Darkon

What is Darkon?

Darkon is an Israeli foreign passport that allows you to freely travel to 159 countries of the world without the need to visit embassies or open additional visas. This is an international document required to cross the border of a foreign state and confirm the identity of an Israeli outside of Israel. The holder of a passport has the right to receive assistance and protection from representatives of the Israeli Embassy abroad. The advantage of a biometric document is its reliability and, as a result, its credibility. Contactless electronic media contains detailed information about the owner – a digital portrait photo, fingerprints, digitized signature and more.

Darkon Israeli Passport Renewal

If you are planning a trip to Israel or are already here, then you are probably familiar with Darkon – this is the main document required to cross the border, even if you have a valid document from another state. If your darkon is about to expire, then renewing it is a top priority in order to avoid unpleasant situations and remain a legal resident of the country.

Now in Israel there is a new regulation for the issuance of foreign passports, approved in December 2020. In accordance with it, the document can be issued to new repatriates with the following validity period:

• 1 year;
• 5 years;
• 10 years.

Therefore, one of the reasons for extending the document is the expiration of its validity. Other grounds for obtaining a new passport may be as follows:

• Change of surname, name, patronymic. Sex change. Change of date of birth.
• Lack of blank pages for mandatory marks. For example, you travel a lot, and all the sheets are filled with visas, stamps, and so on.
• Document damage.
• Lost, stolen passport.

For those abroad

You can renew or replace a new type of foreign passport (biometric) only at the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs with a personal appeal. Israeli citizens who are abroad can resolve the issue of travel documents at the Israeli consulate. To do this, papers are provided to the diplomatic mission:

• Application of the established form, completed in English or Hebrew.
• Registration form completed in English or Hebrew.
• Old Darkon needed for renewal.

You can apply for a passport renewal no earlier than 6 months before its expiration date. Reception of citizens is carried out by appointment.

For those in Israel

For this purpose, a request is sent to the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs. But there is a chance that the document will not be renewed if the applicant spends most of the time outside the country.

In accordance with the regulations in force in 2021, in order to obtain a document for 5 or 10 years, it is necessary to spend at least 75% of the possible time in Israel. If the period of stay is at least 25%, Darkon can be issued for a period of validity of 1 year. If less than 25% – Lesse-Passe is issued.

The Darkon renewal process will be as follows:

• On the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Israel, a form is filled out with a request to renew a passport. All information is entered in English or Hebrew.
• The time of the visit to the nearest place of residence of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is assigned.
• Personal visit to the department. You must have a completed application form and a Darkon, which is expiring, with you.
• In the department, you need to take a photo with a biometric camera and provide fingerprints.

The new passport will be ready in 10-14 working days. It can be obtained at the nearest post office or by courier delivery upon presentation of identification documents.

Restoration of a Darkon document in case of damage, loss or theft

To restore the document, you must personally appear at the Israeli mission. You must have the following documents with you:

• Application in English or Hebrew.
• A declaration stating the reason for obtaining a new travel document.
• Registration form completed in English or Hebrew.
• Color photographs – 2 pcs.
• Identity document. This may be an identity card (Teudat Zehut), a driver’s license.
• Passport of another state.
• Receipt confirming the payment of the consular fee.

Darkon Receipts

Procedure for Darkon’s receipt

Starting in 2017, Israel switched to issuing biometric documents. Therefore, the request for a document is carried out at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• Registration on the official resource. On the site, the applicant must fill out questionnaires in Hebrew and English. Then they are printed and signed. Information from the identity card is entered into the forms. Here you can pay the state fee. A place in the queue can be ordered by calling *3450.
• Preparation of documents. Filled forms are required for the visit. The correctness of the information entered should be checked in advance. If errors are found, the documents will be returned back for revision. The applicant must have with him a repatriate and identity card, a receipt for payment of the state duty.
• Providing biometric data. At the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you need to take a photo and hand over fingerprints from both hands. Here, consent to the storage of biometrics is issued. If it is not signed, it will not be possible to obtain Darkon for the maximum possible period of 10 years.
• Getting a passport. Usually the document is made within 10-14 days. It can be obtained in 3 ways:in the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; by mail; courier delivery.

How to get a Darkon passport outside of Israel?

It will not work to request a biometric Darkon passport at the Israeli diplomatic mission abroad. The applicant will be able to obtain an old-style document here. Biometric passports are issued only in Israel.

Common Questions and FAQ

It should be noted that Israeli passport holders are denied entry to most Arab and Muslim countries. If not for these restrictions, then the document in terms of “strength” could enter the top ten. However, it opens the borders of most European countries, including the UK. Allows free entry to Japan, South Korea, Singapore and others.

Benefits of Darkon Passports

The main advantage of Darkon is the ability to cross the borders of 160 states without a visa. In the list of “freedom” of travel, the international passport of an Israeli citizen in the III quarter of 2021 took 23rd place.

Let’s summarize what are the advantages of obtaining Israeli citizenship: