Returning Minor

If you were born in Israel or made Aliyah as a child and left Israel before the age of 14, you have a special status called Katin Chozer/Returning Minor. This is the list of documents that are required for a Katin Chozer in order to make Aliyah.

What You Will Need

Birth certificate with apostille

This document cannot be replaced by a marriage certificate or other proofs of identity. You can find more information on the apostille here.

Marriage/Divorce/Death Certificate with Apostille

• Civil Status Document

The state of Israel only recognizes four civil statuses: single, married, divorced or widowed. Please contact us if you need clarification regarding any other status.

• Singles – Single Certificate

If you are single you must present a Single Certificate with an apostille, both issued by the official body for this in your country. If your country does not issue this type of declaration, you must make a sworn statement before a notary and apostille the document. Contact us to view a sample statement.

• Married – Marriage Certificate
  You need to present the original Marriage Certificate issued by the government of the country where you got married with an Apostille. This document is not replaceable by a Ketubah – כתובה – Jewish marriage certificate.

If you have been married more than once, you will need to present the marriage, divorce or death certificate(s) of your spouse(s) from previous marriages.

Olim who make aliyah after September 30, 2024 must present a marriage certificate stating their status prior to marriage (whether single, divorced or widowed). If the document in your country does not contain this information, you will need to make a sworn statement before a notary and apostille the document. Contact us to view a sample statement.

• Divorced or Widowed
  If you are divorced or widowed, you must present a marriage certificate (it does not need to be apostilled) and their spouse’s divorce or death certificate, which does need to be apostilled.

Please note: None of the civil documents can be replaced by religious ones!

Israeli Passport

Your Israeli passport must be valid for at least another year.

Proof of Judaism

You may be required to present a letter issued by a Rabbi from your community confirming your eligibility status.

Entry / Exit Form

As a Katin Chozer you must fill out this form listing all your entries to and exits from Israel

Proof of Residence

You must prove that you resided outside of Israel since the age of 14. A proof can be a certificate of residence, a valid foreign passport, school documents or other documents that confirm your official presence in that country.

If you are under 30 years old, additional documents from your parents are required:

Parents’ Declaration
Your parents need to sign the following declaration (in Hebrew)

Parents’ Proof of Work
The proof must cover at least the past 5 years. If you are over 25 years old, you don’t need to submit this proof.

Parents’ Entry / Exit Form
Send a form stating your parents’ entries and exits when you were between 14-18 years old

Parents’ Proof of Residence
You must prove that your parents resided outside of Israel when you were between 14-18 years old.

Steps to Take

From abroad:

• Initial Contact

Call the Jewish Agency in order to start the process. You can find the phone number for your country/city here. You will then be sent a link to a form to fill out. If you need help with this, watch our tutorial.

• Preliminary phase

You will receive an email from your account manager at the Jewish Agency setting a date and time for a first conversation, during which the Aliyah process and which documents you need will be explained. Be ready for the call.

• Aliyah Portal

After the call, you will receive a list of the required documents and your access details to the Aliyah Portal. All the following actions must be done on the Aliyah Portal:

• • Access the Portal and create your own password
  • Fill out the eligibility questionnaire
  • Pay the fee and upload the receipt
  • Fill out the remaining questionnaires
  • Upload the required documents
  • Send an email to your account manager informing him that you have completed the procedure.
• Documents Approval

After submitting all the required documents, the Jewish Agency will check your file. Be advised that they might request additional documents or information.

• Interview

Once your documents receive initial verification, you will be notified that you are ready to schedule an interview with the Jewish Agency’s shaliach. You must follow the instructions exactly in order to schedule your interview. Please note that each country has a different way of scheduling them. In addition, you will be asked to send all the original documents to the Jewish Agency office. We advise you to make copies of everything you submit.

• Additional Documents

After the interview, you may have to submit additional documents, such as:

• • New background check with Apostille
  • Missing Apostilles of other documents
  • Medical certificate
  • Renewed portal forms

If the Jewish Agency does not get in touch with you within 30 days of the interview, contact them.

• Final Approval

You will receive a final approval from your Shaliach 

Within Israel:

Book an Appointment

Go in person to the Misrad HaPnim branch in your city with your valid Israeli passport and schedule an appointment at the Aliyah department. Please note that some branches in smaller cities do not offer this service and will direct you to an office in a bigger city nearby.

After submitting all the required documents, Misrad haPnim will schedule an interview for you to come in person. Make sure to bring all the original documents with you.

Important Note

Additional documents may be required, especially if you are already in Israel and are making Aliyah via the Misrad HaPnim.