Israel is one of our absolute favorite countries. We experienced a fantastic country with many adventures and highlights. Be it the trip Red Canyon near Eilat, the endless Negev Desert, or bathing in the Dead Sea. Israel is diverse and offers the perfect mix of culture, tradition, nature, history, and modernity. Before you plan your round trip through Israel, you should read our important information on the topic of “Entering Israel“. In the following article, you will learn everything about entry, surveys, and travel warnings.

What else you should know:

  • What else you should know:
  • Entry into Israel & Visa
  • Entry & Exit Card
  • Airport Interviews
  • Customs Regulations
  • Health Regulations
  • Travel Warnings for Israel
  • Consulates and Embassies

Entry into Israel & Visa

You don’t really need to worry about anything before your trip. As a German citizen, you only need a valid passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your departure. Children under 12 years of age require their own child’s passport. You do not need a visa to enter Israel if you do not intend to stay in the country for longer than three months.

Passports are generally not stamped. You will receive an entry and exit card. More on this later. Important for you: You may or may not receive final entry permission at the border crossings and at the airport. This is decided by the officials on site. In most cases, however, there are no problems entering Israel.

Entry & Exit Card

Upon entering Israel, you will receive your entry card (blue slip). You should keep this safe, as you will need it again upon your departure. Upon leaving, you will receive an exit card (red slip). Your entry and exit are recorded electronically by the Israeli authorities.

Entry-Israel-Entry-Card-Exit-Card

Interviews at the Airport

Entry into Israel

Let’s get to the most important part of the entry process: the interviews. Be sure to allow enough time for entry and exit. We stood at the immigration counter for at least half an hour and were bombarded with questions. I had just received my new passport without any stamps. Marco, on the other hand, had to show his almost full passport, with stamps from Malaysia, Dubai, Indonesia and many other countries.

  • Why are we traveling to Israel?
  • How long do we want to stay? (including checking the return flight ticket)
  • Which places in Israel do we want to visit?
  • Where are we staying?
  • Do we have friends/acquaintances in Israel?
  • Did we pack our own suitcases?
  • Should we bring anything for someone?
  • Was the luggage unattended at any time?
  • Do we have weapons or objects that could be used as such?
  • What do we do for a living?
  • What religions do our parents have?
  • How much money do we earn?
  • and so on…

We must emphasize at this point, however, that these interviews are for security reasons. Be prepared for these questions and, above all, have your booking confirmations for accommodation and return flights handy. A security interview lasting several hours, which could lead to refusal of entry, is apparently quite possible without any information from the Greens. If it comes to that, the German Embassy unfortunately has no way of providing support. You will then have no choice but to fly home.

Exiting Israel

We were questioned again upon departure. These interviews can be very time-consuming, so be sure to allow enough time before your departure (at least an extra hour). We were asked several times whether we had packed our backpacks ourselves and whether our laptops were always with us and never in the hands of strangers. Afterwards, my laptop was taken out again. They asked me again where I got it, who my boss was, and why I was in the country. The officials in Eilat were very friendly, though.

Important for you: It is common practice for laptops, in particular, to be confiscated by the Israeli security authorities. A few days later, they will send it to you. Suitcases may also be opened without your presence.

Customs Regulations

If you wish to bring more than €19,000 (80,000 shekels) into Israel, you must declare this to customs in Israel using Form 84. Also duty-free are 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco products, 1 liter of alcohol, and 2 liters of wine. You may also bring 250 milliliters of perfume. Gifts up to a value of US$150 may be brought into the country. Generally, however, there are no problems bringing your personal belongings, such as cameras, laptops, and jewelry, into Israel.

Weapons, drugs, and anti-Semitic propaganda will be confiscated. You can expect heavy fines here. If you need prescription medication for your trip, you must carry a medical certificate in English. The import of raw meat, fresh milk, bananas, pineapples, and African fruits and vegetables is also prohibited.

Health Regulations

Generally, you don’t need any specific vaccinations to enter Israel. However, if you are coming from a yellow fever area, you must present an official vaccination certificate. You should definitely check the Robert Koch Institute’s vaccination calendar and get standard vaccinations updated if necessary. You should be “protected against whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, influenza, and pneumococcus” (Source: Federal Foreign Office).

For longer stays, vaccination against hepatitis B and rabies is also recommended. A rabies vaccination is particularly advisable for hikes and excursions into rural areas. Stray animals can always roam there. We didn’t have any special vaccinations before the trip. All our standard vaccinations were up to date and didn’t need to be updated.

In Israel, you can drink the tap water, but it sometimes has a slightly chlorine taste. Especially on hot days, you should drink plenty and avoid dehydration. As always, you should wash fruit and vegetables before eating them. Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks are very rare in Israel.

Medical care in Israel is of Western standard. You’ll find good to very good facilities, especially in the major cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem. We strongly recommend international health insurance. This only costs around €10 and protects you when traveling abroad. Anything can happen at any time, and your health should always be your top priority.

Travel Warnings Israel

Israel is a safe country for tourists. We have already written a detailed report on this topic: “Safety in Israel“. Due to the unrest in the country, you should always closely monitor the situation. You should avoid large crowds. When using public transportation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, you should always exercise caution.

Travel to the Gaza Strip is warned against. Severe attacks are taking place there, resulting in many deaths and injuries. You should also avoid the border areas with Syria and Lebanon at all costs. Attacks from the Israeli-Egyptian border cannot be ruled out either. Clashes can always occur on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, for example, on Muslim and Jewish holidays. A visit the Old City in Jerusalem is not a problem.

We must not forget that Israel remains a declared target of Islamist terrorist groups. Incidents with a terrorist background have, however, decreased in recent years. However, there is still no concrete evidence of any danger to foreigners. In the last 60 years, nothing has probably ever happened to a tourist. We felt very safe and comfortable in the country. However, always inquire about the current situation on site.

Consulates and Embassies

  • Berlin: Embassy of Israel
  • Munich: Consulate General of the State of Israel