Nefesh BNefesh

The following is a listing of some of the documents that must be submitted if you are making Aliyah from the U.S., Canada or the U.K. Please submit all documents together with your application. Depending on the Aliyah status assigned to you by the Jewish Agency, you may be required to submit additional documentation.  In addition, if you are making Aliyah from within Israel, there are different document requirements. You will be informed of all of your required documentation during the Aliyah application process.

To start the Aliyah application process, click here.

1. Financial Affidavit: For financial applications.
2. Supporting Statement: Please provide a supporting statement which includes any pertinent information that you believe will enhance your candidacy. Please describe yourself and be sure to highlight your reasons for making Aliyah as well as your post-Aliyah plans.
3. Photograph of Family Members Making Aliyah: Submit a recent color photo of good quality of all individuals making Aliyah as a part of your application. A digital photo is acceptable. Families should submit one picture which includes all family members together.  Singles should submit a photo of the applicant only.
4. Letter of Recommendation: Please submit a letter of recommendation, preferably from a community leader (not a relative) attesting to your character, contribution to the community, reasons for making Aliyah, etc. Note: Not all Aliyah candidates are required to submit a Letter of Recommendation. You will be informed whether this is required during your application process.
5. Copy of Passport: Please photocopy the main page of your passport (with your picture), as well as any additional pages that indicate date extensions or name changes – for each family member making Aliyah. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your anticipated date of Aliyah.
   • If you are the bearer of an Israeli passport, make sure to send a copy of your Israeli passport in addition to your US/Canadian/UK/other passports (including pages with name changes and/or date extensions). 
   • If one or both of your parents held Israeli citizenship at the time of your birth, you are considered by the State of Israel to be an Israeli citizen and therefore must obtain an Israeli passport.
6. Official Passport Pictures: This is necessary if you are joining an NBN group or charter flight. Please submit three official and identical passport photos for each family member age 16 and above who is making Aliyah. Homemade passport photos will not be accepted. For a description of acceptable passport pictures, see Passport Photos. Please note that in addition to the three passport photos submitted to Nefesh B'Nefesh which are used for the Teudat Zehut (National ID card) and Teudat Oleh (Aliyah Benefits Booklet), you will need to submit three passport photos to the Jewish Agency when you apply for your Aliyah visa (Israeli passport holders do not need an Aliyah visa).

*The following additional documents are required for individuals making Aliyah from the U.S. and Canada. Please see the following website http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm for  information on how to obtain some of these documents. If you are making Aliyah from the U.K., you will not need to submit these documents to NBN; however, you will probably be required to submit them to the Jewish Agency for Israel.  

1. Marital Status Certificate:* Please submit a copy of your civil marriage or divorce certificate, or the death certificate of your late spouse, as applicable.
   • A Ketuba or a Get is not sufficient.
   • If the certificate is in a language other than English or Hebrew, you must submit a copy of a notarized translation into English or Hebrew with a copy of the certificate itself. Apostille certification on your marital status certificate is necessary if the certificate was issued after September 1, 1988. (If the certificate was issued in Israel, apostille certification is not necessary.) To see what alternative certification is acceptable from Canada, see Apostilles.
   • Please submit copies of all documents and keep the originals for your records. Please be in touch with our office if you have any questions.
2. Birth Certificate:* Please submit a copy of your original birth certificate (issued by the country in which you were born) for each family member making Aliyah.
   • Both parents' names must be listed on the birth certificate. 
   • If the birth certificate is in a language other than English or Hebrew, please submit a copy of a notarized translation into English or Hebrew along with a copy of the original certificate. 
   • For those applicants/children of applicants that were born in Israel, please note that a Consular Report of Birth Abroad is not sufficient. 
   • If the name on your passport does not match your birth certificate, and the name change is not due to a change in marital status, please also submit a copy of your official name change document, and you must obtain apostille certification on your birth certificate if it was issued after September 1, 1988 . Please submit copies of the apostilles to NBN.  To see what alternative certification is acceptable from Canada, see Apostilles.
   • If your birth certificate was issued after September 1, 1988, and the issuing country is not the same as the issuing country of the passport used for your Aliyah visa, you must obtain apostille certification on your birth certificate, and submit a copy of the apostille to NBN.  
3. Proof of Judaism for Olim Chadashim*: This is required for all adults in the family making Aliyah. Acceptable proof of Judaism for an Oleh Chadash is a letter from a recognized rabbi in North America or the UK, stating that you are Jewish and born to a Jewish mother. The letter must have been written in the past year. If you are Jewish through your father/grandfather, please provide a letter from a recognized rabbi in North America or the UK, who can confirm your Jewish heritage. Some other requirements of the letter are as follows:
   • The letter must be in English or Hebrew.
   • The letter must appear on official synagogue letterhead. It must state the name, location and telephone number of the congregation, and include your full legal name (per your passport) and parents' names (and grandparents' names, where relevant).
   • The letter must bear the rabbi's signature.
   • Please only submit a copy of your Proof of Judaism letter to NBN and retain the original for your records and to present to the Jewish Agency or Misrad Hapnim.  
   • If you converted to Judaism, you will be required to submit different documentation proving your completion of the conversion process. You will receive further instructions during the application process.
4. Proof of Judaism for a Katin Chozer or Ezrach Oleh*: If you have the Aliyah status of Katin Chozer (returning minor), or Ezrach Oleh (Israeli citizen born abroad), in addition to a letter from a rabbi as noted above, you also have the following options to fulfill the Proof of Judaism requirement (only one of the options needs to be submitted):
   • A Ketubah signed by a recognized rabbi or recognized Rabbinical Council outside of Israel. 
   • The applicant's Get (religious divorce certificate). 
   • The Israeli birth certificate of the applicant or one of his/her parents, stating that the individual is Jewish. 
   • Tamzit Rishum (Registration Summary from Misrad Hapnim) for the applicant's mother.
   • Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card) of the applicant or one of his/her parents, which states that the individual is Jewish.
   • Please only submit copies to NBN and retain the originals for your records.
5. Waiver of Confidentiality (one per family):* Submission of this signed waiver allows the Jewish Agency to transfer any information relevant to your Aliyah status to other Israeli government offices or Olim associations. There is no need to complete the section of the Waiver called Affirmation of Signature. Please submit a copy to Nefesh B’Nefesh and retain the original for your records. Originals will not be returned to the applicant. (This form is available as part of the application process.)
6. Health Declaration Form:* Each adult in the family should complete a separate Health Declaration form. (This form is available online as part of the application process.) Parents complete a minor's Health Declaration form for each child under age 18 who is making Aliyah. This form is for you to fill out yourselves; it is not meant to be completed by your physician. You will need to submit a copy of the Health Declaration for each family member to the Israeli Consulate when you apply for your Aliyah visa(s). Please submit copies to Nefesh B’Nefesh and retain the originals for your records. Originals will not be returned to the applicant.
7. Entry/Exit Form for all family members age 17 and above who are making Aliyah:* Please submit a detailed list of all of your entries and exits from Israel for the seven years prior to your anticipated Aliyah date. (An Entry/Exit Form is available online as part of the application process.) Please note the following exceptions:
   • If you were born in Israel or lived in Israel as a child, and left before your 14th birthday, please list your entries and exits from your 14th birthday until the present. 
   • If you previously held an A1 visa, or made Aliyah in the past, please list your entries and exits from the date you left Israel until the present. 
   • If you are a Toshav Chozer (returning Israeli citizen), please list your entries and exits for the two years prior to your anticipated return date. 
   • Please submit a copy of this form to Nefesh B’Nefesh and retain the original for your records. Originals will not be returned to the applicant.
8. Proof of Living Outside of Israel - Support for Entry/Exit Form for all family members aged 17 and above who are making Aliyah:*
   • If you are an Oleh Chadash or you were born outside of Israel to Israeli parent(s), please submit the following: Copies of the first page of all passports in your possession (whether valid or expired), for all nationalities, for the seven years prior to your anticipated date of Aliyah. Please also submit copies of any pages bearing a name change or date extension. Please clearly label all pages with the name of the passport holder and the relevant passport number.
   • If you were born in Israel or lived in Israel as a child, and left before your 14th birthday, please submit the following: Copies of the first page and name change/date extension pages of all passports in your possession (whether valid or expired ) for all nationalities since your 14th birthday.  In addition, please provide copies of all pages in those passports which include Israeli entry/exit stamps. Please clearly label all pages with the name of the passport holder and the relevant passport number.
   • If you previously lived in Israel on an A1 visa, or made Aliyah in the past, please submit the following:  Copies of the first page and name change/date extension pages of all passports in your possession (whether valid or expired) since you initially left Israel, for all nationalities. In addition, please provide copies of all pages in those passports which include Israeli entry/exit stamps for the specified time period. Please clearly label all pages with the name of the passport holder and the relevant passport number.
   • If you are a Toshav Chozer (returning Israeli citizen), please submit the following:  Copies of the first page and name change/date extension pages of all passports in your possession (whether valid or expired ) for all nationalities for the two years prior to your anticipated return date. In addition, please provide copies of all pages in those passports which include Israeli entry/exit stamps. Please clearly label all pages with the name of the passport holder and the relevant passport number.
   • If you are unable to provide passport copies as requested, you must submit proof that you have been living outside of Israel for the period of time indicated above such as copies of school transcripts, tax returns or a letter from your employer including relevant dates of employment.

Please submit all documents together with your application. Depending on the Aliyah status assigned to you by the Jewish Agency, you may be required to submit additional documentation. You will be informed of the required documentation and assisted with any additional questions, during the Aliyah application process.