I’m Jewish – Should I Get an Israeli Passport?

This article will discuss if you should get an Israeli passport just because you’re Jewish. We will also discuss how to get an Israeli passport and who should get it.

For most people, the Israeli passport is more than just a biometric passport or an ID document. It represents the history of the Jewish nation, and that’s hard to let go.

Gaining citizenship in any country is generally considered to be a difficult and time-consuming process. It tends to consist of various legal, financial, and even social problems.  

There are many reasons why anyone would want to get citizenship in another country. It could be due to social reasons such as a better lifestyle, cultural inclusion, and even religious inclusion.  

If you’re Jewish and have only one citizenship, an Israeli passport is one of the easiest second passports you can get – thanks to Israel’s Law of Return. However, is it worth it? We’ll discuss the matter in this article.

If you’ve already weighed your pros and cons and are ready to get Israeli citizenship, we can help you get it without any hassle. We’ve helped over 1500 clients get citizenship and residency in jurisdictions where they’re treated best. We can help you do the same. All you need to do is reach out to us, and we’ll handle the rest.

Why do People Change their Citizenship?

If you’re Jewish and have the slightest idea about Israel’s Law of Return, you may be wondering if you should get an Israeli passport.

There are many reasons why someone would want to renounce their citizenship and get a new one or perhaps get a second passport in addition to their current one. After all, a passport is more than an integral travel document – it also represents tons of rights you may have as a citizen of a country.

1. Political Instability

People in certain countries tend to suffer a lot from political instability. Failed states and democratic systems tend to undermine people’s lives.

Another kind of political instability that could result in people fleeing from countries and looking for the fastest citizenship to obtain is war.

For example, the Russia-Ukraine situation has compelled thousands of Ukrainian Jews to flee to Israel in search of safer pastures.

2. Better Economic Opportunities

Citizenships offered by many countries are at the expense of a better economic framework. That is why many people look to other nationalities, such as EU citizenships, to avail these opportunities.

3. Religious Indifferences

Although every country in the world talks about equality, only a handful of places are safe for everyone. In most cases, it is difficult for certain groups to survive as they are stripped out of the basic areas of life. 

These religious indifferences are often hard to configure. That is why many minority groups prefer migrating elsewhere to benefit from their freedom in other citizenships. Religion is major part of the motivation why many people so far have migrated to Israel.

4. Better Options

While some of the reasons are more self-explanatory, having dual citizenship and secondary residency is more than a mere document. The truth is that the country where you are born determines the way your life will unfold and later on that of your children. With a second passport, comes better opportunities to live, study, and work in a better jurisdiction.

Israel’s Law of Return

All Jews in the world have the unrestricted right to immigrate to Israel and become Israeli citizens. The individuals born within the country receive the Israel passport at birth if at least one parent is a citizen. 

Non-Jewish foreigners may naturalize after living in the country for at least three years while holding permanent residency, renouncing any previous citizenships, and demonstrating knowledge of the Hebrew language. 

Israel is located in Western Asia and is the largest Jewish country in the world. It is a democratic country, sharing borders with Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries of the world. 

Israel offers free second citizenship under the ”Law of Return.” It is part of the migration law that exists in the Israeli constitution.

As a Jew, you will be pleased to know that Israel is willing to offer its citizenship for free. So, if you are looking to get a second passport, Israel is a good place to go. You will be offered a series of advantages which you can benefit from.  Moreover, Israeli passport holders can enjoy visa-free entry to 151 countries.

Benefits of Having an Israel Passport

There are many benefits to being an Israeli citizen. The Israeli passport is one of the most powerful passports in the world. With it, you have a big list of visa-free countries to travel to. You can easily get visas, especially for European states.

The Economy of Israel

Economically, Israel is a very prosperous country.

Many major brands, such as Pepsi and McDonald’s, have their headquarters in Israel thanks to the country’s good ties with the US.

There is even an abundance of wealth in the country. But all that comes with a price: a top marginal tax rate of 50%.

It means that you can benefit from all the welfare benefits offered as well. For instance, your kids can enjoy going to good public schools and even study at other places. Religious schooling is available too.

A Sense of Community

Since you are part of the Jewish community, there is help available at all levels. When migrating to Israel, the Jewish society in Israel can help in setting up your own house. 

You can easily find a property or rental house. Moreover, you will always feel welcomed and part of the group where you will get help in all aspects of life.

There are initiatives such as child allowance, which help support the community. The National Insurance Institute in Israel pays a child allowance to families living in Israel with children under 18.

How to Get an Israeli Passport?

It’s not that difficult to get Israeli citizenship.

The Law of Return passed in 1950 allows Jews to get Israeli citizenship. Those who immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return are immediately entitled to citizenship in Israel.

Every Jew in the world has the unrestricted right to immigrate to Israel and become an Israeli citizen. Individuals born within the country receive an Israeli passport at birth if at least one parent is a citizen. 

Non-Jewish foreigners may naturalize after living in the country for at least three years while holding permanent residency, renouncing former citizenship, and learning Hebrew.

In 2017, Israel passed a law allowing new immigrants to apply for and receive a passport just 90 days after they arrive in the country.

Processing is generally fairly quick and the Teudat Ma’avar (Temporary Passport) takes approximately 2 weeks to be mailed out.

As of February 2022, Israel’s Interior Ministry is set to require all individuals applying to immigrate under the Law of Return to declare their plan to move to Israel “immediately” and “permanently,” Haaretz reported.

Legal Things to Know Before You Get The Israeli Foreign Passport

The Citizenship Law was amended in 1971 to allow Jews who formally expressed their desire to migrate to Israel to immediately become Israeli citizens without entering Israeli territory. 

This change was made to facilitate the emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union, who were routinely denied exit visas. The Law of Return (1950) grants every Jew, wherever he may be, the right to come to Israel as an Oleh (a Jew immigrating to Israel) and become an Israeli national.

For this law, “Jew” means a person born of a Jewish mother or has converted to Judaism and is not a member of another religion.

Your Israeli citizenship becomes effective on the day of arrival in the country or receiving Oleh’s certificate, whichever is later. A person may declare, within three months, that they do not wish to become a citizen. 

You can easily get access to citizenship. If you qualify for Oleh status under the law, you must obtain an appropriate visa at your local consulate or obtain said visa in Israel after arriving on a tourist visa. 

If You’re an Eastern European Citizen

However, if you are a citizen of an Eastern European or a former Soviet state, you must apply at your local consulate or a Jewish agency instead.

You may enter and exit Israel with your foreign passport. There is a 90-day waiting period before you can be awarded citizenship. However, citizenship is automatically granted unless you specifically ask the government not to grant you Israeli citizenship. 

You are not required to remain in Israel during the 90 days and are free to travel on your current passport so long as you obtain an exit permit, which is typically just a formality. 

Even if you choose not to claim your Israeli citizenship, you will retain the Oleh status you arrived at and which confers permanent resident status. 

You can even purchase property and reclaim your Jewish identity. That is one of the easiest ways to reclaim your Israeli passport. The property could be anything, a house or even an apartment. Israeli law allows Jews to purchase property. After showing your Jewish ancestry, you can easily reclaim it. 

What If You Don’t Fit in The Ancestry Definition?

If you don’t fit the ancestry definition, the law also provides the ‘right of return ‘to all converted Jews of all denominations, and the conversion need not take place in Israel for it to qualify. 

In either case, the onus is on the applicant to provide adequate documentation proving either Jewish ancestry or conversion to Judaism. The Israeli authorities won’t just take your word for it. They will check. 

Additionally, the Israeli government will conduct a brief background investigation to determine if the applicant is a fugitive, convicted violent criminal, or known associate of any enemy of the state.

The Israeli government is very precise about its identity. As a result, it may involve you in cross-cultural questioning to see where you stand.

Get Your Second Passport Now

If you are a Jew looking for a place to migrate, Israel is the place to be. It is safe and is one of the richest countries in the world. It also has the added advantage of being near Europe and the middle east as well. While historically, Israel hasn’t had great relations with other middle eastern countries, this is changing as well.

However, it can be quite difficult to be able to collect the documents needed to begin the process of reclaiming your Israeli passport.

Nomad Capitalist is here to ensure that you have everything you need to get it. We deal with all the paperwork and foreign authorities, so you don’t need to.

So, don’t miss out on your chance to get an Israeli passport today. Nomad Capitalist will be more than happy to help.

Should I Get an Israeli Passport? – FAQs