,Notary Public translation should be made by a fluent speaker. The Israeli Notary Law states that a notary public can provide a notarized translation only if he speaks the languages in question. The Israeli Ministry of Interior (for example) will only accept a translation from a local Israeli notary who speaks both the source language…

Legal residency status for children of foreign workers in Israel has changed over the years following various government resolutions on the issue. What does this imply in practice for foreign workers and their children? Cohen, Decker, Pex & Brosh Law Firm, which specializes precisely in the issue of entry and immigration into Israel, tends to…

The B-5 investment visa, implemented in May 2019, allows US citizens to invest in a business venture in Israel and obtain legal status in Israel. The investors and their families can live and work in Israel while the business is active. The visa is applicable even to foreign citizens who are not entitled to Aliyah…

Are European and American Jews entitled to Portuguese citizenship? Portugal citizenship for Ashkenazi Jews? Even those who are aware that Portugal gives citizenship to descendants of expelled Jews, may be surprised to hear this is possible. After all, the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal all settled in the Middle East, right? Not…

Unaccompanied minors traveling abroad without having both their parents with them present a legally sensitive issue for border control and immigration authorities at airports and border crossings. Parents who want to send their children abroad accompanied by relatives and friends must ensure their documents are in order. Border control officials at the Ben-Gurion Airport and…

Italian Conversos  – Jews converted to Christianity by force – came from Spain to Italy in the 16th century. The expelled Jewish communities were impoverished and physically and spiritually depressed. In Italy, which was full of small warring principalities, the expelled Jewish population managed to establish large commercial houses, promoting cultural growth and spiritual independence.…

Is it possible to deny the fatherhood of an Israeli minor? Denial of paternity based on DNA tests is possible in many Western countries. If the test proves the ostensible father is not really the biological parent, he is freed of obligations towards the child. Family law in Israel, meaning both Jewish rabbinical traditions and…

Surrogacy for same-sex couples in Israel and the 2018 Israeli Surrogacy Law are both a matter of considerable controversy. The law arguably discriminates against single women who cannot conceive without egg donation, and male couples. Neither can become biological parents unless they employ the services of a surrogate mother outside Israel. Even after the surrogate…

How to change one’s registry entry to “devoid of religion”? A “no religion” registration in the Israeli public records registry is a fundamentally different process than a regular alteration of the religion and nationality clause. The change in registration to “religion-less” is essentially a declarative step. It is adopted mainly by Israeli citizens who support…

Do you want to obtain legal status in Israel as an American foreign investor? The B-5 visa – the first Israeli investment visa for citizens of the USA – was approved back in 2014, but only implemented on the 1st of May 2019. In addition to it’s role in encouraging investment in the Israeli economy,…