Aliyah from within Israel: Guided Aliyah

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Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Guided Aliyah program allows citizens of the US and Canada, currently residing in Israel, the opportunity to make Aliyah through Misrad Hapnim (Ministry of the Interior), while receiving the full array of Nefesh B’Nefesh services.

These services include assisted government processing, financial aid and post Aliyah assistance. The Guided Aliyah application is designed to allow you to complete the paperwork for citizenship from the comfort of your home.  Following the receipt of your application, Nefesh B’Nefesh facilitates the processing of these documents to ensure a hassle-free Aliyah.

Guided Aliyah Timetable

Aliyah meetings typically take place at the end of each month. Applications must be submitted by the beginning of the month in order to complete processing in time.

After you submit your completed application, your file will be submitted to Misrad Hapnim for approval. Once the file has been approved, you will be called into the Nefesh B’Nefesh office in Jerusalem to meet with a representative from Misrad Hapnim. We ask that you make every effort to attend this meeting as scheduled. Misrad Hapnim comes to our office as a courtesy to all of the Olim completing their Aliyah on that day.

Please ensure that all family members ages 16 and over, who are making Aliyah, are present at this time.

You will need to bring all of your original documents with you to the meeting. Misrad Hapnim will ask that you provide them, along with your foreign passport (US or Canadian), in order to process the Aliyah visa that will be affixed inside.

At this meeting you will receive your Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card) and you will be able to consult our Post-Aliyah and IDF advisors.

Eligibility for Guided Aliyah

Before applying for Guided Aliyah, please read the following guidelines to confirm that you are eligible to participate in the program.

  • Applicants must be citizens of the United States or Canada and hold valid passports from one of these two countries.

Misrad Hapnim guidelines dictate that your Aliyah CANNOT be processed through the Guided Aliyah program if you fit into one of the following categories:

  • Hold an Israeli passport or were born abroad to an Israeli parent*
  • Hold a birth certificate from the former Soviet Union or Eastern Bloc after January 1, 1990*
  • Renounced Israeli citizenship at any time in the past
  • Previously have been convicted of a crime
*Anyone born to an Israeli parent abroad who is unregistered (was never issued an Israeli passport) can call for guidance and processing
*Holders of former USSR and Eastern Bloc birth certificates, after January 1, 1990, must begin the process at Nativ by submitting their documents to them and awaiting approval. Upon approval, NBN can assist with guidance and final processing.

If you are not eligible for the Guided Aliyah Program, you can still apply for Nefesh B’Nefesh financial assistance and services. However, you will need to complete the Aliyah process directly through Misrad Hapnim. Please feel free to contact us for guidance.

  • If you converted to Judaism in North America: Misrad Hapnim’s policy requires residence in the community in which you converted for a period of at least one year post-conversion, before being eligible to make Aliyah.
  • If you are applying for Aliyah with a newborn child, recently born in Israel (who was not registered as an Israeli citizen at the time of their birth), you will have to have a US or Canadian passport as well as an Israeli birth certificate issued for that child before submitting your application.
  • If your spouse is an Israeli citizen, and you have children born abroad, we will help clarify whether or not your children are considered Israeli citizens and determine if they are eligible to participate in the Guided Aliyah program.

Note for individuals over the age of 65

If you make Aliyah through the Guided Aliyah program, you will not have Israeli medical insurance during the time between your arrival in Israel and receiving approval for your Aliyah. Private insurance companies in Israel generally do not accept individuals over the age of 65 or people with pre-existing medical conditions. It is important to verify whether you can arrange to continue your foreign medical insurance during this period. If not, it is recommended that you complete the Aliyah process from overseas (rather than through the Guided Aliyah program after you arrive in Israel).

If you have any questions regarding the application deadline, please contact: 02-659-5800 ext. 1 or email us at [email protected]

*Last updated on May 26, 2022*

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