Israel Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens
Middle East · IL
Israel visa requirements for U.S. citizens
ETA-IL required before travel, then up to 90 days
- U.S. passport status
- eTA / ETA
- Visa-free days
- 90 days
- Document route
- Apostille
- Translation
- Required
- Short-stay fee
- 25 ILS
- Schengen area
- No
Entering Israel
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for Israel but since 1 January 2025 must obtain an ETA-IL electronic travel authorisation before travelling. It is applied for online, costs a small fee, is normally issued quickly, and is valid for two years or until passport expiry with multiple entries. Airlines check it at boarding. Note that travel conditions in the region change, so consult the current U.S. Department of State advisory before booking.
Passport requirements
Valid for at least six months beyond your intended departure, with at least two blank pages.
What is specific to Israel
Israel is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so U.S. documents are apostilled. The most significant route for many Americans is the Law of Return, which grants the right of immigration and immediate citizenship to Jews, their children and grandchildren, and their spouses. That is a nationality entitlement rather than an immigration application and it operates on entirely different principles from any visa category, requiring documentary proof of eligibility which in practice means apostilled vital records establishing the family line.
Visa categories for Israel
Each has its own page combining the universal process for that category with what Israel specifically requires.
Tourist and Visitor Visa
ETA-IL required, then up to 90 days.
Business Visitor Visa
Covered by the same ETA-IL for meetings.
Student and Study Visa
The A/2 student visa.
Work and Employment Visa
The B/1 work visa, employer-sponsored and quota-influenced.
Family, Spouse and Partner Visa
The A/5 temporary residence for spouses, on a graduated process.
Permanent Residence and Citizenship
Under the Law of Return, eligible applicants receive citizenship on arrival rather than residence, which is unique among the countries in this guide.
Where and how to apply
- Authority
- Population and Immigration Authority
- Official portal
- ETA-IL (official)
- Where to file
- At the consulate with jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence.
- Biometrics
- Fingerprints and a facial image are collected for most visa categories.
- Fees
- The ETA-IL fee is small. Long-stay visas carry higher fees.
- Short-stay processing
- Usually within 72 hours for the ETA-IL
- Long-stay processing
- Several weeks to months for work and study visas
Documents and authentication for Israel
Israel is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so U.S. public documents are apostilled. That is a single certificate and it is the end of the chain.
Translation. Required into Hebrew for official purposes by a notarised translation.
- 1 Obtain a certified original From the issuing authority. Photocopies, scans and souvenir certificates cannot be authenticated.
- 2 Notarise, if it is a private document Letters, affidavits, powers of attorney and diploma copies need a notary acknowledgement first. Government-issued vital records do not.
- 3 County clerk, in some states A handful of states require the county clerk to certify the notary commission before the Secretary of State will act.
- 4 Authenticate at the right level State-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the ISSUING state. Federal documents, including the FBI Identity History Summary, go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
- 5 Apostille or embassy legalisation Hague Convention destination: the apostille ends the chain. Non-member destination: the document then goes to that country embassy or consulate. For Israel the apostille ends the chain.
- 6 Certified translation Translate the document together with its apostille or legalisation certificate. Doing this first means paying twice. Required into Hebrew for official purposes by a notarised translation.
- 7 File with the right consulate Jurisdiction is by your U.S. state of residence. Bring originals plus a full copy set.
The two expensive mistakes. Sending a federal document such as an FBI Identity History Summary to a Secretary of State, which cannot authenticate it. And translating before authentication, so the apostille certificate is not inside the translation and the whole set has to be paid for twice.
Official sources
- ETA-IL official site The only legitimate ETA-IL application.
- Population and Immigration Authority Visa categories and immigration.
- U.S. State Department: Israel advisory Current travel advisory. Check before booking.
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: www.gov.il, israel-entry.piba.gov.il
This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal or immigration advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Visa rules, fees, processing times and entry requirements change frequently and often without notice, and individual circumstances change the answer. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of residence before you book travel or file an application. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
