If you are an American Citizen, and you have a baby born in Israel, your baby is eligible for citizenship. You are able to get a passport and social security number (you'll need that for tax purposes). Below, you will find an extensive walk-through of the process. PLEASE NOTE - Information is liable to change - check the links and resources. If you have any experiences that differ from the above, feel free to share them by contacting Shoshana@binahbaby.com
This is for informational purposes only, and I provide no warranty that this is still correct, so make sure to check all the relevant web sites to verify this information before going.
US Passports and Social Security
Baby born in Israel, getting Israeli and US documents - a walk through
Posted by: "P.T."
Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:39 am (PST)
First, Mazal tov on the birth of a new baby. If you have dual citizenship in Israel and the US, and your baby is born in Israel, getting everything straight and in the right order when getting birth certificates, passports and social security card can be complicated. I
wanted to share a step-by-step plan on how to go about all of it.
This assumes you're interested in visiting the US at some point in the near future and want to have all your documentation done quickly. The order I've written below is quickest way to go from birth to full documentation.
Okay, so your baby is born. First thing I recommend doing is booking an appointment at the US Embassy or the US Consulate, depending on where you live. There was a time when appointments could take more than 6 months to get, although things have significantly improved. Recently when we went we were able to get an appointment only three weeks away. Note that the rules at each location are slightly different, and you should review all the rules on the respective web sites before going. Keep in mind that you cannot bring in any type of computer, cell phone or other electronic device to the embassy or consulate. No bags are generally allowed either. You should be able to bring in a stroller with your baby. You can book an appointment even before you've named your baby if you want, as they will not put the name you use for the appt on the documents, so fill in Baby if you want, it doesn't really matter. At least, that's my experience in Tel Aviv. From my limited experience in Jerusalem, they might be stricter
on this issue, so you might want to wait until after the baby is named to make your appointment.
If you live in Jerusalem or Judea and Samaria, book an appointment at the Jerusalem Consulate (https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=JRS&appcode=1 ). Since 2008 they will no longer accept people from Israel outside of Jerusalem and the West Bank at the Jerusalem Consulate.
If you live anywhere inside of green-line Israel (not including Jerusalem), book an appointment at the Tel Aviv Embassy (https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=TLV&appcode=1 ).Since 2008, they will no longer accept anyone from Jerusalem and the “West Bank” at the Tel Aviv Embassy.
Make sure to print out a copy of your scheduled appointment and to take it with you when you go. In our past experience in Jerusalem we always tried to get the earliest available appointment as things always got backed up, but I don't know if it's still like that. In Tel Aviv things seem to run fairly smoothly, so book any time. I would recommend in either case to not book the last appointment, as if you need to fix something (like when we needed to get a new photo taken) you want to be sure they're still there when you get back.
You're making an appointment for two purposes, getting a Report of Birth Abroad, and for a US Passport. According to the Tel Aviv web site you cannot apply for a Social Security card until after you've received your Report of Birth Abroad, but according to the Jerusalem site you can apply for the Social Security Card at the same time. We went to Tel Aviv, so I don't know what the story is in Jerusalem, but officially the rule seems to be that you need to apply for the Social Security number later.
Okay, now you need pictures. You need different size pictures for the US passport and the Israeli passport. Most photo shops can print both sizes. Here's the tricky part, you need to take a picture of the baby front-facing with both eyes open and both ears showing, with a white background. The photo must be in color. You can do this in a photo shop if you want, but I recommend picking a moment when you're home and the baby is relaxed and looking around with his/her eyes open, and plopping them on a white blanket and taking the picture yourself. Take as many as you need to get it right, then take the digital file to the photo shop to print in the proper sizes. Keep in mind that there needs to be white space on the top and sides of the head. Officially the
photo is 2"x2" and there needs to be 1/2" of white space on the three sides of the head. There is a page on the Tel Aviv site:
(http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/photos.aspx ) that shows the exact specifications. I emphasize the specs so much since we had photos printed that did not have enough white space around the head and we had to leave the embassy and go down the block to a place where they had to re-do the passport photos. Instead of my nice calm child in the photo I had a screaming kid in the photo and got charged three times as much as originally to get the photos done. Once you get the right picture, have the photo place print both sizes. Those TzamTzam stores in most malls can all print both sizes right from those kiosk machines.
Now it's time to get your Israeli documents. If it's been at least two weeks from the birth it will be easier, as it takes about that long for the birth information to make it into the misrad hapnim computers. We actually went after about ten days and it was there, but officially they tell you two weeks. If you show up early, you can still request everything, but they will need to mail it all to you. Make sure to bring the hospital birth certificate, the hospital discharge paper, the Israeli-size passport photos, and both parents' teduat zehuts with you. Once you're there you should be able to get the official birth certificate in Hebrew, and you should also ask them for a translated birth certificate. They can print up a birth certificate with everything translated into English (along with the Hebrew) and stamp and sign it so it's an official document. Ask them for two original copies. Make sure all the spellings for the names, etc. are correct. Although theoretically you might change things at the Embassy/ Consulate, it's much easier if the English spelling on the Birth Certificate is exactly what you want on the US Passport. For the Israeli passport, you will need to fill out a passport application and have the photos. There's a fee for the passport, I don't remember how much, something like 70nis. They will mail you the passport. If you're in a rush and need to fly very soon, you can ask them to hold the passports for you at the office, and you can go pick them up in a few days. They will also change the white slips of paper in your TZs to add the new child.
Now, if you live in Jerusalem or frankly anywhere near Jerusalem, I do need to add that you should not be doing any of the above in the downtown misrad hapnim. Go to the branch in Gilo. It's not a balagan like the main branch, and you'll likely not wait more than 10 minutes to see a person. When we went for our son's birth certificate, we were in and out in 5 minutes. Thus even if it's a longer drive to go to Gilo, I'd still recommend it. You do not need to be a Jerusalem resident to go to the Gilo office. For hours of the misrad hapnim, check out this page listing all the locations at NbN:http://www.nbn.co.il/site/kb/questions/171/Misrad+Hapnim+(Ministry+of+the+Interior)+Branches+
Okay, so you have your Israeli documents taken care of, and now you need to prepare for your visit to the US Embassy/Consulate. I recommend reading the pages on the Embassy (http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/CRBAHowtoapply.aspx
and http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/Passportfirstapplication.aspx)
or Consulate (http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/birth_abroad.html and http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/first-time-under-16.html) web sites in case things have changed.
First, you need to fill out the forms. You'll need to fill out a form for the Report of Birth Abroad (Form DS-2029) and for the First-Time Passport (Form DS-11). I'm not linking to the actual forms for the reason that they can actually change every few months. Even if you downloaded the forms a few months ago, you should go back and make sure you have the latest version as even though the forms themselves might not have changed, if the date on the form have expired they will make you fill out the form again. I used the form from my child born two years ago, and they made me fill it out again by hand (even though nothing substantive had changed on the form). Just go to the right pages and download the proper forms and start there.
At the moment, the DS-2029 (which you can find at http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/forms/c21447.htm) is a fillable form, so you can fill everything out using a PDF reader app like Adobe Reader and then print it out. The DS-11 form is not fillable, but actually has a web site where you can fill it out and print it from here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html
As for the social security card application, if you're going to Jerusalem you might be able to apply at the same time, so you need to fill out the SS-5 form (Downloadable from http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html) . It's not made to be filled out on the computer, but if you have Acrobat or another good PDF program you can probably fill it out on the computer. Otherwise just print it out and fill it out completely. If you're going to Tel Aviv, you don't need this right away, but you can always do it and hold on to it for later.
In addition to the forms, you will need the passports of both parents (and photocopies of both passports), your original marriage certificate (and a photocopy, and if you were married in Israel, a full translation). The passports must be current. If you need to
translate the marriage certificate, I recommend scanning the original and adding the English to the Hebrew document and printing it out so it's still the original document, but with English. That will make things easier.
Here's something I didn't know which would have been helpful. If you have gotten a Report of Birth Abroad for a previous child, you should bring the original Report and a photocopy with you. They will use the previous document to expedite the process. If you forget this, but you did the previous Report at the same location, you can, depending on how nice the person is, ask them to look up the previous report in their records. However, I recommend bringing it with you.
One thing I haven't touched on is what to do if only one parent is a US citizen (or if both are citizens, but neither was born in the US). This is a little more complicated, and not something I have any experience with, so I can't write in detail on that topic. I will
mention that the US citizen parent will need to additionally fill out an Affidavit of Physical Presence and bring along proof that they lived in the US for at least 5 years uninterrupted. Things like high school and college degrees, original school transcripts, tax returns, W2 forms, bills showing your address in the US and bank statements would be good things to bring. You should also bring any old passports you have which show entry to and departure from the US. The Embassy and Consulate sites have different forms to fill out for this- check out their respective sites (on the Report of Birth Abroad pages). If one of the parents is not a US citizen you should bring their foreign passport and a photocopy of it as well. I recommend taking more than you think you need for proving your residency, as you cannot have too much documentation. Again, this isn't my expertise, and maybe someone can add a post to explain this process, but I want to warn you in case this applies.
So let's review, you should have:
- A print-out of your scheduled appointment
- 2 US-size Passport Photos
- Form DS-2029 for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (filled out)
- Form DS-11 for First Time Passport (filled out)
- Current Passports of both parents (and photocopies of each)
- Original Birth Certificate with English translation (and photocopy)
- Original Marriage Certificate (and photocopy and translation if necessary)
~ If going to Jerusalem, Form SS-5 for Social Security (filled out)
~ If this is not your first child born abroad, you should bring the previous Report of Birth Abroad and a photocopy
~ If both parents are not US-born US citizens, then an Affidavit of
Physical Presence and proof of residency in the US
In Tel Aviv you can bring a self-addressed stamped envelope to send your documents to you in the mail when they're ready, but if you forget or if you don't want to, they can provide you with an envelope and a form to fill out to pay for delivery via the post office. In Jerusalem you cannot bring your own envelope, and must fill out and pay for a courier service to deliver your documents.
I recommend putting all of these documents in a sealable folder or binder. Remember that you can't bring any kind of backpack or bag in to the US Embassy or Consulate, so best to keep things organized in something you can bring inside.
Both parents and the baby must be present at the Embassy/Consulate.
Now you're ready for your appointment. In general, our experience has been that you don't need to show up particularly early. Half an hour should be fine. In Jerusalem it used to be really bad in this regard, but they now tell you not to show up more than half an hour before your appointment.
In Tel Aviv, the Embassy has at least 3 different parking lots across the street from it. You can also park underneath the Opera Tower building and walk a few blocks if you want. In Jerusalem, last time I was there, there was also a parking lot right across the street. If you haven't been to the Embassy or Consulate before, or haven't been there in the past few years, you should know that the security is a bit extreme. Basically leave everything you don't need in your car. If you are not coming by car, in Tel Aviv there is a shop a block up the street that you can pay to check in your bag with stuff while in the Embassy. In a pinch they can also take passport photos for you. I don't know if there is an equivalent business in Jerusalem. Make sure you leave all electronics including your cell phone behind. There was a time when they didn't even let you bring in a wallet or a watch, but it seems (at least in Tel Aviv) that they've relaxed a bit about that. You should be able to bring a stroller for the baby. You can also bring supplies for the baby like diapers, etc.
Once in the building, you want to go to the US Citizen Services department and wait for your name to be called. While you're waiting you can fill out the document tracking form and other documents you might need related to delivery of your documents.
In Tel Aviv there is a little coffee/snack stand if you want something without going through security again. You need to walk past all the Israelis waiting in line for visas and it's behind the whole crowd.
When they call you up you'll go through the Report of Birth Abroad first and then the Passport application. As you've filled out all the forms in advance, this should go fairly quickly. If your baby was born in a Jerusalem hospital, try not to get too annoyed if you wrote Jerusalem, Israel and they white-out Israel, as that's the official State Department policy.
In general, you need to have the documents mailed to you by the Embassy/Consulate. As mentioned earlier the Embassy lets you bring your own pre-paid envelope if you want, but in either case in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem you can get an envelope and pay for delivery. The exception to this is if you've already booked a flight that is coming up soon. If so, and you have a copy of your reservation, you can ask them to hold the documents for you and pick them up when they arrive. I've done this in Tel Aviv, and not in Jerusalem, but it's probably the same. I'll add that even if you don't have a reservation, but you can make a strong enough case (like a hospitalized relative that you may need to fly in to see on a moments notice) you can also probably get them to hold the Report and Passport for you and have you come pick them up. This, of course, depends on the person you get behind the counter.
Once you're done with the paperwork, the person behind the counter will fill out a form listing everything you need to pay. The person behind the desk will keep all the paperwork you filled out and probably all your original documents and passports, which you'll get back later. You'll take the payment list to the payment window (in Tel Aviv it's window 1, on the far left). You can pay for things in cash (dollars or shekels), with a credit card, or with traveler's checks. Keep in mind if you want to use a credit card, then it needs to be either a US credit card, or at least an international credit card that can be used in the US. The credit card payment is actually processed in the US. They do not accept checks. If you only have an Israeli credit card, it may not work. In Israel you usually need to specifically ask the bank for a credit card that works outside of Israel. Most recently for us the costs for the Report and the Passport added up to $150. You can see more details on payment options and costs on the Embassy site (http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/Passportsfees.aspx ).
After you've paid for everything you will then be told to wait for the consular officer. Depending how crowded things are, this will probably take about 20 minutes. They will call you and you'll go to the consular officer's window (in Tel Aviv this is window 5). The consular officer will verify with you that everything you filled out is correct and truthful, and have you sign the documents in front of them. The consular officer will also need to see the baby to compare to the picture for the passport. The consular officer should return all your original documents to you and you're done. If you are having the documents mailed, expect to see them in a couple of weeks. Officially, they tell you it can take up to a month.
If you're picking up the documents, you should get a phone call or an e-mail telling you that the documents are ready in about a week. Make sure you keep your receipt for the documents to show the guards when you arrive so you can explain why you're showing up without an appointment.
For social security, according to the web site in Jerusalem you can also apply for a social security card at this time. Walk over to the social security/federal benefits window and give them the SS-5 form.
If you are taking care of things in Tel Aviv, you'll need to wait until after you receive the Report of Birth Abroad before applying for a social security card. If you are picking up your documents in the Embassy, you can just walk over to the Social Security window (window 6) as long as they're open (check the hours on the web site, they're different than for US Citizen Services) and take care of the social security card application then. If you received the documents in the mail, you just need to go back to the Embassy during the Social Security window hours and take care of it then. You do not need an appointment for applying for a social security card, and only one parent needs to be there.
To apply for a social security number for your child you will need:
- SS-5 form (filled out)
- Israeli Birth Certificate (with English translation, and a photocopy)
- US Report of Birth Abroad or US Passport for the baby (and
photocopies)
- ID for the parent (I recommend your US Passport)
If for some reason you have the Report of Birth Abroad but not the baby's US Passport, you will need some other form of photo identification for the baby like an Israeli Passport or a school ID with a photo. Basically, it can't hurt to bring these kinds of IDs if
you have them.
Check out the Embassy (http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/acs/document14.aspx ) or Consulate (http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/social_security.html) pages on Social Security for more information.
I think that's about it. If you have any experiences that differ from the above, feel free to share them by contacting Shoshana@binahbaby.com
This is for informational purposes only, and I provide no warranty that this is still correct, so make sure to check all the relevant web sites to verify this information before going.
Posted by: "P.T."
Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:39 am (PST)
First, Mazal tov on the birth of a new baby. If you have dual citizenship in Israel and the US, and your baby is born in Israel, getting everything straight and in the right order when getting birth certificates, passports and social security card can be complicated. I
wanted to share a step-by-step plan on how to go about all of it.
This assumes you're interested in visiting the US at some point in the near future and want to have all your documentation done quickly. The order I've written below is quickest way to go from birth to full documentation.
Okay, so your baby is born. First thing I recommend doing is booking an appointment at the US Embassy or the US Consulate, depending on where you live. There was a time when appointments could take more than 6 months to get, although things have significantly improved. Recently when we went we were able to get an appointment only three weeks away. Note that the rules at each location are slightly different, and you should review all the rules on the respective web sites before going. Keep in mind that you cannot bring in any type of computer, cell phone or other electronic device to the embassy or consulate. No bags are generally allowed either. You should be able to bring in a stroller with your baby. You can book an appointment even before you've named your baby if you want, as they will not put the name you use for the appt on the documents, so fill in Baby if you want, it doesn't really matter. At least, that's my experience in Tel Aviv. From my limited experience in Jerusalem, they might be stricter
on this issue, so you might want to wait until after the baby is named to make your appointment.
If you live in Jerusalem or Judea and Samaria, book an appointment at the Jerusalem Consulate (https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=JRS&appcode=1 ). Since 2008 they will no longer accept people from Israel outside of Jerusalem and the West Bank at the Jerusalem Consulate.
If you live anywhere inside of green-line Israel (not including Jerusalem), book an appointment at the Tel Aviv Embassy (https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=TLV&appcode=1 ).Since 2008, they will no longer accept anyone from Jerusalem and the “West Bank” at the Tel Aviv Embassy.
Make sure to print out a copy of your scheduled appointment and to take it with you when you go. In our past experience in Jerusalem we always tried to get the earliest available appointment as things always got backed up, but I don't know if it's still like that. In Tel Aviv things seem to run fairly smoothly, so book any time. I would recommend in either case to not book the last appointment, as if you need to fix something (like when we needed to get a new photo taken) you want to be sure they're still there when you get back.
You're making an appointment for two purposes, getting a Report of Birth Abroad, and for a US Passport. According to the Tel Aviv web site you cannot apply for a Social Security card until after you've received your Report of Birth Abroad, but according to the Jerusalem site you can apply for the Social Security Card at the same time. We went to Tel Aviv, so I don't know what the story is in Jerusalem, but officially the rule seems to be that you need to apply for the Social Security number later.
Okay, now you need pictures. You need different size pictures for the US passport and the Israeli passport. Most photo shops can print both sizes. Here's the tricky part, you need to take a picture of the baby front-facing with both eyes open and both ears showing, with a white background. The photo must be in color. You can do this in a photo shop if you want, but I recommend picking a moment when you're home and the baby is relaxed and looking around with his/her eyes open, and plopping them on a white blanket and taking the picture yourself. Take as many as you need to get it right, then take the digital file to the photo shop to print in the proper sizes. Keep in mind that there needs to be white space on the top and sides of the head. Officially the
photo is 2"x2" and there needs to be 1/2" of white space on the three sides of the head. There is a page on the Tel Aviv site:
(http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/photos.aspx ) that shows the exact specifications. I emphasize the specs so much since we had photos printed that did not have enough white space around the head and we had to leave the embassy and go down the block to a place where they had to re-do the passport photos. Instead of my nice calm child in the photo I had a screaming kid in the photo and got charged three times as much as originally to get the photos done. Once you get the right picture, have the photo place print both sizes. Those TzamTzam stores in most malls can all print both sizes right from those kiosk machines.
Now it's time to get your Israeli documents. If it's been at least two weeks from the birth it will be easier, as it takes about that long for the birth information to make it into the misrad hapnim computers. We actually went after about ten days and it was there, but officially they tell you two weeks. If you show up early, you can still request everything, but they will need to mail it all to you. Make sure to bring the hospital birth certificate, the hospital discharge paper, the Israeli-size passport photos, and both parents' teduat zehuts with you. Once you're there you should be able to get the official birth certificate in Hebrew, and you should also ask them for a translated birth certificate. They can print up a birth certificate with everything translated into English (along with the Hebrew) and stamp and sign it so it's an official document. Ask them for two original copies. Make sure all the spellings for the names, etc. are correct. Although theoretically you might change things at the Embassy/ Consulate, it's much easier if the English spelling on the Birth Certificate is exactly what you want on the US Passport. For the Israeli passport, you will need to fill out a passport application and have the photos. There's a fee for the passport, I don't remember how much, something like 70nis. They will mail you the passport. If you're in a rush and need to fly very soon, you can ask them to hold the passports for you at the office, and you can go pick them up in a few days. They will also change the white slips of paper in your TZs to add the new child.
Now, if you live in Jerusalem or frankly anywhere near Jerusalem, I do need to add that you should not be doing any of the above in the downtown misrad hapnim. Go to the branch in Gilo. It's not a balagan like the main branch, and you'll likely not wait more than 10 minutes to see a person. When we went for our son's birth certificate, we were in and out in 5 minutes. Thus even if it's a longer drive to go to Gilo, I'd still recommend it. You do not need to be a Jerusalem resident to go to the Gilo office. For hours of the misrad hapnim, check out this page listing all the locations at NbN:http://www.nbn.co.il/site/kb/questions/171/Misrad+Hapnim+(Ministry+of+the+Interior)+Branches+
Okay, so you have your Israeli documents taken care of, and now you need to prepare for your visit to the US Embassy/Consulate. I recommend reading the pages on the Embassy (http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/CRBAHowtoapply.aspx
and http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/Passportfirstapplication.aspx)
or Consulate (http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/birth_abroad.html and http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/first-time-under-16.html) web sites in case things have changed.
First, you need to fill out the forms. You'll need to fill out a form for the Report of Birth Abroad (Form DS-2029) and for the First-Time Passport (Form DS-11). I'm not linking to the actual forms for the reason that they can actually change every few months. Even if you downloaded the forms a few months ago, you should go back and make sure you have the latest version as even though the forms themselves might not have changed, if the date on the form have expired they will make you fill out the form again. I used the form from my child born two years ago, and they made me fill it out again by hand (even though nothing substantive had changed on the form). Just go to the right pages and download the proper forms and start there.
At the moment, the DS-2029 (which you can find at http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/forms/c21447.htm) is a fillable form, so you can fill everything out using a PDF reader app like Adobe Reader and then print it out. The DS-11 form is not fillable, but actually has a web site where you can fill it out and print it from here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html
As for the social security card application, if you're going to Jerusalem you might be able to apply at the same time, so you need to fill out the SS-5 form (Downloadable from http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html) . It's not made to be filled out on the computer, but if you have Acrobat or another good PDF program you can probably fill it out on the computer. Otherwise just print it out and fill it out completely. If you're going to Tel Aviv, you don't need this right away, but you can always do it and hold on to it for later.
In addition to the forms, you will need the passports of both parents (and photocopies of both passports), your original marriage certificate (and a photocopy, and if you were married in Israel, a full translation). The passports must be current. If you need to
translate the marriage certificate, I recommend scanning the original and adding the English to the Hebrew document and printing it out so it's still the original document, but with English. That will make things easier.
Here's something I didn't know which would have been helpful. If you have gotten a Report of Birth Abroad for a previous child, you should bring the original Report and a photocopy with you. They will use the previous document to expedite the process. If you forget this, but you did the previous Report at the same location, you can, depending on how nice the person is, ask them to look up the previous report in their records. However, I recommend bringing it with you.
One thing I haven't touched on is what to do if only one parent is a US citizen (or if both are citizens, but neither was born in the US). This is a little more complicated, and not something I have any experience with, so I can't write in detail on that topic. I will
mention that the US citizen parent will need to additionally fill out an Affidavit of Physical Presence and bring along proof that they lived in the US for at least 5 years uninterrupted. Things like high school and college degrees, original school transcripts, tax returns, W2 forms, bills showing your address in the US and bank statements would be good things to bring. You should also bring any old passports you have which show entry to and departure from the US. The Embassy and Consulate sites have different forms to fill out for this- check out their respective sites (on the Report of Birth Abroad pages). If one of the parents is not a US citizen you should bring their foreign passport and a photocopy of it as well. I recommend taking more than you think you need for proving your residency, as you cannot have too much documentation. Again, this isn't my expertise, and maybe someone can add a post to explain this process, but I want to warn you in case this applies.
So let's review, you should have:
- A print-out of your scheduled appointment
- 2 US-size Passport Photos
- Form DS-2029 for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (filled out)
- Form DS-11 for First Time Passport (filled out)
- Current Passports of both parents (and photocopies of each)
- Original Birth Certificate with English translation (and photocopy)
- Original Marriage Certificate (and photocopy and translation if necessary)
~ If going to Jerusalem, Form SS-5 for Social Security (filled out)
~ If this is not your first child born abroad, you should bring the previous Report of Birth Abroad and a photocopy
~ If both parents are not US-born US citizens, then an Affidavit of
Physical Presence and proof of residency in the US
In Tel Aviv you can bring a self-addressed stamped envelope to send your documents to you in the mail when they're ready, but if you forget or if you don't want to, they can provide you with an envelope and a form to fill out to pay for delivery via the post office. In Jerusalem you cannot bring your own envelope, and must fill out and pay for a courier service to deliver your documents.
I recommend putting all of these documents in a sealable folder or binder. Remember that you can't bring any kind of backpack or bag in to the US Embassy or Consulate, so best to keep things organized in something you can bring inside.
Both parents and the baby must be present at the Embassy/Consulate.
Now you're ready for your appointment. In general, our experience has been that you don't need to show up particularly early. Half an hour should be fine. In Jerusalem it used to be really bad in this regard, but they now tell you not to show up more than half an hour before your appointment.
In Tel Aviv, the Embassy has at least 3 different parking lots across the street from it. You can also park underneath the Opera Tower building and walk a few blocks if you want. In Jerusalem, last time I was there, there was also a parking lot right across the street. If you haven't been to the Embassy or Consulate before, or haven't been there in the past few years, you should know that the security is a bit extreme. Basically leave everything you don't need in your car. If you are not coming by car, in Tel Aviv there is a shop a block up the street that you can pay to check in your bag with stuff while in the Embassy. In a pinch they can also take passport photos for you. I don't know if there is an equivalent business in Jerusalem. Make sure you leave all electronics including your cell phone behind. There was a time when they didn't even let you bring in a wallet or a watch, but it seems (at least in Tel Aviv) that they've relaxed a bit about that. You should be able to bring a stroller for the baby. You can also bring supplies for the baby like diapers, etc.
Once in the building, you want to go to the US Citizen Services department and wait for your name to be called. While you're waiting you can fill out the document tracking form and other documents you might need related to delivery of your documents.
In Tel Aviv there is a little coffee/snack stand if you want something without going through security again. You need to walk past all the Israelis waiting in line for visas and it's behind the whole crowd.
When they call you up you'll go through the Report of Birth Abroad first and then the Passport application. As you've filled out all the forms in advance, this should go fairly quickly. If your baby was born in a Jerusalem hospital, try not to get too annoyed if you wrote Jerusalem, Israel and they white-out Israel, as that's the official State Department policy.
In general, you need to have the documents mailed to you by the Embassy/Consulate. As mentioned earlier the Embassy lets you bring your own pre-paid envelope if you want, but in either case in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem you can get an envelope and pay for delivery. The exception to this is if you've already booked a flight that is coming up soon. If so, and you have a copy of your reservation, you can ask them to hold the documents for you and pick them up when they arrive. I've done this in Tel Aviv, and not in Jerusalem, but it's probably the same. I'll add that even if you don't have a reservation, but you can make a strong enough case (like a hospitalized relative that you may need to fly in to see on a moments notice) you can also probably get them to hold the Report and Passport for you and have you come pick them up. This, of course, depends on the person you get behind the counter.
Once you're done with the paperwork, the person behind the counter will fill out a form listing everything you need to pay. The person behind the desk will keep all the paperwork you filled out and probably all your original documents and passports, which you'll get back later. You'll take the payment list to the payment window (in Tel Aviv it's window 1, on the far left). You can pay for things in cash (dollars or shekels), with a credit card, or with traveler's checks. Keep in mind if you want to use a credit card, then it needs to be either a US credit card, or at least an international credit card that can be used in the US. The credit card payment is actually processed in the US. They do not accept checks. If you only have an Israeli credit card, it may not work. In Israel you usually need to specifically ask the bank for a credit card that works outside of Israel. Most recently for us the costs for the Report and the Passport added up to $150. You can see more details on payment options and costs on the Embassy site (http://usembassy-israel.org.il/consular/acs/Passportsfees.aspx ).
After you've paid for everything you will then be told to wait for the consular officer. Depending how crowded things are, this will probably take about 20 minutes. They will call you and you'll go to the consular officer's window (in Tel Aviv this is window 5). The consular officer will verify with you that everything you filled out is correct and truthful, and have you sign the documents in front of them. The consular officer will also need to see the baby to compare to the picture for the passport. The consular officer should return all your original documents to you and you're done. If you are having the documents mailed, expect to see them in a couple of weeks. Officially, they tell you it can take up to a month.
If you're picking up the documents, you should get a phone call or an e-mail telling you that the documents are ready in about a week. Make sure you keep your receipt for the documents to show the guards when you arrive so you can explain why you're showing up without an appointment.
For social security, according to the web site in Jerusalem you can also apply for a social security card at this time. Walk over to the social security/federal benefits window and give them the SS-5 form.
If you are taking care of things in Tel Aviv, you'll need to wait until after you receive the Report of Birth Abroad before applying for a social security card. If you are picking up your documents in the Embassy, you can just walk over to the Social Security window (window 6) as long as they're open (check the hours on the web site, they're different than for US Citizen Services) and take care of the social security card application then. If you received the documents in the mail, you just need to go back to the Embassy during the Social Security window hours and take care of it then. You do not need an appointment for applying for a social security card, and only one parent needs to be there.
To apply for a social security number for your child you will need:
- SS-5 form (filled out)
- Israeli Birth Certificate (with English translation, and a photocopy)
- US Report of Birth Abroad or US Passport for the baby (and
photocopies)
- ID for the parent (I recommend your US Passport)
If for some reason you have the Report of Birth Abroad but not the baby's US Passport, you will need some other form of photo identification for the baby like an Israeli Passport or a school ID with a photo. Basically, it can't hurt to bring these kinds of IDs if
you have them.
Check out the Embassy (http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/acs/document14.aspx ) or Consulate (http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/social_security.html) pages on Social Security for more information.
I think that's about it. If you have any experiences that differ from the above, feel free to share them by contacting Shoshana@binahbaby.com
This is for informational purposes only, and I provide no warranty that this is still correct, so make sure to check all the relevant web sites to verify this information before going.