Services and official routes
Prepare US documents for aliyah
Last reviewed .
For Americans in the US making aliyah. We prepare the apostilled FBI check and state civil records. Israeli authorities decide eligibility and the visa.
Start with the official route
Read the Jewish Agency aliyah document list. Official instructions are free. Government application and authentication fees can apply.
Do the US steps yourself
Request your FBI Identity History Summary directly from the FBI for USD 18. Send the result to the State Department's Office of Authentications with Form DS-4194 for a USD 20 apostille. Order each state birth, marriage, or divorce certificate from the issuing state and ask that state for its apostille.
Request an FBI summary directly · Read State Department apostille instructions
What this service includes
What we add
We prepare the FBI request, coordinate the State Department apostille, and ship the original to you by tracked courier. An FBI check covers one person, so each person the file names gets their own check.
What you provide
Ask your aliyah advisor which family members need a record and how recent it must be. Arrange fingerprints, supply accurate facts, and sign the FBI request yourself.
What you receive
One apostilled FBI Identity History Summary for each standard case. The Jewish Agency and Israeli authorities decide whether the file is complete.
Pay online for FBI background check with apostilleWhat do Israeli sources ask for?
| Document | What the source says | Applies to | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which documents does the file need? | Legalized original documents, including a birth certificate, marital status documents, a criminal background check, a valid passport, and proof of a connection to Judaism. Additional documents may be required. | Applicants who apply from abroad through the Jewish Agency | The Jewish Agency for Israel, Aliyah to Israel Sources checked . |
| Which documents need an apostille? | In general, the Population and Immigration Authority requires an apostille on every official document issued in the country of origin. | New immigrants registering in Israel | Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Guide for the New Immigrant, 15th edition Sources checked . |
| Birth certificate | The original birth certificate with an apostille. Bring it with you, not in checked luggage. | New immigrants registering in Israel | Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Guide for the New Immigrant, 15th edition Sources checked . |
| Current family status | A marriage certificate, divorce authorization, or spouse's death certificate with an apostille. Unmarried applicants 18 and older present confirmation that they are single. | New immigrants registering in Israel | Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Guide for the New Immigrant, 15th edition Sources checked . |
| Criminal record | An official document confirming there is no previous criminal record. | New immigrants registering in Israel | Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Guide for the New Immigrant, 15th edition Sources checked . |
| How recent must the FBI check be? | Not publisheds for applicants in the United States. The Jewish Agency or your aliyah advisor sets the window for your file. Ask how recent the FBI check must be and which date it is measured from, then order it close to when you will submit your documents. | Applicants who apply from the United States through the Jewish Agency | The Jewish Agency for Israel, Aliyah to Israel Sources checked . |
| Criminal record for applicants already in Israel | Each applicant over age 14 presents a certificate of good conduct issued within the last six months. Applicants who lived more than a year in a row in another country also present that country's certificate. Citizens of some countries also need a federal certificate or one from their state or district. Documents issued in a Hague Convention country need an apostille. | Foreign nationals already in Israel who apply for oleh status with the Population and Immigration Authority. Not a published rule for applying from the United States. | Population and Immigration Authority, Request to change status to oleh (Hebrew) Sources checked . |
| Criminal record at one Nativ office | Each family member 14 and older needs an apostilled certificate from every country of residence or citizenship, valid for 6 months. | Applicants served by Nativ at the Embassy of Israel in Latvia. Not a published US rule. | Embassy of Israel in Latvia, Repatriation department (Nativ) Sources checked . |
Official Israeli and Jewish Agency statements about the civil and criminal-record documents in an aliyah file. US-side authorities come from the federal documents and HCCH tables. Nefesh B'Nefesh and private guides are not used as sources here.
Israel decides eligibility under its Law of Return. We do not assess eligibility, prepare the aliyah application, or write the letter that shows a connection to Judaism.
Which US office apostilles each record?
| Step or field | Result |
|---|---|
| FBI Identity History Summary | State Department Office of Authentications |
| State birth, marriage, or divorce certificate | Designated competent authority of the issuing state or DC |
Each record follows its issuing authority, even when you now live in another state. HCCH US authority table. Checked October 24, 2026.
HCCH lists the Apostille Convention as in force for Israel since August 14, 1978, with no objection marker in its status table. HCCH status table. Checked October 24, 2026.
Which services make up the pack?
| Step or field | Result |
|---|---|
| FBI background check with apostille | USD 217 standard case for each person who needs a record |
| Birth, marriage, or divorce certificate with apostille | USD 149 plus state fees, set in your quote |
The pack is these existing services together. Each keeps its own catalog total, and there is no separate pack price.
Request a quote for Birth, marriage, or divorce certificate with apostille · Compare state record routes
When should you order the FBI check?
Not publisheds for applicants in the United States. The Jewish Agency or your aliyah advisor sets the window for your file. Ask how recent the FBI check must be and which date it is measured from, then order it close to when you will submit your documents.
If you finish your aliyah from inside Israel instead, the Population and Immigration Authority rule for applicants already in Israel, shown in the table above, applies.
The Jewish Agency says the process usually takes 3 to 6 months from opening a file, depending largely on how quickly the requested documents are supplied. The Jewish Agency for Israel, Aliyah to Israel. Checked October 27, 2026.
Read published FBI and State Department processing estimates. They are not a promise. Allow time for fingerprints, delivery, and corrections.
Federal document apostille authorities. Sources checked October 24, 2026.
Hague Apostille Convention status. Sources checked October 24, 2026.
US document processing times. Sources checked October 24, 2026.
US Expat Desk is responsible for every case it accepts. If an error of ours causes a return, we redo the work and refund our fee.
US Expat Desk is a private business. We are not affiliated with the US government, the State Department, or the FBI.
Sources checked October 27, 2026.