Residence and stay extensions for foreigners in the West Bank

The General Directorate of Residencies and Foreigners Affairs has existed since the Palestinian Ministry of Interior was founded. It is made up of three departments: residencies, migration, and coordination and follow-up. Its remit is to grant residence to foreigners who wish to live in the West Bank, to regulate their entry, exit and residence there, and to keep statistics on migrants in the West Bank.

The permit itself depends on the Israeli side. COGAT's procedure for foreigners, which it calls the Procedure for Entry and Residence of Foreigners in the Judea and Samaria Area, states that under the Interim Agreement a foreigner needs a Palestinian visit permit authorised by the Israeli side, or, for citizens of states with diplomatic relations with Israel, a valid Israeli permit administered by COGAT. The December 2022 revision took effect on 20 October 2022 as a two-year pilot and was still the version published on the Israeli government portal in June 2026.

The latest available copy of the Palestinian service guide, archived in May 2024, lists JOD 20 in revenue stamps when the request is filed and a receipt of ILS 175 paid at the Cairo Amman Bank for the Israeli side before the file is sent, plus JOD 20 more when the extension is approved; nothing further is charged if it is refused. For a multiple-entry visa the guide lists JOD 40 in stamps, ILS 265 for the Israeli side and JOD 20 on approval. The current guide could not be reached, so confirm these amounts at your directorate.

As a rule a permit ends when the foreigner leaves through an international crossing, and a new one is needed to come back. Holders of permits for specific purposes, such as work, study or spousal permits, may ask COGAT's centre for inquiries from foreigners for a multi-use permit at least 45 days before arrival; it carries a fee, covers the Allenby Bridge crossing only, and entry through Ben Gurion Airport needs a separate advance application approved only in exceptional cases.

Staying after the permit expires, breaking its conditions or using it for another purpose is forbidden. A passport stamped LAST PERMIT means the holder must leave and apply again from outside. A foreigner who wants a different purpose may stay while the request is decided, but only until the current permit expires.

The Palestinian service guide lists a residence extension service for foreigners and for visitors without a Palestinian identity number whose residence has expired. The request is filled in by a licensed petition writer in English and Hebrew, signed in person before the reception officer of the directorate where the visitor lives, checked and stamped, and sent to the residencies department at the ministry, which forwards it to the Israeli side. When it comes back, the directorate archives the decision and returns the passport to the visitor.

COGAT's procedure says extension applications go through the representative of the Palestinian Population Registry in Ramallah to the Civil Administration's Population Registry Unit at least two weeks before the permit expires, with the passport attached. Each request is judged on its merits, including the need for the extension, earlier stays and lateness. Visit permits can be extended for exceptional reasons by at most three months, an extension beyond 180 days needs approval from the authorised COGAT official, and no permit may exceed 27 months.

The Palestinian Ministry of Interior is located in the Al-Masyoun district, opposite the Council of Ministers. Public service centre: 138. Telephone +970 2 294 6540, fax +970 2 294 6542, email info@moi.pna.ps. The service guide gives the same telephone number for residence extension questions.