Israeli passport extension and expired passports
Checked against the official pages on 13 November 2026. How we check.
An Israeli passport extension is the cheaper route when it is allowed, and the Embassy’s page says the request can be sent by mail with the document you want extended (Embassy extension page).
The same rule sits on the extension pages of Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
When a passport can be extended
The Embassy’s page draws the line at five years. A travel document originally issued for less than five years can, in some situations, be extended. If it was issued for five years, or five years have passed since it was issued, there is no extension and you file a new passport application.
Citizens who have not visited Israel in the past ten years get extra scrutiny on the same page, and New York’s passport page lists them among those who must come in person.
An expired passport and a trip to Israel
New York’s passport page gives two dates for the exception that lets Israelis enter and leave Israel on a valid foreign passport: «until the end of September 2026» in one paragraph and «until the end of December 2026» in the next.
Chicago’s notice of 24 August 2026 says until December 31, 2026, and adds that you must carry your Israeli passport even if it is not valid. (sources: 1, 2)
If your flight is close, New York offers a one-time travel document for a direct trip to Israel, valid 14 days, at public reception hours without an appointment; you renew once you are there (New York’s passport page).
| Your passport | What to do | How |
|---|---|---|
| Issued for less than 5 years | Ask for an extension | By mail, with the document |
| Issued for 5 years, or older than 5 years | Apply for a new passport | By mail if you qualify, or in person |
| Expired, and you fly in two weeks | One-time travel document (New York) | In person, no appointment |
Sending the request
Use the address of the office that covers your state and its own form. The Embassy asks you to check first whether you can apply by mail, and it says appearing in person is at the consular officer’s discretion. The passport guide has the fees each office publishes.
- The passport or travel document you want extended
- The extension form from your office’s page
- Payment as your office asks
- The return your office asks for: a prepaid tracked envelope, or its shipping form and fee
Questions people ask
How do I renew my expired Israeli passport?
The same way as any renewal: by mail if you visited Israel in the last ten years and still have it, otherwise by appointment.
Can I leave Israel with an expired Israeli passport?
The consulates’ pages do not cover leaving Israel. New York’s page says that once in Israel you can renew at a Population Authority office or at its branch at Ben Gurion Airport.
Can I enter Israel with an expired Israeli passport?
Israelis are asked to carry their Israeli passport even if it is not valid, and the foreign-passport exception runs until 31 December 2026, according to Chicago’s notice.