Population registry extract: What do you need to know?

In the state of Israel there are several ways for a person to show their “Proof of Living” or current personal status. The most widely used document which provides proof of one’s personal status and various relevant details is the population registry extract. This article will explain in detail how to obtain a population registry extract as an Israeli living within Israel or abroad, as well as how to have it verified and translated.

What is a Population Registry Extract?

A population registry extract is a document which details the personal status of any individual registered in the Israeli population registry. Any Israeli resident or citizen can request to have this document sent to them by the Population and Immigration Authority.

The document can serve various purposes, including the need to provide the different authorities (courts, tribunals, municipalities etc.) with proof of one’s personal status, blood relations, age, place of birth and/or date of aliyah. It is an official document accepted by both local authorities and authorities abroad.

There are two types of population registry extract:

Regular Population Registry Extract: This certificate contains your first name, surname, Israeli ID number, personal status, nationality, country and city of birth, parent’s names, date of birth, current address, and date of aliyah.

Extended Population Registry Extract: This certificate contains all the details in the regular certificate in addition to previous names, previous surnames, partner’s name, children’s names along with their date of birth and gender, mailing address, secondary mailing address for a minor, date that resident status was obtained, and previous address.

How is a population registry extract issued?

Requests for population registry extracts can be filed using the designated form online or at a service counter within an office of the Population and Immigration Authority. Israeli citizens residing overseas can file a request with the Israeli consulate or embassy.

The process of filing a request for a population registry extract can take a long time, especially if you are filing the request abroad with an Israeli consulate or embassy. Our office provides the service of ordering population registry extracts in a quick and efficient manner, even while you are residing abroad.

Furthermore, residents living overseas must have their certificate translated by a notary public into the language of the country in which the document is needed and have it verified with an apostille stamp. These procedures may take a long time due to the bureaucracy involved.

Our office provides end-to-end service: filing the request, preparing a notarized translation, and authenticating it with an apostille stamp.

To get a population registry extract you are required to provide the following information:

ID number of the person for whom the application is being submitted.
Personal details of the person for whom the application is being submitted.
If the application is being made on behalf of a child over the age of 18 or on behalf of a first-degree relative, a power of attorney must be provided alongside the family member’s ID card.
If the application is being made on behalf of another family member or someone who is not a family relation, a power of attorney verified by a lawyer or a court ruling must be provided.
A court order must be provided when requesting an extended population registry extract for a deceased person.

If you would like to file the application yourself, you can fill out the information using this link, or at one of the service counters located throughout the country, and the Population and Immigration Authority will have the certificate sent to the stated mailing address within ten business days.

Additional ways to file the application: you can print out this form, fill it out by hand and file it at one of the Population and Immigration Authority offices located throughout the country or send it by mail to the following address – “National Service Center, Agripas 42, Jerusalem, 9430125”, or by fax to 02-6469442.

Population registry extract for use abroad:

As explained above, obtaining and using a population registry extract overseas requires going through a number of procedures which often cannot be completed by a layperson unassisted. As mentioned above, our office provides comprehensive service in this matter.

When a foreign authority asks for the certificate, it must be translated into the target language of the country. Our office maintains a notary translation department, established exactly for such cases in which a client needs to have a document translated on short notice.

Furthermore, countries which are members of the Hague convention require an apostille stamp verifying the authenticity of the document, that it is original and official, and that it was issued by the certified authority in Israel.

For countries which are not members of the Hague convention (for example: Canada), the verification is done through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or through the foreign country’s embassy in Israel.

As mentioned above, our office deals with these procedures, including the filing of the request, the translation, the apostille stamp and/or the consular verification.

Changes in the Population Registry Extract:

Some of the details in the population registry extract, such as marital status or name spelling, will be automatically updated as long as the bearer of the certificate informs the Ministry of Interior of the changes. It should be noted that the certificate does not include information regarding previous names or previous personal status, so if you need to prove the connection between your birth certificate and your new name, you must provide a (translated) name-change certificate. These documents are often required in procedures such as applying for foreign citizenship based on ancestry, in the event of applicants changing their surnames (following marriage, for example).

The certificate contains, among other things, the religious affiliation of the certificate’s bearer as it appears in the Population Registry. Changing the nationality and religion clause following a religious conversion, registering a new ethnic group or requesting to be registered as having no religion are all excessively complicated procedures which have a real effect on civil life in Israel. Some cases require going to court and seeking help from a legal expert in order for the state of Israel to recognize a religious affiliation or lack thereof.

Contact our experts:

If you wish to file a request for a regular or extended population registry extract or if you need notarized translation and consular verification services, contact our law firm in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to receive legal assistance and information.