The end of the Gradual Process: citizenship or permanent residency

Published: 20 October 2026

Who chooses, and when

A foreign partner married to an Israeli citizen ends the Gradual Process with a choice: Israeli citizenship or permanent residency. In the other tracks the process ends in permanent residency: shared life and same-sex couples (procedure 5.2.0009), and spouses of permanent residents (procedure 5.2.0011).

This article is based on procedure 5.2.0008 of the Population and Immigration Authority, for spouses of citizens (edition 16, 20.07.2026), section H, the end of the process.

Three months before the end: the notice

The foreign partner must tell the office three months before the end of four years on the A/5 temporary residence licence which status they are asking for at the end of the process: Israeli citizenship or permanent residency. The procedure says this choice is made after checking with the representation of the foreign partner's own country, for example on what Israeli citizenship would mean for the citizenship they hold now.

The application requires both partners to attend in person, and it is handled by the regional office that has handled your file until now.

The rule: three years out of four in Israel

To end the process with citizenship, the foreign partner must have lived in Israel for three of the four years, and the last two of them continuously, apart from short holidays. If the process was shortened by a decision under the procedure, the shortened periods apply instead.

In practice: count your days abroad during the A/5 years, keep your travel records, and plan long trips with the last two years in mind. And remember that leaving Israel without a re-entry visa ends the licence on departure.

What you do not have to do

The foreign partner must meet the conditions for naturalisation in section 7 of the Citizenship Law, except two: there is no requirement to renounce a previous citizenship, and no requirement to know Hebrew. Whether your own country lets you keep its citizenship is a question for that country, which is why the procedure asks you to check with its representation first.

What is checked before the end

  • All the documents required by the procedure, from the start of the process to its end. Without all of them, the process can end only in permanent residency.
  • An up-to-date certificate of personal status from the country of origin, issued in the last six months, original, authenticated and translated, if you did not update your personal status there during the process.
  • A fresh, in-depth check that the relationship is sincere and exclusive and that your shared centre of life is in Israel, with up-to-date views of the authorities consulted, including criminal and security checks.
  • For an accompanying child: at least two years on an A/5 licence. A child who became an adult during the process applies separately.

How to prepare for the interview

If there is a doubt, and special cases

If not all the conditions are met, or there is a doubt about the relationship or the centre of life, the office manager may extend the A/5 licence by one more year. If the doubt remains at the end of that year, the final decision is made by the office manager for permanent residency, or by the district manager for citizenship.

Two special cases: a foreign partner who in the past received status in Israel by fraud, or whose status was cancelled, can receive at most permanent residency. And under the temporary provision of the law, the status of a resident of the Area or of a national of a listed country is not upgraded; the licence is extended each year instead.

After approval: the oath of allegiance

When the application is approved, the foreign partner is invited in writing to declare allegiance, together with any accompanying child over 16. Both partners must be present at the oath and the grant of citizenship. Afterwards a new identity card is issued, and an Israeli passport can be requested under a separate procedure.

If the application is refused, the refusal is given in writing with its reasons and the option to appeal. If you choose permanent residency, the end of the process is handled under the permanent residency procedure, 5.2.0023.

If the application is refused: your options

How IsraelVisa helps

IsraelVisa helps you keep the documents of the whole process in order by date, keep track of the dates that matter, including the notice three months before the end, and arrive at the last stage prepared, yourselves and at your own pace. IsraelVisa does not give legal advice; if you wish, you can find independent lawyers through IsraelVisa.

Frequently asked questions

When do we tell the office which status we want?

Three months before the end of four years on the A/5 licence, after checking with the representation of the foreign partner's country.

Does the foreign partner have to give up their current citizenship?

Not under the procedure for spouses of citizens: at the end of the Gradual Process there is no requirement to renounce a previous citizenship. Check what your own country's law says.

Is Hebrew required for citizenship?

No. At the end of the Gradual Process for spouses of citizens there is no requirement to know Hebrew.

How much time can we spend abroad?

For citizenship, the foreign partner must have lived in Israel for three of the four years, the last two continuously apart from short holidays.

What if some documents are missing?

Without all the documents required by the procedure, the process can end only in permanent residency.

Related guides

Sources

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The information in this article is general and does not constitute legal advice. The procedures are updated from time to time; check the current version on the website of the Population and Immigration Authority.