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Israeli Mariia Seniuk competes during the women's Free Skating event of the ISU Figure Skating European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, January 31, 2025. (Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP)
January 14, 2026, 8:31 pm
With clock ticking, Israel moves to resolve passport crisis for Winter Olympians
Knesset okays cabinet decision to grant Netanyahu temporary powers of interior minister in order to issue passports to 3 athletes caught in bureaucratic and political quagmire
By Amy Spiro
Thousands of people wait in line to schedule an appointment at the Portuguese Embassy in Israel, in central Israel, November 28, 2025. (Tal Gal/Flash90)
November 29, 2025, 5:41 pm
Thousands of Israelis line up for appointment to obtain Portuguese citizenship
Walk-in day event led by Portuguese embassy draws massive crowds as demand among Israelis surges for EU passports
By ToI Staff
Energy Minister Eli Cohen attends the conference for Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria at the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 21, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
September 10, 2025, 3:02 pm
Ex-FM Eli Cohen grilled by cops over diplomatic passports for Likud mayors, PM’s son
Now-energy minister denies impropriety; watchdog says politician’s questioning shows investigation was well-founded, calls for the travel papers to be rescinded
By Jeremy Sharon and ToI Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son Yair arrives for a court hearing in Tel Aviv, on November 29, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
July 4, 2025, 1:57 am
Yair Netanyahu testifies to police major crimes unit in diplomatic passports affair
PM’s firebrand son isn’t himself a suspect in the investigation into illegal diplomatic passports allegedly issued by former foreign minister Cohen for Likud power players
By Jeremy Sharon
Protesters condemn Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, at a rally in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
April 13, 2025, 10:14 pm
Bangladesh renews ‘except for Israel’ inscription on passports
Announcement comes a day after 100,000 protested against Israel in Dhaka; Muslim-majority country removed text in 2021 but maintained its non-recognition policy on Israel
By Agencies and ToI Staff
An Israeli passport on January 18, 2023. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
April 30, 2024, 6:05 pm
Israelis can now renew biometric passports online from home, cutting out long waits
New system only available for those who already have a biometric travel document, and will only enable renewal for five years — not long enough to obtain US visa waiver
By ToI Staff
US Embassy in Jerusalem, October 27, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
July 3, 2023, 3:28 pm
‘A nightmare’: US passport crunch for dual citizens in Israel among most severe
Over 200,000 people with citizenship of both countries live in Israel; even newborns need separate appointments, which now take around 90 days to get in Israel, down from 360 days
By Laurie Kellman, Rebecca Santana and DAVID KOENIG
Illustrative: Immigrants fleeing from war zones in the Ukraine arrive at the Israeli immigration and absorption office, at the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, on March 15, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/ Flash90)
June 7, 2023, 4:42 am
Government moves to reinstate 1-year residency requirement for passports
By July 10, Interior Ministry expected to change policy and not issue passports to Law of Return immigrants until they can prove center of life in Israel — usually after a year
By Carrie Keller-Lynn
An Israeli passport on January 18, 2023. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
May 21, 2023, 3:06 pm
Police nab suspected passport appointment scalper
Suspect employed at national laboratory involved in issuing passports believed to have booked hundreds of slots, then sold them for cash
By ToI Staff
People line up outside the Interior Ministry office to renew their passports, in Tel Aviv, on May 14, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/FLASH90)
May 14, 2023, 2:10 pm
Israelis swamp passport offices at launch of marathon drive for travel documents
Interior minister calls for patience as authorities begin monthlong project, accepting passport applicants without appointment to tackle backlog
By ToI Staff
Illustrative: Israeli passports in Jerusalem, January 18, 2023. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
May 1, 2023, 2:36 pm
Battling backlog, Interior Ministry to open up passport services without appointments
For one month, Israelis will be able to show up to apply for or renew a passport at offices in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheba and Haifa, which will stay open late
By ToI Staff
An Israeli passport on January 18, 2023. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
April 20, 2023, 12:00 am
Population Authority to open new office in bid to ease passport appointment shortage
Interior Ministry body hopes to provide hundreds more meetings a day to solve issue, as networks of hackers and bots scoop up time slots, sell them for steep prices online
By ToI Staff
Illustrative: Israeli passports in Jerusalem, January 18, 2023. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
April 16, 2023, 6:32 pm
Unable to renew passports, many Israelis resort to paying scalpers for appointments
With backlog of a million pending renewals following pandemic, some pay hundreds of dollars as system is overwhelmed by hackers
By Michael Bachner and ToI Staff
The passport, listed as it appeared in Heritage Auctions official website on March 1, 2023 (Heritage Auctions)
March 1, 2023, 4:58 pm
Sadat’s family angered by sale of passport used for historic Israel trip
Document used during late Egyptian president’s 1977 visit, during which he addressed the Knesset, sold by a US-based auction house in February without family’s knowledge
By Harry Roper
Illustrative. A traveler enters Israel through a new passport control terminal in Ben Gurion International Airport in central Israel on May 20, 2015. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)
January 3, 2023, 12:09 pm
New immigrants will need to prove they’ve settled in Israel before getting passports
Shas leader Deri instructs Population Authority to prepare for new rule aimed at dissuading people from obtaining citizenship only to promptly leave
By Judah Ari Gross
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