US Embassy in Jerusalem to hold walk-in day for children’s passport services May 19

The US Embassy in Jerusalem said Friday that it will allow walk-ins for consular services for one day, on May 19, to make it easier for kids to get their passports this summer.

From 7:45 a.m. to noon next Thursday, those without an appointment can apply for their children’s passports at the embassy’s consular section on David Flusser Street in Jerusalem.

Consular services for US citizens in Israel and for those applying for a US visa have been profoundly affected by lockdowns and other safety measures since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an embassy spokesperson.

Processing time of a new passport is seven weeks, according to the Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Some consular services can be completed through the mail, but children’s passports must be renewed in person.

The open day could help accelerate the process for many parents who are waiting for appointments to renew or apply for children’s passports.

The walk-in day will not include applications for adult renewals, lost passports or reports of birth abroad.  While there is no need to sign up in advance, the embassy said those with an existing appointment in Jerusalem or at the embassy’s branch office in Tel Aviv should not attend.

The embassy also said it expects for wait times during the open day to range from one and six hours, warning it does not have facilities such as shade, bathrooms, chairs or water outside the compound, which will only be available upon entry.

View of the US consulate in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, shortly before the building became the American embassy in Israel, on February 24, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

The Jerusalem Embassy and its extension in Tel Aviv drastically have reduced their in-person services since the beginning of the pandemic in Israel starting in March 2020.

Because of the heavy backlog, finding appointments for passport applications have taken longer than usual. Last year, US citizens living in Israel formed a petition that was sent to US lawmakers, the White House and the embassy in Israel. The petition had over 1,000 signatures.