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
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.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1064.html.
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