State of Israel
Area: 20,770 sq km
Population: 7,282,000
Population density: 324 per sq km
Capital: Tel Aviv
(Although Israel has named Jerusalem its capital, the
United Nations and most countries do not recognise it as Israel's capital; taking the position that the final status of Jerusalem is pending future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. source:
wikipedia)
Passport & Visa
| Passport
Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other
EU |
Yes |
| Visa
Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
Passports
Passport valid for a minimum
of six months from date of entry required by
all nationals referred to in the chart above.
Passport Note
(a) Former
nationals of Israel holding a foreign passport
must have written proof of having given up Israeli
identity, otherwise they may be required to obtain
a new Israeli passport or renew their original
one.
(b) Tourists continuing to Arab countries excluding
Egypt and Jordan are recommended to request that
an Israeli stamp does not appear in their passport.
As of July 2008, foreign passports no longer require
entry stamps. Instead, tourists should fill out
form 17L, which shall be stamped by passport control
upon entry/exit. The form 17L will not be collected
upon exit as it is necessary for the collection
of tax refunds and proof of legal entry.
Visas
Not required
by all nationals referred to in the chart above
for stays of up to three months.Instead there is a departure tax of 101 NIS.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the
chart above are advised to contact the embassy
to check visa requirements. Nationals
are advised to contact the embassy to check visa
requirements if staying for longer than three
months or if travelling for business purposes.
Applications to: Consulate
(or consular section at embassy).
Working Days Required:
Approximately
two weeks. Some visas will require authorisation
from Israel and so it is advisable to contact
the embassy before booking travel tickets.
Getting there
By Air
The privatised national airline
is El Al Israel Airlines (LY) (
www.elal.co.il
).
Approximate Flight Times
From London to Tel Aviv is 4 hours 30 minutes and to Eilat
is 5 hours. From New York to
Tel Aviv 11 hours.
Main Airports
Tel
Aviv (TLV)(Ben
Gurion International) is 20km (12 miles)
southeast of the city. To/from the airport: There are bus services from the airport to Tel
Aviv, Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva and other smaller
towns. The airport has a train station located
on level five with services into Tel Aviv. There
is also a taxi service (journey time - 20 minutes).
A shared sherut (taxi service) is available,
charging a fixed rate per passenger. The El
Al airline bus goes to the airport terminal
in Tel Aviv. Departure depends on El Al flights.
The best way to travel to Jerusalem, which is
50km (31 miles) away, is by sherut. Facilities: Banks, restaurants, duty-free shops, general
shops, tourist information, car hire desks and
VIP lounge.
Eilat Central Airport (ETH) is
in the centre of the city. To/from the
airport: Buses, taxis and limousines
are available to the hotel strip and elsewhere
in town (journey time - 5 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shop, light refreshments, a souvenir
shop and car hire.
Departure Tax
Included in the ticket price.
By Water
Main
ports: Ashdod and Haifa.
Foreign craft sailing to Israel may use these
ports of entry as well as Eilat and
the marinas of Ashkelon, Herzliya and Tel Aviv.
There are regular sailings of car/passenger ferries from Haifa to Limassol in Cyprus. The ferry is
operated by Rosenfeld Shipping (www.rosenfeld.net).
Many cruise ships also dock at
Israel for excursions to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
By Road
Road access
to surrounding countries are limited. To Egypt the main crossing
is at Eilat / Taba (open 24 hours). A NIS 101 departure tax is charged
at the border when leaving Israel.
To the east, there are many crossing points to
and from the Palestinian-controlled West Bank,
which it is also possible to enter from Jordan
via the Allenby Bridge near Jericho, about 40km
(25 miles) from Jerusalem. The Allenby Bridge
border is closed at night. EGGED buses
and taxi services are also available to the bridge
from Jerusalem.
It is also possible to travel in and out of Jordan
without entering the West Bank. The Yitzhak Rabin
(formerly called Arava) Checkpoint crossing to
and from Jordan is situated 4km (3 miles) north
of Eilat; closed at night. The Jordan River Crossing
(Sheikh Hussein Bridge) to and from Jordan is
near Beit She'an, in the north of Israel; closed
at night. Transfer of bus or taxi passengers between
the Israeli and Jordanian checkpoints is carried
out by shuttle service. Transfers on foot are
not permitted.
There is no road access between Israel and Syria
or Lebanon. Travellers should note that both Syria
and Lebanon refuse entry to travellers who have
evidence of a visit to Israel in their passport.
Evidence can include an Israeli visa, Israeli
border stamps or any visa purchased in Israel. It can also include Jordanian or Egyptian border
stamps that indicate the traveller crossed to/from
Israel. Border authorities will stamp separate
slips of paper upon request.
Jordanian visas can be obtained at the Yitzhak
Rabin and Jordan River border crossings, but not
at the Allenby Bridge border crossing. Travellers
crossing Allenby Bridge must arrange their visas
in advance, either through a tour operator or
in person at a Jordanian embassy or consulate.
Officially, mobile telephones are not allowed
on buses crossing any border.
Israel Travel Map
