How to Travel to Israel

How to Travel to Israel

By Air

Step 1
Make your flight reservations. A number of U.S. cities, including New York, Miami and Los Angeles, offer nonstop flights into Tel Aviv, home to Israel's largest international airport. Flights take approximately 12 hours from New York City.

Step 2
Fly to Israel and get a visa on arrival. U.S. citizens with valid passports are granted a visa on arrival at the airport for stays of up to three months in Israel. If you are planning on working, you need to have a letter of introduction from your Israeli employer. If you have dual citizenship, you are required to use your Israeli passport to enter and leave the country.

Step 3
Pass through customs and immigration. The customs process in Israel can be short and easy to get through, or it can take a few hours of questioning to get through. This is dependent on the nature of your trip and the types of stamps in your passport. If you have difficulty getting through, let the U.S. consulate or embassy in Israel know.

By Land

Step 1
Cross the King Hussein Bridge towards Jerusalem. Private cars are not allowed to pass across the King Hussein Bridge; however, a variety of taxis and tour buses ferry passengers across into Israel. Show your Jordanian-stamped exit slip to the Israeli border guards along with your passport. Crossings may take a few minutes to a few hours, depending on traffic.

Step 2
Travel between Aqaba and Eliat. Aqaba is in southern Jordan along the Red Sea, about five miles east of Eliat, in Israel. Crossings here generally are easy, as the border is traveled by many day trippers to Petra, about an hour's drive north of Aqaba in Jordan. You need to present both your Jordanian exit slip and your passport to the border guards.

Step 3
Use the Jordan River crossing. This crossing is in northern Israel and Jordan, and private cars are allowed to cross this border. It passes through the Galilee area of both countries, and traffic generally is lighter here than at the other two crossings between the two countries. Your passport and Jordanian exit slip are required at the Israeli border.