Middle East - Anthony Ham [277]
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VISAS
With a few exceptions, visitors to Israel and the Palestinian Territories need only a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry. Nationals of most Central American and African countries (but not South Africa), India, Singapore and some ex-Soviet republics also require a pre-issued visa.
Visas given at the border are valid for 90 days. Note that you’ll only be allowed entry if you have a return ticket, otherwise, you’ll most likely be detained and deported. Kibbutz and moshav volunteers must secure a volunteer’s visa, which can be arranged with the assistance of the kibbutz or moshav.
Anyone who appears ‘undesirable’ or is suspected of looking for illegal employment may be questioned at length by immigration officials about the purpose of their visit and asked to provide evidence of sufficient funds for their intended length of stay. You’ll also probably be detained for questioning if you have a Lebanese, Syrian, Pakistani or Sudanese stamp in your passport, though after a long wait, you’ll probably be allowed in. Don’t, if asked, mention that you’ll be visiting the Palestinian Territories: travellers have been turned away at the border after answering in the affirmative.
Visa Extensions
To stay more than three months, visitors must apply for a visa through the Ministry of the Interior ( 02-670 1411; moin.gov.il, in Hebrew), with offices in most cities and towns. Join the queue by 8am or you could be waiting all day. You’ll need 145NIS for the visa extension (plus 75NIS if you take the multientry visa option) and one passport-sized photo. You must also present evidence of sufficient funds for the extended stay. The Tel Aviv office is so backed up with applications that your first day of waiting in line is only to make an appointment to come back another day (usually one month later). For faster service try a smaller branch office.
Note that overstaying your allotted time elicits a fine of 135NIS per month – this can be sorted out at Ministry of the Interior offices or Ben-Gurion airport, but not at land borders. Travellers who overstay by just a few days report no hassles or fines.
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WOMEN TRAVELLERS
Female travellers can expect the same sort of treatment they’d receive in most European countries, though it’s important to dress modestly in religious areas such as the Old City and M’ea She’arim in Jerusalem, and in the West Bank and Gaza (where you’ll be more of a novelty, but treated generally as a ‘sister’). Note that the more religious male Jews and Muslims may not wish to shake a woman’s hand.
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WORK
While it isn’t difficult to find casual work in Israel, to work legally you’ll need a work permit from the Ministry of the Interior and they aren’t easy to get.
In good times, eager international volunteers descend on Israel for a stint on a kibbutz or moshav. By definition, a kibbutz (plural kibbutzim) is a communal farm or other rural project staffed by volunteers, who trade their labour for food, lodging and a small stipend. After a short stint, though, quite a few volunteers are disappointed with what they encounter, and Tel Aviv hostels are crowded with dropouts who found things less utopian than anticipated. If another type of volunteering is more to your taste, contact Ruach Tova (ruachtova.org) for lots of opportunities in Israel, or one of the organisations listed on Click here, for the Palestinian Territories.
Some volunteers organise a kibbutz stay through a kibbutz representative office in their own country. After collecting a basic registration fee (around US$50), the kibbutz representative will arrange