is hot, the heat lasts almost all year round, and the predominant landscape is desert.
A kind of family policy. In the country, only Jews are allowed to officially marry; the use of contraception is not accepted in Orthodox families.
High prices for food and water.
High population density, the national average is 300 people per 1 sq. m.

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It is possible to become a national of a country on the basis of the Law of Return. In accordance with this legislative act, the right to become a citizen of the country appears not only to Jews, but also to persons with Jewish roots, up to the third generation. These include children, grandchildren, and spouses of Jews. They have the right to obtain citizenship of the country, even if a Jewish relative has already died or is in another state and does not intend to move to Israel. According to Israeli law, a Jew is a person whose mother is Jewish, or a person who has converted to Judaism and at the same time does not adhere to another religion . However, if a person consciously renounces Judaism, the right to repatriation is lost.

Step-by-step procedure for obtaining a residence permit

The process of obtaining an Israeli residence permit consists of several stages:

Applying for a long-term visa. The document is issued at the Israeli Embassy, which is located in the country of the person applying for an Israeli residence permit.
Collecting the necessary documents and filling out forms. All collected documents are submitted to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs (department for work with foreigners).
Obtaining a residence permit.

An Israeli residence permit can be issued for different periods - from 1 year to 5 years. You can also extend your residence permit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the holder of a residence permit has lived in Israel for at least 5 years, he has the right to apply for permanent residence and then citizenship.

Requirements for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians

To obtain an Israeli residence permit, citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, as well as other CIS countries must collect a complete set of documents. The case of a potential Israeli citizen is considered within 1-3 months, after which a decision is made on issuing a residence permit. To maximize your chances of obtaining an Israeli residence permit, in addition to having a suitable reason for moving and having all the necessary documents, you will need to meet the following criteria:

No criminal record.
Financial solvency.
No terrorist connections.
Medical insurance.
Certificate of absence of diseases that endanger residents of Israel.
Other requirements, depending on the reason for the move.

Purchasing real estate is not a preferential factor for obtaining a residence permit. This also applies to doing business in Israel.

List of required documents

A foreign citizen applying for an Israeli residence permit must provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the following package of documents:

A completed application form (the form will be issued at the consulate).
International passport.
Military ID.
Marriage/divorce certificates.
Certificate of no criminal record.
Insurance.
Photo of international standard.
Document confirming the availability of permanent income.
A document confirming the existence of grounds for obtaining an Israeli residence permit.
Other documents, depending on the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees.

In addition, depending on the reason for obtaining a residence permit, the following may be added to the list of documents:

A document confirming the presence of Jewish roots.
Copies of documents of children who are Israeli citizens.
Document confirming employment/study at an Israeli company/university.

Terms and cost of obtaining a residence permit

Typically, applications for Israeli residence permits from foreign citizens, including those from the CIS, take 1-3 months to be considered. Considering the type of residence permit, after 4-5 years of stay in the country on its basis, a foreign citizen can apply for permanent residence. The cost of applying for an Israeli residence permit is 43 euros - if a foreign citizen deals with the issue independently. When working through an agency, filing an application may cost more. The validity period of a residence permit depends on the type of permit. Thus, a transitional residence permit is issued for a period of up to 5 years, a temporary one - for 3 years, and a permanent one has no validity period.

Requirements for the applicant

Obtaining a residence permit will not be a difficult procedure if a complete package of documents is provided to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The case is thoroughly checked within 1-3 months. Migration legislation allows you to live in Israel for as long as you wish with a residence permit status, subject to timely renewal of the document. This is convenient for Russians who do not want to renounce Russian citizenship. Israeli laws do not provide for dual citizenship.

Applicants for temporary resident status are subject to the following requirements:

No criminal record.
Evidence of financial solvency.
No connections with terrorist organizations.
Availability of compulsory health insurance.
Providing a medical examination indicating the absence of diseases that pose a danger to residents of the country.
Depending on the grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Israel, other requirements may be imposed.

Owning real estate does not create any preferential conditions for obtaining a residence permit or Israeli citizenship.

Can they refuse to issue a residence permit?

If all the rules for applying for a residence permit are followed, and if there is a good reason for obtaining this document, the issuance of a residence permit is rarely refused. However, no one is immune from being rejected. Most often, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuse to issue a residence permit for the following reasons:

The information about the foreign citizen specified in the application is not true.
The foreign citizen provided an incomplete package of documents.

If a foreigner does not want to accept the refusal as a given, he has the right to appeal within 30 days. During its consideration, he has the right to legally stay in the country. If you receive a repeated refusal, you should file a claim in court.

Reasons for losing an Israeli residence permit

Losing a residence permit for no reason is extremely rare. At the same time, it is still possible to lose a temporary residence permit for a number of objective reasons:

In the case of obtaining a residence permit due to the acquisition of Israeli refugee status, the right to temporary residence in the country is canceled if it is proven that persecution in the homeland of the foreign citizen has ceased.
If the residence permit was issued due to marriage to an Israeli citizen, in the event of divorce the former spouse is deprived of the right to temporary residence in Israel and is obliged to return to his home country.
If a foreigner has not been in Israel for 7 years, he automatically loses the right to temporary residence in the country.

A residence permit in Israel offers a number of significant advantages and practically equals the rights of foreign citizens to Israeli citizens. Obtaining a residence permit is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. It is enough to comply with all the conditions and collect the necessary package of documents. In addition, having a residence permit, you can quickly obtain Israeli citizenship.

Who can apply

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In a broad sense, two categories of citizens can obtain a residence permit:

Jews, with the help of special programs;
other citizens.

Residence permits can be obtained by:

Jews through the Repatriation Bill	The bill has existed since 1950 and provides for the return to their homeland of all Jews and their descendants who have ever left the country. The exception is those who once voluntarily changed their religion. Their children and other relatives are also deprived of the right to obtain a residence permit in Israel.
Jewish spouses	When registering a marriage, a temporary permit to reside in the country and work is issued. And only after a year will a residence permit be issued. The status will have to be updated every year. And only after 5 years will permanent resident status be granted. In addition, marriage is always checked for the authenticity of feelings. Inspections can last up to 7 years. The best way to stop checking is to have a baby. During the first two years, the family is checked especially carefully. Employees of the special service may visit the family's home without good reason and with an unexpected visit. And if one of these employees reveals that the data is fictitious, then the visiting spouse will have to leave the country. However, after all the checks, the visiting spouse receives citizenship, and the family is no longer disturbed.
Parents of an Israeli citizen	A resident of the country has the right to transport his parents of retirement age for permanent residence to Israel subject to the following conditions: absence of other children living in the same country as their parents; mother’s age is from 65 years, and father’s age is from 67; maintaining constant relationships regardless of living in different territories. If the move is approved, parents are issued a work visa for 2 years, a temporary residence license for the next 2 years, and then registration of a permanent resident of the country.
Refugees	The process of obtaining such status is quite complex. However, this is the only option for those who want to live in Israel, but have no ties to it. First, the refugee must arrive in the country on any legal visa. Upon arrival, you need to contact a special department with a request for refugee status. To do this, you need confirmation of persecution in your country. In this case, the threat must not be fictitious, but the evidence must be real. While the application is being considered, the applicant is issued temporary resident status and a work permit. Absolutely the entire history of a person is verified. This usually takes quite a bit of time. And therefore, if falsification of evidence or violation of the law is discovered, the applicant for refugee status will be sent home.
Employees of Israeli organizations	To obtain a residence permit for an employee, you must first obtain a work visa. If approved upon arrival, a residence permit can be issued and renewed annually. The main condition is that the applicant for the position must have special knowledge and qualifications, and the owner of the inviting organization must prove that there are not enough such specialists in Israel.

Interestingly, holders of a study visa are not issued a residence permit; permanent residence in the country is also practically impossible. However, such a visa can be extended if necessary.

After 4 years of permanent residence in the country with permanent residence status, you can apply for Israeli citizenship. In some cases, granting citizenship of that country will deprive the applicant of the citizenship of their country.