All travellers

It is for the Israeli authorities to decide if you can enter Israel. If you have any particular concerns about visas or entry into Israel, you should contact the Israeli embassy.

If you work in Israel without the proper permissions, you can be detained and then deported. This process which could take several months. Consular staff will not be able to help you enter Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories. They are unable get involved in another country’s immigration policy or procedures.

Visitors entering via Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport are given an entry card instead of an entry stamp in their passport. While this practice is in place at other ports of entry, there have been instances where passports have been stamped for entry purposes. You should keep your entry card with your passport until you leave. This is evidence of your legal entry into Israel and may be required, particularly at any crossing points into the Occupied Palestinian Territories. If you’re refused entry into Israel, your passport may be stamped with an entry stamp and two red lines drawn across it to indicate the refusal.

At the Allenby Bridge crossing with Jordan and at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, Israeli border officials have sometimes used an entry stamp for certain travellers that states ‘Palestinian Authority only’ or ‘Judea and Samaria only’. Since travellers entering via the Allenby Bridge crossing must pass through Israeli checkpoints and Israeli-controlled territory to reach Jerusalem or Gaza, this restriction effectively limits travellers who receive this stamp. It is not clear how a traveller receiving the stamp at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport can leave the airport without violating the restriction. This stamp has been issued to travellers who have no Palestinian or other Arab ancestry, and who would not seem to have any claim to a Palestinian Authority ID.

In March 2017, the Israeli Parliament passed a law which gives authority to deny entry to foreign nationals who have publicly called for a boycott of Israel and/or settlements, or who belong to an organisation which has called for a boycott. Contact the Israeli embassy if you need further information.

Previous Travel to Other Countries

Evidence of a previous visit to another country in the region like an entry/exit stamp in your passport does not normally prevent entry into Israel, although it may lead to additional questioning at the border. It is for the Israeli authorities to determine the right of entry into Israel, so if you have any particular concerns about previous travel to another country, you should contact the Israeli embassy.

If you have any particular concerns about visas or entry into Israel, you should contact the Israeli embassy prior to arrival.

Customs and Immigration

It is for the Israeli authorities to decide if you can enter Israel. You may experience lengthy personal questioning and baggage searches by security officials on arrival and departure from Israel. Searches and questioning may be longer in some cases, including but not limited to some visitors with Palestinian or Arab ancestry with evidence of previous travel which may be considered suspicious, or those who are considered to have publicly criticised the state of Israel.

Airside Immigration officials occasionally ask travellers to wait whilst further checks are conducted. This is not routine procedure, but a small number of travellers do experience delays, some for several hours. Israeli security officials have on occasion requested access to travellers’ personal e-mail accounts or other social media accounts as a condition of entry.

Foreign nationals can legally be refused entry if they have publicly called for a boycott of Israel and/or settlements, or if they belong to an organisation which has called for a boycott.

Refusal of entry into Israel

If in the rare event you are refused entry to Israel you will be booked on the next available flight back to the port from which you entered Israel and on the same airline. Depending on the flight schedule you may be taken to the Immigration Detention Centre located a few minutes’ drive from the airport. You will remain there until your flight departs. Whilst there you will have access to a telephone, information in English, and medical assistance if required. Your luggage will remain at the airport so you will need to highlight to officials if you need to retrieve anything urgent from your luggage, for example medication. The Embassy is contactable from the Detention Centre and can assist where possible. But the Embassy cannot intervene with immigration decisions.

Entering the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including by sea to Gaza, is controlled by the Israeli authorities. You must produce a passport and Israeli immigration slip, to cross between Israel and the OPTs.

On 20 October 2022, the Government of Israel introduced new requirements for foreign nationals entering and residing in the West Bank. You can find more information on the requirements and points of contact for enquiries via the Israeli government website.

Israeli border officials at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport have at times required certain travellers to sign a form that states that they are not allowed to enter territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority. This is unless they obtain advance authorisation from the Israeli ‘Territory Actions Co-ordinator’, violating this restriction may result in the traveller being deported from Israel and barred from entry for up to 10 years.

You may be detained on arrival to Israel and deported if you are intending to enter Gaza without permission. If you are entering Israel for the purpose of working in the OPTs, you may be refused entry.

The FCDO is not able to support individuals applying for entry or exit permits for Gaza. If you decide to visit Gaza against FCDO advice, you will need to contact the relevant authorities well in advance. The FCDO is no longer able to provide administrative support for UK charities wishing to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The Rafah border regularly closes with no warning and for long periods of time. The Erez border also sometimes closes with no warning. At these times it may be impossible to enter or leave Gaza.

Israeli checkpoints may be closed during Israeli public holidays and periods of increased instability. Please refer to this website for information (which is subject to change). For more information, contact the nearest Israeli Embassy.

British nationals of Palestinian origin

If you are a British national of Palestinian origin (on the Palestinian Population Register or holding a Palestinian ID number), you will need a Palestinian passport or travel document in order to leave Gaza or the West Bank. If you are a British national with a Palestinian name or place of birth but without a Palestinian ID number, you may face problems. A number of British nationals of Palestinian origin or British nationals married to Palestinians have been refused entry to the country.

Dual nationals

British-Palestinian dual nationals living in the West Bank and Gaza are allowed to travel abroad only via the Allenby and Rafah border crossings (respectively) with Jordan and Egypt and return via the same route. Please note: British/Palestinian dual nationals entering Gaza, which is against our Travel Advice, should check with the relevant authorities on entry/exit procedures. Numbers of such dual nationals permitted to enter and exit Gaza via Erez are very limited and include medical, humanitarian cases and aid workers. The final decision on entry and exit permits via Erez always rests with the Israeli authorities

If you are a dual national check with your nearest Israeli Embassy if pre-approval is required for travel to Israel. Dual nationals holding Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Lebanese citizenship have previously been impacted. If you are not a citizen of any of these countries, but have close family ties, it is also advisable to check with your nearest Israeli Embassy.

Children with Israeli parents (father and/or mother) are considered to be Israeli nationals. The Israeli Ministry of Interior insists that these children enter and leave Israel on an Israeli passport.

COVID-19

Entry requirements for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are the same for all travellers, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

Check the Ministry of Health pages for full details. Further restrictions may be introduced at short notice.

Children and young people

Minors (aged 17 years and under) travelling to Israel alone or with only one parent are advised to carry with them a letter from their parents or guardians confirming their approval, accommodation plans and contact details.

Minors exiting Israel alone should carry a locally issued notarised letter as advised by external firms.

See ‘Dual nationals’ section above concerning children with Israeli parents.

Entry via Land Borders

You can find the latest guidance on entering and exiting Israel via the land borders on the Israeli Ministry of Health’s website.

Those wishing to enter Jordan from Israel will need to register in advance. You can find more information on the Visit Jordan website.

If you’re transiting through Israel/The Occupied Palestinian Territories

Transiting is when you pass through one country on the way to your final destination.

Full guidance on requirements upon arrival and when transiting through Israel is regularly updated online. Check Israeli Population and Immigration Authority pages and the dedicated COVID-19 Air Transport website for full details. Further restrictions may be introduced at short notice.

Check your passport and travel documents before you travel

Passport validity

If you are visiting Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories, your passport should be valid for a minimum of six months from the date you arrive.

Check with your travel provider to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.

Visas

You don’t need a visa to enter Israel as a tourist. On entry, visitors are granted permission to stay for a period of up to 3 months. However, if you are a dual national, please refer to the ‘Dual nationals’ section of this guidance before travelling.