If you hold Israeli nationality and live within reach of New York, this is the office your paperwork goes through. Consular work is unglamorous and exacting, and knowing what this post does before you turn up saves the wasted morning that catches most people out.
Below you will find the contact details on record, what the office typically handles, how appointments work and the questions people ask most before travelling to New York.
๐ Quick Contact
- Address: 800 2nd AVE, New York
- Phone: (212) 499-5321
- Official website: https://embassies.gov.il/new-york/ConsularServices/Pages/consular-department.aspx
- Type of office: Consulate General
๐ Services normally available
What follows is the usual range for a consulate general of this size. The office itself is the authority on what it actually does:
- Passports: the most common reason people come here. Expect an appointment, a visit in person, and a wait while the document is produced elsewhere.
- Visas: the counter still matters for the categories online systems do not cover, which is most things beyond tourism.
- Civil status: a marriage celebrated in the United States does not exist back home until it is registered. The same goes for a birth and a death.
- Documents: certification of papers so they have legal effect abroad — either an apostille or the older legalisation chain, depending on the country.
๐ Getting an appointment
Appointments are the norm rather than the exception. Plan around the availability at the New York office rather than around your own calendar.
Check the official site for how this post takes bookings — online system, email or telephone all exist across the network. Whatever the method, it is free.
If you are travelling a long way, telephone first to confirm the appointment still stands. Closures are announced at short notice.
๐ค Worth knowing before you go
Districts get redrawn. If you last used this office years ago, confirm it still covers you.
Check that names and dates match across every document you bring. Mismatches stop files more often than missing papers do.
Consular processing is slower than any commercial service and the timetable is not negotiable. Start early.
Common questions before you go
Does this office handle passports?
It usually does, by appointment and with personal attendance for biometrics. Ask whether the booklet is collected at the counter or posted out.
What if I lose my passport days before a flight?
That does not go through the ordinary appointment queue. Call and say it is an emergency: for imminent travel most networks issue a travel document valid for a single journey.
Do I need a visa to visit Israel?
That depends on your nationality and the length of the trip. Where Israel does require one, it is increasingly applied for online rather than at a counter.
Where exactly is this consulate general?
At 800 2nd AVE, in New York. Check the floor or suite number before travelling — it is the detail that ruins more visits than anything else.
Where can I check the official information?
On the office’s own site at embassies.gov.il/new-york/ConsularServices/Pages/consular-department.aspx, which is the source to follow.