Your passport is not just a travel document. In Israel, it is proof that you entered legally, proof that you have the right to work, and proof of who you are. Without it, you cannot collect your salary, visit a doctor, or go home if your family needs you. That is why protecting it from the day you arrive matters more than most people realise.
This guide gives you a simple, practical system for keeping your documents safe. Many Sri Lankan workers in Israel have learned these habits the hard way. You do not have to.
Why Documents Get Lost or Taken
Most workers do not lose their documents through carelessness. It happens because life is busy – a bag left somewhere, a phone that breaks, an employer who asks to hold the passport just for a few days. Sometimes things go wrong before you have time to think.
Here is what can happen if your documents are missing:
- You cannot travel – even in an emergency back home.
- Your visa may be questioned at any time, and without documents you cannot prove your status.
- An employer holding your passport has a kind of control over you that they should not have.
- One damaged page can cause delays at the airport that last for days.
| ⚠ IMPORTANT |
| Under Israeli law (the Foreign Workers Law, 5751-1991), no employer, agency or recruiter is allowed to hold your passport or visa without your written agreement. Even if you give permission, you can take it back at any time. This is your right – and it does not change based on what your employer says. |
What Documents to Keep Safe
As a Sri Lankan worker in Israel, these are the documents you need to protect:
- Your passport (original)
- The B/1 work visa stamp inside your passport
- Your employment permit (issued in your employer’s name but linked to you)
- Your entry stamp from Ben Gurion Airport
- Your health insurance card or policy letter
- A signed copy of your employment contract
- Your salary slips from each month
- Your Sri Lankan National Identity Card (NIC) – useful as a backup if your passport is somewhere else
If one of these is missing when you need it, it can slow down everything else. Keep them together and organised.
The Right Way to Store Your Documents
A physical home for your documents
Buy a small zippered waterproof pouch or document folder – you will find them at supermarkets or stationery shops in Israel for about 15-25 NIS. Put your original documents inside, and keep the pouch in the same place every single day: a drawer, a shelf, a locked box. The location matters less than the consistency.
| ✓ QUICK TIP |
| Do not mix your documents with other things in your work bag or jacket pocket. The safest place for originals is one fixed, dedicated spot – so you always know where they are. |
A digital backup – not optional
Take a clear photo of every document in good light. Then store those photos in at least two of these places:
- Google Drive or Google Photos – free and accessible from any phone or computer
- Gmail – email the photos to yourself so they are always in your inbox
- WhatsApp – send them to someone you trust in Sri Lanka
- A USB stick, kept separately from your bag
The reason for two places is simple: if your phone and your bag are stolen at the same time, you still have your documents. This has happened to workers before. Be ready.
If an Employer or Agency Asks for Your Passport
This happens more often than it should. Some employers say they need the passport to sort out your visa or permit. In most cases, they do not need the original – and it is illegal for them to hold it.
| 1 | Ask why they need it and what exactly they will do with it. Ask for a written explanation. |
| 2 | If it is for permit processing, offer a certified photocopy instead of the original. That is usually enough. |
| 3 | If they insist on taking the original, ask them to give you a signed receipt showing: your name, your passport number, the reason they are holding it, and when they will give it back. |
| 4 | Call the Foreign Workers Hotline: 1-800-354-554 (free, available in several languages). They can tell you right away whether the request is legal. |
| 5 | Contact the LankaConnect community support channel or the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv (+972-3-527-2791) if you feel you cannot refuse safely. |
| ⚠ IMPORTANT |
| Do not sign any paper saying the employer can hold your passport indefinitely. Even if you sign it, this kind of agreement is not legally enforceable in Israel – but signing it can still cause complications, and it is better to avoid it entirely. |
How to Prevent Damage
Passports get damaged by water most often – sweat, rain, a drink spilling in a bag. They also get ruined by folding, heat, or being sat on. A few simple habits help:
- Keep the passport in its waterproof pouch, not loose in a pocket or on a work site.
- If you work outdoors or in a humid place such as farm work or cleaning, put the pouch inside a small plastic bag.
- Never laminate any page – lamination makes a passport unusable for official purposes.
- Put a small card with your name and phone number inside the pouch. If someone finds it without you, they can return it.
Check Your Documents Once a Month
Ten minutes a month is enough to catch most problems before they become serious. Once a month, check:
- Passport expiry date – does it have at least 6 months left? Israeli immigration needs this for visa renewal.
- Visa validity – is your B/1 visa still valid? Do you know who is responsible for renewing it?
- Health insurance – is it still active? Is your employer continuing to pay for it?
- Salary slips – do you have a copy, printed or digital, for each month you have worked?
- Contact numbers – do you have a current number for your employer, your agency and the Foreign Workers Hotline?
| ✓ QUICK TIP |
| Set a reminder on your phone for the first day of each month – just call it Document Check. It takes less time than you think, and it catches things early when they are still easy to fix. |
Quick Summary
| Do this | Avoid this |
| Store originals in a waterproof pouch | Keeping originals loose in a work bag |
| Back up photos to cloud and email | Saving copies only on your main phone |
| Ask for a written receipt if someone holds your documents | Handing over your passport without any record |
| Do a document check every month | Only looking at documents when something goes wrong |
| Call 1-800-354-554 if you feel unsafe | Relying only on what your employer tells you |
| Have a question about this? |
| Still not sure? Ask the Expert. Not sure if your employer is allowed to ask for your passport? Not sure what to do if they already have it? You are not the first person to face this — and you do not have to figure it out alone. The LankaConnect Ask the Expert corner is here for exactly these questions. Real answers, in Sinhala or English, from people who understand the Israeli system. Go to: LankaConnect.com/ask-the-expert |
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