Traveler reports indicate that as of January 2013 Israeli border agents are not stamping foreign passports but rather using loose-leaf visas. This would solve the Israeli stamp dilemma. But until we see that this policy is consistently applied it is best for you to ask the visa officer before handing over your passport. The process up until recently is summarized below…
No offense to Israel, but that entry stamp in your collection isn’t always a welcome sight in other countries. In fact, if you have any evidence in your passport of having visited Israel, you can be denied entry to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Libya, and Sudan. I’ve read of potential hassles in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait and other Arab states. (FYI – Jordan and Egypt do NOT have an issue with Israeli passport stamps)
No problem. You can request that Israel does not stamp your passport. The immigration agent will give you a short Form 17L to fill out. They want a good reason. Give them one. You already have plans to go there or something. (For me, this answer got a stern Why would you want to go THERE? to which I replied “I am a travel writer” which turned the conversation to job envy, thank goodness.)
They will stamp this Form 17L and you must keep that for your departure where it will be stamped again and you’ll get a gate pass to exit. This Form 17L should be available at the airport in Tel Aviv and at the land crossings. Jordan and Egypt do not have any issues with such a thing, but are worthy temptations and easily accessible from Israel by land, so you can head there during, after, or before your time in Israel.
Learn the ins and outs of crossing between Israel and Jordan by land.
But wait, you say: wouldn’t the Lebanese (or whoever) be smart enough to know that if you left/entered Jordan at King Hussein bridge, Sheikh Hussein bridge, or Aqaba that Israel is the only thing on the other side??? Yes, but Jordan can stamp your exit on a separate sheet of paper too. When I crossed at Allenby Bridge/King Hussein to Israel, Jordan did this for everyone and without asking. If you are not told to fill in your basic details (name, passport number) on a slip of paper, then you should mention it to the agent before something gets stamped into your passport. At Aqaba the Jordanian border agent didn’t stamp my passport but I had to request the form. (There is a free Jordanian visa in Aqaba, FYI.)
Just be sure to make your intention clear before handing over the passport. Be careful about getting the forms stamped and you should have no evidence of having visited Israel at all. It’ll be like the death of Bobby Ewing on the drama Dallas. It was all just a dream; it never really happened. (But if the Lebanese search your bags and find shekels, Lonely Planet Israel, bus ticket stubs, Jerusalem photos, you will still get sent packing.)
TIP: Want to avoid this business altogether? In the U.S. you can get a duplicate passport (only valid for two years) to use for these situations.
(This post regards Crossing to Jordan, based on personal experience. I am not commenting on Crossing to Egypt here, though I suppose if you could not do this little paper trick at the Egyptian border you could always go into Jordan and cross by ferry from there.)
I will enter israel from jordan thru Allenby Bridge, will they require another visa upon my return to Jordan? can I aquire the visa upon arrival at allenby?
Yes, they will require a visa, but no, they do not grant visa on arrival at that particular crossing. Have a look at my post about all the ins and outs of the land crossings between Jordan and Israel. Good luck! http://www.themadtraveleronline.com/travel-tips/how-to-cross-from-israel-to-jordan-or-jordan-to-israel/
Hi Kevin, I read your post on how to travel between Jordan and Israel. The Jordan Consulate here in the country i’m staying does not Issue a multiple visa.
I’ve read some blog’s and popstings saying if you exit jordan via allenby bridge, you can return back on the same bridge within 2 weeks. Do you have any Idea on this. How true can it be?
we are traveling to Jordan on the 17th of this month and planning to cross the border on the 18th. but we are still hanging on the information on how to return back to jordan with out having our passports stamp.
Appreciate your comments and infos.
Regards, Alan Dale
You have mentioned on your other posting that there is an Exit slip given by Jordanian officials upon exit. cold it be the exit and re-entry slip to orrdan?
Hi Alan, That is interesting and I am sending out some messages to see if there is truth to that two week option. If you find out with certainty, please let me know and I can update it here. It was a mild headache to track down some of this information and if that is true, it would make the situation so much easier.
The slip I mentioned was just so the Jordanian officials had something to stamp and it was collected from us before we all got on the bus that crosses the bridge. They would know of your arrival situation by the presence of the original visa and the lack of an exit stamp (which is how a clever immigration agent in say Lebanon could also know you went to Israel – thus the importance of no entry visas at the Israel border and both and entry and exit visa from Amman.)
I’ll reply here if I find out more about this two-week option. Safe travels!
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Hi again, Alan – I checked on that with a couple good hostels in Amman and they confirmed it as of August 2012. You CAN cross back in if within the two week validity of that visa from Amman/Queen Aila airport – but only there at Allenby. They still do not provide visas at that crossing. I’ve updated my page to mention that valuable exception. Thanks for pointing it out! Let me know how your trip goes! – Kevin
Hi Kevin,
This is a *wonderfully* clear article on this subject. I know it changes by person and day, but you’ve been able to provide me with a few options. I was wondering if I could get your opinion on the following:
I am living in Amman now and waiting on an Iqama to go into my original passport. I’d really like to avoid the Jordan exit/entry stamp as well as the Israeli entrance/exit stamp so I can go to Lebanon in the spring.
My current plan is to cross from Jordan to Israel via the Southern crossing on my original passport (with a multi-entry Jordanian visa). I was told by someone who did it a few years ago that I could ask for Jordan not to stamp my original passport with the obvious exit stamp. Will they really stamp a piece of paper? I get a lot of wide eyes when I mention this plan.
Next, I plan to hand over the second passport on the Israeli side and explain I have plans to travel to Lebanon when questioned.
Then I will reverse this at the northern border by giving my second passport for the Israeli exit stamp and get the Jordanian entrance stamp on a piece of paper along with my original passport. I figure this could work since I have a multi-entry visa.
Any thoughts from you research?
When I entered at Aqaba, I asked them not to stamp my entry and they didn’t. I had to fill out a form and they stamped that. I am not 100% sure about what they do at that particular crossing for the exit, but for the exit at Allenby/King Hussein they stamped nothing at all but a slip that was merely to prove to the bus driver and border security that I had actually gone through immigration on the Jordan side. I would suspect (but never assume, right?) that the situation would be the same – on request – at Aqaba. You can do the passport swap I suppose with Israel but I just decided to avoid that Israeli stamp altogether. Ask for the special form and be firm but polite.
(If you took your second passport with you to Lebanon and they searched your bags, they still might find it. I am told they can be that thorough.)
Hi Kevin,
Thanks again for your post and email reply, it is very well appreciated! I can sleep well tonight and get ready for our trip tomorrow. Your travel blogs are really helpful, Good Job, keep it up!
We got everything we need to know on your posting it sums up most, if not all the resource info I’ve gathered from around the web and helped us even with the costing for visas and transport fares.
Yes, I will get you posted on how our trip will go…
Thanks again and God bless!
Alan Dale
Kevin,
Unfortunately, you can’t trust the Amman hotels — the two-week window is a myth. Unless you have a multiple-entry visa, you cannot get back to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge; you have to travel hours either north or south and cross there. I almost got stuck when I was training UN personnel last March in Jericho; fortunately, two of my UN OCHA students specialized in access to the West Bank and Gaza and were able to arrange my passage back to Jordan. But otherwise it would have been a long day…
Hi Kevin,
I’m not so sure it’s a myth since travelers, including some who have commented here, have actually done it in the last several months. So you actually crossed the Allenby Bridge and were turned away at the Jordan side? I didn’t try myself; took the bus to Eilat, crossed, and took the bus up to Amman. Got in late afternoon with an early morning departure from Tel Aviv. Pretty easy and not too costly.
Hi, I’m off to Israel this month and I just want to say your blog is awesome, and my favorite travel blog so far.
Thanks. Good luck in your travels. It’s a fascinating area.
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Hello Kevin.
I am thinking of visiting the land of Israel, and since i am a Libyan citizen, it’s going to be impossible for me to return to my country with an Israelian stamp on my passport, i read that you manage to make the trip without the stamp.
Sir, can you please instruct me about the root i should take to get to Tel Aviv/Jerusalem from amman and advise me about what i might face in my way there?
Thank You in advance.
Hi Adam,
Here is my post on the routes from Amman and what might work best for you: http://www.themadtraveleronline.com/travel-tips/how-to-cross-from-israel-to-jordan-or-jordan-to-israel/
Being a Libyan citizen I think you will be required to get a visa so I am not sure how that will work with the passport or if you need the visa before arrival. You must request 17L before anyone handles your passport so you can be sure they do not put a stamp in it. But unfortunately I think you need to consult with an Israeli consulate or embassy or maybe even their tourism board about the specific visa process for Libyans.
http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Planning%20your%20trip/Pages/Visa.aspx
I hope this helps!
I’ve been ff: this thread. Thanks Kevin
I just crossed the border last night. Starting from Petra. We went for a “joyride tour” from Petra to KHussein Boarder. ( a bit costly, but hiccup-free).
So having said so, we arrived at 6:45PM at King Hussein Station/ Border as you call it, so our driver/tourer did the talking, gave the our passports on one of the windows there. We paid 10JOD/head for exit tax ( we spent 2 nights in Jordan)Then we have to wait for the bus just to cross that 5km ( or less)King Hussein bridge. Expect 3 checkpoints. 5 JOD per head on that bus. about 1.5 JOD per luggage.
Then you will arrive on a terminal-slash-immigration, where you will be parted from your big luggages for a while, hand carry luggage stays with you. At the entrance, there were 2 windows, which will ask mainly, your purpose of going to Israel.
When we entered, there were around 4-5 booth, I believe this is the real immigration fortress, and since they saw post-its on our passport with bold letters “no stamp pls” they handed over the 17L form to fill up. Ask some questions, personal and etc. Then you will have to get your luggage from the belt near the exit.
I reckon according with this experience, it is somehow better to come at night time. The downside, you only have taxi as an option to Jerusalem, costs us 350NIS for 2 heads. ( We are staying at Davidka area). But the whole process from King Hussein to the taxi door, 1.5 hours. Not that bad at all.
dear kevin,
Perhaps I overlooked it in your blog, but do passports get stamped on exit from Jordan at King Hussien crossing? And would you know if that can be avoided?
Kindest regards
No, they do not get stamped as long as you make it clear you don’t want the stamp. Often they don’t stamp it even if you didn’t ask them not to.
According to the new rules, they dont stamp the passports on the Israeli side anymore, that means, everyone gets the stamp on a piece of paper. This is a new thing, since January 2013.
http://orientoholic.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/how-to-master-the-israeli-border/
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Yes, and as of late January a couple travelers in travel forums have reported this loose-leaf visa, but had also witnessed others being stamped. (No word on what passport those “others” were carrying though.) Nothing on the Official Israeli tourism site yet; they still refer to the change of policy in 2008 that allowed for the optional L17 form (essentially the same thing as the new loose-leaf visa we’re hearing about).
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Indian here, 27, work/reside in UAE. Intend to visit Jordan and slip over into Israel for a couple of days to meet friends (and their families) before returning to UAE via Jordan (of course!). Having a western passport and/or dual passports always helps but for the hapless eastern hemispheric single passport holders, a nightmare for sure! Nevertheless, a colleague has been to ‘the’ land sans issues – separate stamps I believe. Pity I can’t have my PP stamped!