As an American citizen, all that is required to enter Israel is a U.S. passport valid for at least six months. The passport should have at least two blank visa pages to allow for arrival and departure stamps. U.S. citizens can get extra visa pages for their passports within 24 hours as long their passport expiration date is more than a year away. It is not necessary to apply for a tourist visa in advance as one will be issued free of charge upon presentation of a valid passport. However, a holder of a passport that is less than six months old should contact the local Israeli embassy, as he may have to apply for a tourist visa. Provided that the passport will be valid for 90 days on the date of departure from Israel, an American citizen should have no problems.
While a tourist visa will not be necessary in most cases for American citizens to enter, travelers in Israel may have to produce a transit visa if their route to Israel includes connecting flights. It is important to check with the airline whether the flight is direct; if not, travelers should familiarize themselves with the documentation requirements of the countries they will visit en route to Israel.
The tourist visa allows a U.S. citizen to visit Israel for three months. The visa does not entitle the holder to apply for or engage in paid work. However, many Americans travel to Israel to work on kibbutz or moshav farms in exchange for food and accommodation. For stays longer than 90 days, it is necessary to apply for an extension on a tourist visa. Extension requests require a fee and are handled by the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, which has offices in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat, Tiberias and inside the Ben Gurion International Airport.
An American citizen who overstays a tourist visa or who engages in paid work while in Israel will face immediate deportation. The offender may well then be prevented from returning to Israel. In addition, holders of U.S. passports with deportation stamps may find it difficult to gain entry to other countries.
