ETA-IL: Israel's electronic travel authorization explained

ETA-IL is for citizens of the countries whose nationals do not need a B/2 visa for Israel, such as EU states, the United States and Japan. It is checked against the passport you travel on, so a traveller with a second nationality must apply with the passport used for the trip. Children of any age need their own authorization.

Several groups do not apply: Israeli citizens and holders of an Israeli identity number, foreigners who hold a valid Israeli B/1, B/3, B/4, A/1, A/2, A/3, A/4 or A/5 visa, diplomats and holders of official and service passports, airline crew listed on the crew manifest, seamen with a seaman's book, and passengers who transit an Israeli airport without passing border control or whose flight makes an unscheduled stop.

Nationals of visa-required countries cannot use ETA-IL. The portal's country list shows which nationalities fall into that group; holders of those passports apply to an Israeli mission for a B/2 visa instead.

The authorization covers short stays: tourism, business, short non-academic study, volunteering, cultural visits and sports trials of up to 30 days, short assignments of foreign experts, journalism, transit, medical treatment and accompanying a patient, as well as Taglit Birthright and Masa programmes. Employment and academic or long-term study require the matching visa.

Your passport must be valid for at least three months from the date you arrive in Israel and must come from a visa-exempt country.

The fee is NIS 25 per application and is paid online with Visa, Mastercard or American Express. PIBA sends a payment receipt; if none arrives, the request was probably not made on the official site, whose address ends in gov.il. The fee is not refunded after you apply, including after a refusal.

PIBA confirms receipt by email and normally answers within 24 to 72 hours. An approved ETA-IL stays valid for up to two years or until the passport expires and can be used for several trips, each of up to 90 days. It does not let you stay in Israel for two years in total.

An ETA-IL lets you reach the border; the border control officer decides whether you may enter. Printing the approval is not required by PIBA, but carrying the confirmation number or a printout is advisable because airlines apply their own rules. To stay beyond the period granted at entry, apply to PIBA for an extension before it ends.