EPISODE 2.15 — CHILDREN'S DOCUMENTS

If you are making aliyah with children, I have some news for you. Specifically, I have the news that each child making aliyah requires their own set of documents, and that "their own set" means, in practice, their own birth certificate, their own passport, their own photographs, and in some cases their own additional documentation depending on their circumstances.

You already knew this, probably. But knowing it and having accounted for it properly in your spreadsheet are different things. I have spoken with more than one family who budgeted their document timeline based on their own documents and then discovered, three months in, that there were additional complications around one or more of the children that they had not anticipated. Account for the children from the beginning.

For each minor child making aliyah, the following is required. Their birth certificate — long-form, with both parents' names, apostilled, in the same manner as your own. Their passport — valid for at least one year from the anticipated aliyah date. Passport photos — four official identical photos if the child is aged sixteen or above, by the same specification as adults. Younger children are included in the family group photo. The health declaration form, completed by a parent on behalf of any child under eighteen.

For children born in the UK: the General Register Office process for ordering their birth certificate is the same as for adults. For children born in the US: state vital records for the state of birth, with any NYC-specific requirements as detailed in Episode 2.2. For children born in Canada: provincial vital statistics.

Additional documentation may be required in certain situations. If you are making aliyah with children from a previous relationship or marriage, you may need to provide evidence of your legal custody arrangement and, potentially, documentation that the non-travelling parent has consented to the child's relocation to Israel. This is a significant and sensitive area with real legal implications, and I recommend discussing it explicitly and early with both a family lawyer and the Jewish Agency. Do not assume that because you have custody this question will not arise.

If you are making aliyah as a single parent, the question of the other parent's consent or awareness of the relocation is something to address proactively. Israeli immigration authorities take seriously the question of children being moved internationally, and a well-prepared file that addresses this question clearly is considerably better than one that leaves it unaddressed.

For adopted children: an apostilled adoption certificate is required in addition to the birth certificate. If the adoption took place in another country, the relevant adoption documentation from that country must also be provided.

Finally: if any of your children already have Israeli citizenship — for example, if they were born in Israel or if one parent is Israeli — their process is different from the standard aliyah process. They may already have an Israeli identity number or be eligible for one independently of your aliyah. This too should be discussed with your account manager at the outset.