Teudat Zehut

Every citizen of the country must have an identity card. There are several possible options: passport, international passport, driving license and military ID. At the same time, only a passport is considered abroad. Israel has a similar system: Israelis have an internal and foreign passport. Just about the internal passport we are talking about.

In the Jewish state, such a concept as Teudat Zehut is widespread. What is Teudat Zehut in Israel? What is its biometric variant? How does this document differ from other types of passports valid in the Promised Land? And also — how does one get a Teudat Zehut? You can read about all this in our material.

Detailed explanation of the Israeli ID card and its components

Teudat Zehut (Hebrew תעודת זהות‏‎) is an approximate Hebrew sound of the words, usually translated as “identity card”. And this is actually so—this concept is understood as an official state document that serves to certify the identity of a citizen of the Israeli state.

Teudat Zehut is issued from the age of 16 in the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Citizenship specialists of the WRAI will tell you how to get an identity card and avoid mistakes on the way to obtaining Israeli citizenship. If we are not talking about a biometric Teudat Zehut, then this document is a laminated plastic card, but complements its paper application in a blue leatherette case, on which the country’s coat of arms is embossed.

The paper appendix to Teudat Zehut contains information:

How to apply for an Israeli identity card

Israeli identity cards are issued by the Population and Immigration Authority of the Ministry of Interior. Those wishing to obtain identity cards are required to make:

1. Book an appointment at Misrad Hapnim for EACH person who needs a biometric Teudat Zehut.
2. Go to Misrad Hapnim on the assigned day, with your background check(s) with apostille(s), and follow the instructions given to you there. Everyone who needs a Teudat Zehut must be physically present. Ezrachim Olim and Ktinin Chozrim are exempt from bringing their background check(s).
3. Your Teudat Zehut will be couriered to the home address listed for you in the Misrad Hapnim files 7-10 business days after you applied for it. You must have an Israeli cell phone number as the Misrad Hapnim will confirm your contact information via SMS. You will need to give the courier a code, which was provided to you at the Misrad Hapnim meeting, in order for the courier to deliver your card.
4. Diligently check your text messages for the message from Misrad Hapnim asking if you received your biometric Teudat Zehut. Following their directions, confirm receipt of your new ID card.

Biometric Teudat Zehut

Teudat Zehut

Since June 1, 2017, the issuance of non-biometric identity cards has been cancAnd although the old Teudat Zehut are still in use, they will be used only until their validity expires. And thereafter, the owners of documents that have lost their validity will already receive Teudat-zehut of a new biometric sample.

If we are not talking about a biometric Teudat Zehut, then this document is a laminated plastic card, but complements its paper application in a blue leatherette case, on which the country’s coat of arms is embossed.

On the margins of Teudat Zehut, you can see inscriptions in Hebrew and Arabic, since both of these languages ​​are state languages ​​in Israel. But the document is filled out only in Hebrew. The Teudat Zehut contains information:

Also in Teudat Zehut is his official nine-digit number. It belongs to one of the main identification codes of a citizen. The number is issued to a person at birth or upon arrival in the country for permanent residence, and, as a rule, people remember it by heart.

Benefits and enhanced security provided by biometric identification

In the Jewish state, identity cards of a new type began to be issued in a test mode back in 2013, and now the country has completely switched to issuing such biometric smart cards. According to specialists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, such documents cannot be forged, or the information contained in them can be used with criminal intent.

Biometric Teudat-zehuts are based on individual biological parameters for each person. We are talking about fingerprints, facial movement and other factors. At the same time, these biometric data are carefully guarded: the state stores them in a super-secure database.

The new-style Teudat-zehut itself is made in the form of a credit bank card with additional protection in the form of various ciphers and holograms. So no one has yet succeeded in forging the biometric Teudat Zehut.

How to activate the biometric feature in the Teudat Zehut

Upon receipt of a biometric Teudat-zehut, it is necessary to undergo a procedure related to scanning fingerprints, filming facial movements in a special format, and answering identification questions. The collected information will be encoded and mapped as unique holograms. Moreover, the information will be sent to a special top-secret database.

• In order to issue a new Teudat Zehut you will need to visit your local branch of Misrad Hapnim (the Ministry of Interior). You must book an appointment at Misrad Hapnim for EACH person who needs a biometric Teudat Zehut. You must have an Israeli cell phone number to book the appointment, as they will SMS you with the appointment time.
• After receiving your Teudat Zehut, you will be sent an SMS message from the Population & Immigration Authority (‘Activation SMS’) in order to verify the document was in fact received by you (the SMS may arrive a day or two later). If you do not have a cellphone, a voice message will be sent to the home phone number you provided upon application.
• You will be asked to respond to the SMS or voice message in a simple fashion confirming whether or not you have received the Teudat Zehut (1= Yes, received 0=No, haven’t received).

Only after confirming receipt, your new Teudat Zehut will become valid in the Ministry’s registry. (This can take a couple of hours, and you will receive an additional SMS stating your ID has been activated). This will allow you to perform various actions on the government website and via the automated self-service machines.

The issuance of the first Teudat Zehut of a new sample is free of charge.

Should you have any questions about the Teudat Zehut, please contact the specialists of our company. They will advise you on a professional level on any issues related to the repatriation of Jews to Israel, including the issuance of a biometric Teudat Zehut.

More than 5,000 principals have become happy owners of citizenship. We will analyze each specific case and find an individual approach to each client. Request a call back or email us: info@welcome-israel.com.