How to renew your U.S. passport in Jerusalem
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If only the U.S Consulate would greet you with freshly-made Dunkin Donuts doughnuts and muffins, a Starbucks white-chocolate mocha and a fully-stocked Target, it might make up for the annoying process of renewing your passport and venturing into East Jerusalem.
If I could award one website with the worst usability, that special prize would go to.. wait for it.. the Jerusalem U.S. Consulate. After reading and re-reading each section of the site, the big question for me was still, how do people aged 16-26 renew their passport?!!! I pretended to fit into the over 26 category and it worked out, but um… some headlines and clarity would be nice. Americans are supposed to have a good reputation for clear instructions. Especially compared to the Israeli system. C’mon people!
In case you want to know how I went about it, or in case I need to do it again, here are the steps I took to renewing my passport.
Step 1: Make an appointment by clicking here. Mine took at least a month in advance to schedule.
Step 2: Read the U.S. Consulate website about 30 times to decide which form to fill out. In the end, I needed the DS-82 application so I printed it and filled it out.
Step 3: Prepare the following:
- DS-82 Passport Application
- Most recent passport and photocopy
- Two identical passport photographs – 2 x 2 inches (5cm x 5cm) showing full front view of the face with a white or off-white background only.
- $75 USD or the equivalent shekels
- 30 shekels for courier mail service
Step 4: Travel to 14 David Flusser in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem 27 Nablus / Shchem St. which is off of Kvish 1 by the Paz Gas station. Maps, emails, phone number, and more details.
P.S. You can renew by mail or in person. But considering I don’t trust the Israeli mail system, and, get this, the Consulate emailed me that they don’t recommend it, I went in person.
Contact Info for the Jerusalem U.S. Consulate:
Phone: 02-628-7137 or 02-622-7219
Fax: 02-627-2233
Email: jerusalemacs@state.gov
Disclaimer: Please thoroughly check the Consulate site for updated information and to ensure you bring all the correct paperwork.
The Big Felafel 
I would add that you should bring as few things with you as possible.
Everything, including cell phones and all bags, will have to be left with security.
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoAnother thing,,
There is a parking lot just across the street from the consulate in case you don’t find parking on the street.
Gadi
| Posted 14 years, 8 months ago…or, you can do the same thing at the US Consulate in Tel Aviv where the lines are shorter and the service is better. Just make sure you have a friend’s address in Tel Aviv. The same applies for non-American Jews wishing to obtain visas, work permits etc. BY ALL MEANS use the Tel Aviv US Consulate and avoid the East Jerusalem Consulate as they tend to give Jews and Israelis a hard time. This is information you can bank on. I recently had an Israeli friend apply for a work visa at the East Jerusalem Consulate. She already had the job in the US with a national Jewish organization. An associate in Tel Aviv applied for the exact same visa with less experience and qualifications and got it that same day. My friend however was forced to wait three weeks only to be rejected. I told her to apply again in Tel Aviv and she get the visa. Why did this work? Because the East Jerusalem Consulate and the Tel Aviv Consulate do not talk to each other. They are in fact often at each other’s throats.
So what did we learn today? Avoid the East Jerusalem US Consulate, especially if you are Jewish and a non-US Citizen.
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoDon’t you mean the EMBASSY in Tel Aviv CK?
I wonder what will happen once the new branch of the consulate opens in Arnona. The compounds looks pretty much complete.
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoSince I live in the West Bank, I’m officially not even allowed to use the embassy services in Tel Aviv.
Though Israel’s misrad hapnim is better than the US Embassy in Tel-Aviv
We’ve come a long way 🙂
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoEmbassies are only located in the capital cities of their host countries. Tel Aviv is not the capital of Israel. Don’t get me started…
🙂
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoOh, so that was intentional. Tell that to Bush who promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem twice! Oh wait, you are Canadian.
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoWe had the same shit in Canada. Candidates promised to move the Canadian “Embassy” to Jerusalem to get Jew votes and Jew support and then once elected reneged on that promise (hello Joe Clark!). Why are Jews so dumb sometimes?
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoWhat did I do wrong?
I’m a citizen. I went to the East Jerusalem consulate and was whisked in quickly (SS issue), had lovely service, and left again relatively quickly…??
If you’re driving from the south (Baka, Arnona etc.), go past Novotel and turn right, drive to the kikar, then go right on Nablus. The consulate is the place where the road narrows and all the people are milling around in a huge line outside.
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoHaha, I like the last one. Some stuff I wouldn’t even believe people would say, but since I’ve heard some crazy ones myself, I’m a believer. hehe
| Posted 14 years, 8 months agoI must be extremely lucky…I have lived in Jerusalem for over 40 years.
Every 10 years I renew my passport at the Jerusalem Consulate.
I never made an appointment. I have never had any problems. I arrive, wait in line, fill out the forms, wait in line, eventually get my turn at the window and that’s it.
The passports (both the new and the old) arrive registered mail within a reasonable amount of time.
Don’t understand what the problem is!
| Posted 14 years, 7 months agosameach – things have changed since you last renewed your passport.
I renewed mine by mail. It took a month. The new passport arrives by registered mail.
The procedure is
download and fill out DS-82 (application for a U.S passport by mail) http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html
Get US passport photos. Most of the places that do passport photos can do this, but make sure you tell them *US* passport as the photos for Israeli passports are different.
Get a bank check for $75 made out to “U.S. Consulate General, Jerusalem” (check the website to make sure the price hasn’t changed – http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/10-year-validity). Not the shekel equivalent. Not a personal check from your US bank. Yes, you’ll have to go into the bank for this, sorry.
Go to the post office with two envelopes, one addressed to you, one to U.S. Consulate General, P.O. Box 290, Jerusalem 91002, both big enough to hold a passport. The one addressed to you gets postage for a registered letter, It goes into envelope to the consulate with your old passport, the form, two photos, and the bank check. Get a stamp on that envelope.
| Posted 14 years, 4 months agoDear Rebecca,
The COnsulate ACS page has been updated, Please visit the pages and let us know how would it improve, your comments are always welcomed
Best Regards
| Posted 14 years, 2 months agoYou can no longer use mail, only courier service via Shaal in Binyan HaPa’amon on King George. Cannot find any telephone listed for them. Anyone know?
| Posted 13 years, 4 months agoBut if you bring green cash dollars to the Consulate EXACT CHANGE they accept that, so yu dont need the hassle [and expense] of the bank check.
passport photo creator site:
| Posted 13 years, 1 month agohttp://www.idphoto4you.com
To renew American Passport
Sha’al Courier Service in Jerusalem
| Posted 13 years agoTelephone: 02-625-5303
The fees for passports have just gone up. Check the website before going. Also forms can be filled out on line and then printed out.
| Posted 12 years, 8 months agoThe correct contact information for shaal courier service is bellow. this was taken from the jerusalem us consulate state.gov website.
Location/Contact Information
The Jerusalem office of Shaal is located in the Ha’paamon Building, 3 King George Street, 3rd Floor. Shaal can be reached at 02/623-6189 or by e-mail at shaal@ittaa.org.il.
| Posted 12 years, 6 months ago