can i visit israel after lebanon

• How to Travel from Israel to Lebanon (and Vice Versa)
• Sailing Turkey’s Turquoise Coast
• Turkey – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
• 8 Reasons Why You Must Travel to Turkey
• 18 Pictures That Will Make You Want to Travel to Turkey
• Pamukkale- Turkey’s Cotton Castle
• Ephesus – Turkey’s Ancient City
• 35 Things to See and Do in Istanbul
• Olympos- Treehouses, Ancient Ruins and Beaches in Turkey
• Cappadocia – Turkey’s Magical Land of Fairy Chimneys
• I was in Lebanon During the 2019 Revolution and It Was an Amazing Experience
• Middle East and North Africa – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
• Palestine (The West Bank) – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Israel, Palestine and Lebanon are popular countries to travel in the Middle East, and they’re all conveniently located beside each other; HOWEVER, if you plan on traveling to these countries, you need to know that even though they’re all neighbours, they DO NOT get along. What this means is that you have to be informed about their policies and be very strategic about how to go about getting from one to the other. For example, if Lebanese customs finds out that you were in Israel or Palestine, you will be banned from Lebanon (but, luckily, Israel doesn’t stamp passports anymore).

I traveled to Israel, the West Bank in Palestine and Jordan in 2015, and in 2019 I went back to Israel and Palestine, and then Lebanon. I chose to travel from Israel to Lebanon because it seemed like it would be the easier and smoother option.

So in which order should you visit- Israel then Lebanon? Or Lebanon then Israel?  Here is everything you need to know:

TRAVEL FROM LEBANON TO ISRAEL

Firstly, everyone who travels to Israel gets interrogated about why they’re visiting Israel and what their intentions are.

If you have passport stamps from any Arab or other Islamic countries (like Malaysia or Indonesia), you will be interrogated further.

If you have passport stamps from Arab/Islamic countries like Lebanon or Iran (ie. countries who do not recognize Israel and deny entry to Israelis), you will be interrogated more heavily and potentially detained.

My Portuguese friend visited Israel after Lebanon and Iran and was detained for 5 hours upon arrival in Israel.

Israel’s rules are not definitive like they are in Lebanon, but it is still possible to get banned from Israel (and therefore Palestine also). I have an American friend who got banned from Israel for 10 years because he was honest and said he was going to work and study at Birzeit University in Ramallah, in the West Bank. He had been to the West Bank a few times before and had always been honest about his plans with Israeli customs, but apparently his luck ran out.

Israeli security may interrogate you when you leave Israel also because security is just as tight upon departure.

For more information on how to travel to the West Bank in Palestine and what to expect, see here .

TRAVEL FROM ISRAEL TO LEBANON

If you travel to Lebanon after Israel and if Lebanon finds out you were in Israel, you will be denied entry into Lebanon. Luckily, this is easily avoidable because Israel does NOT stamp your passport (unless you need a visa to work or study in Israel, in which case you’ll never go to Lebanon with that passport) and Lebanese customs ask very few questions, if any at all, so it’s not as scary as it sounds. However…

If you’ve traveled to Jordan to/from Israel by land, Lebanese customs will know you were in Israel from your Jordan stamp .  I traveled to Israel, Palestine and Jordan in 2015, so I had to wait until I got a new passport in order to visit Lebanon because I had these Jordan stamps in my old passport. 

However, I met a German girl who had the same Jordan stamp in her passport and the Lebanese customs lady acknowledged it, but chose to ignore it.  So it really depends on who you get at Lebanese customs and how they feel that day, but it’s not worth the risk because that was definitely the exception, not the rule.  My Lebanese customs man didn’t say a word to me; he just looked through all the pages in my passport, stamped it, scowled at me and shooed me away.  And I couldn’t have been happier.

NEED TO KNOW

You must travel to a neutral place in between Lebanon and Israel because even though they are neighbouring countries, there are no buses or direct flights between the two. Cyprus is a popular buffer at only a 1 hour flight from Tel Aviv (to Larnaca) and a 45 minute flight from Beirut (also to Larnaca). I have a friend who only had a short layover in Cyprus in between Tel Aviv and Beirut and Israeli customs asked about his plans and accommodation in Cyprus. However, I stayed in Cyprus for 2 days, but Israeli customs didn’t ask me anything about my plans for Cyprus, so it depends on who you get and what kind of mood they’re in that day. But it’s a good idea to be prepared with a hostel/hotel name in Cyprus just in case.

You can also go to Jordan in between Israel and Lebanon, but NOT by land (see above).

WHAT’S THE ISSUE BETWEEN LEBANON AND PALESTINE?

I asked this question- Isn’t Lebanon cool with Palestine? They’re Arab and predominantly muslim also, and usually these nations stick together. I asked a few locals in Lebanon for clarification- The answer is “not necessarily”, but it also depends on who you ask.

The Palestinian refugees are not treated well in Lebanon; they are not given passports or the right to work in Lebanon because the government doesn’t want them to take away jobs from the Lebanese. So what are hundreds of thousands of Palestinians supposed to do to survive in a country where they can’t work and also can’t afford to leave? Live in poverty and sometimes resort to crime. Realistically, what is the other option?

In addition, when the Palestinian refugees came to Lebanon, the ratio of Muslims to Christians increased greatly, and there was, and still are, major tensions between these two religious groups. Consequently, I was told that some Lebanese Christians blame the Palestinians for the civil war in Lebanon from 1975-1990. The Palestinians just can’t catch a break.

You can visit Israel and Lebanon in whichever order you prefer, but traveling to Israel first will go much more smoothly.  This way you avoid further interrogation and potential detainment from Israeli customs by not having a Lebanese stamp in your passport.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVELING THE WEST BANK AND THE MIDDLE EAST

What You Need To Know Before You Go to The West Bank in Palestine

I Was In Lebanon During the Revolution And Had A Great Time

What To Know Before You Travel To The Middle East

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Before You Go: What to Know About Entering and Exiting Israel

After a recent TPG trip to Israel , many readers messaged us with questions about visiting the country. There were, of course, questions about hotels, flights, attractions and food. But a majority of the queries had to do with the logistics of flying into and out of the nation.

Many travelers aren't sure if they're even able to enter Israel, and are concerned about passport stamps, visas and airport security. Here, we'll detail some of the most important things you need to know about entering and exiting Israel.

While these tips are specifically for US passport holders, most of the information can be applied to travelers holding Canadian, British or other European passports. And of course, it's important to remember that, just because something is supposed to happen when entering and exiting Israel, personal experiences can vary, and regulations often change without notice. Feel free to share your own tips for traveling to Israel or sound off on your personal experiences in the comments below.

Have a Passport Valid for at Least Six Months

While US passport holders technically have no minimum validity requirement when entering Israel, your passport must be valid for the entirety of your stay. It's highly recommended, though, to have a passport that's valid for six months or more , or your airline may deny you boarding even though the nation of Israel may not deny your entry. If you're concerned, or are cutting it close, the best thing to do is renew your passport. If it's too late for that, call the airline you're flying to confirm if you'll be allowed to board.

Keep Track of Your Entry Card

US passport holders are allowed to stay in Israel for 90 days with a free tourist visa, and it's possible, in some circumstances, to extend this. Although it's technically a tourist visa, visitors from the US don't have to worry about obtaining or showing any paperwork, or making any payment, either beforehand or upon arrival to obtain the visa. (Nowadays, it's largely referred to as the entry card.) The entry card — a small piece of paper in lieu of a stamp — shows information such as the date you arrived, a small photo of yourself and the date when your 90 days in Israel are up.

Don't lose or misplace your entry card . While you may or may not be asked to present it when exiting the country, showing the card at hotels and car rental companies is important, because it will exclude you from paying the VAT tax of 17%. I was personally also asked to show it at a random road border checkpoint near the Dead Sea, so it's a good idea to always have it (and your passport) on hand. You will also get another small slip of paper when you leave, your exit card.

Don't Worry About the Stamp

When you arrive at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv (TLV), your passport should not be stamped. Israel has stopped stamping passports in almost all cases. But, some TPG readers have had their passports stamped during land crossings. Entering both Jordan and Egypt from Israel is permitted and you can do so by land crossing directly from Israel. (For more information on land crossings and possible stamps there, read the land-crossing section below.)

If you already have an Israeli stamp in your passport (the country stopped stamping fairly recently), don't panic. You can try to get a second passport , or just be careful about which countries you enter. Lebanon is one of the strictest countries, denying entrance to anyone with an Israeli stamp in their passport.

Other countries you should avoid entering if you have an Israeli stamp are Syria, Sudan, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Although you will be allowed to enter Muslim-majority countries such as Morocco, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates or Indonesia with the stamp, still be careful. Any interactions with police in a Muslim-majority country, in cases where you have to show your passport with Israeli stamp, could subject you to additional questioning.

Of course, this isn't a science, and some travelers may experience more (or less) questioning or similar issues at border checks when entering and exiting these countries.

It's important to know that when entering Israel, it's OK if you have stamps from Middle Eastern countries. While this may trigger a lot of security questions (see the section on security below), you'll still be allowed to enter and exit the country. Holders of Iranian visas in their passports should expect a lot of added questioning and thorough security checks, but should still ultimately be granted entry.

Get Standard Vaccines

US travelers aren't required to have any specific vaccines when visiting Israel, though having the measles and Hepatitis A vaccines is, as usual, recommended before travel.

Navigating the Land Crossings

It is possible to cross the Israeli border into either Jordan or Egypt — but not to Syria or Lebanon. While an Israeli officer shouldn't stamp your passport upon exiting or entering, we have heard reports of select TPG readers having their documents stamped at land crossings. So, you can simply ask the Israeli border control officer not to stamp your passport and, hopefully, they won't.

You must be careful, however, because the border control agents in Jordan or Egypt will stamp your passport upon entry and exit. The stamp is slightly different than the one you'd get by flying to the Amman (AMM) or Cairo International (CAI) airports, usually showing the name of the land crossing.

Extra scrutiny from a border agent in another country such as Lebanon may notice these entry or exit stamps from Egypt or Jordan and realize you entered by land -- making it clear you'd been to Israel. An easy way around this is to simply ask the land agents in Jordan or Egypt not to stamp your passport when entering or exiting. As I mentioned above, if you do end up with an Israeli (or Jordanian or Egyptian land crossing) stamp, all is not lost. You can apply for a second passport if you then later plan to visit a country such as Lebanon.

If you plan to visit Jordan or Egypt by way of land crossing, you may need a visa, or to pay an entry or exit fee -- and this may be different than the requirements for arriving by air. Fees also depend on the specific border crossing. We have heard reports from a few TPG readers that they were able to pay with a credit card at some of the border crossings. You can always attempt to pay with credit card first, but have cash on hand just in case (and in various currencies, if possible). Some land crossings do have money exchanges nearby in case you're stuck.

You can get a visa upon arrival at two (Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba crossing in the south, near Eilat; and the Jordan River crossing/Sheikh Hussein Bridge in the north, near Beit She'an) out of the three border crossings into Jordan from Israel (except the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge), according to the Jordan International Border Crossing information page. Visa fees (often subject to change) are 40 Jordanian dinars (a little over $56) for a single entry, valid for one month. When departing Jordan, expect to pay 8 dinars ($11) at any border crossings except the airports. The US Department of State explains that, "US passport holders must obtain Jordanian visas in advance to enter Jordan via the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge near Jericho. For US passport holders entering Israel via Jordan at Allenby/King Hussein Bridge [the third international crossing point between Israel and Jordan], Israeli authorities issue visas on arrival. Procedures for all three crossings into Jordan are subject to frequent changes. "

Visitors heading to Egypt by way of Israel at the Taba Border Crossing must obtain a visa in advance from the Egyptian Embassy in their home country or at the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate in Tel Aviv. The exception is if you're only planning to visit Sinai, in which case "Sinai Only" visas are issued in the moment at the Taba Crossing.

Visiting Bethlehem

US citizens with a valid 90-day tourist entry card (the small blue piece of paper I previously encouraged you not to lose) can visit Bethlehem, which is just a few miles from Jerusalem. Bring your passport along with the small entry card, though you may or may not have to show it at the border. It's best to have at least six months or more validity on your passport if you plan to go to Bethlehem, too.

Airlines Flying to Israel

Not all airlines fly to Israel. Many countries don't even recognize the country, so don't expect to fly to Tel Aviv on airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia or Qatar. And the following countries have banned nonstop flights to Israel : Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

You can, however, fly Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian and Royal Jordanian Airlines nonstop to and from Israel.

But there are a few interesting exceptions. For example, Egypt Air doesn't fly to Israel — at lest, not exactly. They use a special airline, Air Sinai, which is actually owned by Egypt Air to operate any flights between the two countries. In fact, Air Sinai was established in 1982 for the sole purpose of operating flights between Egypt and Israel. In order to buy an Air Sinai ticket, you'll have to do so through a tour agency or a travel agent, as they aren't available online.

Also, both Saudi Arabia and Libya allow certain airlines (such as Air India and Ethiopian) to use their airspace when flying to Tel Aviv, while the Israeli national carrier, El Al, is not allowed .

If you fly El Al to Israel, expect extra questioning and intense security measures.

Security Before Flying to Israel

You may encounter heavy security and questioning before even checking in for your flight when flying Israeli carrier El Al, regardless of your departure airport. The airline has much heavier security measures than other airlines for entering Israel. Most other airlines won't do any added security questioning before departure.

Some TPG staff members flying El Al noted some serious questioning about their Jewish heritage and customs. TPG travel editor Melanie Lieberman specifically remembers getting asked about her Hebrew name (which she doesn't have) and both Wallace Cotton, TPG 's community manager, and Becca Denenberg, TPG 's director of marketing and communications, were asked which Jewish holidays they celebrated. Non-Jewish flyers can expect routine questions pertaining to why they are visiting Israel and about any stamps in their passport from Muslim countries.

Getting questioned when flying El Al isn't limited to travelers departing from US airports. You'll be questioned, regardless of departure city, if you're flying El Al. TPG UK's director of content, Nicky Kelvin, has experienced extremely long questioning by El Al security agents before arriving at check-in, as well as occasional follow-up question pre-boarding when flying out of London. (He's flown El Al out of London to Tel Aviv more than 10 times.)

Declaration at Customs

You must declare if you are carrying 50,000 shekels (just shy of $14,000) or more when entering or exiting Israel by air and, if entering or exiting by land, you must declare if you are carrying 12,000 shekels ($3,350) or more.

Security Upon Departure From Israel

Upon departure from the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, all passengers are questioned before check-in.

In theory, the questioning should not be hostile: just very thorough and possibly invasive. During my exit from Israel a few weeks ago, I was questioned exhaustively about several stamps in my passport from destinations such as the UAE, Morocco, Malaysia and Indonesia. I was asked if I knew people in any of those countries, where I had stayed and what my purpose was for traveling there.

Megan Robertson, a video editor and producer at TPG, remembers being questioned about her visit to Turkey, as well as her reasons for visiting Israel. She told TPG she, "got a lot of questions about who I was visiting in Israel, especially since I'm not Jewish and have no family ties there." It's best to be prepared for rigorous questioning, and to "stay calm," Megan said. "Just answer truthfully to the best of your ability."

Depending on your answers, you'll get a sticker on the back of your passport. The first number on the sticker is your flag as a perceived security threat. The numbers range from one, the lowest, to six, the highest. And I got a five. (Apparently, this is normal if you're not Jewish or are traveling alone. ) The extra security was definitely a pain, but I've had worse during a brief period of time when I was marked with the dreaded SSSS in the US .

After check-in, I was sent to a special security line, where every single one of the belongings in my carry-on was taken out, examined and tested for explosives. I walked through the metal detectors and was patted down despite not setting the alarm off.

It was annoying and, frankly, a little embarrassing, but not a huge deal. I originally blanched when the staff at my hotel suggested I arrive at the airport three to four hours in advance of my flight departure time, but they were right, and it's worth giving yourself the extra time in case you end up with extra security screening.

However, those with a sticker with the first number as six should be ready for an even more intense search. If you feel you've been unfairly flagged or treated disrespectfully in any way, you can report it. The US State Department warns that, "some US citizens of Arab or Muslim heritage (including Palestinian-Americans) have experienced significant difficulties and unequal and hostile treatment at Israel's borders and checkpoints. US citizens who have traveled to Muslim countries or who are of Arab, Middle Eastern or Muslim origin may face additional questioning by immigration and border authorities. US citizens should immediately report treatment by border officials that they believe is discriminatory or hostile to the ACS unit of the US Embassy in Jerusalem ( [email protected] ) or the ACS unit of the Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv ( [email protected] )."

If you are concerned about being flagged or expect to be in a rush upon either arrival or departure, you should consider prebooking a VIP departure or arrival , which varies in price (usually around $300 to $400 per person, depending on the package) but can include everything from pickup at the jetway to VIP security , luggage pickup and check-in, as well as access to a VIP arrival or departure lounge. (Read Brian Kelly's full review of the service.)

After my intense security screening, I headed to immigration, where I was given a pink exit paper — a replacement for my exit stamp. You may also go through an e-gate for immigration, which issues you this pink paper. I was able to keep both the blue entry card and the pink exit one, and faced no additional questioning at immigration or during the boarding process.

If you ever plan to visit one of the aforementioned Middle Eastern countries that may have a problem with the fact that you've visited Israel, make sure to peel off the sticker from your passport to avoid any issues. And leave the blue and pink papers (those Israeli entry and exit cards) at home, too.

Be Prepared When Traveling on Shabbat

Judaism specifies that Shabbat — from Friday at sundown to sundown on Saturday — should be kept as a holy day. For this reason, all public offices and many businesses are closed on Shabbat. As a result, your travel may be affected. While most airlines operate flights in and out of Israel during these hours, El Al normally does not. Security may take longer, too. Public transportation such as trains and buses may not be operating at all or be operating with a restricted schedule, so plan accordingly to arrive at the airport in time.

WATCH: How to Avoid TLV's Long Lines With NEW VIP Terminal

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Israel-Lebanon latest: Another Hezbollah chief killed in strikes as Nasrallah’s ‘body recovered in Beirut’

Uk government asks britons in lebanon to ‘leave now’ amid concerns over escalating situation, article bookmarked.

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Israel has killed another key Hezbollah chief as its bombardment continues in Lebanon , after the Lebanese militant group’s 32-year leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in a strike on Beirut .

As sources said the body of Nasrallah had been recovered intact from the wreckage, further Israeli strikes on Sunday killed at least six people in the south of Lebanon and nine others in the Beqaa Valley, according to local media reports.

In a further blow, Hezbollah confirmed the death of Nabil Kaouk, a senior figure who led the group’s forces in southern Lebanon during Israel’s 18-year occupation. Israel also said it had struck key weapon manufacturing sites in its onslaught.

A total of 1,030 people, including 156 women and 87 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in less than two weeks, the country’s health minister said.

Iran ’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei said Nasrallah’s death “will not go unavenged” as he remembered the Hezbollah leader as the “flag-bearer of resistance” in the region.

The UK government has asked Britons in Lebanon to “leave now” amid concerns over the escalating situation .

Tory leadership contender says immigrants who see Israel as enemy ‘not welcome’ in UK

Supporters of nasrallah mourn loss of slain leader.

Supporters of Hezbollah and other Lebanese people who hailed the group’s role fighting Israel mourned the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“We lost the leader who gave us all the strength and faith that we, this small country that we love, could turn it into a paradise,” Sophia Blanche Rouillard, a Lebanese Christian who carried a black flag to work in Beirut on Sunday, told Reuters.

An Arab Barometer poll in Lebanon earlier this year found that just 30 per cent trusted Hezbollah, whereas 55 per cent said they did not trust the group at all.

Those who said they trust the group rose to 85 per cent among Shia Muslims, but was just 9 per cent of Sunnis and Druze, and 6 per cent of Christians.

Editorial | The killing of Hezbollah’s leader will make Israel no safer

Here is a snippet from The Independent’s editorial on the killing of Hassan Nasrallah:

In the short term, of course, it will demoralise Hezbollah and its allies in Hamas and Iran. If the assassination is a substitute for the “all-out war” that was feared in southern Lebanon, that may be no bad thing. But it will not defeat Hezbollah, nor will it kill the aim that it espouses of wiping Israel off the map.

It has to be remembered that Hezbollah was formed in the first place to fight the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Israel invaded to try to stop the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), originally a secular nationalist movement, from launching attacks from there. The PLO was thus supplanted by an Islamist state within a state in Lebanon.

A decade later, Israel assassinated Abbas al-Musawi, Hezbollah’s leader, only for him to be replaced by Nasrallah who was, if anything, more extreme and more dangerous. This is the hydra principle in action: assassinating the leaders of militant organisations tends to lead to their replacement by harder-line commanders.

As Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s former chief of staff who played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace talks, has said: “Unintended consequences tend to prevail.” Mr Powell has argued that “terrorists” almost always have to be negotiated with in the end. A policy of decapitation makes that harder because the new leaders will be more extreme and less likely to be worn down by years of fighting.

The killing of Hezbollah’s leader will make Israel no safer

Editorial: The use of assassination as an instrument of war is doomed only to escalate the cycle of violence

Hezbollah confirms Karaki killed in strike alongside Nasrallah

Hezbollah has now confirmed that its senior leader Ali Karaki was killed in the Israeli strike that killed the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli military says it has dismantled a Hamas tunnel in Gaza

The Israeli military claims to have uncovered and dismantled a Hamas tunnel in central Gaza that was more than a kilometre long.

The tunnel ran near residential buildings, and inside were several rooms and equipment used by militants for prolonged stays, the military said, releasing footage showing a long staircase leading underground and what appeared to be an iron blast door.

Hamas is believed to have built hundreds of kilometeres of tunnels across Gaza to evade Israeli airstrikes. The militants have also used the tunnels to hold hostages captured in the 7 October attack that triggered the war.

Nasrallah’s body recovered from site of Israeli airstrike, sources say

The body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been recovered from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs and is intact, a medical source and a security source has told Reuters.

While Hezbollah’s statement on Saturday confirming Nasrallah’s death did not say how exactly he was killed nor when his funeral would be, the two sources said his body had no direct wounds and that it appeared the cause of death was blunt trauma from the force of the blast.

‘No place in Middle East that Israel’s long arm cannot reach,’ warns Netanyahu

In his first public remarks since the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said: “He wasn’t another terrorist. He was the terrorist.”

He said Nasrallah’s killing would help bring displaced Israelis back to their homes in the north and would pressure Hamas to free Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

But with the threat of retaliation high, he said the coming days will bring “significant challenges” and warned Iran against trying to strike.

“There is no place in Iran or in the Middle East that Israel’s long arm cannot reach,” he said. “Today you know how much that is true.”

Hundreds of thousands displaced in Lebanon

Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been displaced by the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, a Lebanese cabinet minister spearheading the country’s emergency response said.

Environment minister Nasser Yassin said the government estimates that about 250,000 people have left their homes and taken refuge in government-run shelters and informal ones. However, he told the Associated Press the total number is about “four times as many directly affected and/or displaced outside the shelters.”

The United Nations said that, as of Friday, 211,319 people were forced to relocate – even prior to the intensive Israeli airstrikes over Beirut’s southern suburbs over the past two days.

The Lebanese government has converted schools and other facilities into temporary shelters. But still many are sleeping on the streets or in public squares, as the government and non-governmental organisations try to find them places to stay.

Lebanon has ‘no option but the diplomatic option’ in response to Israel

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said said that his country has “no option but the diplomatic option” in response to Israel’s attacks.

Mr Mikati gave the response during a televised speech, when asked about diplomatic efforts to end Israel’s escalation against Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Killing of Revolutionary Guards chief will not go unanswered, Iran warns

Israel’s killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan in Lebanon “will not go unanswered”, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has warned.

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Need to know about Israeli passport stamps in 2024

By Joan Torres 229 Comments Last updated on April 25, 2024

This post is being regularly updated thanks to the input from some awesome travelers; if you have more up-to-date information, kindly let me know in the comments section

The Israeli passport stamp issue is one of the most discussed topics among people traveling or living  in the Middle East . Across all forums and Facebook groups, people keep on asking all sorts of questions related to this subject, over and over again: 

Will the Israeli authorities stamp my passport?

Am I eligible to enter Dubai or Lebanon with an Israeli stamp?

The fact is that I followed some of these conversations and I was very surprised by the large amount of misleading information that you may find on the internet.

That’s why I have compiled a list that contains the most common FAQ addressing the Israeli passport stamp issue.

And why should you trust me as a source of information?

Well, I’ve been to Israel twice, entering and exiting both by plane and overland, and I have been traveling across the Middle East since 2016.

We always get updates from travelers (check the comments section of this blog) and we organize group expeditions to the Middle East all the time, including to Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Against the Compass is your source.

Of course, I might be wrong because things can change overnight in the Middle East, but the information that you’ll find in this article is verified.

In this Israeli passport stamps guide you will find:

Table of Contents

Does Israel stamp passports?

• Entering Israel via Jordan – Problems and how to avoid them
• Can I visit Israel with an Arab stamp?

Can you visit Israel after Iran?

• Which countries ban Israeli passport stamps?
• I have been Israel but I have a new passport
• Which Muslim countries can you travel with an Israeli passport stamp?
• More Information

our recommended travel insurance for Israel

IATI Insurance is the most versatile insurance for any destination, including Israel.

The answer is NO .

Several years ago, Israel stopped stamping passports.

Instead, they give you a card containing all your personal information.

This rule applies to tourists who enter either overland or by air.

Please note that, if you travel to Israel for work purposes, however, you’ll definitely get a visa in your passport.

This is what the immigration card looks like:

Update! Ovda Airport is the secondary international airport in Israel (located in the south). Until very recently, if you flew into Ovda Airport, the Israeli authorities used to stamp your passport but now, since this airport is gaining popularity, especially because budget airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air are flying in, the authorities no longer stamp foreign passports.

Do you need to keep the Israeli immigration card and show it at your exit?

Yes and no.

The Israeli authorities won’t ask you for this card when you leave Israel.

However, if you enter the West Bank (Palestine)   the soldiers might ask you for this tiny piece of paper.

Please note that if you lose this card, you might not be allowed to enter the West Bank.

Furthermore, some fancier hotels may ask you for this card, as well as some car rental firms. Keep it just in case.

Read: A travel guide to Palestine A travel guide to the Gaza Strip

Entering/exiting Israel via Jordan – Problems and how to avoid them

If you enter/exit overland from/to Jordan, does the Jordanian stamp give evidence that you’ve been to Israel?

Yes, unfortunately, if you enter/exit Jordan overland, the Jordanian stamp says, very loudly, that you spent your holidays in Israel because the stamp would mention the name of that border. 

If you get one of these stamps, your passport is truly f***ed.

Read: Jordan-Israel border crossing: Ultimate guide

Can you avoid a Jordanian overland stamp?

The good news is that the Jordanian authorities are pretty cool and they are all completely aware of the Israeli stamp issue.

There are three Jordanian border crossings : King Hussein Bridge, Wadi Araba and Sheikh Hussein.

At King Hussein bridge, they automatically stamp on a separate piece of paper. However, make sure they do it, just to be on the safe side.

At the two other borders, you must ask for it before giving them your passport.

They will give you an exit form, which you need to fill out, and then you’ll get a stamp on it. 

You should also read: where in the Middle East is safe?

The problem of avoiding the Jordanian stamp

If you avoid your Jordanian entry stamp, it means that, in your passport, you will have just your exit stamp. The question is:

Will the Lebanese authorities notice it or ask any questions?

If you go to Lebanon

It is definitely a problem. The Lebanese authorities tend to check passports thoroughly, to they make sure that you have haven’t been to Israel, and, if they see that you have only one exit stamp for Jordan, they will know the reasons very well, so be careful.

Solution: Travel to Lebanon first and then to Jordan and Israel.

You go to another country

When I was in Tajikistan , I went to the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe to apply for an Iranian visa .

On my passport, there was clearly only the exit stamp for Jordan, so I was actually a little bit worried that they may ask some questions. However, nothing happened and I just got my visa within the normal timing. 

It may be risky but the truth is that, besides Lebanon, other countries may not look that closely. 

Read: A travel guide to Syria

Can I visit Israel with passport stamps from Arab countries like Dubai or Lebanon, for example?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions.

When I traveled to Israel for the first time, I had visas and stamps from Lebanon , Iraq ,  UAE , Pakistan , and Oman .

These are some of Israel’s worse enemies. Did I have any problem? Not at all. At my arrival, they didn’t even check inside my passport.

When I left, before heading to the boarding gate, they just interrogated me for 20-30 minutes, like everyone else. That’s it.

However, this may be not the case for everyone, especially if you enter Israel overland from Jordan, as they are much stricter. Actually, a traveler reported that he was denied his entry into Israel because of his Lebanese visa. Nevertheless, he had been living in Lebanon for several months, working with the Syrian refugees, so his case was sort of special. 

If you have been in Lebanon just for a short holiday, there shouldn’t be any problem but again, reports are very welcome.

Read: How to travel to Iraqi Kurdistan

In the last year, the Iranian visa seems to be the most problematic one for entering Israel. 

A traveler reported that, back in 2016, on arrival at Tel Aviv airport, the Israeli authorities interrogated him for 3 hours for having one.

Then, he entered Jordan and, when he went back to Israel, he had to wait for almost 2 hours due to the same Iranian stamp issue.

As if they wanted to punish him, they then stamped his passport with an Israeli stamp, something very unusual.

Just to let you know that I (and most people) had a completely different experience but, at least, he was allowed to get into the country. 

Moreover, another traveler (EU citizen) reported (March 2018) that he was held for questioning for almost 4 hours at Tel Aviv International airport where, along with other travelers who had an Iranian visa , the authorities checked their social media accounts and posts but, since they didn’t see any problematic content, they let them go. In the end, it was just a waste of time.

Read: 80 Useful tips for visiting to Iran

Which Muslim countries are you not allowed to enter with an Israeli stamp?

Israel has quite a big bunch of enemies and, if you show them any evidence that you’ve been to Israel, either if it’s a stamp, the Lonely Planet or an Israeli Shekel, you’ll be banned from entering this country for the rest of your life. Luckily, you already know how not to get stamped.

Moreover, before traveling to Lebanon or Iran, make sure you get rid of all Israeli evidence. Which Muslim countries are we talking about?

*Iran: According to the MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), you can enter Iran with an Israeli stamp (or Jordanian overland stamp) if your last visit was more than 6 months ago. Please note that I have personally verified this.

**Iraq: Not Iraqi Kurdistan

***Sudan: A traveler reported ( January 2020 ) that she had an Israeli visa occupying a full page and still, she managed to get her Sudan visa in Aswan , Egypt.

I have been to Israel but I have a new passport:

Does israel exchange information about travelers with its muslim enemies.

You’ll be surprised, but I get asked this question all the time.

Occasionally, after finding my articles about Lebanon, some people ask me:

Hey, I just left Israel and I’m flying to Beirut through Istanbul. Will the Lebanese authorities know that I’ve been to Israel?  

The answer is very simple: Lebanon and Israel are the worst enemies.

Therefore, how could they possibly exchange any sort of information, especially tourism information?

In which Muslim countries are you eligible to travel even if you have an Israeli stamp?

There are some Arab/Muslim countries where you are allowed to travel, despite having an Israeli stamp:

• Iraqi Kurdistan
• Saudi Arabia *
• United Arab Emirates (Dubai) **

* Saudi Arabia : With the introduction of the e-visa in September 2019, Saudi Arabia’s official e-visa site says: There are no restrictions on the places you have visited prior to coming to Saudi Arabia. You can read it here .

**United Arab Emirates (Dubai): For some years already, the Israeli passport stamp has not been an issue on arrival in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

More useful information for traveling in the region

📢 In my Travel Resources Page you can find the list of all the sites and services I use to book hotels, tours, travel insurance and more.

Travel guides to other countries in the Middle East

• Iran Travel Guide
• Palestine Travel Guide
• Syria Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Lebanon
• Iraq Travel Guide
• Travel Guide to Saudi Arabia
• Travel Guide to Oman

You will also be interested in: Where in the Middle East is safe? and The most beautiful places in the Middle East .

I think that this is all that you need to know regarding Israeli stamps. Please note that bureaucratic matters are continuously changing. I will try to keep this article updated as soon as I am aware of any country’s new policy. If you have any further questions, please leave a comment below. Safe travels!

229 comments

Do you need to keep this card and show it at your exit? YES! The card is actually your visa – it replaces the stamp in your passport (which constitutes a visa in countries that stamp you!) Whenever you would need to prove your legality of stay in Israel, you would need to show a passport and a visa. This goes even when you rent a car, stopped by the police or just go to/from the West Bank. Israel will not need it back, but you need to save the visa paper slip until you are exiting Israel (save it until you get to border control – they don’t need it because they have it on their computers).

thanks, I didn’t know they asked for it when renting a car. I will update the post.

I just gave out a few examples. There are many more: when checking-in to a hotel (usually the larger ones) they might ask to see your visa, to see that you are entitled not to pay VAT (as tourists are exempted. If you don’t have it – you will have to pay extra 17% (VAT) of the price you originally reserved). If you buy in a VAT-refund shop, they will have to see your valid visa to be able to return the VAT., and more…

The main reason why places of businesses such as hotels and rental cars companies is that in Israel, if you are a non-Israeli citizen, you will be exempted of paying VAT (sales tax) on hotels and car rentals. I recommend you take at least a photo of it to show it in case you don’t find it on you.

Also you should know that Israeli citizens entering israel also get this document. Over 1 million Israeli citizens (that is more than 10% of the country population) do not actually live in Israel, and still come as « tourists » but their card will identify them as Israeli citizens S and they will not be given a tax deduction like you were.

The rental places and hotels also ask for it because that is the only way to avoid paying tax. I misplaced mine once and even though I was a foreigner I still had to pay the very hefty local tax. Do not lose it!

Monica there are many Israeli citizens also holding a dual citizenship with a European country, the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil etc… they still visit israel as tourists but their Israeli citizenship will restrict them from the tax exemption. They are given the same Visa card as you when entering israel except that theirs included the information that they are Israeli citizens with their Israeli citizen identification number (sort of social insurance number) unlike you.

Because the Law of Return allows anyone who has at least a proven Jewish grandparent in the world to claim for Israeli citizenship, that means one could be an Asian-American, an afro-American, or a Hasidic Jew and all could become Israeli citizens with or without speaking Hebrew, so one can not assume you are not Israeli in these conditions.

Yes it’s good to have it to present on exit, but if you lose it you’ll just face a (relatively) minor delay while they look up your entry details. Happened to my colleague (Australian) when leaving Israel last month. It was a minor hassle, but no real drama.

thank you so much. this is golden

Hello you guys,

I wanted to ask if anybody knows how it works to travel to Palestine & Israel with a One-Entry Visa. At the moment I am in Jordan and I would cross the border at King Hussein Bridge. But I am worried that I gonna have issues with coming back to Jordan with my on entry visa. Maybe you guys can help me with your experiences 🙂 thank you

Hi Cindy, most nationalities can just get another visa on arrival.

If you are crossing from Israel to Jordan in the South (Yitzchak Rabin/Wadi Arava crossing) you cannot get a visa on arrival. You need to arrange for it in advance to get into Jordan. Since Jordan and Israel have diplomatic relations that is not an issue. There is an exception is going on a tour.My suggestion is call a Jordanian travel agent. This is what a hotel advised and my husband had no problem calling the day before to arrange it. I think it is quicker than arranging for a visa if you haven’t already done so.

Israelis still stamped my passport at Ovda airport on December 2016.

WOW. I really didn’t know about that. You are actually the first person I’ve ever met who has been to this airport. May I ask why did you land at that airport? Where did you come from? thanks

European low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizzair use this airport to get people to Israels southernmost city Eilat as Eilat airport can only operate smaller aircrafts. The airport is expected to cease civilian flights once Eilat’s new international airport in Timna opens. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovda_Airport

Yes, many of people I have met have entered Israel via Ovda and they still do stamp. At least that’s what they told me.

Hi! I have a question, do you mean that if I have the border card and I enter overland from Jordan (let say, King Hussein Bridge), then there is no need to apply for Israeli visa?? And I’m Malaysian (not allowed to enter Israel unless we join pilgrimage tour) residing in Jordan.

Hi Katelyn, I never talked about the Israeli visa but anyways, I don’t know what would be the situation for Malaysians, as most nationalities don’t need a visa for Israel

Do you know if you can travel to the UAE with a pasport in which it says that they’re born in Israel and they currently live there too? I know several Israelis who’ve had a layover there (but didn’t leave the airport – something they aren’t allowed to do in Lebanon and Iran) and everything went fine. I’m just wondering if they can actually enter the country…

Hello Crissy, yes, I also know a few Israeli people who did a layover in Dubai, without any problem. However, I also don’t know if they can enter the country… In Lebanon and Iran you could not, for sure… But Dubai… Sorry, I am not 100% sure, so I can’t give you an answer

Hi! What about a short, 1-2 days long trip to Petra, from Eilat? Do you think, that when I ask on a border, Jordanians will not stamp my passport both on entry and exit crossing?

Hi Marcin. No. If you ask for it, they won’t stamp it, definitely 🙂

– I was interrogated by border police during 3+ hours upon my arrival at Tel Aviv airport due to an Iranian stamp in my passport. Unlike your experience they DID check every page of my passport (I am an EU citizen). – When entering Israel from Aqaba, Jordan, we had to wait again for another 1-2h due to the same Iranian stamp. They stamped our passport without asking us if we preferred the extra card (and we did not really have the opportunity to tell them either as they kept our passport in their office during the time we waited at the border control). Both events occurred in 2016.

Hi Martin, sorry to hear that! I am actually very surprised to hear it! But thank you for the info, I will add it in the post as extra measure

Hi I want to travel to eilat i am muslim but i have EU passport will they stamp my passport,

Hi, in Israel there’s a huuge Muslim community living, so they are used to deal with Muslim people. I am sure you will be subjected to many questions but I don’t think they would stamp your passport just because you are Muslim or have a Muslim name. However, you should better ask this to other Muslims who have been there, to see if they had a different treatment. Cheers,

Ahssi, if you come through the airport you won’t get stamped, regardless of your religion. You MAY be subjected to a lot of questions, and you just as well may be not. If you would be asked a lot of questions, just answer them politely – they are for your and everyone safety.

I travelled from Israel to Jordan, back to Israel then on to Egypt then back to Israel just this week on a tour. You cross to Jordan through Wadi Araba crossing, they stamped my passport. I didn’t know you could ask them not to. You go through Taba border crossing to Egypt. They definitely stamp your passport both ways. So any immigration official will know you came from Israel. I don’t think you can ask them not to stamp your passport as they seem very officious. I have a photo of the stamp but can’t see how to upload it to your feed.

Hi Heather, thanks for the heads-up. Yeah, you should ask beforehand but I just was informed by a traveler that, even at Wadi Arabia, they stamped it on the way back to Israel. Perhaps things have changed now?

Hi. I am having a clinical clerkship in a hospital in Beirut for a month during summer. I’m a medical student with a passport from a Scandinavian country. After my clerkship I want to go to Jordan and then Israel. Do you think I will have problems with entering Israel due to staying in Beirut for a month for non-tourism reasons?

Thank you in advance.

First, which kind of visa do you have? Do you just have a stamp? Most people can get a tourist visa free for 30 days. If you just have a stamp, there’s nothing to worry about. If you do have a different stamp or sticker, I also entered Israel with a residence visa for the United Arab Emirates. They asked me many questions but I didn’t get into any trouble

Hi Joan I will arrive in Jordan through the airport. As you know the Jordanian visa is for a month. Then I will leave and cross the Allenby Bridge and stay for 2 months. Then I will go back to Jordan and exit through the airport. My point is I want to go to Syria and maybe Iraq. Won’t Syria get suspicious if they see a Jordanian exit stamp 2 or 3 months later even if I escape Israeli stamps?

Israel does not deny entry for people based on where they were. You can expect to be asked a lot of questions, and you must answer them all truthfully and politely, no matter how silly they seem. The questions are designed to find out whether you are telling the truth, and as long as your purpose in visiting Israel is tourism and not any other activity, you should have no problems at all.

I entered Israel with an Iranian visa in my passport in March 2018. I was held for questioning at Tel Aviv airport for 4 hours. The actual interview only took 15 minutes, the rest of the time was just waiting (luckily with free wifi!). I had to explain why I went to Iran, if I’m still in contact with people there, how I met them etc. Some other people waiting in room for the same kind of reasons had to unlock their phones and show their social media accounts. I guess the waiting time is completely random, depending on the amount of people they have to interview. On my way out I got the same kind of questions, just not the 4 hour waiting time. There I also had to explain why I went to Malaysia and if I still have contacts there etc.

FYI, EU citizen and passport.

Hi there, thanks for the heads up. It’s really a mix of different stories and experiences and I believe it all depends on the current political/diplomatic situation between both countries. In March, there was some tension between both countries on Syrian territory, so that might explain why. I don’t know, I just guessing 🙂 but what is true is that, if you have the Iranian stamp, you need to be aware that this might happen!

hello i have a qwestion . if my wife she is a korean but living in israel with israeli visas on he korean pasport. is there can be a problem for her to go to malesya or indonesia with that pasport? thank you

Hi Eli, I am not sure about visas… This post is more aimed at people who travel to Israel, hence they may get a stamp. I don’t know about the full page working visa because I have never lived or worked there 🙂

Hi, I was wondering if you knew whether it is possible to travel to Egypt after visiting Israel, and vice versa?

Yes, it is possible, no problem

If after means straight after and crossing by land be careful : if you enter through the Taba land border you won’t be able to go beyond Sinai. If you want to visit the rest of Egypt (e.g. Cairo) you need to either fly to Egypt or to go to Aquaba and take a boat to Nuweiba – which can be quite an adventure but also fun.

thanks for confirming, it starts to get confusing after a while! looks like I may start my journey in Tel Aviv then!! thanks for all the advice on this site by the way, super useful!

Hello, I have been traveling to Israel two years ago from Berlin for work (visiting customers, mainly universities) with a German passport and I DID have a complete check and got a very bad “evaluation” ( I mean, the yellow sticker starting with 5, I think) because I was a single women traveling to Israel. My passport had a stamp from UAE at that time. That and a single women is an obvious sign for danger :-). I had the same problem on the way back. The first check in Berlin has not been a 15 minutes check only, they even took my backback in Berlin and have checked it behind a closed curtain! I was not able to see it what they were doing. Next time I´m going to ask a German policeman if they are really allowed to do this. I mean check bags behind curtains. There is an existing bias agains single women traveling to Israel, which has been confirmed by other travellers at the airport too. Do you have any advise on this? In June I have to travel again the same way. Now I have an additional stamp from Egypt. I will see what has been changed. I have asked for an invitation letter from our customers now to make it more simple. I was wondering if I should travel maybe with my Hungarian passport becasue that only has my US entries included mainly, but decided to keep to the German, maybe that would be confusing for the Israelis, if they somehow see I have several passports. Well I must say, I´m worried what will happen the next time

You cannot really avoid this when leaving Israel. I’m living here for 5 years and every time get a 5. When going to Israel: Don’t fly El Al. Ever. They’re the only ones who humiliate single travelers at the airport for hours. If you fly any other carrier, there may or may not be special checks which are usually much faster.

hey! thank you for this awesome article! I found it extremely helpful. I have a question that might sound extremely stupid, but others can be in my situation. I have no israeli stamps in my passport, but I have the stickers from tel aviv airport and anotherone from allenby bridge on the back cover of my passport, does those count as stamps? Would those two stickers create problem if I go to Tunisia for work? Or is Tunisia still allowing people with Israeli stamps?

Do you know if I will have any consequences if I take the stickers away from my passport and then go to Israel again?

Hi Dan, I don’t really know what stickers are you talking about. How did you get them? Do you mind sending to a pic to my private email? Or just tell me what kind of sticker is it. That would be very helpful so I can update the post accordingly, thanks!

Hey, I have several friends who have crossed the border to Israel multiple times and removed the sticker afterwards. They haven’t had any problems with it. Like Balerina said below: it seems to be just for security at the airport so they know how seriously to question you.

thanks for the clarification!

If I cross from Jordan directly into the West Bank to visit Ramallah, and then cross back to Jordan on my way home – this way there’s no incriminating stamp, right? I only want to visit the West Bank during a longer stay in Amman, will not put a foot in Israel. This would be okay, right, in terms of later being able to visit Lebanon?

Hi Kate, you’ll have the border crossing stamp, which says you used to Israeli-Jordanian border

Hi Dan, i have just removed my sticker from the cover of my passport 🙂 , i was lucky because it was actually not on the passport. I do not think it is something official, probably it just helps the guys working at the security at the airport to cathegorize you and treat you accordingly

Hello , im planning to travel to Israel, from Cairo to Tel Aviv by Air, will the immigration stamp my passport? Or tell them not to do so. by the way im working in Saudi Arabia.

no, they don’t stamp it

I emailed you, but just saw that I could post here. I need advice regarding travel from Saudia Arabia to Israel via Jordan and back again. My husband works for a large company in Riyadh and I live in Israel. Husband has several passports including one with a Saudi work visa. I know he will get an entry stamp from Jordan when he arrives at the airport, and he will need when when he leaves from the airport to return to Riyadh. The question is, how does he safely exit and re-enter Jordan at the Sheikh Hussein crossing? BTW – he will be entering and exit Israel on his Israeli passport.

Thank you for your assistance. This trip will be in a couple of weeks!

Hi Cathy, sorry but I don’t understand. What do you mean by re-entering to Jordan safely? What do you understand by safely? thanks

Without jeopardizing his return to Saudi Arabia. That is the main concern.

If he uses his U.S. Passport with the Saudi Work Visa to enter Jordan, he will get a stamp in it. (Or should he use his other U.S. passport?). Then he will be getting a taxi to Sheikh Hussein where he will get an exit stamp (?). He will then enter and exit Israel with his Israeli passport. He will return to Saudi Arabia via Jordan, and he will need to buy a second visa at the border. He will also need to get an exit stamp in or on something (which passport?) from Jordan. He can only get back into Saudi with his Saudi visa.

I am thinking that he only uses the Passport with Saudi Visa to leave Saudi, to check onto the Queen Aliyah passport for his flight back and when entering Saudi again. It would then only have an exit and entry mark from Saudi and nothing else in it. Would that work or will Jordan require a passport with an exit stamp when HEB first flies into Jordan?

I realize this is a very unusual situation!

Hola, acabo de encontrar tu página y me está resultando de mucha utilidad.En septiembre viajo con mi hija de 22 años a Jordania, 10 días por nuestra cuenta. Estamos barajando la posibilidad de visitar Jerusalem, ya que estamos muy cerca. Alquilaremos un coche para nuestro recorrido por Jordania. Mi pregunta es, dejar el coche aparcado en la frontera jordana, pasar a Jerusalem, visitarla y regresar a Jordania el mismo día. Es verdad que es un poco precipitado, pero no tenemos más tiempo, y supongo que en un día podriamos ver lo mas importante de Jerusalem. Lo ves posible? o es demasiado precipitado. Muchas gracias por tu información. Saludos

Hola Pedro, es un poco precipitado, pero podría ser factible si es que llegáis a primera hora de la mañana y al cruzar vais a Jerusalén en taxi, aunque puede que el taxi sea un poco caro. También ten en cuenta que la frontera cierra sobre las 7-9, más o menos, aunque no sé a qué hora exactamente

I just want to give a general follow-up comment to my original post regarding travel between Jordan and Israel when Passport Holder needs to return to Saudi Arabia for work.

I spoke with an official at the Jordanian Embassy in Israel and he advised that when exiting Jordan at Sheikh Hussein Border, tell him NOT to put an exit stamp on the passport and show him your return ticket to Saudi Arabia. There should be no problem. I know that Israel will not stamp either.

My husband will be using his U.S. passport with Saudi Visa for all entries and exits except for entering and exiting Israel, when he is required legally to use his Israeli passport.

thanks for the follow-up! So does this mean that you will only have one entry stamp for Jordan? Won’t this be suspicious at Saudi Arabia’s eyes? Or are you planning to come back to Jordan through the same border and exit through Saudi overland?

The only thing that will be in U.S Passport with Saudi Visa will be an exit and an entry from Saudi, and an exit and entry from Jordan at Queen Alia Airport.

The other alternative is to only use that passport to enter and exit Saudi Arabia; the same way we use our Israeli passport, and our U.S. Passport.

Yesterday though we were looking at our U.S. passports and noticed that neither of them had any U.S. entry or exit stamps in it. I have read there are a number of countries which don’t stamp anymore. I will update after he completes this trip!

I was planning to fly in to Tel Aviv, travel in Palestine before crossing into Jordan for a few days before flying to Lebanon. I’m a bit worried now that the lack of an entry stamp into Jordan will prevent me from entering Lebanon. Would it be better for me to avoid the overland crossing into Jordan and fly from Tel Aviv to Amman instead?

Yes. Unfortunately, that would be a risk, so it would be wiser to fly or just visiting Lebanon first

Just wanted to update everyone about it my husband’s recent travel from Saudi Arabia to Israel through Jordan via the Sheikh Hussein crossing. As I mentioned before, my husband, who is a dual U.S. /Israeli citizen arrived in Israel with no problem. He used his U.S. Passport with Saudi Visa only for exiting Saudi Arabia, his other U.S. Passport with Israeli visa for exiting Jordan, and his Israeli visa for the entering Israel.

He returned today but this time, when he entered Jordan, they told him he had to use his Israeli visa to enter and exit because he could only use one passport. He spoke with the Jordanian Commander who told him that Saudi Arabia doesn’t care about second passports; all they care is that he has a U.S. Passport with a visa to enter Saudi Arabia and they don’t look at anything else.

That proved to be the case. He said all they really did was check his fingerprint when he returned to make sure it was the same person coming in that had previously exited.

I am travelling to Israel in November and using Abraham tours to have 3 da tour of Jordan. My question is, if I were to ask the border officials to not stamp my passport will they abide? is this difficult or a relatively easy ask? If they do not agree and stamp my passport will I still be able to travel to countries like Dubai and Malaysia?

If you enter via Tel Aviv airport, they will never stamp it. That’s the rule

Hi I am Shakib, i am a Bangladeshi and i want to go to Jerusalem. Is it possible to enter Israel as a Bangladeshi passport holder? I know i can’t from Bangladeshi airport. But is it possible to another country with Bangladeshi passport? Please give me this information and Thank you so much for your information.

Thank you very much for your reply. My query is more around when I cross the border to visit Jordan for 3 days – will the Jordanian authorities stamp my passport and could I ask them not to?

Thanks in advance

Hi, If I enter Israel from King Hussein Bridge, will Jordan stamp my passport? Will Israel stamp my passport? Will Israel stamp my passport if I leave the country from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport? Also, when I enter to Jordon, can I ask the officer to not stamp my passport (I will enter from Aqaba and I don’t want just 1 Jordanian stamp on my passport)? Thanks

Hi, all your questions are answered here in detail but, in short, Israel doesn’t stamp and, at Aqaba, if you ask, jordan will not stamp either: https://againstthecompass.com/en/crossing-jordan-israel-border/

Israel stamped my passport entering at Aqaba and again departing at the Jordan River. I asked them not to at both locations and they did it anyway. I’m happy to send you a picture.

Hello. Yes, I would be happy to send you a picture. When did this happen by the way? Did this happen to other travelers as well?

Interesting. In 2017, the Israeli Side of the border crossing in Eilat was already completely equipped with the new system of blue/red entry/exit slips. I have not seen anyone running around with a stamp on the Israeli side and also have not heard that anyone else got a stamp. The Jordans stamp your passport, of course, if you don’t tell them not to.

Hi were travelling from India to turkey and then to Israel by airWe specifically requested the Israeli consulate to issue us a paper e visa instead of the regular sticker visa on the passport but sadly sadly they didn’t pay heed to our request and put a visa sticker on our passports.How much trouble will this cause in future travels is the question that haunts us now.We are frequent travellers but do not plan to travel to Lebanon,Syria, Sudan, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Kuwait, We may travel to Saudi Arabia,Iran,Lebanon in times to come but not really on our bucketlist/cardsAny advice will be more than welcome.

Hi, if you are traveling to Lebanon or Saudi Arabia and you have evidence that you’ever been to Israel then you should get a new passport. It’s as simple as that

I will be crossing at Taba into Eliat then taking the king hussein/alleby border crossing to Jordan. My main concern is that i have a return flight home with Saudi Air and a layover in Jeddah. So my question is will i face a problem taking my flight at either Jordan or Saudi Immigration? Note: 1. I only want to layover in Jeddah and not exit the airport. 2. My passport is expiring anyway so I do not really care about Israel stamp unless it will pose a problem for my return flight home. Your help is much appreciated!

Hi Nish, I don’t think you will have any problem, as you will not technically enter Saudi. Actually, I know from quite a few Israelis who have done layovers in Dubai and it was all right.

If I fly from Tel Aviv to Aqaba, then Egypt, then Lebanon, will there be any evidence in my passport of having been in Israel? (Starting from the US) I know they do not stamp passports at Ben Gurion airport anymore, but I’m a little confused about the entry stamp upon entering Jordan. I will be flying, so not crossing any of the land borders, but when I arrive in Aqaba and they stamp my passport, will there be any indication of where I came from? I assumed since Israel doesn’t stamp the passport, the first thing that would show up is an entry stamp for Jordan, then exit from Jordan, entry to Egypt, exit from Egypt. Would it just appear that I came to Jordan from the US, then went to Egypt, and then to Lebanon?

You can fly to Aqaba from many places, so I guess you will have a stamp from Aqaba airport which has nothing to do with Israel. However, this is a new situation for me, so I can’t guarantee 100%.

Hello Joan In your article, you mention that how to avoid a Jordanian stamp shows that you have been to Israel,but what about the opposite direction? For example, I will enter Amman two weeks later, and plan to leave Jordan at the Yitzak Rabin Border Crossing, how to avoid a Jordanian exit stamp? Looking for your reply. Fabio

Hi Fabio, you should just ask the authorities not to stamp. That’s it

just to add one information, for many countries (like India), citizen of which require a pre-approved visa to enter Israel (even for tourism), there is no option of getting rid of the visa stamp in your passport. This is my personal experience. Israel embassy gives a visa pasted in your passport. So for them (like us, Indians) there is no point whether the immigration officer stamp your passport or not.

Yep, so true!

I recently spoke to the Qatar Embassy (in the UK) and you are correct in saying the Israel stamp is not an issue for those wishing to enter Qatar.

A very helpful article on a confusing issue but I would still always advise ringing the appropriate embassy before making assumptions.

Great Francis, and thank you for double checking 🙂

Just a small correction, Lebanon is not a Muslim country and could only be considered as Arab. You could fix that in your article. Thank you.

Hi, I’m spending a couple of days in Tel Aviv before flying to Beirut via Greece. I was just wondering about the questioning when passing security. Should I just say that I’m planning to go to Beirut after my trip in Tel Aviv if they ask me about my itinerary? Or would that just cause problems for me?

Why should you tell them you go to Beirut if there is no way for them to know 🙂 ?

I went to Israel in 2015 but have renewed my passport this year. I am planning to go to Lebanon this year – will they be able to tell from scanning my passport that I’ve been to Israel??

i don’t think so 🙂

If I fly from Istanbul to Tel Aviv for two days visit then fly back to Istanbul, I assume my passport will be stamped by the Turkish immigration officers when leaving and flying back to Istanbul.

I am worried some smart custom officers from those countries which have issues with people visiting Isreal may work out I visited Isreal from the two Turkish exit and entry stamps.

What do you think?

They can’t know. They may assume but they have no proof that you flew to Tel Aviv and possibilities of flying somewhere else are endless. Also, if you are doing a layover in Istambul, they won’t stamp your passport.

Hi Joan! So is it more likely to get a Jordanian entry stamp if I do an overland border crossing from Israel to Jordan than a over air one? What is the best method/route to do so? Thanks!

Hi Diane, if you fly in, you won’t get any Israeli evidence, whereas if you overland you may do

Hello! In April, I will be flying in to Amman for 9 days. During that stay, I want to go to Jerusalem through the Allenby crossing. I understand that my Jordanian visa will still be valid because it will be under 2 weeks old, and I will be going through the same crossing going in and out of Jerusalem. I will be visiting Dubai and Kuwait afterwards (I will not be able to visit them before Jerusalem).

However my question is regarding the stamping. I will ask the Israeli authorities not to stamp my passport…how about the Jordanian ones? I do not want them stamping an exit and entry because this will show that I went out of the country by land during my stay. Can I simply ask them not to stamp both ways? Also, my Jordanian visa will show two-entries…will that not raise flags as well? Or do I toss out the Jordanian visa after I leave the country?

In our understanding, Allenby border (Jordan site) is not stamping by default, so you wouldn’t have any problem. Since you are coming back to Jordan, you have the entry and exit stamp from Queen Alia airport. The common issue people face is when they leave Jordan but don’t plan to come back, as then they only have 1 entry stamp, so it is clear that you actually entered from Israel 🙂

Hi Hana! Im planning a one day visit to Jerusalem from Amman, crossing the border by the Allenby Bridge. I’ve heard you need to get a VISA to enter Israel through that bridge, it that right? how can i get it? Or i can just get to the border and do all the paperwork there? Whats the easiest way to get to the border? I live in Kuwait so i will have Kuwaiti stamps, do you know if it will be a problem?

Thank you so much!

Hi Xavi, Israeli visas are issued at the border, no need for paperwork. As per the Kuwait stamps, you’ll definitely be questioned but you should be fine

I’ll be visiting the middle east soon Egypt, UAE and Saudi arabia in that order. I have friends in Israel that I would like to visit before I go to Egypt.

I will have a saudi visa stamp for “Umrah” which allows me to visit the holy sites.

Will this be a problem when visiting Israel? I am an arab with a muslim background.

Where is your passport from? I know that some Arabs with foreign passports have had some issues in Israel… so I can’t really tell. It all depends on the questioning I believe…

is worth a try? Are there any ways I could make the process easier so to speak? I can answer what ever questions and I am open for them to check my social media etc but not my messages which I heard they can sometimes ask for.

I also can provide the contacts of my Israeli friends.

If I had nothing to hide, I would definitely try

Hi, I intend to fly from Cairo to Amman and then exit via Aqaba (Wadi Araba). So, I will get an entry stamp but will I get stamped upon exit? Be it whether they are now stamping it on the passport or separately? Please advise, thanks!

Getting stamped at the Jordanian border is optional

Thanks however if I only have an entry stamp but no exit stamp that will be suspicious too. And if I get stamped at Aqaba, it will also be obvious where I went (Israel).

Yes. Your concern is also covered in the article. Please, read the respective section

just saying but one day I did a change of flight in Zurich, going to Canada, before they introduced their new taxes). I was coming from Brussels, nothing in my papers stated I was going to Canada. I did not even show my ticket. The security lady told me “safe travel to Canada”. So they do know where you go. And even when countries are worst enemies, they do exchange infos about travellers.

And your statement is based on what? Lebanon and Israel don’t exchange info about travelers

Hola,leo mucho to blog,tengo una pregunta,dispongo de 2 pasaportes(Italia y Argentina) y posiblemente en los proximos meses tenga el 3er (Usa) Tengo pensando hacer un viaje desde Filipanes para el oeste.Mi pregunta capaz que tonta pero es la siguiente,puedo usar los pasaportes a mi favor para digamos eludir visas o bajar costos de visa? Tambien un poco para eludir el tema del conflicto sello de Israel vs paises musulmanes?

Hola Luciano, claro, podrías viajar por Jordania e Israel con tu pasaporte italiano pot ejemplo, y después usar tu argentino para entrar en países que puedan entrar en conflicto

Does the problem work the other way? I.e. I have a Jordanian and Syrian Entry/exit stamp in my passport from 2009 ( passport expires 2023) and would really love to go to Israel. Will I encounter any border problems?

no, there is no problem

I travelled overland from Egypt to Israel (via Taba). I would like to visit Lebanon, but will they know—because I have the Taba exit stamp—I’ve been to Israel? Can I say I needed the stamp for a Red Sea cruise? Or will I be banned from visiting?

But Taba border is the landborder with Israel right? If you enter Egypt by sea from Jordan, would you get the same stamp? I don’t think so…

17, 2019 AT 3:14 PM Hi I am an Indian Passport holder, can you please guide me how can I get a B2 Visa out of my Pass Port.Since i am working in the Middle East an Israel visa in my passport will create issues.

for this kind of questions, you should contact your embassy

I have a US passport with Saudi work visa. I’ve traveled extensively throughout Israel on a previous passport with Israeli visa. However, I’ve never flown from KSA to ISR. My question is more specific as to how you would recommend flight routing from Riyadh to Tel Aviv. Would you book Riyadh to Amman, stay for a couple of days while booking Amman to Tel Aviv, and then fly to ISR? Or would it be possible to fly into and out of Amman on the same day? The problem I see with that is that I would have an entry and exit stamp in Jordan the same day…if that’s even a problem. Thanks!

Hi Rush, perhaps, if you do a layover you won’t get the stamp because you will go straight top transfers. In any case, I don’t see it would be a problem in having the same day Jordanian stamp. There is absolutely no proof that you had been to Israel

I am a Philippine passport holder and I am currently in Israel for vacation. I extended my visa for 1month and the Ministry of Interior unexpectedly pasted the B2 visa on my passport. Now my issue is ,I am travelling back to Dubai under tourist visa. I have been living and working in Dubai for 12 years and my contract was finished so i took vacation for awhile. Would I have a problem entering Dubai now? Hope someone can enlighten me.

traveling to Dubai with an Israeli visa is not a problem anymore

Hi I am a Pakistani Passport holder, can you guide me how can I visit Jerusalem, you must be aware of all the facts and questions I have in mind when I mentioned Pakistani passport. we will be traveling as a group of friends and family. any specific tour operator who can facilitate us? how can we avoid stamps on our passport?

Hi Yahya, I seriously doubt that Pakistanis can visit Israel

Your first problem is that the Pakistani government restricts visits to Israel – the Pakistani passport is not valid to Israel – as it is printed on it by the Pakistani govrnment. Secondly, once you acquired permission, you need to apply for a tourism visa to Israel in the nearest Israeli consulate to you (no Israeli consulates in Pakistan, as there are no diplomatic relations). But frankly, I don’t think you’d get permission from the Pakistani government in the first place.

Unfortunately I studied under a program in Jordan that needed visa renewal, so we had to show evidence of re-entry into Jordan, and the group that I was with chose to travel to Israel via the King Hussein bridge crossing. So I have King Hussein border crossing stamps in my passport.

I don’t have any Israeli stamps, but with the King Hussein stamps will that restrict me from entrance into all the Muslim countries that you listed (Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Iran*, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia), or will the King Hussein stamp only restrict me from Lebanon?

Well, if you the authorities recognize that stamp you will be banned, yes. If you are planning to travel to any of those countries you should make a new passport

Dear Joan, Thanks much for your information they are really helpful. Allow me to ask a few questions just to clarify.

1. I am planning to visit Jordan, Israel and Iran in May-June. I plan to fly in to Anman from Egypt, cross the border to Israel through King Hussein and fly out of Tel Aviv via Turkey to Teheran. I understand that I can try to manage not to get Jordan exit stamp at King Hussein and obtain a visa card for Israel instead of a stamp. This means I would only have entry stamp of Jordan. It seems not much of a problem for entering Iran, correct? I have also obtained an Iran visa already at a local Iran embassy.

2. I was stupid enough to mention that I may go to Iran in an email to a Jerusalem hostel i was planning to stay (though I sent a subsequent mail saying I changed my plan.) I am not sure how much of a secret service society Israel is, but would there be any possibility that the hostel may inform border officers that I am a dangerous person and stamp my passport instead of giving a visa card upon entering Israel at King Hussein?

3. When flying out of Tel Aviv to Iran, should I purchase the flights (Tel Aviv-Istanbul and Istanbul-Teheran) separately in order to avoid nuisance at the immigration at Tel Aviv airport, which I have heard is nightmarish to begin with? The thing is it would be cheaper to purchase a fly-through (Tel Aviv-Istanbul-Teheran), but I am not sure if the immigration would check my tickets and interrogate me.

Apologies for the trouble but your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Dear Sara, here my replies: 1 – If you already have your visa, it is quite unlikely that the authorities will check your passport notice that you only have an entry stamp for Jordan. I mean, it could happen of course but, if I was you, I would expect they don’t. 2 – I seriously doubt it and, in any case, they will know that you go to Iran because they will check your passport and see your visa, which may lead to additional questions, that’s it. Do go to the airport as early as possible upon your exit 3 – It is always better to buy them separetly but again, they will know that you are going to Iran because they will see the visa

I can`t thank you more for your quick and kind reply. It means so much to me as this would be my last chance to travel extensively due to physical reasons. Plus, I intend to go to South Africa after Iran and the flight from Teheran to Joburg is quite expensive that I did not want to purchase it unless I know for sure I can visit Iran. (Not sure if I can make a purchase from skyscanner in Iran using VPN – can I?)

I was really scared of the situation regarding Q2, because when I called one of the five-star hotels in Jerusalem to ask about Q3 (since I had no idea who to ask and that was my best bet to get a reply in decent English), the concierge immediately changed his attitude and hang up as if he was talking to a political criminal.

FYI, Iran visa now is given as a separate sheet of paper (e-visa, as they call it). At least that’s the case with the Iran embassy in Japan. I have seen a blog article by a Japanese guy who mentioned he got the same type of visa upon applying for arrival visa at Teheran airport recently. Not sure if it applies to all nationalities but Iran government may be working in a similar way as Israelis to attract more tourists by reducing their inconvenience after visiting Iran. So i will try to conceal that visa sheet as much as possible at the security check at Tel Aviv airport.

Hi Joan, My partner, our 6 year old son and I are starting quite an extensive trip around the Middle East in Israel. After Israel we are flying from Tel Aviv to Cairo directly with Air Sinai. When we arrive at Cairo Airport will our arrival stamp in our passport state that we have entered from Israel like the land border stamp does or is it just a generic arrival stamp ? If it does specify that we’ve come from Israel it would cause us major problems later in our trip. Thanks for your help and thanks for the web-site, it contains lots of great information.

Hey there, you will just get a regular Egypt stamp, so no problem at all

Wow, you really do respond fast! Thanks for the answer, you’ve put my mind at rest, much appreciated.

Hi Joan ! I’m french and i had troubles in the Israeli boarders because of my arabic stamps. I had an iranian stamp, three lebanese and i was coming from Egypt. I was interrogated for almost 10 hours. They were so suspsicious, I had to show everything, they checked all my navigation history and so on. They asked me really weird questions for exemple : why do you have a beard, why have you cut it recently ? (The funny thing is that all israeli in Sinai have got very long beard because of this hippy community there :D). Why do you go to Middle east (I travelled all around the wolrd but they focus only about that :P). They asked me also about my religion (i’m christian). That was so stressful because they were REALLY agressive to me. I havn’t do anything bad (i’m not an anti israeli activist for example). Then after 10 hours, they denied my visa and I couldn’t enter. I had to come back to Egypt..; And all that without any explanation ! So they do care a lot about stamps, i think it depends on your luck… I was maybe really unlucky !

Hey Jas, wow I am really sorry for what happened to you! I am also surprised somehow, as you are the first person who tells me something like that but thank you, I will let people know that there are some cases where your entry to Israel may be denied. Can I ask you when did this happen? And also, did they find anything when they checked your navigation history, or is there anything else you know that may be relevant?

It happens in Taba, last summer (June 2018). No they didn’t ! Maybe they were suspicious because i stayed in Egypt for two semesters in the Caire University (i made an exchange program with my university in France in the politcial science department there). Maybe they were suspicious because i’m learning arabic (but i want to work in the future for NGOs in the middle east in order to help refugees and so on…). Futhermore, normally there are no problem between Egypt and Israel… I tried to contact the Israeli embassy in France but i’v never got an answer. So i really don’t know why ! I’m a normal guy who loves moutains and different cultures haha, nothing strange :P. I found several people on internet which were denied but usually it is linked with an anti israeli activism. For instance if you support the bds campaign you won’t enter if they discover it.

At the boarder it was so stressful, i was interwiewed at least four times, and one time it was more than two hours.

Last but not least, they stamped my passport with an israeli stamp (and written entry denied) so they destroyed it :'(. That’s why i found your article because I’m coming back to the Middle east and i wanted to see in which country i can’t go with this shitty passport.

Hello, I would like to ask if you have problem travelling to Jordan if you have travel in Israel before. I have also Lebanon stamp to my passport. Thanks.

Please, read the article. It is clearly answered there plus in the many comments

I didn’t mention, my passport is italian.

Hello Joan, I am planning to go from Amman to Jerusalem through King Hussein Border Crossing and come back to Amman (flights will be a/r from Amman). Since I travel a lot in the gulf region for work (especially Dubai) I would rather avoid the Israeli stamps. Is it reasonable to expect to to avoid the exit stamp at the jordanian border, then the entry stamp to Israel and then again the exit from Israel and the entrance stamp to Jordan? Your opinion would be of great help to me. My passport is Italian.

Hi Dario, Israel doesn’t stamp your passport, so the only issue would be having an entry stamp from Jordan only (via airport). Id you are so worried about it, just fly in and out from Amman, it is that simple

I didnt explain myself well: I will be flying from Dubai to Amman, then I plan the overland trip to Jerusalem. I will cross Jordanian/Israeli border twice at King Hussain Bridge (to go to Jerusalem and to come back to Amman). Is it reasonable to avoid the 4 stamps involved in this border crossing?

OK, yes, it is possible. When I crossed the border, I asked the Jordanians not to stamp it and they didn’t and I know many travelers who also didn’t get the stamp, but you need to make sure to ask for it. However, if you don’t want to risk it, you would need to fly from Amman to Tel Aviv

Hi Joan, Thank you very much for your answers. Still something I wanted to ask you (maybe more delicate than the 4 border crossing): I am Italian, resident in UAE and I have 2 Iranian Tourist Visa on my passport (one in 2015 and another one in 2016) as well as 5 Omani Visas and 1 Qatari Stamp. I work for a company based in Dubai and operating in many arab countries (not in Iran). Do you think a rejection in Israel is highly probable?

Here the last question: in case I’d be rejected, is it preferable if it happens at the land border or at the airport? Someone told me that being at the border in that situation is preferable since I can easily re-enter Jordan, while at the airport is somehow more “traumatic”. What’s your thoughts on this? Is there any chance (in one of the two cases) that they don’t stamp the entry denial on the passport? Thank you again. Dario

Hi Dario, regarding your first question, there is a probability of rejection, yes, but, in most cases, you will be OK to go. This article has been read by thousands and thousands of people and very very few have reported me that their entrance was rejected, while the vast majority were OK to go.

I was also an expat living in Dubai for 3 years and, when I traveled to Israel, I also had several Omani stamps, Egypt, Lebanon etc. They questioned me for a long time but I was OK to get in.

You will never know but, if that helps, people I know who got rejected were regular backpackers who stayed for long periods of time in Lebanon and Iran. You are an expat living in Dubai, so they know your type of profile, which is less suspicious.

As per your second question, ALL travelers I met who got rejected were trying to cross overland. In fact, the land border is where you get the largest amount of questions and where they are more suspicious. If you got rejected, I don’t know where would be better, but at least, in the land border would be cheaper as you wouldn’t need to book a flight

Hi , I guessa silly question. I am just passing throught Tel Aviv Airport. I have ticket from DEL to YYZ with a stopover in Tel Aviv- without going out of airport. DO I still need Israel Visa? Thanks,

Most Western nationalities don’t need a visa. I don’t know your passport, but if you don’t come from Europe, North America, Japan, Korea, etc., you should check with your embassy

I m from India and not on the list of country which do not need visa. DO I need visa even for coming out of plane and taking another flight out of same airport..thanks

I don’t know specific visa requirements for Indians or other nationalities. Please contact the embassy

Got email reply.. India passport holders do not need visa if staying on airport for less than 24 hrs….unlike USA. Must hv onward journey visa.

Hello, Brilliant article, thanks for providing so much detail. Just to clarify (I’m being a bit paranoid): I visited Tel Aviv last year (they didn’t stamp my passport). Can I visit Lebanon without any troubles? There’s no proof that I visited Israel on my passport but this information might be stored somewhere as they scanned it…

Many thanks, Chloe

Hello, I’m wondering if you cross at King Hussein / Allenby bridge and are on a Jordan Tourist Visa (planning to cross back with the same visa) if you get any stamps in your passport? Can I do this and remain on the same Jordanian Visa without getting any stamps?

Hi. Im currently working here in Saudi Arabia and Im planning to visit Israel maybe end of this year. Is it ok to travel by air from Saudi to Istanbul to Tel Aviv and vise versa? What would you recommend? Thanks.

Hi there, yeah it seems like a feasible itinerary, I did the same one but from Dubai

Hi, Your blog is really useful, therefore I´d need information about coming from Cairo, by air, to Tel Aviv. I´ll be in Siwa doing a volunteering work and then head to Tel Aviv. I´m a solo female traveler and I´ve already been interrogated by the Israeli immmigration officer when she found out I was alone. I was coming from Brazil that time. I´ll have a letter of invitation from an Israeli friend. Tks a lot 🙂 Ana

thanks and best of luck!

Hi Joan! I’m planning a trip to Tunisia. I hope there would be no problem if I have an Israeli visa on my passport. I’m a bit concerned regarding people being sent away in the past. I’m an Indian citizen.

no problems in Tunisia, really 🙂 ! In fact, Israelis can even enter Tunisia, as there is an important Jewish community still living there

Thanks Joan…. I just returned from Tunisia… it’s not a problem if you have Israeli visa on your passport. The immigration just don’t care if you have one.

thanks for the update 🙂

Hi I’m a Malaysian citizen and my partner is Israeli. I’m holding Malaysian passport and have no other passport, I wonder how can I visit Israel with my Malaysian passport and enter without passport being stamp ? And which way would be safer for me to enter israel?

where do i get the slip ,is it in airport or in my country .i have apply in israeli embassy in nigeria and they stamp the back of my passport with black small stamp with letter that contain my details . is this visa approval ? explain to me . how can i send the image to you .

Joan, great work. You made clear the question. I want to add that Ovda airport and Eilat airport closed forever last year. Instead of them opened new big airport in Eilat Area named Ramon airport (ETM)

thank you so much for this amazing update 🙂 And do you know what are the rules regarding the Israeli stamp in that new airport?

Hi. Regarding Saudi Arabia, I have multiple dual page Israeli student visas in my US passport. Any data points to suggest this is no longer an issue? Thanks

Hello, thanks god you made this blog!!! I have a question for you: – i’ll travel by flight to Jordan – i’ll cross the border overland to israel – i’ll go somehow (maybe by cyprus) to Beirut where ihave my flight back to Italy. I know i won’t have Israel stamp, but i am wondering if i can skip the jordan stamps as well. Without those 4 stamps I should be fine going to Beirut from Cyprus or Istanbul. Thanks for you help!

Hey Gabriele, you can skip it if you ask for it beforehand but you will have an entry stamp, and not the exit one, which is kind of suspicious!

Hi Joan, i didn’t get the point: do they put the entry stamp in the passport even if i ask not to do that? Arriving in Aqaba from Italy if they don’t put any stamp would be perfect I guess. With the entry stamp i am screwed entering in Beirut…

Hi, Joan! Let me stop you by to discuss using the so called ”Israel” I have been always one of your followers and I appreciate your hard work reviewing the truth and spreading the real face of things around. I am surprised your kind with that ”Israel” and how do you believe its existence! I would like to wonder your point of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. After all, One should go over the reality to discover it. I have never been to Israel, but I went so many times to Palestine. Thanks for the precious information. Cheers!

They stamped my passport denied entry after hours of interrogation

Just one question: how can they stamp your passport and then deny your entry?

Hello Joan,

I am planning to fly from France to Tel Aviv and then cross in Aqaba into Jordann, and pursue my trip towards Syria and Lebanon after. If I manage my passport not to be stamped in Aqaba (on a separate sheet) do you think I could ask for a stamp at the airport in Aqaba or Amman, even if I did not enter through air ? Is it worth trying ?

I have two passports, France and Poland, is it of any help ?

Thanks for your answer and congrats for your excellent job !

Hi Stefan! Are you asking whether you can ask for the exit stamp to be in a separate piece of paper? I am not sure about it. I was in the same situation as you and they did stamp it, even though I told them not to do so, but it could depend on the authority. If they stamp it, it would be risky to go to Lebanon and, in that case, I’d use a different passport. cheers,

Hi All, I arrived a year ago in araba airport (with entry and exit stamp) would this be a problem for lebanon? I have no idea if this stamp is different form the Wadi Araba stamp?

Hello, thanks for tour guides they are vert usefull (and sorry for my english) Sorry i have a special question, i’m french ans my wife got an algerian passeport.

I want to Know if we go to Jordan and cross the bridge to visit East Jérusalem. Do we need an israeli visa (and pay) or Jordan one and stamp exit is enough ?? Especially for the algerian passeport. De don’t intend to enter the exclusif israelian territory just west bank and East Jérusalem.

Hi Ilias, if you cross from Israel to Jordan via the bridge, you will need to arrange your Jordan visa in advance. If you do it vice-versa, you don’t need an Israeli visa. I am not sure, however, about Algerian passport. You should contact the embassy. cheers,

Hi, what if I have a Canadian passport but it says I was born in israel? Can I still travel to Indonesia without a visa? How would I be treated as a Jewish person there? I would like to fly to Bali (from Toronto) but I am a bit nervous as it says I was born in israel on my passport

Hey Mel! Unfortunately, I don’t know… I just know about regular travel information but your case is very specific!

One question here, is this for Muslim countries or for other countries also?

sorry, but I don’t know what you mean

Quick Report Feb 2020. Jist exited from Wadi Arabia to Eilat and despite asking for a stamp on a separate paper, the border police just took my passport and stamped it. I checked with others crossing at the same time and they all got the exit stamp. So Yeah it may come down to the particular guy! Incide rally Jordanian border guards are the most arseholes ish I’ve came across in the Middle East, thr Saudi, Kuwait ones were all nice and the ones I met at Jo were the worst.

Not recommended to get into trouble with the Israeli security. They have new technological systems that detect stress and lies. Countries that hosted international sporting events received from Israel systems identifying irregular stress among people at the entries to stadiums

If I enter the West Bank through Amman/king Hussein bridge (USA is original departure country), would I be able to leave back to the states through Tel Aviv? I have an American citizenship and no Hawwia. Thanks

Yes, it should be fine

Your website is amazing really so helpful! My boyfriend and I are looking to travel to Israel and Lebanon and would be so grateful for your advice! We’ve been hearing a lot of rumours of Israel starting to stamp passports again since 2020. Is this true? Our plan was to fly to tel Aviv from London and then fly from Israel to Jordan and then from Jordan to Lebanon.

Given the fact that we’ll have an entry and exit stamp from Jordan will Lebanon still be suspicious/ deny ya entry?

Any help would be so much appreciated!

Best wishes, Emma

Hello Emma,I have never heard of Israel stamping stamps this year. As per the Jordanian stamp, they can’t be suspicious of anything because you are flying in, so you will just have the entry /exit stamp of Queen Alia airport

I plan to go to Jordan from Israel and then back after 4 or 5 days using the land borders. Do I need to use the same border for returning to Israel as the one I left with or can I go out of one come back using another. Can I get visa to enter Jordan at the land border. I think one of them you cannot and have to pre-arrange before leaving the UK. Is that right?

Be sure to check for Israeli security stickers on the back of your passport. The gentleman below learned the hard way. Fortunately, he was still allowed in. https://onemileatatime.com/israeli-sticker-passport/

I’m planning to travel to Israel from Jordan after having been to Lebanon and Syria next January.

Will I have problems at the land border in Allenby King Hussein while entering Israel ?

If I get a stamp at this border, I’ll lose my chance of getting a Iranian visa after.

I don’t want to unlock my phone, so maybe I’ll give it to a person of confidence in Amman (at my hotel for example) make a 3-day trip to Jerusalem and pick it back. I don’t want them to grab into my privacy.

Your stamps won’t be a problem,but border security can be a bad experience, I did a short trip to Ovda (Eilat) and took a picture of the airport sign to post on facebook, nicelly machinegun armed kids without uniform forced me to delete it this was 2017, apart from a first interogation, they check your passport, at least 6 times absolutly and with out exception every page, they actually will damage it or wear it down considerably. Security is at a whole diferent level, and done by very young people in military service age, so you will find troops in the street like on TV, including Merkava tanks on the road side, as well as other ununiformed clearly carying a gun under t-shirts. Exit is always a 20 -30 minute interview, and many stickers on your passport, green & yellow, one per security level cleared. Keep your bag with you at all times the day you leave, more than anywhere in the world, not a second away, that will be their first question. They didn’t check my phone, you just don’t want to take pictures in such a place. Don’t lie, they use techniques to catch you, repeating the same questions in different ways, facial expressions, odd ones like do you know your date of birth? wich is trick question to see your response. Just go visit what you intend, don’t talk about politics or Palestinians, common sence, enjoy the food, very good wines, party if you wish, people are nice generally and keep the pictures to monuments and yourself.

Your descriptions are a bit exaggerated. I think you may overlooked that Ovda airport is located inside a military base, hence the reason for seeing troops and Merkava tanks around it. Ovda airport was closed in 2019 when the Eilat’s brand new international airport was inaugurated. I’m sorry to hear that your passport was damaged or worn out, but that is definitely not the usual rule.

Troops in the streest / ununiformed people carrying a gun: in Israel, troops get a weekend off every couple of weeks (normally), so you’d be seeing them in the streets – either on their way home (if that’s before a weekend) or on the way out to their base (after the weekend). They are absolutely not on duty, as in Israel the IDF doesn’t have jurisdiction over local security, only over national security – along the borders on up in the air. Ununiformed people with guns – during the weekend vacation home, soldiers are not obligated to wear their uniforms, nor they are permitted to leave their gun home (so it won’t be stolen) – therefore they must carry it around. You see a civilian couple in the streets, but the male has a gun? a soldier on vacation having free time with his girlfriend.

Hi. I live in Israel for 33 years, only left it once to see where my gradparents’ family were murdered in Polland. I want your visitors to know that they should be proud to have an Israeli stamp in their passport, and the countries who see this stamp as a problem should be ashamed. Very soon many countries will join the international approval of the Jewish state, including the UAE, Baharain and probably Saudi Arabia too, which will probably cause Israel’s “eternal” enemies to do so as well (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq).

We Israelis love tourists and our stamp in your passport is an honor for you!!

Hi Shlomo, I TOTALLY agree! I first visited Israel in 2019 (from the US), and as I was entering through Customs, I asked the officer to stamp my passport. He looked at me as if I were crazy, and then I said: I am proud to be in Israel, and I have no intention of ever visiting any country that would not let me in with an Israeli stamp. He still thought I was crazy….but then he stamped it, and smiled and told me to have a good trip. I am very proud of that stamp.

Sorry to hear that your grandparents were killed when they went to Poland. Fortunately it is rare for these problem to occur when we travel….

I had major issues with Saudi Arabia because of entry stamp from Jordan, from land border crossing with Israel. I was denied entry and returned on next flight. Obviously I cannot blame Saudi for this position against enemy states, but having evidence in the passport of travel to Israel is not so good ultimately, it can cause problems. Israeli border force also do not treat international travellers respectfully or courteously, I was detained there for no reason for many hours arriving, and departing, and treated very poorly and strip searched. It may be an honour for Israeli citizens to have tourists come and spend their money there, but they sure have a depraved and warped way of saying thank you.

Important update, Israel has become friend of the UAE on August 2020. Therefore, Israelis can travel freely to the UAE and Emiratis to Israel. No more problems regarding these countries.

I have the entry stamp from Jordan, after coming overland from Israel. I forgot about this and arrived in Saudi Arabia (December 2021) with an evisa. They examined each page of my passport and refused me entry because of the stamp. Do not take it at word of the evisa service website that it is not a problem where you visited before. That is applicable for the visa application. The visa service and border force are two completely different agencies, with different approaches to this issue!

It was an oversight on my part, and I cannot blame the Saudis for their approach to Israel.

Hi Richard, very sorry to hear that, but thanks for your valuable feedback 🙂

Hey Joan, thank you for your posts, they are really helping and inspiring! I went to Iran in the end of 2019 and they never stamped our passports, we were just given a sheet of paper (same as in Israel). This is not about Israeli stamps but may be helpful when travelling to Israel.

I w wanted to know if one needed a tour company to get from Jordan to Israel by land or one could simply do it on their own? We are planning a trip to Jordan and thinking of doing Israel too but not sure how to make that journey

Hello Nausheen, you can do it on your own

Hi Joan, Would you say its easier to go to Israel via the Allenby crossing or to fly directly into Tel Aviv ? We went via Allenby a few years back and for no reason our passports were held for hours on end and we werent allowed to exit the country. Trying to avoid a repeat of that scenario.

Hey thanks for the Information! Do you know about anything when it comes to Egypt entry/exit stamp?

Iam right now in Israel and think about a trip to Sinan.

As far as I know there shouldnt be any problems because of Egypt stamps.

I want to visit Israel from UAE I have UAE visa , is that possible

We obtained a single entry Israeli tourist visa (B2). Is it possible to visit Jordan during our stay in Israel and come back to Israel with to & fro journey through Eilat border?

Yes of course, it’s possible, no problem

Thanks. I didn’t find any document in favor of re-entry to Israel from Jordan with a single entry tourist visa. Is any rule/doc available? P. K. Das

Hi, thanks for the information. Next month I’m planning to attend an academic conference in Tel Aviv, Israel. However, I accepted a work offer in Saudi Arabia to start in January next year. Do you think I could have any problem getting a Saudi Arabia work visa after visiting Israel? If Israel doesn’t stamp my passport, I suppose I will not have any problem, right? What do you think? Thank you!

Hi Joan! I just wanna say that in Erbil Airport the immigration did not want to let me get in because they tought I was jewish, it was has been a long talking before they changed mind. I think (not sure) it can be complicated to enter Ir. Kurdistan with Israel visa.

I have a question: If i visited Israel, then there is no proof on my passport and I visit an enemy country but unfortunately for any reason during the trip, authorities have to check my phone then they see Highlight story on IG about my trip in Israel or some pic in my phone, or my blog with Israel story… What’s next? Can I get ban definitively from the country or getting problems? Thank you. I read a lot and I don’t find any answer

Thanks for your comment an update!

Just one note: being a Jew is different from having been to Israel as a tourist but in any case, if they let you in, it means that all they were trying to do was perhaps bragging about their power, or trying to be annoying.

Anyways, regarding your question, if the authorities know that you’ve been to Israel, even if it’s through photos or whatever, you won’t be allowed to enter that country. There’s the practical example of a certain traveler who was banned from entering Syria because in his/her social media, you can read that has visited each and every country in the world, so they assumed that included Israel too.

Thank you for the quick answer!!

But, I meant, for exemple, I already passed the immigration. I travel like 2 weeks in Iraq (or other enemy country) then while I am traveling, authorities find that I lied at the immigration because they discover that I was in Israel, what happen in this case?

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to answer this question because it will always depend on the specific person who checked your photos.

Personally, I would not worry much since whoever checks your photos won’t be an immigration officer.

Thank you. My query was purely that I had been to Syria in 2008, six months before travel was stopped. Although I have had 2 new passports since then, would it still be on record that I had stayed there and if so whether it would affect my entry into another Middle Eaatern country. My new British passport has no stamps or visas yet.

Hello Vicky. To give you a practical example, when you try to apply for the USA ESTA, one of the questions is whether you have traveled to Syria after 2011, so any date before that isn’t an issue to travel anywhere and in any case, there aren’t any bans in any Middle Eastern country for having traveled to Syria, not even Israel, but you’ll certainly get a lot of questions, but only if you traveled there after 2011

I am currently planning to visit Lebanon. On my passport, I got Jordanian entry stamp at the airport (QAIA), but without any exit stamp because I travelled to Israel via King Hussein Bridge and Jodanian authority only stamped on a separate piece of paper, and of course no Israeli entry stamp too. I flew out from Israel in the end. Do you think it will be a problem for me to enter Lebanon in this case?

If they checked, very carefully, each and every page of your passport, it could be a problem yes but fortunately, this is rarely the case.

Hello Joan, Thank you for this very informative blog. My question is as a Canadian, will I be able to obtain a tourist visa from the Israeli side? planning to take King Hussein bridge from Jordan to go to Ramallah and then to Tel Aviv. Thanks in advance

Im from Philippines, i live in doha with working visa. Im planning to visit Israel,do it get problems in immigration coming back to Qatar? Thank you.

Hi Bea, you won’t have issues entering back to Qatar from Israel

Hi, than you for sharing all the Information. We are 2 Travelers from Germany on our Motorbikes. We are comming from Saudi arabia and whant to enter Joradanien from there. Than we whant also travel throu Israel and than we have to go back to Saudi Arabia than ship our bikes from VAE. How can we manage the Paspot problem? We have 2 Pasports maby that helps. But we also have a Carnet de Passage with our Bikes. How can we handle that? Thank you for your help.

I think I know the answer here but want to confirm if possible:

Looking to visit Syria. US passport. No Israel stamps in passport. Entry and exit stamps from flying into and out of Jordan, and then into and out of Lebanon on the same trip.

A potential Syrian guide told me they could somehow still recognize a visit to Israel through Jordanian airport arrivals and departures – is this possible at all? Would Syrian authorities somehow be able to access flight information outside of what is in my passport?

No. How could they know you’ve been to Israel if you have arrived and left through airport? Also, Israel doesn’t share immigration details with SYRIA

What I want to clarify is this: I have a Syrian visa stamped on a previous passport. My brand new passport has no visas in it at all so if I wanted to go to Israel, would my visit to Syria be recorded anywhere digitally?

No, there’s no way it’d be recorded

Thankyou!! Finally the answer I wanted!

Hi Joan are the any issues regarding South Africa amidst the recent legal proceedings at the international court? I have an Israeli visa stamped into my passport.

Kind regards and thanks in advance.

Honestly, I have no clue what are you referring to 😉

Hello everyone, I’m a filipino and I’m in Thailand now under tourist visa but used to work here. How strict is the boarder going to Israel as of now. I have my Jordan visa and planning to visit Israel. What are the things should I prepare. Thank you in advance.

Anybody who thinks that having the passport and social accounts checked at the border for a few hours is a “waste of time” – they’d better stay in their own country or go to countries without border checks. Nobody’s forced to travel to a country constantly target by people who want to see all of us Jews/Israelis dead. The border control personel does it to protect us and not to waste anybody’s time.

Hi, I want to go to Hebron from Afghanistan at the end of September and I don’t seen Afghanistan listed here. Will there be issues?

Thanks for this informative post! -R

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Israel-Hezbollah live updates: Iran vows Nasrallah strike 'will not go unanswered'; Up to 1 million displaced in Lebanon

What we know.

• Israel has continued to strike Lebanon and claimed to have killed another senior Hezbollah figure after the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah , a dramatic escalation of its bombing campaign that local officials say has killed more than 1,000 people.
• Iran, which backs the powerful militant group, vowed the strike that killed Nasrallah "will not go unanswered."
• The Pentagon is looking at options to increase the number of troops and equipment in the Middle East as fears grow of a broader regional conflict. President Joe Biden said "it's time for a cease-fire," as the Israeli strike infuriated U.S. officials hoping to reach a deal .
• As many as 1 million people may have been displaced in Lebanon, the country's prime minister said, as Israeli strikes left people to shelter on streets and beaches.

Sec. Austin keeps strike group at CENTCOM while ordering marine unit to stay in Mediterranean

Mosheh Gains

Doha Madani

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered two Marine groups to stay where they are while increasing the "readiness" of other forces should there be an escalation with Iran.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group will remain at CENTCOM for the time being while the USS Wasp amphibious assault carriers will stay put in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's spokesperson.

"Secretary Austin made   clear that should Iran, its partners,   or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people," Ryder said.

Sheltering on the beach in Beirut

Photos from this morning show boys collecting water, one standing beside his tent and a man riding a horse past other sheltering on the beach in Lebanon's capital after being displaced by Israeli airstrikes.

IDF lists key operatives it says were killed alongside Nasrallah

Freddie Clayton

The IDF has listed the names of the key operatives who it says were killed alongside the Hezbollah leader in Friday's strike on the militant group's underground headquarters.

It said that "more than 20 terrorists of varying ranks" were killed, including Ibrahim Hussein Jazini, the head of Nasrallah's Security Unit and Samir Tawfiq Dib, who it says was a longtime confidant of Nasrallah.

Hezbollah is yet to confirm the deaths of Jazini or the other operatives named by the IDF. NBC News is unable to verify the IDF's claims.

Tehran reacts to Nasrallah's death

As the world awaits Iran's response to Israel's dramatic escalation against its Lebanese proxy group, photos from the Islamic Republic's capital this morning show people walking past banners featuring an image of Nasrallah.

Another shows a banner that also has an image of Revolutionary Guard commander Abbas Nilforoushan, who was also killed in Friday's strike.

IDF killed another senior Hezbollah figure last night

The IDF says it has killed another senior Hezbollah figure, announcing that the commander of the group's Preventative Security Unit, Nabil Kaouk, was killed in an airstrike on Beirut last night. Kaouk was also a member of the group's central council, it said.

In a statement, the IDF said it would "continue to strike and eliminate the commanders within Hezbollah."

Hezbollah later confirmed Kaouk’s death, making him the 7th top commander killed in the past few weeks.

Middle East remains on edge after Israel kills Hezbollah leader

Richard Engel

Reporting from BEIRUT

The Middle East is on edge days after Israel took out the top leader of Hezbollah, with the U.S. embassy telling Americans in the area to get out while they can. 

IDF announces new strike on Beirut suburb

The IDF says it has conducted a new "precise strike" in the Dahiyeh suburb in southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold it has targeted with frequent attacks in the past two weeks.

Israeli warplanes also targeted the district with a wave of strikes yesterday.

The IDF said minutes earlier that it was "continuing to strike terror targets belonging to Hezbollah" across Lebanon, including "weapons directed toward Israeli territory." In a subsequent update, it said that "following the sirens that sounded in the western Galilee and HaAmakim areas, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted."

Israel used U.S. 'bunker buster' bombs in Nasrallah attack, expert assesses

Raf Sanchez

Reporting from HAIFA, Israel

Israel’s military used American-made 2,000lb “bunker buster” bombs in its strike that killed the Hezbollah leader, an expert told NBC News after reviewing Israeli military footage.

Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician, said that footage released by the IDF showed F-15 fighter aircraft taking off loaded with BLU-109 bombs.

Ball’s analysis was first reported by the New York Times. The IDF has refused to say what type of munition it used in the attack.

The American-made heavy munition is used for penetrating reinforced bunkers. Israel has said Nasrallah and other Hezbollah leaders were in an underground command centers. Lebanon’s government has accused Israel of war crimes for using such powerful weapons in a densely-populated suburb of Beirut.

Israeli soldiers and tanks near the Lebanon border

As the world watches for signs of a possible Israeli ground operation in Lebanon, photos this morning show soldiers and tanks deployed in Israel's northern Upper Galilee region near the border.

U.S. military says it killed 37 militants in Syria strikes

U.S. Central Command said this morning that its forces have conducted two targeted strikes in Syria in September, killing 37 terrorist operatives including multiple leaders of ISIS.

It said a strike on September 16 "killed at least 28 ISIS operatives" in a remote training camp in central Syria. The second strike, in northwest Syria on September 24, killed nine "terrorist operatives," including a senior leader of an Al Qaeda affiliate, according to the statement.

It said the airstrikes were part of efforts to "disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists," adding that there was no indication any civilians were harmed in either strike.

Lebanese PM estimates around 1 million people displaced

Ammar Cheikh Omar

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati says around one million people have been internally displaced in the country by the conflict and Israel's intensifying bombardment.

Mikati called the current displacement the “largest in Lebanon’s history," and said more than 700 centers were ready to shelter the displaced.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said yesterday that “well over 200,000” were now displaced inside Lebanon.

Lebanese army urges unity at 'delicate' moment

Lebanon's army has called for "national unity" amid a rising number of dead and injured in the nation.

In a statement posted on X , it urged citizens to "refrain from actions that could jeopardize civil peace during this dangerous and delicate phase" in Lebanon's history.

Flattened buildings at the site of Nasrallah strike

People walked this morning amid the rubble of buildings that were levelled by the Israeli strikes that targeted and killed the Hezbollah leader in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The attack killed at least 11 people and injured 108, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. 

Iran vows Nasrallah strike 'will not go unanswered'

Iran has vowed the strike that killed the Hezbollah leader and a senior Revolutionary Guards commander "will not go unanswered."

Speaking as he departed New York, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said that “We are on high alert. The countries of the region and beyond must recognize that the situation is extremely dangerous, and anything could happen at any moment." He said the U.S. was "complicit in this crime" and that "undoubtedly, the blood of the martyrs of this incident will not go unanswered, and we will stand firmly with the resistance.”

Earlier, Iran's parliament speaker said that the country's network of proxies known as the axis of resistance will continue confronting Israel with Tehran's support. He then joined lawmakers in chanting "death to Israel" and "death to America."

U.N. food agency launches emergency Lebanon operation

The World Food Programme has launched an emergency food operation to help reach one million people impacted by the conflict in Lebanon.

"Further escalation of the conflict this weekend underscores the need for urgent humanitarian response," it said in a post on X .

China urges Israel to 'cool' conflict after Nasrallah killing

Ed Flanagan

China's foreign ministry says it is opposed to any action that violates Lebanon's sovereignty, following the death of Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah during a wave of strikes on Beirut.

“China opposes any violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and security, opposes and condemns any actions that harm innocent civilians, and opposes any move that exacerbates conflicts and leads to an escalation of the regional situation,” it said, urging the parties concerned, "especially Israel," to take immediate measures to cool down the situation.

The ministry also called for a cease-fire in Gaza to de-escalate tensions in the region, saying that “The tense situation between Lebanon and Israel is a spillover of the Gaza conflict."

'My heart skipped a beat'

Reporting from ZOUK MOSBEH, Lebanon

When Andre Kahale first heard of Friday's strikes on Hezbollah HQ, he told NBC News, "my heart skipped a beat. Then we spent the next 24 hours fearing."

Kahale, 65, is a dentist who lives in Hadath, about 4 miles south of Beirut. "We couldn’t sleep all night" after the strikes, he said in an interview this morning.

But, Kahale said, when the Hezbollah leader was confirmed dead, his thoughts soon turned to "his people, how they’re feeling." He said he knew they would be "lost and sad."

But Kahale said he also felt hope after the death of Nasrallah. "I personally feel that we are on our way to have peace in Lebanon. Finally, Lebanon is going to breathe.”

Austin holds talks with Israeli counterpart Gallant over Lebanon

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to discuss the situation in Lebanon last night.

Austin "made it clear that the United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself and reinforced that the United States is committed to deterring Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from taking advantage of the situation or expanding the conflict," according to a Pentagon readout of the call.

He also "emphasized that the United States remains postured to defend U.S. forces in the region," it said.

IRGC confirms commander killed in Nasrallah strike

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has confirmed in a statement that one of its top regional commanders, Abbas Nilforoushan, was killed in the same strike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Nilforoushan is one of the most senior Iranian commanders to be killed in recent years.

Seeking shelter in Beirut

Those displaced by Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese capital have sought shelter, with some forced to sleep in the streets.

Drone shot down over red sea as sirens sound in Israel

The IDF said this morning that an Israeli naval missile ship successfully intercepted a drone that approached Israel from the Red Sea before it entered the nation's airspace.

Later, the IDF said eight projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel, falling in open areas.

It did not provide details on the drone's likely target, but sirens had sounded in the southern port city of Eilat this morning.

Israel strikes Lebanon overnight as death toll climbs

Israel continued to bombard Lebanon with dozens of airstrikes overnight and into the early morning. The Israel Defense Forces said it had struck Hezbollah targets, including launchers aimed at Israeli territory.

More than 1,000 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the past two weeks of intense Israeli strikes on its neighbor, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

State Department offers help to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon

Rudy Chinchilla

The State Department last night offered assistance to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon, warning that citizens who remain in the country should be ready to shelter in place for an extended period of time.

The department said on its website that it “strongly encourages” Americans in southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria or in refugee settlements to leave immediately.

“We continue to advise that U.S. citizens depart Lebanon due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hizballah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut,” a State Department advisory read .

Commercial flights are currently available, though at reduced capacity, the department said. It said it is currently only able to help U.S. citizens and their immediate family (spouses, children under 21 years old and parents) who have valid travel documents “for onward travel from Turkey or Cyprus.”

An online form allows citizens to request help with a U.S. government loan to buy a commercial plane ticket, or for help with a U.S. passport or visa for an accompanying spouse or minor child.

Mideast tensions spark fears of a wider war

Matt Bradley

Courtney Kube

With tensions boiling over in the Middle East following the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in a series of Israeli airstrikes, there are new fears of a wider war.

Catch up with our latest coverage

• Netanyahu, not Biden, is setting the agenda in the Middle East
• Who is Hassan Nasrallah, the leader who made Hezbollah a powerful fighting force?
• Israel-Hamas war in Gaza the deadliest on record for journalists who describe killings, attacks and arrests

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How does travel to Israel affect going to Lebanon and Syria (and vice versa)?

Ben crowley, july 8, 2022, how do they know whether you’ve been to israel.

In most cases they are unable to find out, as Israel does not stamp passports for normal tourists. Obviously, those who have lived or worked, obtained a business visa or any other physical visa/stamp for any reason will have proof that they were in Israel.

For regular tourists there are a few ways they will try to prove whether you’ve been in Israel. The first is questioning: the border guards on both entry and exit will randomly ask you whether you were in Israel. On occasion they may try tricky lines of questioning such as “How was your time in Israel?” “Did you enjoy Israel while you were there?” or “When was the last time you were in Israel?”

Next thing they look for is stamps from other countries that don’t properly correspond. For example, there are land border crossings with Jordan and Egypt, and even though Israel doesn't stamp your passport, those other countries do. One very common way to enter Israel is by crossing the King Hussein border crossing from Jordan, so if you exit Jordan that way, there is only one place you could have gone. However, another one is Cyprus, as it’s a very popular route to and from Israel due to cheap flights. They can see you came from Cyprus but can’t find where you were before that.

Finally, they will look for left over glue on the back and inside your passport from the security stickers that Israel places on your passport. This can of course be explained by baggage tags or annoying stickers that have been placed by travel companies, visa agencies or hotels on your passport, but it’s still something they look for.

What happens if they find out I’ve been to Israel?

If you’re entering Lebanon and they are completely sure you’ve been to Israel, you will be denied entry and deported on the next available plane. It won’t be an overly pleasant experience for sure, but you won’t be charged or detained for a long period of time, simply deported.

If on the other hand, if you are found trying to enter Syria, then the consequences can be more tedious. You will likely be pulled aside and questioned and even detained for a night or so. One problem that can arise is if you are caught on the Lebanese – Syrian border, you’ll be deported back to Lebanon where you then need to enter knowing you’re also breaking their rules.

Is it possible to get away with it?

Yes of course, every single day people enter Lebanon and Syria having been to Israel. They simply lie by saying they haven’t been, or in most cases are never asked in the first place. Many governments will issue concurrent passports for exactly this reason. Of course, this is breaking the law, but something most countries condone by the fact they will issue second passports for people needing to make these trips. Of course if you have a second nationality or have had your passport renewed since your visit to Israel, then you don’t need to worry about covering your tracks at all – just don’t tell them!

What about travelling to Israel after Lebanon and Syria?

It’s a completely different story going the other way. Israel does not deny entry based on having been to any country. However, you are a lot more likely to get questioned and be searched if you have been to countries that don’t like them. There’s a high chance you’ll have your itinerary in Israel scrutinised and even your phone looked through. Of course, if you are a genuine tourist who just decided that going to Syria, Lebanon or even Iran was a fun idea and you also are just a normal tourist in Israel, in almost every case you’ll be allowed to enter without more than a few questions, and continue your trip. That is of course as long as you were cooperative and didn’t get aggressive, which has happened by those being interrogated by Israeli border guards.

What should you do if you don’t want to break the law?

Travel to Syria and Lebanon first, before you’ve been to Israel. This way you are not breaking any laws. After successfully going to Syria and Lebanon, then you can travel to Israel.

Co-founder of SAIGAtours, Ben is known for his extensive trivia knowledge, which comes in very handy for long bus rides! He loves a good road trip and has a passion for driving some of the most dangerous and exciting roads in the world. When not traveling he loves playing and watching sport, and is an excellent squash player.

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Can I visit Arab countries with an Israel passport stamp?

Good question. some arab countries have reasonably good diplomatic relations with israel and visiting these countries (listed below) after a visit to israel shouldn’t be a problem whatsoever. however, there are of course a number of arab countries that would rather curl up and die than have a visitor with an israel passport stamp (oh my allah) stepping through their immigration….

As many visitors to Israel often make short trips over the border to Jordan (and especially when there are some amazing, budget-friendly Petra tours to enjoy) as well as  Egypt/the Sinai Peninsula , the question of whether an Israeli stamp in your passport will limit travel to these countries is a very valid one.

Fortunately, the list of Arab nations that are more than happy to accept visitors with Israeli stamps in their passport include two of Israel’s immediate neighbors, Egypt and Jordan . It might not surprise you that the two other countries that share a land border (but not a crossing point) with Israel, Lebanon and Syria , do NOT permit visitors to their country if any trace of a visit to Israel is found in a passport.

And what is meant by “any trace of a visit to Israel”? Well, eagle-eyed immigration clerks are often on the lookout for indications of a visit to Israel, as they know it is standard practice for Israeli immigration to stamp entry and exit visas on a separate piece of paper (if requested).

What can give the game away and cause the end of your visit is Egyptian or Jordanian border control stamps if you popped across the border from Israel to Amman, Cairo or Sinai . This is evidence enough that you visited the evil state of Israel and you will be wished Bon Voyage right back to where you came from.

Even security check stickers and luggage tags issued at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport have been known to bring visits to an end, so get rid of all traces of these if you plan on visiting any of the countries in the list of “bad guys” below.

Arab/Muslim countries that accept visitors with an Israel passport stamp:

• United Arab Emirates
• Saudi Arabia (with the introduction of the e-visa (September 2019))

Arab/Muslim countries that DO NOT accept visitors with an Israel passport stamp:

For those of you with Israeli passports, the following list might be of interest.

Arab/Muslim countries that ALLOW entry for Israeli citizens:

Some tips on how to visit Arab countries after visiting Israel…

Our hot tip for avoiding any future issues when visiting Arab countries: get a second passport. Americans should find this is easy to do: you will have to answer a questionnaire as to why you need it, but then you’ll get a passport valid for two years. So use this passport for visiting Israel and your regular passport for anywhere else in the world.

If a second passport is out of the question, when arriving in Israel ask the immigration clerk to issue the Israel passport stamp on a separate piece of paper because you intend visiting Arab countries after your visit to Israel. It shouldn’t be a problem and has become standard practice for Israeli officials, who have become very familiar with the problem of travelers later visiting Arab countries. Apparently, if you have one of the new biometric passports, the Israeli officials have all your details on computer so won’t add that Israel passport stamp anyway.

Another hot tip: use Cyprus as your Middle Eastern gateway to Arab countries. Of course, immigration will know from which country (Cyprus) the plane has come from, but the plane before?

One last tip: always check with your embassy or tour operator about any visa restrictions. Things change all the time, so hopefully things will have changed for the better when you make your travel plans…

If you’re looking to visit Israel AFTER visiting/working in an Arab/Muslim country, check out our tips here . See also Israel Visa requirements .

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What to know about travelling to Lebanon right now

Several airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon amid escalations between Israel and Hezbollah over the past week.

A number of governments around the world have also renewed their call for citizens to leave Lebanon immediately before fighting escalates further. It comes after more than 500 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Monday, with thousands more fleeing for safety, Lebanese media reports.

If you are currently in or have plans to travel to Lebanon , here is what you need to know.

Are flights to Lebanon being cancelled?

Several of the UAE's major airlines have cancelled scheduled flights to Beirut this week, including Emirates, which has cancelled all flights to and from Beirut until Tuesday, 1 October. “We're constantly monitoring the situation,” the Dubai-based airline said on Twitter, advising passengers to keep checking for updates.

The UAE's national carrier, Etihad Airways, has also cancelled all daily flights up until Monday, 30 September, with its website showing the first available flight for Tuesday, 1 October. Flydubai, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways have also temporarily suspended flights to the Lebanese capital, as well as several international airlines including Lufthansa, Air France and Delta Air Lines, with some carriers also cancelling services to Tel Aviv.

Are there travel warnings in place for Lebanon?

Several governments including the US, UK, France and Ireland have issued warnings urging their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said any British citizens currently in the country should “leave immediately”, according to the BBC . He said the British government was "ramping up the contingency plans”, warning that Lebanon could be on the brink of war.

The US Embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens to leave the country. “Due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the US Embassy urges US citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available,” it said in a statement on Monday. “At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity.”

Other embassies have been issuing calls for their citizens to leave for several weeks. In August, the Indian Embassy in Lebanon also issued a warning “strongly advising” Indian nationals to leave Lebanon, and asked those who can't to remain cautious and in contact with the embassy.

The official social media accounts for the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Lebanon, meanwhile, said: “The embassy renews its call on Saudi citizens to leave Lebanese territory immediately in compliance with the decision to ban travel to Lebanon.”

What should I do if I have planned travel to Lebanon?

If you have travel booked to Lebanon in the coming weeks, it's important to monitor the situation closely. If there are any changes to your flight schedule, the airline or travel agent through which you booked should contact you directly, or you should contact them with any questions.

This story has been updated with new information since its original publication date. This is an ongoing story and will continue to be updated as the situation develops

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Israel on Alert After Saying It Killed Hezbollah's Nasrallah, Army Says

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The Israeli military said on Saturday Israel is on high alert for a broader conflict after it claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, and also said it hoped his reported death will cause the group to change course.

"We hope this will change Hezbollah's actions," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a media briefing after the military said it had killed Nasrallah.

But he said it would still take time to degrade the Iran-backed Hezbollah's capabilities.

"We've seen Hezbollah carry out attacks against us for a year. It's safe to assume that they are going to continue carrying out their attacks against us or try to," he said.

Shoshani said that there had been no new instructions given to Israeli civilians regarding home front readiness, as current guidelines already put much of the country on high alert.

"Hezbollah has been escalating this for a year...Iran is obviously behind this, it's no secret. They're backing Hamas, they're backing Hezbollah and other proxies. They even attacked us directly in April," he said.

"So are we ready for a wider escalation? Yes. We've been in a wider escalation, a multi-front war, for a year. Our forces are on high alert, our intelligence is up and looking for these types of threats."

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by James Mackenzie and Angus MacSwan)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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