Guide for Foreign Spouses of Israeli Citizens – Regulating Status in Israel 2025

By: Attorney Maya Weiss-Tamir, expert in Israeli immigration law

Updated in September 2025 according to Population and Immigration Authority procedures

What is the procedure for regulating the status of a foreign spouse of an Israeli citizen?

The procedure for regularizing status in Israel, known as the “gradual procedure,” is the official route through which spouses — where only one of them is an Israeli citizen — can regularize the legal stay of their foreign spouse in Israel.

The procedure is conducted with the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA) , and includes several stages of examinations, interviews, presentation of documents, and temporary visas until permanent status or citizenship is obtained.