NOTE: All the information in this section about Israel visa requirements is taken from Tourist Ministry sources and is presumed to be correct and up-to-date. If you’re thinking of coming during Corona, read our latest COVID-19 updates about when you can enter Israel.
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.
Once here, you will be entitled to remain in Israel up to three months from the date of your arrival (an important note – this is if you are arriving on a B2 Tourist visa).
Visitors intending to work in Israel must submit a request to the Ministry of the Interior for a special visa (a B1 visa, which is granted in accordance with Ministry of Interior guidelines; this basically means you should have a job and the paperwork lined up before you even attempt to arrive in the Holy Land).
Important note for tourists continuing from Israel on to Arab countries and worried about the evil (!) Israeli stamp in your passport (except for Egypt and Jordan who are still on good terms with Israel and won’t care about the passport stamp; and yes, this article is a must-read): despite the improved technology at border crossings (see the following paragraph), it is recommended that you request from the immigration officers that an Israeli stamp does not appear on your passport.
Note that from 2013 Israeli passport control no longer officially stamps your passport at almost all border crossings – BUT they may stamp a separate piece of paper known as the Electronic Gate Pass, which is actually a small slip of paper that fits into your passport (please hold onto this slip of paper, it provides official proof of your visa status in Israel). However, the issue of Jordanian and Egyptian passport control stamping your passport (and hence showing signs of you being in Israel) still remains…
Tourist Visas
Citizens of the following countries will be issued tourist visas free of charge at every port or entrance terminal to Israel (this PDF is updated with the latest Israel visa requirement and eligibility):
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.
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 (it might be easier to call *3450 or dial 12223450):
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
And if you’re still not sure, check out the government website, which should have the correct and updated info here.