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Israel has two kinds of visas:

1. Immigration (aliya) visas

2. Visitor (travel) visas

Immigration visas are handled by the Jewish agency, who will recommend the local mission (embassy) to issue an immigrants visa. The local embassy will act according to the Jewish agency’s recommendation.

Visitor visas
Israel has agreements for the abolition of visa requirements with 65 countries. Citizens of those countries may enter Israel with only a valid passport (no need for specific visa). For the full list of countries which do not reqiure Israeli visa, see bottom of this page.

Nationals of countries without such agreements who wish to visit Israel must submit to the nearest Israeli mission a completed visa application form as well as photograph and his/hers travel document. Information about the need for a visa can be found at your local Israeli mission.
(Information source: Israel Ministry of foreign affairs website)

Countries that have visa abolition agreements are:
Africa: Central African Republic, Losoto, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Swaziland
Asia & Oceania: Australia, Fiji Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany (date of birth after 1.1.28), Gibraltar,Great Britain (England, the UK), Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands (Holland), Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

The Americas: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, St. Kitts & Nevis, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, The Dominican Republic, Uruguay, U.S.A.

Michal Moreno is the content editor for Israel Travel Tips- a travel guide all written by a native Israeli from the insider’s point of view.
For more travel tips, links to important resources, and other Israel travel guides visit: http://www.israel-travel-tips.com

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Israel is the most sacred country in the world. It is sacred to the world’s three largest religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism), but still greatly suffers from a poor image in the world.

Whenever I meet people who have never visited Israel, they always seem to think that Israel is a desert country with Camels as the main means of transportation, and Terror attacks occurring on a daily basis. Of course that in a world where the internet captures such a major place for many people - traveling to such a place is not an option…

In this article I would like to shed a different light at things, and make readers understand the things are not as you think they are, that the major news channels naturally show only sensations, and that there are great treasures to be found in this country for those who choose to travel Israel.

Let’s start from facts about geography and climate: although the desert captures large parts of Israel, Israel also has colder parts such as the Galilee and The Golan Heights with lakes and rivers, and even one skiing resort: The Hermon Mountain.

Because Israel is such a small and colorful country, when you travel Israel you may even plan a one day trip in which you will visit the Judea desert as well as the Jordan river and the Galilee lake “Kinneret”. So, during one single week on your Israel travel you can and probably will see the most vivid and diversified views of nature.

Another point I would like to mention is the political situation. It is true, Israel does have a situation in that sense, but so do many other countries in the world who do not suffer from such an image like Israel. A few years ago I traveled to Ireland, and I would have to note that the political situation there at the time was not much different, but still the bad image was not there for Ireland.

To put things in scale, the chance of getting killed by a bombing attack in Israel is still way lower than the chance of being run over by a car in Manhattan, or of being attacked and robbed in the Paris quarter of “Pigalle”. In the last couple of years there has been a significant decrease in the number of terrorist attacks in Isreal, and as a person living here, I would have to say that there is a safe feeling on the streets, and it is real.

As for Israel being a modern country or not - In the last 8 years or so, Israel has become a hi-tech nation, with many new skyscrapers and a great deal of incoming business tourism. Every other coffee-shop here operates a wireless internet hotspot, and in the three major cities (Tel-aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa) extensive areas have free wireless internet coverage.

By this time I do hope you are convinced that traveling to Israel is an option for you. If you still feel like you need endorsements, visit Israel-travel-tips.com and see for yourself what this country has to offer!

Michal Moreno is the content editor for Israel Travel Tips- a travel guide all written by a native Israeli from the insider’s point of view.

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