Visiting Israel: Gaining Entry

As with any international travel, you will need to have your valid passport when entering Israel. However, your passport must be good for at least nine months from the date you enter the country. A tourist visa is also necessary, but they are available for free upon entering the country through Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat International Airport to those traveling from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This visa is good for three months and can be renewed for an additional three months if necessary.

One thing that you do need to be wary of is having your western passport stamped with the Israeli visa stamp. If you are planning on traveling to many of the Islamic countries in the region, you do not want to have an Israeli stamp in your passport. Because of the unstable political situations that exist between Israel and many Arab countries, you may encounter some problems when traveling within these other countries if your passport has this Israeli stamp in it. So, rather than having your passport stamp, ask the passport control officer to place it on a separate piece of paper and staple it to a passport page. This is a common request and will most likely be allowed.

When you arrive in the country and exchange your money for shekels, make sure you do so at an approved bank, exchange counter, hotel, or ATM machine. Scam artists will often try to pass off old shekels, which have absolutely no value to them, to unsuspecting tourists. They look very similar to the new notes, so make sure you look for the words “New Shekels” clearly printed on the current money being used in Israel.