U.S. Embassy to Provide First-Ever Consular Services in Judea and Samaria

The U.S. Embassy in Israel announced tonight that it will provide consular services this Friday, February 27, in the community of Efrat in Gush Etzion. It marks the first time such services will be offered in Judea and Samaria and the first time the embassy has operated outside its facilities in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The embassy said the move is part of its “Freedom 250” initiative, a program tied to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in 2026 and aimed at expanding outreach to American citizens throughout the country.

Until now, American citizens living in Judea and Samaria were required to travel to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for services such as renewing or replacing a passport, registering the birth of a child born abroad, notarizing official documents, or applying for certain citizenship-related services. The new outreach model allows embassy representatives to provide those services closer to where American citizens reside.

According to the embassy, consular officers will provide routine passport services in Efrat during the one-day visit. Services available will include issuance of new passports, renewal of expired passports, registration of a child born abroad, and notarial services.

In a statement posted on X, the embassy wrote: “We will be on site at each location for one day only! Please stay tuned for further information on how to schedule appointments at each of these locations.”

The embassy emphasized that each outreach location will operate for a single day, and appointments must be scheduled in advance once details are published.

Additional outreach visits are planned in the coming two months. According to the announcement, services are expected to be offered in Ramallah and Beitar Illit, as well as in Haifa, Jerusalem, Netanya, and Beit Shemesh.

The embassy has previously denied reports that it intends to open a permanent consular branch in Efrat. The current initiative is structured as a temporary outreach program rather than the establishment of a new fixed diplomatic facility.

Efrat is home to many American citizens, including immigrants from the United States who maintain U.S. citizenship. 

MK Yuli Edelstein of the Likud welcomed the decision and said: “This is a welcome and highly significant step that adds to the international legitimacy of our right to our ancestral homeland in Judea and Samaria. As someone who has fought for many years for the future of the settlement enterprise, I say clearly: the next step must be the application of full sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”