Israel Passport & Visa Photo

Israeli Photo Requirements — Religious Considerations Built In

Israel's Population and Immigration Authority (Rashut Ha'Ukhlusin) handles passport issuance, and they've designed their photo rules to accommodate the country's diverse religious communities. Kippot (yarmulkes) for Jewish men, tichels and sheitels for Orthodox women, and hijabs for Muslim women are all acceptable — provided the full face from chin to forehead remains unobstructed. This inclusive approach is baked into the official guidelines rather than being treated as an "exception."

The technical specs are standard ICAO: 35×45mm, white or very light background, neutral expression. What's less standard is Israel's biometric passport (Darkon Biometri), introduced in 2013, which stores a facial scan and two fingerprint scans on a chip. Because the chip data is matched against the photo, digital accuracy matters more than with older passport types.

Population Authority Offices

• Jerusalem Central Office — 1 Shlomtzion HaMalka Street, Jerusalem
• Tel Aviv Branch — 125 Menachem Begin Road, Tel Aviv
• Haifa Branch — 15 HaPalyam Boulevard, Haifa
• Beer Sheva Office — Government Complex, David HaRe'uven Street
• Israeli Consulate New York — 800 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017
• Israeli Embassy Washington DC — 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Common Photo Issues

1. Religious head covering casting shadow on face — The covering is fine; the shadow it creates is not. Position the fabric or hat so it doesn't shade the forehead or temples.
2. Face not centered in frame — The Population Authority's digital system is particularly precise about centering. Even a few millimeters off-center can fail validation.
3. Background with blue tint — Some photo studios use a very light blue which looks white to the eye but reads as colored in the digital scan. Stick with pure white.
4. Photo taken with front-facing phone camera — These often produce a mirror image (text appears reversed). While the face looks fine, some systems flag the flipped orientation metadata.
5. Beard obscuring chin line — A full beard is perfectly acceptable, but the chin's general position should still be discernible. Very thick, wide beards may need careful framing to show the face outline.

Cost and Processing

A standard Israeli biometric passport (Darkon) costs ₪190 ILS (~$52 USD) with a 12-day processing time. Express service at ₪335 ILS delivers within 3 working days. A Teudat Ma'avar (laissez-passer/travel document) is a cheaper alternative for one-time travel, issued within 24 hours in urgent cases. Israeli passports are valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors under 18.

Official Resources

• Population and Immigration Authority
• Biometric Passport Application