CRODA Israel: How to Get a Consular Report of Death Abroad from the US Embassy

What the CRODA Is and Why You Need It

The Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA, Form DS-2060) is the official US government document that records the death of an American citizen overseas. Issued by the Department of State through the US Embassy, it serves as the legal equivalent of a domestic death certificate and is recognized across all 50 states for probate, insurance claims, bank account releases, and benefit applications.

While the Israeli death certificate from PIBA is necessary for Israeli-side proceedings, US institutions — probate courts, life insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, banks — consistently accept the CRODA more readily than a foreign death certificate, even one with an apostille. Getting the CRODA should be one of the first administrative steps after a death in Israel.

Where to Apply in Israel

The US maintains two offices in Israel that process CRODAs:

US Embassy Jerusalem — American Citizen Services (ACS) 14 David Flusser Street, Jerusalem Phone: +972-2-630-4000 Email: JerusalemACS@state.gov

US Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv — Consular Section 71 HaYarkon Street, Tel Aviv Phone: +972-3-519-7575 Email: TelAvivACS@state.gov

Both offices accept CRODA applications through their American Citizen Services Drop Boxes — no appointment required. Drop box hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Closed on both US and Israeli holidays.

Required Documents for the Application

The CRODA application package must include:

1. The apostilled Israeli death certificate — the official Teudat Pshira from PIBA, authenticated with either a digital e-Apostille or a physical apostille stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2. The deceased's original US passport — the consular officer will cancel and return it
3. The deceased's Social Security Number
4. Form DS-5511 — Affidavit for the Surviving Spouse or Next of Kin, completed and notarized. This establishes your legal authority as next of kin. It can be notarized at a US notary public or at the consular section itself
5. Official photo ID of the person submitting the application

How the E-CRODA Works

The US Embassy now issues the CRODA electronically as a digitally signed and sealed PDF — the e-CRODA. This document is emailed directly to the next of kin. You can print as many official copies as needed; each printout carries the same legal validity as a certified physical copy.

If you need physical certified copies, the Embassy provides up to 20 free of charge upon request. Additional copies can be ordered later through the Department of State's Vital Records office in Virginia (Form DS-5542, $50 fee per request).

Processing typically takes 1 to 3 business days after submission, though delays can occur during high-volume periods or if the Embassy needs to verify information with PIBA.

The Document Dependency You Can't Skip

The CRODA cannot be issued until the Embassy has a verified Israeli death certificate. And the Israeli death certificate cannot be issued until PIBA has processed the death registration, which requires a burial permit from the Ministry of Health, which requires the Notification of Death from the attending physician.

This means the CRODA sits near the end of a documentation chain:

Notification of Death → Burial Permit → PIBA Death Certificate → Apostille → CRODA

If any upstream document is delayed — a forensic hold at Abu Kabir that prevents the burial permit, a PIBA backlog on the death certificate, a missing apostille — the CRODA timeline stretches accordingly. The 1-to-3-day processing window at the Embassy only starts once the complete application package (including the apostilled death certificate) is submitted.

What the US Embassy Can and Cannot Do After a Death

The consular section's role is often misunderstood. Here's the line:

The Embassy will:

• Issue the e-CRODA and Consular Mortuary Certificate
• Provide a list of verified local funeral directors and shipping agents
• Notarize the DS-5511 next-of-kin affidavit
• Contact next of kin in the United States to notify them of the death
• Assist with emergency messaging and logistics coordination

The Embassy will not:

• Pay for burial, cremation, or repatriation transport
• Cover mortuary storage fees, air cargo charges, or documentation costs
• Provide legal representation in disputes with Israeli authorities
• Intervene in forensic investigations or autopsy decisions
• Ship the remains — that must be handled by a licensed shipping agent

Next Steps After Receiving the E-CRODA

With the e-CRODA in hand, the surviving family can:

• File it with the probate court in the deceased's US state of residence to initiate estate administration
• Submit it to life insurance companies to process death benefit claims
• Present it to banks holding accounts in the deceased's name to begin the account closure or transfer process
• Report the death to the Social Security Administration to initiate survivor benefit claims (particularly important post-Social Security Fairness Act, since surviving spouses who never applied due to the old GPO offset should now file immediately)

The American Dies in Israel — Family Emergency Guide walks through this entire document chain from the first hour after death through the final probate filing, with a tracking worksheet so you can see at a glance which documents are obtained, which are pending, and which agency to follow up with.