Requesting a birth certificate for someone born in Israel is handled through the Population and Immigration Authority (part of the Ministry of Interior), and the service is available both to residents inside Israel and to Israeli citizens abroad through embassies and consulates. The process is free, straightforward once you know which channel applies to your situation, and can largely be completed without visiting an office in person. Here’s how it works.
Who Can Apply
Before starting, it helps to know the eligibility rules. Applicants can order a certificate for themselves and for their minor children, and the service is also available to those applying on behalf of a spouse, siblings, parents, or grandchildren, where applicable. Anyone requesting on behalf of a different relative must attach a power of attorney or a letter of explanation justifying the request.
Applying Online From Within Israel
The primary route for residents is through the official government portal:
- Visit the official birth certificate request service on the Population and Immigration Authority’s page at gov.il
- Choose whether you want the certificate in Hebrew only or as a bilingual Hebrew-English certificate
- Provide the required personal details, including full name, date of birth, and place of birth
- If requesting on behalf of someone born before 1955, also provide the parents’ place of residence at the time of the birth
- Submit the request through the portal
There is no charge for ordering the standard certificate, though if you require an apostille on the document, a separate fee applies.
Applying From Abroad Through an Israeli Embassy or Consulate
If you’re an Israeli citizen living outside the country, you don’t need to travel back to make the request:
- Contact the Israeli mission (embassy or consulate) in the country where you currently live
- Send the required documents and completed form by email or registered mail — it is not mandatory to appear at the mission in person
- Alternatively, schedule an appointment if you prefer to apply in person rather than by email
- Indicate your language preference (Hebrew or bilingual) on the form
- If an apostille is required, complete the separate credit card payment form for that additional fee
Keep in mind that certificates are not issued directly at the consulates — the application is forwarded to the relevant offices in Israel, where the certificate is actually issued before being sent back to you.
What You’ll Need to Provide
Regardless of which channel you use, a few core pieces of information are consistently required:
- Full legal name and date of birth of the person the certificate is for
- Place of birth
- Valid identification (ID card, passport, or driver’s license) for identity verification
- For requests made on behalf of someone other than yourself, your spouse, siblings, parents, or grandchildren, a power of attorney or explanatory letter
Registering a Child Born Abroad (A Related but Different Process)
It’s worth noting that requesting a birth certificate for someone already born in Israel is a different process from registering a child born outside Israel to Israeli parents. That separate service requires the Israeli parent to appear in person at an Israeli mission, along with both parents’ passports and the child’s original birth certificate, authenticated by apostille or consular authentication depending on where it was issued.
Official Contact Information
For direct inquiries or to start your request, you can reach the relevant Israeli authorities through:
Population and Immigration Authority (birth and death certificates) — National Service Center
Address: 42 Agrippa St., Jerusalem, Israel 9430125
Phone (within Israel): 074-7083450
Phone (from abroad): +972-74-7083450
Fax: 02-6469442
Email: [Login to see the link]
Website: gov.il (Population and Immigration Authority birth certificate service)
If applying from abroad: contact your nearest Israeli embassy or consulate directly, as processing is routed through their consular services before being forwarded to Israel.
Join The Discussion
Israel’s civil registration system has become increasingly accessible online and through consular channels, which is especially helpful for citizens living abroad who’d otherwise need to travel just to request a document. Have you gone through this process recently, either from within Israel or through an embassy overseas — and how was your experience with processing times? If you’ve dealt with the added step of getting an apostille for international use, we’d love to hear what that process involved and how long it took from start to finish.
