Israel Visa requirements

NOTE: All the information in this section is taken from Tourist Ministry sources and is presumed to be correct and up-to-date.

Passports and Visas

All visitors to Israel must hold a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date they enter the country. People with no nationality must hold a valid laissez passer, as well as a visa back to the country that issued it.

Visitors are entitled to remain in Israel up to three months from the date of their arrival, in accordance with the conditions of the visa issued to them. Visitors intending to work in Israel must submit a request to the Ministry of the Interior for a special visa.

Important note for tourists continuing from Israel on to Arab countries (except Egypt and Jordan): It is recommended that you request that an Israeli stamp does not appear on your passport. You must notify the clerk of your request before your documents are stamped. The granting of such requests is at the discretion of the authorities.

Tourist Visas

Citizens of the following countries will be issued tourist visas free of charge at every port or entrance terminal to Israel:

Europe – Austria, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Belgium, Britain, Gibraltar, Germany (people born after 1.1.1928), Denmark, Holland, Hungary, Greece, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Malta, Norway, Slovenia, San Marino, Spain, Portugal, Finland, France, Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia.

Asia and Oceania – Australia, the Fiji Islands, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, New Zealand, Micronesia, Singapore, Mongolia, Vanuatu.

Africa – Lesotho, Mauritius, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, the Central African Republic.

America – Uruguay, the Bahamas, El Salvador, Ecuador, Argentina, the United States, Bolivia, Barbados, Brazil, Guatemala, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Surinam, Nevis and Saint Kitts, Panama, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Canada, St. Lucia.

Note: If you are planning on visiting an Arab country after your trip to Israel, this article is a must-read.

Transit Visas

Visitors desiring to stop in Israel on their way to other destinations may request a transit visa for five days, which can be extended for another 10 days. Travelers on passenger ships stopping in Israel will be issued with a disembarkation card enabling them to stay in Israel as long as their ship is anchored in Israel. There is no need to submit a request for a visa.

Extension of Your Stay

Your visa can be extended (for a fee) at the Ministry of the Interior at the following addresses:

Jerusalem – 24 Hilell Street 02-6294726

Tel Aviv – 125 Menachem Begin Street 03-5193305

Haifa – 15 Pal-Yam 04-8633333

Eilat – Ha-Tamarim Street, City Center, 2nd Floor 08-6381333

Tiberias – 23 Zaki Elkhadif 04-6729111

Ben-Gurion Airport – 03-9774200/1/2