Visitors to Israel face a new headache from Jan. 1: Applying for a travel permit
Foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries seeking to visit Israel, including those from the US and European Union, will have to apply for a travel permit and pay a $6.80 fee
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel.
Most foreign airlines have suspended their services to and from Israel and airfares for available fights have surged amid the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group and rising geopolitical tensions. Now, Israel is pressing ahead with new entry travel regulations, putting another burden on foreign nationals seeking to visit despite the war.
As of Jan. 1, foreign travelers from the US, European Union member countries, and dozens of other visa-exempt countries must apply online for digital authorization before their journey as a requirement to enter Israel. Previously, visitors from visa-exempt countries such as the UK, US, and EU member states have been able to visit the country without authorization.
“We don’t think it’s wise to introduce any bureaucratic burden in our war situation when coming to Israel is not something that people are considering easily,” Yossi Fatael, director general of the Israel Inbound Tour Operators Association, told The Times of Israel. “Right now, we need to be as open as we can for those who are interested in visiting Israel.”
“While we understand that it is a procedure many countries are introducing, it should not be implemented right now in Israel,” Fatael added.
Fatael had hoped that the government would postpone the introduction of the electronic travel authorization by at least six months or even a year as incoming tourism has plunged by 80 percent since the brutal onslaught by Hamas terrorists on October 7 last year that led to the outbreak of war.
The electronic travel authorization, called ETA-IL, costs NIS 25 ($6.80) and applies to business, tourist, or leisure travelers wishing to stay in the country for up to 90 days. Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority advises that travel authorization applications be submitted at least 72 hours before booking flight tickets, hotel rooms, and other similar expenses related to planned travel to Israel.
Once the application form is filled out online with information about identity, length of stay, and reason for travel, a reply is sent via email within 24 to 72 hours. The electronic authorization is valid for travel on multiple trips to and from Israel within a period of two years or until the traveler’s passport expires. Obtaining a new passport or a name or gender change will require an application for a new travel authorization.
“We are dealing especially with organized tours and pilgrims, and sometimes there are old people among them who are not familiar with going into the internet and filling out a form and some don’t even have a credit card,” said Fatael. “Israel needs the incoming tourism not only from the economic point of view, but also these people will be the ones that will speak differently about us when they return home to improve our reputation.”
The Population and Immigration Authority cautioned that a valid ETA-IL travel authorization does not automatically grant visitors the right to enter Israel. All travelers arriving at Ben Gurion Airport are subject to border control checks.
Exempt from the ETA-IL requirement are travel and official representatives, including air crew members; diplomats and passengers with official and service passports; foreign citizens who have a valid Israeli visa; and Israeli citizens or permanent residents holding a valid Israeli ID number.
Israel is joining a host of other Western nations requiring an advance online application and a fee for citizens from visa-exempt countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia.
The ETA-IL requirement is similar to other procedures that have been put in place in recent years in Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand. For example ETA-IL is equivalent to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in the US that visitors from visa waiver program countries must obtain before traveling to the US. The goal of the requirement is to screen out travelers suspected of posing a security threat, and improving immigration control and service before they land at ports of entry.
Agencies contributed to this report.
