Lesse Passe

What is Lesse Passe?

Lesse Passe (laissez passer) or Teudat Maavar is an Israeli passport that confirms Israeli citizenship abroad and provides visa-free entry to 61 countries.

What rights Lesse Passe gives its owner, what is required to obtain it, and how it differs from the Israeli passport Darkon — about this and much more information below.

Since Israel is interested in the return of all Jews to their historical homeland, Darkon for a period of 10 years is issued only to citizens living in Israel on a permanent basis. A new repatriate can immediately receive a Darkon for a period of 1 year and extend it if he permanently resides in the country. And if a citizen spends most of the time abroad, then the Ministry of Internal Affairs will replace Darkon on Lesse Passe.

The difference between Lesse Passe and Darkon

 

The standard passport in Israel is Darkon. Lesse Passe serves as an alternative to it in a number of cases, namely:

• If an Israeli citizen lives in the country for less than 183 days a year and ceases to be a resident.
• If Darkon is lost while the person is abroad.

Lesse Passe differs from Darkon in the color of the cover: it is red, not blue. Also, Lesse Passe is not biometric, but it is issued for 5 years with the possibility of extension.

Lesse Passe Israeli Passport Renewal

You can prolong Teudat Maavar at the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs or by contacting the Israeli representation in the country of current residence. You must personally send to the Embassy:

When renewing a travel document through the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, the algorithm of actions will be the same as when submitting a request for the extension of Darkon. Lesse Passe will be issued for a period of 5 years. When it is issued, the period of the applicant’s total stay in Israel is not taken into account.

Lesse Passe Receipts

Any Israeli citizen can apply for Lesse Passe. This will require an internal passport (identity card) – Teudat Zehut. A driver’s license is not suitable – keep that in mind. Children under the age of 18 come with a parent. If the parents are not legally married, both of them must give their consent in person by visiting the office together or separately. It is also possible to have a notarized permission, which one parent will transfer to the other.

To obtain a Lesse Passe, you must personally submit an application with a request for this particular type of travel document. It is important that all items of the application are filled out correctly with real information. If some columns remain empty or the data is entered incorrectly, the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have the right to refuse to consider the package of papers for receiving Teudat Maavar. All information provided by the applicant is checked for false information. Registration of a temporary foreign passport takes from 5 to 7 business days from the date of receipt of documents for work.

Common Questions and FAQs

Our customers often ask questions regarding obtaining Lesse Passe and how it differs from Darkon. We explain to them the following:

• Lesse Passe – aka Teudat Maawar in Hebrew and laissez-passer in French – gives an Israeli citizen the same rights as Darkon. Although its validity is immediately 5 years, it can be used to conduct business, open bank accounts, buy / sell real estate and more.
• Israel’s Lesse Passe document provides the same protection and security to a citizen of the country abroad as Darkon. The only difference is the validity period: Lesse Passe is issued for a period of 5 years, and Darkon for 1, 5 and 10.
• Teudat Maawar is limited in the number of countries you can visit without a visa. However, the list of 60 countries includes the most popular destinations.

One of the most important questions is – what is Israeli travel document visa free countries? Here it is:

•  Almost all European countries are ready to let the owners of the Lesse Passe into their territory without a visa. They do not distinguish between Darkon and Lesse Passe.
• The United States of America also does not see the difference between the two types of Israeli international passports, but the issue of visa-free entry for Israeli citizens is still under discussion.
• The UK is a state where the authorities distinguish between Darkon and Lesse Passe, and a visa is required when crossing the border through Lesse Passe, but not through Darkon.

Benefits of Lesse Passe Passport

The travel document has a large list of advantages. The main ones include:

• Validity. Unlike Darkon, which can be issued for 1 year, 5 and 10 years, Lesse Passe is issued immediately for 5 years and there is no need for permanent residence only in Israel.
• Although the list of visa-free countries is smaller than with Darkon, if you have a foreign passport, this disadvantage is compensated.
• Teudat Maavar opens the hottest destinations for its owner – this is the Schengen zone.