October 18, 2022
Subject: Message for U.S. Citizens: American Citizen Services Update
The American Citizen Services (ACS) Units at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Branch Office in Tel Aviv want to update you on the current services being provided.
Large Number of Passport and CRBA Appointments to be Released on Wednesday, October 26
On the last Wednesday of this month (October 26, 2022), we will open a base level of passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) appointments in December, January, February, March, and April. We will continue to release additional appointments every Wednesday between 3PM-4PM for the next week.
Before Making Your In-Person CRBA Appointments, Look Here First!
Baby Quiz –> If you are a U.S. citizen living in Israel and have had a baby here, take the baby quiz to see if your baby needs a U.S. visa or U.S. passport.
Video CRBAs –> No in-person appointment needed for the child under the age of three, if a) both parents are U.S. citizens, and b) one member of your family already has had a passport/Consular Report of Birth/visa processed by Embassy Jerusalem or Branch Office Tel Aviv in the past. Secure video interviews are available with staff from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and only one parent will need to come to that consular section to submit the required forms. The child will not need to come to the in-person appointment.
Online Urgent Appointment Request System
If you are unable to find any available appointments and your intended travel is two weeks or less away, you can request an urgent appointment for an emergency passport by clicking here. After you have submitted your request, you will be contacted by the Embassy with an appointment date and time (given the overall volume of urgent requests, we cannot guarantee that you will receive an appointment before your scheduled travel date). We do not accept any phone call or emails requesting urgent appointments.
New ACS Online Inquiry System Must Be Used Beginning October 24
Beginning October 24, all routine and non-emergency inquiries will need to be directed to us via our new online inquiry system. The two email addresses (JerusalemACS@state.gov and TelAvivACS@state.gov) will be reserved for only emergency (life or death) communication. Any routine and non-emergency emails will be redirected to the online inquiry system. There is no such thing as an emergency email regarding the status of a passport or CRBA case.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
STEP is a free service that provides U.S. citizens traveling and living abroad with critical safety information by email. Please enroll in STEP by clicking here or using the QR code below so you can receive important updates from the U.S. Embassy. It also helps us contact you in an emergency while you are here.
Adult Passport Renewals (DS-82s) and Replacement of Limited-Validity Passports (DS-5504s) Can Only Be Accepted by Mail or by Drop Box
We continue to see urgent and routine appointments being made for people who qualify to renew by mail or drop box. We are unable to allow these applicants to enter and submit their applications. Instead, we are re-directing them to submit by mail or drop box. Please leave passport appointments for those who must have an in-person interview. If you have urgent travel, please have your application submitted through the Jerusalem drop box and then send a note through the online inquiry system that it has been submitted so we can be on the lookout for it.
Adult Renewals and Those Replacing Limited-Validity Passports – 10 Tips to Speed the Process
When mailing in your DS-82 or DS-5504 application or dropping it off in the drop box, get it done right the first time to avoid unnecessary delays! See our tips here. We are rejecting far too many applications due to unsigned applications, applications submitted without the pay.gov payment confirmation, or wrong passport photo.
We Still Need Your Help When Scheduling Appointments. There Are Too Many Phone Calls and Emails Requesting Appointments; Too Many Duplicate Appointments; and Far Too Many No-Shows.
We continue to receive far too many phone calls and emails requesting routine or urgent appointments; appointments are only made online.
We also continue to see a high number of duplicate appointments (both within Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but also between the two locations), including in the urgent appointment system. By making duplicate appointments, other U.S. citizens needing urgent passport and CRBAs services cannot find them. We urge U.S. citizens to cancel appointments they do not need by doing so online or contacting us via the online inquiry system.
Despite the large number of inquiries that we receive about the need to schedule appointments, we remain concerned about the very high rate of no-shows for appointments (even for urgent appointments). We urge U.S. citizens to attend the appointments they make or to cancel with sufficient time for other U.S. citizens to find an open appointment
Actions to Take:
- All U.S. citizens should enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and ensure you can be contacted in an emergency.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza..
- Refer to our website for the latest Alerts and Messages for U.S. citizens.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
14 David Flusser St.
Jerusalem
Routine: click here
Emergency (life or death): JerusalemACS@state.gov
Phone: +972-2-630-4000
Website: https://il.usembassy.gov/
U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv
71 HaYarkon St.
Tel Aviv
Routine: click here
Emergency (life or death): TelAvivACS@state.gov
Phone: +972-3-519-7575
Website: https://il.usembassy.gov/
