Tourist entry to the West Bank: visas, crossings and fees

A foreign visitor does not apply for a Palestinian visa. The official Palestinian and Israeli pages consulted for this guide do not describe any Palestinian entry visa issued at a crossing, and all routes open to foreigners pass through Israeli border control. In Israeli official usage the West Bank is called the Judea and Samaria Area, a term you will see on Israeli forms and notices.

The Allenby / King Hussein Bridge, about 5 km east of Jericho, is the crossing between the West Bank and Jordan. The Israel Airports Authority operates the Israeli terminal and describes it as serving mainly the Palestinian population of the West Bank and tourists of various nationalities; Israeli citizens may not cross there. PIBA has an entry duty officer at the terminal, and the District Coordination and Liaison office handles contacts with the Palestinian Authority's representatives.

The Palestinian Ministry of Interior's General Directorate of Residencies and Foreigners Affairs deals with foreigners who want to live in the West Bank. It is not the authority that admits short-term visitors at the border.

PIBA requires every traveller to Israel to hold either a valid visa or an approved ETA-IL before the journey begins. ETA-IL is open only to citizens of countries exempt from the B/2 visa. It covers short stays such as tourism, business, short non-academic study, volunteering, medical treatment and transit, but not work.

Citizens of countries on PIBA's visa-required list apply for a B/2 visitor visa at an Israeli mission; the country data on the ETA-IL portal show whether your passport is in that group. The B/2 visa covers visits, touring, medical tourism, business and short non-academic study. An online eVisa-B2 exists only as a pilot for Indian and Sri Lankan nationals living in those countries.

Each Israeli mission publishes its own B/2 checklist, so follow the one where you apply. A published example from an Israeli embassy lists a travel document valid at least three months beyond the visa period, a bank statement covering at least three months, confirmation from your employer, your address in Israel during the stay, a return ticket (not needed at submission), insurance for the whole stay and two recent 5 x 5 cm colour photos on a white background, together with the signed application form.

To leave through the Allenby terminal towards Jordan, the Israel Airports Authority asks for a passport valid at least six months and a Jordanian entry visa. Drivers need an international driving licence, a vehicle registration in their name or a notarised power of attorney, and an English translation of the registration.

ETA-IL costs NIS 25 per application, paid online by card, and is not refunded once you apply. The B/2 consular fee is set in the fee table of the Israeli mission where you apply.

Every traveller leaving through the Allenby terminal pays a passage fee under the Israel Airports Authority's 1994 regulations on fees at land border terminals. The rates are in shekels, linked to the consumer price index and updated each 1 January; the current table applies from 15 April 2026. You can pay at any Israel Postal Bank branch without commission, at the terminal's financial operator for an extra NIS 7, or online by credit card. Children under two are among the exempt groups.

On the Jordanian side, the Jordan Tourism Board lists a departure tax of JOD 10 at land crossings when you leave Jordan. Since December 2025 declarations for bringing money into or out of the Judea and Samaria Area at Allenby are made digitally under the updated Order No. 973.

Jordan does not issue visas at the King Hussein Bridge, so a Jordanian visa must be in your passport before you reach it. Private cars and tour buses cannot cross; travellers change vehicles between the two terminals.

The Israeli passenger terminal currently opens Sunday to Thursday from 08:00 to 18:30 and on Friday from 08:00 to 15:30, and is closed on Saturday, Yom Kippur and the first day of Eid al-Adha. Arrive at least three hours before the published closing time. The Jordanian side publishes its own, different hours, so check both. Tourists use their own entry and exit halls. Groups of more than six travellers, and pick-ups of individual passengers, are coordinated with the terminal in advance.

PIBA answers most ETA-IL applications within 24 to 72 hours and recommends applying at least 72 hours before you book flights or hotels. For a B/2 visa, PIBA advises applying within the 30 days before arrival; the Israeli mission sets its own appointment times, and the application is made in person.

Neither ETA-IL nor a B/2 visa guarantees entry. Both let you reach the crossing, where an Israeli border control officer decides whether to admit you. To stay longer than the period granted at entry, PIBA expects an extension request under its procedures before that period ends. A foreigner who intends to live in the West Bank turns to the Palestinian Ministry of Interior's residency directorate.

The procedures on this page concern the West Bank. The official sources consulted do not describe how foreign visitors may enter Gaza.

Allenby terminal information and permit coordination: +972 2 548 2655, AllenbyIn@iaa.gov.il; tourist groups: allenby-info@iaa.gov.il. PIBA entry duty officer at the terminal: +972 74 708 5529. ETA-IL questions: eta@piba.gov.il. Palestinian Ministry of Interior: public service centre 138, +970 2 294 6540, info@moi.pna.ps.