Enactment of Israeli Citizenship Law

Date: April 1, 1952 • Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Israel enacted a citizenship law, prior to which the country technically had no citizens.

Israel has two primary pieces of legislation governing the requirements for citizenship: the 1950 Law of Return and the 1952 Citizenship Law. Every Jew has the unrestricted right to immigrate to Israel and become an Israeli citizen. Individuals born within the country receive citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a citizen. Non-Jewish foreigners may naturalize after living there for at least three years while holding permanent residency and demonstrating proficiency in the Hebrew language. Naturalizing non-Jews are additionally required to renounce their previous nationalities, while Jewish immigrants are not subject to this requirement.