The Knesset plenum approved the Interior Minister's proposal to allow citizens to submit online requests for biometric passports, without needing to go to the Population and Immigration Authority.
On Tuesday the Knesset plenum accepted Interior Minister Moshe Arbel's proposal for passport reform, enabling the issuing of passports and identity cards (te’udot zehut) online.
The proposal was approved by a temporary order for six months and can be extended by another six months.
The new process will go into effect on April 31st and will allow any citizen over the age of 18, who has a biometric identification document and whose fingerprints have been stored in the biometric database, to submit a remote application and receive an identity card (te’udat zehut) which will be valid for up to five years.
The new procedure will not apply to those who have never issued biometric passports and IDs, nor to children under the age of 18.
In addition passports may be issued online only if they have expired within the previous six months or are valid for a year ahead, as well as for those who are in Israel at the time of submitting the application.
Interior Minister Arbel said, "This is a dramatic step initiated by the Interior Ministry and the Population and Immigration Authority, to meet the needs of citizens and provide a solution for a large sector of the population, who will not have to go to the official offices and will be able to order a passport or identity card (te’udat zehut) without leaving their home. We have set a goal to improve services to the citizens of Israel and I am pleased to take another step forward to achieve this national goal."
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