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Entry requirements in Israel


Entry requirements in Israel

Travel Warning
 Visa Restrictions:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen block passports containing stamps or visas from Israel. If you intend to visit any of these nations, ask immigration to stamp a blank page, rather than your passport, when entering. Note that those countries will also search for Jordanian/Egyptian exit stamps from land borders with Israel and will likewise prohibit your entry if they find one.

Ben Gurion International Airport is the main entry point for most visitors to Israel
Ben Gurion International Airport is the main entry point for most visitors to Israel
Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Israel visa-free for up to 3 months: all European Union member states, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Japan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Macao, Macedonia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Swaziland, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, the United States, Uruguay and Vanuatu. If, however, you are suspected of being of Arab descent, Muslim, a peace activist or missionary it is very possible that you will be subject to prolonged questioning, searches and or denied entry without explanation according to the US Department of State. Be aware that holding citizenship in one of the above listed countries does not guarantee entry. These decisions are left to the discretion of immigration officers. . Note that German citizens born before January 1, 1928, do have to apply for a visa in advance. This visa will be given if you were not heavily involved in events during the Nazi era and will be valid for the whole time your passport is valid. Further note that in some Arab states it constitutes a crime for their citizens to enter Israel at all. Even if you're an Arab-born citizen of a European or North American country having entered Israel may have consequences when returning to your country of birth. Pay attention to the fact that many Arab and Islamic countries deny entry to any person that has been to Israel. If arriving by air or by sea and wishing to go to Arab states with the same passport, try asking the Israeli immigration officer to put their stamp onto a separate piece of paper. Depending on the current situation, they are often willing to do this. Then you're safe not to be denied entry by the Arab states named above. However, this may not be enough if you've entered Israel by land: in the most paranoid countries (notably Syria and Lebanon), your passport will be scrutinized not only for Israeli stamps, but also neighboring countries' stamps from Israeli land border crossings like Taba (Egypt) and Arava/Aqaba (Jordan). They will also check for luggage stickers (or their residue) which are stuck to the back of passports at Israeli border crossings. In this case, you'll have to apply for a second passport, which allows you to have an Israeli stamp in one passport and travel to the Arab states with another one. Inquire at your own embassy. Israeli immigration may take a dim view of travelers arriving from Arab countries, but you are unlikely to face anything worse than very time-consuming, and repetitive, but polite questioning. Depending on the situation, if you have stamps from other Arab countries in your passport, you should expect to be taken to one side (without any explanation) and eventually questioned. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours. The key thing to remember is this: if you have nothing to hide, then, other than the inconvenience of questioning, you should have nothing to be worried about. If you are a young backpacker, especially if you travel alone, it is much more likely you will be detained for questioning in Tel Aviv airport. There is a "selection committee" of 2 security guards waiting when you go up the escalators from your flight, and if you seem suspicious they will not hesitate to stop you. If you dress up nicely, seem a part of another group or a family they are less likely to bother you. If you're in Israel on a tourist visa (B2) and decide to renew your visa for a longer term, you may do so at the Ministry of the Interior Visa office . In Tel Aviv, it's located on the 2nd floor at 125 Derech Menachem Begin. That office is open from 8AM - 12PM from Sunday through Wednesday. Alternately, citizens from most European and North American countries can renew their visas by crossing into Jordan and back at the Arava border crossing near Eilat or by crossing into Egypt and back at Taba.

The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Israel


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Israel Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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