By Amit Acco, Partner |
The Ministry of Interior estimated that the waiting time for the passport renewal process will be shortened to six months. But there is no relief in sight: the closest appointment to renew a passport in the center of Israel, not including the issuance of a temporary passport – is currently six months. In the periphery, the situation is a little better – and an appointment can be scheduled for October
Israelis who wish to issue passports or renew them still have to wait for many months in order to make a regular appointment at the population bureaus. An inspection made by The Marker this week (Sunday and Monday) shows that in the bureaus in the center of the country – Kiryat Yavlat in Tel Aviv, South Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan or Holon – the first available appointment is only in February 2023 while at the periphery a two-month wait is still required. For example, at the bureau in Sakhnin or Katsrin appointments were available in October.
If the issuance of the passport is urgent, the Ministry cab issue a temporary passport valid for two years at the temporary passport center in Bnei Brak. However, the cost of the temporary passport is higher than issuance of a “regular” passport. According to the Ministry of Interior data, since the bureau opened in Bnei Brak in June, 53,000 passports have been issued through it.
Regarding the setting the appointment, the mechanism for making appointments through the authority’s website has been improved. The Ministry of the Interior explains that in the future there will be additional technological improvements that will improve the queue situation, and that by 2023 we will see a significant improvement.
It is therefore recommended to book an appointment for a passport issuance or extension as soon as possible, not waiting for the last moment to issue the passport
