From today, the Population and Immigration Department has announced that the majority of people who wish to apply for a passport or identity card renewal will be able to do so online through the government’s identity card system, allowing the Population and Immigration Department to apply for renewal online. There is no need to go anywhere anymore. With this, officials hope to shorten lines at branches for people who have to come to work in person.
The changes are based on legislation sponsored by Interior Minister Moshe Alber (Shas). Last year, there was a huge backlog in processing passport applications and renewals. The Department of Population and Immigration had to introduce a “passport marathon” where people could show up to the office without an appointment. Together with additional staffing, this has resulted in around 400,000 passports being issued within two months and eliminating most backlogs.
But that was only a short-term solution. In the longer term, the Population and Immigration Department initially considered using automatic passport issuing machines, but the project was never undertaken in any substantive form. What was needed instead, as Mr. Abel told the Globes at the end of the marathon, was the remote issuance of passports and identity documents via the Internet, which is now available to at least some It is progressing for people.
The facility will be offered to Israeli citizens aged 18 and over who are present in Israel at the time of submitting their application and who have already registered their biometric data, including fingerprints, with the Population and Immigration Department. Officials say the system allows inquirers to know whether they meet the criteria at the time of entry. Even then, the passport is valid for only 5 years and he cannot change the details of the passport. All family members must submit separate applications.
Passports issued or renewed using the online system cannot be used to obtain a visa exemption for entry into the United States. This requires a passport valid for 10 years.
Online applications can be made on the Population and Immigration Department website.
Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on April 30, 2024.
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