Will I lose my Australian citizenship if I make aliyah to Israel?

This worry comes up at almost every Australian aliyah consultation: take Israeli citizenship and Canberra quietly cancels your Australian one. It was once a real fear, and for Australians who naturalized abroad before 2002 it actually happened. That rule is gone. An Australian who makes aliyah today keeps Australian citizenship and adds Israeli citizenship, and neither country forces a choice.

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Detailed Explanation

The old Australian position lived in section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, which stripped Australian citizenship from an adult who voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another country. That provision was repealed with effect from 4 April 2002, and Australia has allowed dual and multiple citizenship ever since. The law now sits in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, under which acquiring a foreign nationality is no longer a ground for losing your Australian citizenship. Loss today is confined to narrow situations, principally a formal renunciation you apply for, not the ordinary act of becoming a citizen somewhere else. Making aliyah and receiving Israeli citizenship falls outside those narrow grounds.

Israel takes the same permissive line from its side. A person who immigrates under the Law of Return 1950 becomes an Israeli citizen by return under the Citizenship Law 1952, and Israel does not require an oleh to give up any existing nationality. So the two systems point the same way: Australia lets you keep what you have, and Israel lets you add its citizenship on top. The result is genuine dual citizenship, which is the normal status for Australian olim and carries the usual rights and obligations of an Israeli dual citizen.

Two practical points follow, and they trip up new olim more than the citizenship question itself. First, travel: an Israeli citizen is generally required to enter and leave Israel on an Israeli passport, so once you are Israeli you use the Israeli document at the Israeli border and your Australian passport elsewhere. Second, dual status brings dual exposure in other areas, military service obligations for the right age groups, and tax residency questions if you spend significant time in each country. None of that threatens your Australian citizenship, but it does mean aliyah is worth planning rather than treating as a passport upgrade. The mechanics of the move itself are covered in the guide to making aliyah from Australia.

In Practice: Australia has permitted dual citizenship since 4 April 2002, and under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 acquiring Israeli citizenship by aliyah is not a ground for losing it. Israel grants citizenship by return under the Citizenship Law 1952 on the day of aliyah, administered by the Population and Immigration Authority, with no requirement to renounce Australian nationality. A first Israeli passport for a new citizen costs in the region of NIS 160 to NIS 290 and is typically issued within a few weeks of completing registration.

Key Considerations

• Australia repealed automatic loss of citizenship for acquiring another nationality on 4 April 2002; dual citizenship is now standard.
• Israel does not require an oleh to renounce any existing citizenship, so you keep Australian and gain Israeli.
• An Israeli citizen must generally enter and exit Israel on an Israeli passport, while using the Australian passport elsewhere.
• Dual status can bring military-service and tax-residency questions, which are separate from the citizenship issue.
• Only a deliberate, formal renunciation, not aliyah, ends Australian citizenship.

When to Consult a Lawyer

This question typically requires professional legal advice when:

• You naturalized abroad before April 2002 and are unsure whether your Australian citizenship was ever affected.
• You are planning aliyah while keeping a working or family life in Australia and need to manage tax residency in both countries.
• A child's citizenship status, or military-service age, makes the dual-national position more than theoretical.

A qualified Israeli attorney, alongside Australian advice where needed, can confirm your status and plan the aliyah so the dual-citizenship benefits are kept and the obligations are understood.

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Speak With an Israeli Attorney

We advise Australian olim on dual citizenship, confirm how Israeli citizenship interacts with your Australian status, and plan the practical issues, passports, military service, and tax residency, that come with holding both.

Contact us for a confidential initial consultation.