Israel
Israel is a Middle Eastern country with profound religious significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, offering ancient historical sites, Mediterranean beaches, desert landscapes, and modern cities. Jerusalem, a city holy to three religions, features the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Dome of the Rock. Tel Aviv offers vibrant nightlife, beaches, and Bauhaus architecture. Visitors are drawn to Jerusalem's Old City and religious sites, Tel Aviv's beaches and culture, Dead Sea (lowest point on Earth), Masada fortress, Sea of Galilee, Negev Desert, Haifa's Bahá'í Gardens, Eilat's Red Sea diving, and diverse cuisine. Israel combines ancient heritage with modern innovation, offering unique experiences despite complex geopolitical situation.
Visa Requirements for Israel
Israel allows visa-free entry for citizens of many countries including the United States, Canada, all EU countries, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand for tourism stays up to 90 days — but since January 2025 every visa-exempt traveler must obtain an ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) through the official Israeli government portal before boarding: a short online application with a small fee (NIS 25), normally approved within hours and valid for up to two years; apply at least 72 hours before travel. Upon arrival, visitors receive an entry stamp on a separate paper slip (not in passport) to avoid complications when traveling to countries that don't recognize Israel. Border security is thorough with detailed questioning common. Citizens of most Arab and Muslim-majority countries face restrictions or outright bans. A visit to Israel (even with only the paper slip, not a passport stamp) can prevent entry to several countries in the region — Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Kuwait among them — so travellers planning a wider regional trip should think about the order of countries visited, not just the absence of a stamp. Extensions beyond 90 days require application to Israeli Population and Immigration Authority. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
Visa types
Mandatory pre-travel authorization for ALL visa-exempt nationalities since January 2025 — without an approved ETA-IL (or a visa), boarding and entry are denied. Apply online through the official Israeli government portal.
Guides
Israel is a small country — the size of New Jersey or Wales — that contains an extraordinary concentration of history, landscape, and culture. Jerusalem is holy to three of the world's major religions simultaneously: the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock sit within minutes of each other in the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where four distinct quarters (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Armenian) have coexisted for centuries. Tel Aviv is the direct opposite: a modern, secular, beach-fronted Mediterranean city with world-class restaurants, a UNESCO-listed Bauhaus district (the White City), and one of the most vibrant nightlife scenes in the Middle East. Between these two poles: the Dead Sea (the lowest point on Earth, 430m below sea level), the fortress of Masada perched on a desert mesa above it, the Sea of Galilee and the Galilee region significant for early Christianity, the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa (UNESCO), the desert landscape of the Negev with its ancient Nabataean spice-trade cities, and Eilat's Red Sea coral reefs. Israel requires honest preparation: entry security is thorough, arrival involves detailed questioning, and entry marks on the paper slip (Israel does not stamp passports) can complicate onward travel to some other Middle Eastern countries. The security situation in the region warrants checking current advisories before departure. For travellers who prepare properly, Israel is one of the most genuinely intense and memorable destinations anywhere.
Israel travel guide →
The full guide — the immigrant-kitchen food story, the Shabbat gap and the week planned around it.
Money in Israel →
Shekels, cards almost everywhere and Old City cash — the practical money guide.
Eating in Israel →
A cuisine built from immigrant kitchens, shared Levantine dishes claimed by no single one, and the shuk as the real food culture.
Getting around Israel →
Trains and buses that cover the country, the weekly Shabbat gap in the network and the West Bank crossing explained.
Health & safety in Israel →
Airport screening as designed thoroughness, what actually closes for Sabbath, and staying current rather than static.
Cities & planning
Regions
Embassies & missions
Frequently asked questions
Citizens of the US, UK, EU countries, Canada, Australia and many others don't need a visa for stays up to 90 days — but since January 2025 every visa-exempt traveler DOES need an ETA-IL, the mandatory electronic travel authorization: a short online application on the official Israeli government portal (NIS 25, normally approved within hours, valid up to two years). Apply at least 72 hours before your flight — airlines deny boarding without it. Nationalities outside the exempt list apply for a visa through an Israeli embassy.
Israel doesn't stamp passports — you receive a paper entry card instead, which you keep for your whole stay and it's checked at exit. The caveat: several countries in the region (Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Kuwait) refuse entry to travelers with evidence of an Israel visit, and border officers can look beyond stamps — think about the ORDER of trips in the region, not just the stamps.
Thorough, methodical and normal — expect detailed questions at Ben Gurion about your itinerary, contacts in Israel and previous travel in the region, both on arrival and (more intensively) at departure. Answer clearly and honestly, allow a full three hours for departure, and treat the process as routine: it's professional screening, not an accusation.
Planning a trip to Israel? Check what you need to enter and apply online in minutes.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.