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There are currently quite a few countries and territories who enjoy “free” entry to Israel for their citizens for touristic purposes. Meaning, people who hold a passport of the following countries, don’t have to apply for a tourist B2 visa in advance, before flying to Israel. Instead, they must apply for ETA-IL in a fast and easy online process, and later get their tourist visa at the border for free.
Please take into account that being a citizen of the following countries doesn’t guarantee your entry to Israel in any way. Israel and PIBA (Population and Immigration Authority) still keep broad discretion and can deny entry for various reasons in case they deem it necessary.
There are two lists of visa-exempt countries to Israel:
1. Countries listed on the The Entry to Israel Order (Visa Exemption) – צו הכניסה לישראל (פטור מאשרה), updated January 2025:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bulgaria
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Guatemala
- Greece
- Helvetia (Switzerland)
- Honduras
- Hong Kong SAR
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Isle of Man and Channel Islands
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malawi
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Marshall Islands
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova (biometric passports only)
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Nauru
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Botswana
- Republic of Haiti
- Republic of Peru
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Saint Kitts
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Suriname
- Swaziland (Eswatini)
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
2. Additional visa-exempt countries listed on the exemption list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
- United States of America
- Australia
- Andorra
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Cyprus
- Dominica
- Germany
- Grenada
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Macau
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Niue
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
Attention! While the Republic of Bolivia appears on the Visa Exemption Order, Bolivian citizens are not exempt from obtaining a tourist visa. They must still apply for a visa in advance and pay the associated fee. For this reason, Bolivia was excluded from the list above.
Attention! Citizens of Egypt are exempted from obtaining a pre-approved tourist visa for stays of up to 14 days when entering Israel through the Tabba border crossing, and only when travelling north up to the city of Be’er Sheva.
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Before flying to Israel, make sure to check the official, up-to-date list of countries and their visa requirements on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. This will help you stay informed and ensure a smooth entry into the country.
The information provided here is for convenience only. Errors and Omissions Excepted (E&OE).
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The Israeli Association for International Couples (R.A.)
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Hi! Chile is in the government page but not in this list, maybe the exemption was eliminated?
Hello Anabell, thank you for your comment. Chile indeed appears as exempted from pre-approved visa on the list that is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it is not listed on the Visa Exemption Order. In this situation it is hard to predict the outcome upon arrival to Israel of a Chilean national.
We suggest contacting the Israeli embassy in Chile for a written confirmation.
New Zealand seems to be on the Visa Exemption Order list and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website – it may have been left off this by mistake? 🙂
Also interesting that Australia and the USA are not included on the Order list – although based on experience, they almost certainly get visa-free tourist entry into Israel. I wonder if there is a separate Order or law dealing with those countries?