パレスチナ自治区: visa and entry rules

Palestine's borders: every crossing point

Palestine has no international borders of its own — every way in is controlled by Israel or by Egypt.

The West Bank with Jordan: the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge. It is the only external entry point that bypasses Israeli territory, but the control on it is Israeli all the same.

The West Bank with Israel: the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, Gilo near Bethlehem and others. Formally these are internal checkpoints, but you pass them as you would a border.

The Gaza Strip: Rafah on the Egyptian side and Erez on the Israeli side. Both work irregularly and are effectively closed to tourists.

Palestine has no airport of its own — you fly into Tel Aviv or Amman.

The practical conclusion: the route is determined by Israeli rules, not Palestinian ones.

Bringing a car into Palestine

Check the carnet requirement and the maximum import period for Palestine before you set off. These two points are what most often turn a car back at the border.

Insurance is taken out locally.

An International Driving Permit is required.

Rental cars with Israeli plates are not allowed into certain areas, and that restriction comes from the rental companies, not only from the authorities.

Travelling to Palestine with a pet

An international veterinary certificate is required, endorsed by the state veterinary service of the country of departure.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

An import permit is arranged in advance.

Check vaccinations, the microchip and quarantine for Palestine case by case. The general rules of the region do not work here, and an animal without papers is turned back at departure.

When the situation is unstable the veterinary services work erratically, and the paperwork takes an unpredictable amount of time.

Overstaying your visa in Palestine

A fine is charged for exceeding the permitted period and is paid on departure.

The fine is worked out as you leave the country, and there is no calculating it beforehand. Rates in Palestine change and there is no single published scale. Cash at the border is essential.

When the situation is unstable an overstay is more dangerous than usual: document checks are more frequent and the consequences less predictable.

An extension is arranged in advance, before the permitted period runs out.

It is the Israeli period that counts, and the consequences come at the Israeli border.