Married spouse of an Israeli citizen — graduated procedure

The service enables to submit a status application for foreign spouses who married a husband/wife who are Israeli citizens or permanent residents.

Israeli citizens or permanent residents married to a foreign spouse.

If the spouse (for whom this status is requested) is staying abroad, the Israeli spouse must file the application in advance, before entering Israel.

5. Foreign spouse's up-to-date documents, **authenticated originals and, if necessary, also translated**. - **Birth certificate** \- original birth certificate, authenticated and translated, if necessary - **Name changes** \- if any name changes have been made (first name/last name), a public certificate attesting about the name changes must be submitted - **Personal status** \- a recent state certificate from the country of citizenship indicating the current personal status - **Certificate of good conduct**\- submission of an official document from the country of origin (including name changes, if applicable), issued within the last six months, confirming that the applicant has no criminal record or conviction of any kind.

6. Documents attesting about the sincerity of the relationship and the existence of a common center of life: - A letter signed by both spouses describing their relationship, their life together, the details and duration of their acquaintance, etc. - [An affidavit signed by the spouses confirming the authenticity of the documents submitted and the obligation of the spouses to inform the Population Authority of any change in their situation.](https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/generalpage/visas_forms/he/5.2.0009_a.pdf) - Evidence about the sincerity of the relationship and the existence of a common center of life from the last year at least such as: - Pictures of a shared life - Lease agreement - Joint accounts - Letters and recommendations from family members and friends about the couple's relationship (a photocopy of the identity card of each person providing the recommendation, together with their contact details, must be enclosed).

- The application will be processed once the fee has been paid and all the required documents and certificates have been submitted, including documents certified either by an apostille or by a chain of signatures.

- Submission of all required documents and the proof of the existence of a common center of life - A thorough and complete examination of the sincerity and exclusivity of the spouses' relationship - Interview at the Regional Office of the Population Administration

1. After the application has been sent, applicants will receive an e-mail confirming the submission of the application along with a reference number. 2. The population authority representatives will check if the documents are complete, accurate and genuine. 3. If necessary, a request will be sent to the applicants to provide additional documents. 4. If the application is complete and accurate, a date will be set for an interview with the couple, after which a decision will be made on whether to approve or reject the application. During the interview, original official documents from the spouse's country of origin must be presented. 5. If the application is approved, the foreign spouse will receive a residence permit in Israel.

- the applications are handled on the basis of marriage documents of a citizen with a foreign national - after approval of the application, the duration of the graduated procedure will be 4 years in total with a temporary residence permit type A/5. - The license will be extended every year, subject to compliance with the conditions of the procedure and the absence of any obstacle in the most recent controls carried out. - Prior to each license extension, an interview will be conducted at the office for both spouses, along with up-to-date checks about the relationship sincerity and the existence of a common center of life, the absence of any preventive factors and possession of a valid foreign passport (valid for at least two years) as of the license extension date. In addition, the application implies payment of a license fee, which will be paid at the office.

- At the end of the graduated procedure, the applicant may apply for permanent residency or naturalization as stipulated in procedures [5.2.0008](https://www.gov.il/he/departments/policies/status_foreigner_married_to_israeli_procedure) and [5.2.0011]