Documents to bring to the ministry of interior
To arrange the legal status of a non-Israeli partner
1. Identity card of the Israeli citizen, plus photocopy.
2. Original passport of the non-Israeli partner, valid for5 years, plus
photocopy of the passport. If currently not in Israel – only a
photocopy.
3. Three passport photos of both partners.
Documents the non-Israeli must bring from his/hers country:
4. Birth certificate.
5. Certificate of Singleness (single, divorced, widowed). If partners are
married – certificate of family status prior to current marriage.
6. Police Clearance – certificate demonstrating no police record,
including all previous names (a document certifying that the person
has no police record from the past and no criminal proceeding are
presently in operation against him/her in his/her country of origin).
7. Marriage certificate (if the couple is married).
8. In order to allow future invitation of children from previous
relationships, there is needed a legal document from the country of
origin, such as a court decision giving an exclusive guardianship of
the children, or an notarized affidavit from the father/mother saying
that he/she allows the children to stay permanently with the other
parent etc.
** All documents must be original and certified with an Apostil stamp
(if this stamp is not used in the country of origin, they must be
certified by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or
the Israeli Embassy in the country of origin (or in a near country, if
there is no Israeli Embassy in the country of origin).They must be
translated into Hebrew and notarized (preferably in Israel),
Documents for both partners – proving sincerity of
relationship:
9. Pre-nuptual Agreement / Couple Agreement / any other legal
document, which demonstrates that the partners are a couple (if
partners are not married).
10. 5-6 photos in which both partners appear together + from the
wedding.
11. Letters from each partner, declaring their sincere intentions to live
together, with details about how and when they met, how their
relationship grew and regarding their marriage, done or planned
(Where, When, How ?).
12. Letters from family members and friends, describing the couple
and the sincerity of their relationship.
13. Any other document that can support the existence of the
relationship – letters send to each other, print-out showing each
other’s telephone numbers called, e-mails, money, transfers, shared
rental agreement, etc.
14. Certificates and salary slips from the Israeli partner’s workplace
and if applicable the foreign partner as well.
15. Bills from the apartment, in the name of the Israeli partner or
apartment owner – electricity, water, telephone, television fee, taxes,
etc.
* These are documents that should be submitted to the Ministry of
Interior, although the Ministry may demand additional documents.
Preparation for the hearing:
In order to prepare for a hearing at the Ministry of Interior before you
a few recommendations that you should memorize before your
meeting, you may even want to write things down and sketch them in
the tables.
1. The hearing procedure must be taken seriously – the fact that you
are an honest couple who runs a household does not guarantee a
safe passage of the hearing.
2. It is important to prepare for the hearing in the best possible way,
as it is the central and crucial tool for examining the nature of your
relationship.
3. Contradictions, discrepancies between your answers, may raise
concerns that you are having a fictitious relationship. Two
contradictions or inconsistencies in your answers are enough to
undermine your status as a spouse, to the clerk.
4. Understanding the nature of the hearing – The purpose of the
hearing is to verify the nature of the relationship between the
couple and the existence of a joint household between the two.
Therefore, in order to prepare in the best possible way, it is
important to remember.
Key events and dates in the couple’s life, for example
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The first date
The marriage proposal
Shared trips
Meetings with the family and so on
It’s also important to know important details about your spouse
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For example: Details of family members (their names and age)
Birthday
Hobbies
Friends (details, who and how you know them)
Favorite foods
Work place
Wages
The agenda for a regular week
The order of your shares household.
It is important to know the precise details about your common place of
residence
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Number of rooms
What furniture you have in the house
Electrical devices
The paint/color of the walls
Photos
Pets
It is important for the couple to be able to provide matching information
about the various home payments and living expenses
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Who pays the rent?
How much is the rent?
Water bills?
Electrical power?
Property tax?
Gas?
Internet?
Cellular?
Household payments?
5. Think before you answer – Throughout the hearing, remember to
answer the questions carefully. Listen to the question to the end. If
you do not understand the question, please ask for clarification or
other wording, but under NO circumstances ‘overlap’ and provide
partial answers. Conduct that is interpreted by the clerk as
contempt at best, at worst – failure to provide accurate and
substantive information, which may lead to the invalidation of the
procedure. Be sure to answer the matter and what is asked, do not
over- elaborate and unnecessarily. Sometimes the answer is too
detailed to a question, the clerk’s expectation for the same answer
will be raised by the spouse and sometimes it may overburden non
– essential content to examine the nature of the relationship. For
example, If you have been asked about a joint pastime with
friends, make sure you specify the date, location, member’s name
and their proximity, and avoid giving out minor details.
6. Pay attention to the clerk – It is very important to treat the clerk
politely and courteously. Keep in mind that the clerk conducting
the hearing is the main factor that impresses the couple directly
and indirectly, so it is worthwhile to maintain a relaxed, pleasant
and calm atmosphere, leaving a good first impression on the clerk
who conducted the hearing. It is not advisable to be drawn into
conflicts with the clerk, if he/she ultimately has much power to
influence a decision in your case.
7. Intimate questions – Because the hearing instrument is designed to
examine the nature of your relationship, you may be asked during
the relationship to answer questions about the relationship that will
show you have some intimacy or privacy. If there is a question not
to your liking, you can say pleasantly to the official you prefer not
to answer. Keep in mind that the more in-depth questions you have
about your relationship, the easier you can prove the honesty of
your relationship, so try to answer all the questions and only in
those special cases where you feel the boundary has been crossed,
ask pleasantly to move on to the next question.
8. Guessing of an answer is forbidden under no circumstances – The
stressful status of a hearing sometimes causes confusion and even
forgetfulness, in such situations, it is very important not to guess.
But to say ‘I don’t remember’ and ask to return to this question
later. Guessing will, in most cases, lead to a mismatch with the
partners answer, he knew to answer correctly and it is a shame. If
you are not sure of your answer use the words ‘I think’ …. ‘I am
not sure, but I think that’… ‘If I am not mistaken, then…’It was
about an hour’…’It happened around the time’….’I didn’t
remember exactly, but think it was between the next
dates/hours’…
9. Answering questions concerning hours and dates – For questions
of this kind, we recommend avoiding the provision of clear and
conclusive information. Your memory may have betrayed you and
it’s a shame, it is best to give an answer that leaves the other
partner open and the opportunity to answer the question without
being considered a contradiction or discrepancy. It is important to
emphasize that this rule does NOT apply to important dates such as
anniversary, birthday and so on.
10. Avoid using emphatic words – Try to avoid using emphatic words
like ‘never’, ‘always’, and so on. The use of emphatic words,
naturally, indicates a great deal of determination and confidence in
giving the answer and this may work to your detriment in the
situation where your memory ‘betrayed’ you. For example: If you
are asked which shop you use for shopping? Suppose you and your
partner are most of the time at the shop next to your house, but
once in a while you go shopping at another supermarket next to
your house. In this situation, one partner can answer ‘we always
shop at …’ while the other partner can accurately describe all
possible places you shop, even if the visit is rarely made. In this
case, the use of the word ‘always’ can lead to discrepancy, even if
it was only one case throughout the year,
11. Expressing common emotions and intentions – As stated above,
the hearing process is conducted in the manner of asking questions
by the clerk (in his sole discretion) and answering them by the
couple. Apparently, the couple does not seem to have a real ability
to influence the content of the matter, as they cannot ask the
questions instead of the clerk conducting the hearing. Nevertheless,
partners are advised to submit their own substantive content to the
answers, even if it is not explicitly asked. That is, not to settle for
answering the question, but to express feelings, intentions and
feelings that will deepen the relationship. It is important to
remember that it is customary, and the end of the hearing to ask the
couple whether they have anything to add beyond the questions
they were asked. Unfortunately, most couples choose not to add
anything and afterwards they are sorry about that. It is strongly
recommended that you take this opportunity to express your
sincere love for each other and your strong desire for the state to
allow the two of you to be a couple. In addition, it is possible to
express or declare common intentions of the couple in the sphere
of marriage, such as a marriage proposal to well-known public
spouses, family, expansion, joint trip planning and so on.
12. Reading the hearing protocol at the end of the hearing – At the end
of the hearing, you will be required to sign the protocol of the
hearing held by the clerk. It is advisable to read the protocol
carefully before signing, to check that the written words fully
reflect the answers you have provided and for unclear or
inconsistent statements – you will request that they be corrected
accordingly. Please note that by signing the protocol you are
expressing your consent to the content of the answers provided by
you to the official who conducted the hearing. After you sign, you
will NOT be able to dispute the content of what you have
submitted, on the grounds that you have provided a different
answer and the protocol will serve as evidence of the content
written therein.
13. MOST importantly – Request a copy of the hearing protocol once
it is finished, you deserve to receive a copy of it!!
Preparation questions for the hearing
Below is a list of preparation questions for your upcoming hearing at
the Ministry of Interior.
Please read carefully each question and write down the answers on the
table below, then make sure to memorize the answers and study them
orally.
Preparing this is the key to your success!!!!
SUBJECT
Names
QUESTION
Names of each of us
The names of parents of
each of us
The names of each of
our children
The names of the friends
of each of us
The names of the
employers of each of us
If we had or have/had a
divorced spouse from
us/are still married or
ANSWER COMMENTS
has passed away what is
your former spouse’s
name
Places
Birth place of each of us
(city/state)
Mutual address
Children’s address
Sibling’s address
Parents address
Where do your best
friends live
Places we traveled
together
Important
dates
When did we meet
Date of birth for each of
us
Our kids date of birth
Our parents date of birth
If there is a birthday
celebration you
mentioned you will need
to know the specific date
Date of marriage
proposal
Date of issue f domestic
union cards (New
Family)
When did we last travel
together
Since when have each of
us been in the country
Hangouts
Where do we like to
hang out, detailing the
type of it, (restaurant,
café, friends and names)
Who do we like to spend
time with – mention
names of friends/family
Frequency of
entertainment (how
many times a
week/month go out)
Hobbies of each of us
(read, watch TV,
friends)
What kind of hanging
out they really dislike
Home
Description
On what floor do you
live
Is there an elevator in
the building
Number of rooms in the
apartment
The color of the walls
Are there pictures
hanging on the wall?
(What photos do you
like)
Is there a safe zone
room (Mamad)
How many bathrooms
are there in the house
Who are your
neighbors? (If there are
any and especially
neighbors who you talk
to)
Do you have a
balcony/roof/garden
Do you have a washing
machine? Dryer?
Dishwasher
What furniture is there?
(colored sofa/special
cabinets)
Where do we eat
together, is there a
sitting area in the
kitchen? Is there a
dining area
Do you host at home?
Where do you sit with
the guests
Household
Description
Do you live in a rental
apartment or is it an
apartment owned by you
Do we have a landline
phone (Bezeq / Hot ) at
home
What is your home
phone number
If you rent your
apartment, who is your
home owner
How much do you pay
for rent? Who pays it
What is your monthly
electricity bill
How do you heat your
home? Gas? Airconditioner
Which one of you does
the grocery shopping
Where do you do your
grocery shopping? Mall?
Supermarket?
How much do you
usually spend on
grocery shopping
What groceries do you
buy most
Do you own a pet
Do you have a garden at
home? Who takes care
of it
What is the name f your
pet
Who takes care of the
pet
Personal
Details
What is the phone
number of each of you
What kind of mobile
phone does each of you
have
(IPhone/Samsung/Other)
What hobbies do each of
you have
What languages do you
each speak
What language do we
speak among us
What is the favorite dish
for each of us
Who cooks at home
What style of clothing
each of has? (Drop,
Elegant, Sporty, Custom
made)
What is the latest gift
you gave one another
On which side of the
bed does each of you
sleep on
Do any of your or your
partners children live
with you
If so, where di the
children sleep
Where do the children
sleep if they come for a
visit
Are ether of you still
married to another
spouse
Why doesn’t he/she
divorce him/her
What is the color of
each child’s hair
What is your partners
eye color
Does your partner have
a distinctive mark on his
body (birthmark/tattoo)
that only you know
Does your partner wear
glasses
Work
Do you work? What
kind of work? * If one
of you works in an
illegal job/ does not
receive a pay slip then
avoid giving details)
How much does each of
you earn
What way do you
receive your salary?
(check, bank transfer)
What are the names of
your employers
It is important to remember that it is customary at the end of te
hearing to ask the couple whether they have anything to add beyond
what they already said. Try to add one or two things you haven’t been
asked, on order to reinforce the request.
At the end of the hearing, you will need to sign the protocol, ask to go
through it and read your answers carefully and if needed, demand to
correct it.
Sign the protocol only after you have read it.4
GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!