Entry/Exit Requirements
"The general entry and exit requirements for Americans traveling
to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza are listed below. American citizens
may be subject to special restrictions. American citizens are advised
to read all sections of this sheet very carefully for special regulations
that may affect their travel.
U.S. citizens who are also citizens of Israel must enter and depart
Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza using their current Israeli passport.
Israeli authorities require that U.S. citizens who have a Palestinian
identification number, or who may have acquired a Palestinian identification
number via their parents or grandparents, to enter and exit Israel,
the West Bank and Gaza using their Palestinian Authority passport.
Without the Palestinian Authority or Israeli passport, these Americans
may be denied from entering or exiting Israel, the West Bank or
Gaza, or may face serious delays at the ports of entry.
Individuals with a Palestinian Authority identity number, including
American citizens, are required by Israeli authorities to enter
the West Bank through the Allenby border crossing. They are not
permitted by Israeli authorities to enter Israel through Ben Gurion
International Airport unless they obtain in advance a transit permit
for that purpose.
U.S. citizens are advised that all persons applying for entry to
Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza are subject to security and criminal
screening by the Government of Israel, and may be denied entry or
exit without explanation.
American citizens who feel they have been wrongly denied entry
to Israel or the West Bank should fill out the Denial of Entry Sheet
which can be retrieved under the U.S. citizen services tab at the
Jerusalem Consulate General’s web site at http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov.
Israel: A passport valid for six months beyond duration of stay,
an onward or return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds are required
for entry. A no-charge, three-month visa may be issued upon arrival
and may be renewed. Travelers carrying official or diplomatic U.S.
passports must obtain visas from an Israeli embassy or consulate
prior to arrival. Anyone who has been refused entry, experienced
difficulties with his/her status during a previous visit, overstayed
the authorized duration of a previous visit, or otherwise violated
the terms of their admission to Israel should consult the Israeli
Embassy or nearest Israeli Consulate before attempting to return.
Anyone seeking returning resident status must obtain permission
from Israeli authorities before traveling. The Government of Israel
at times has declined to admit American citizens wishing to visit
or travel to the West Bank or Gaza. Persons denied entry who seek
immigration court hearings to contest such denials may be detained
for prolonged periods while awaiting a hearing.
The Gaza Strip: The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to
avoid all travel to the Gaza Strip, which is under the control of
Hamas, a terrorist organization. American citizens in Gaza are advised
to depart immediately. Please contact the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem
for additional assistance if necessary. See the latest Travel Warning
for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza for the latest information concerning
travel to the Gaza Strip. Private vehicles may not cross from Israel
into Gaza or from Gaza into Israel. The Rafah border crossing between
Gaza and Egypt and the Gaza Airport remain closed.
The West Bank: On March 4, 2007, the Government of Israel published
a new West Bank visitor visa policy for foreign nationals. The policy
states that the following are permitted foreign visitor categories:
Spouses of resident Palestinians registered in the West Bank population
registry;
Children (up to age 16) of resident Palestinians;
Business people, investors, and bearers of West Bank work permits;
Staff of foreign missions in the West Bank
Representatives of international organizations in the West Bank;
Lecturers and consultants; and
Humanitarian cases; and others.
According to the written policy, American citizens “may transit
to the West Bank via Israel after showing documents at the Ben Gurion
airport or Allenby Bridge [crossing between the West Bank and Jordan]
that confirm their status/position and the purpose of their visit,
subject to inspection and approval by a representative of the Coordinator
for Government Activities in the Territories.”
For extensions of visas of American citizens in the West Bank,
the Government of Israel’s policy states:
“The following categories may request to extend their visa
after the initial period for an additional period of up to one year
(and no longer than 27 months total):
Spouses of resident Palestinians registered in the West Bank population
registry
Children up to the age of 16 of resident Palestinians
Businesspersons/investors/bearers of a working permit for the West
Bank
Humanitarian cases and others
”In order to extend the visa, they must apply to the Palestinian
Population Registry in Ramallah. In special cases, they should turn
to the Population Registry of the Israeli Ministry of Interior in
Beit-El.
“The following categories may request an extension of their
visa after the initial period for an additional period of up to
6 months (and no longer than a total of 27 months):
Staff of foreign missions in the West Bank
Representatives of international organizations in the West Bank.
In order to extend the visa, they must apply to the Head of the
International Organization Department in the Israeli Civil Administration
at Beit El or to the Population Registry of the Israeli Ministry
of Interior.”
U.S. Citizens should note that these extensions are not automatic,
and, that applicants often face significant bureaucratic hurdles
to their application and that requests are often refused.
Finally, the Government of Israel policy notes:
“Foreign citizens whose passports were stamped recently with
the words "Last Permit" may nonetheless leave the West
Bank and submit a new visa request. .... However, the entry of individuals
into Israel and the West Bank remains subject to imperative considerations
of policy and security by the relevant authorities.”
U.S. citizens who have a Palestinian Authority ID number or whom
the Government of Israel considers to have residency status in the
West Bank or Gaza are advised to read very carefully the next section,
entitled “Palestinian Americans.”
Palestinian Americans: It is possible that an American citizen
born in the United States whose parents were born or lived in the
West Bank or Gaza would be considered a resident of the West Bank
or Gaza by Israeli authorities. Israeli authorities may consider
American citizens to be residents of the West Bank or Gaza if there
were born there, lived there, or have a Palestinian ID number.
The Government of Israel requires residents of the West Bank or
Gaza to present valid Palestinian Authority travel documents when
entering or leaving Israel. This requirement specifically applies
to American citizens considered by the Government of Israel to be
resident in the West Bank or Gaza, although in practice it often
applies to transient visitors as well. American citizens resident
in the West Bank or Gaza who arrive at any Israeli border point
without a Palestinian passport will usually be granted permission
to travel to the West Bank or Gaza to obtain one.
Individuals with a Palestinian Authority identity number, including
American citizens, are required to enter the West Bank through the
Allenby border crossing and Gaza through the Rafah border crossing
when it is operational. They are not permitted to enter Israel through
Ben Gurion International Airport unless they obtain in advance a
transit permit for that purpose which is rarely issued and can be
expensive and inconvenient. Permit applications must be submitted
at least three working days prior to departure, although Israeli
authorities may take considerably longer to render a decision. In
practice, except in humanitarian or special interest cases Israeli
authorities are unlikely to grant this permit. In the event a permit
is denied, individuals with a Palestinian Authority identity number,
including American citizens, must exit the West Bank via the crossing
at Allenby Bridge into Jordan and from Gaza via the Rafah crossing
into Egypt when it is operational. Specific questions may be addressed
to the nearest Israeli Embassy or Consulate or, within Israel, the
nearest office of the Ministry of the Interior. During periods of
heightened security restrictions, American citizens with residency
status in the West Bank or Gaza might not be allowed to enter or
exit Gaza or the West Bank at all, even with an American passport.
Israel-Jordan Crossings: International crossing points between
Israel and Jordan are the Arava crossing (Wadi al-'Arabah) in the
south, near Eilat, and the Jordan River crossing (Sheikh Hussein
Bridge) in the north, near Beit Shean. American citizens using these
two crossing points to enter either Israel or Jordan need not obtain
prior visas, but will have to pay the following fees:
Jordan River Crossing: Israeli exit fee of 68 NIS/US $15, Jordanian
entry fee 5 Jordanian dinars.
Arava crossing: exit fee of 68 NIS/US $15, entry fee of 5 Jordanian
dinars.
Visas should be obtained in advance for those wanting to cross
the Allenby Bridge between Jordan and the West Bank. (Note: The
Government of Israel requires that Palestinian Americans with residency
status in the West Bank enter Jordan via the Allenby Bridge). Procedures
for all three crossings into Jordan are subject to frequent changes.
Persons with residency status in the West Bank or Gaza seeking to
cross the Allenby Bridge from Jordan should contact the Jordanian
authorities for information concerning special clearance procedures
for Palestinian ID holders before traveling to the bridge. Visit
the Embassy of Israel web site at: http://www.israelemb.org for
the most current visa information." - US State Dept
For non-US Citizen requirements, please contact
us for updated information.
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