Do UK nationals need an ETA to visit Israel?

British visitors who flew to Israel for years on nothing but a passport now have one extra step before they board. Since 2025, Israel requires an Electronic Travel Authorization, the ETA-IL, from UK nationals and other visa-exempt travellers. Turn up without it and the airline can refuse to let you fly.

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Detailed Explanation

The ETA-IL is a pre-travel clearance, not a visa, introduced as Israel moved to screen visa-exempt visitors before departure. UK passport holders are inside the scheme, so a British tourist must hold an approved ETA-IL before flying. It is applied for online, tied to the passport, and checked by the airline at check-in.

The application asks for passport and travel details and a small fee, and approval usually lands within 72 hours, though it can take longer if the system flags a case for review. Once granted, the authorization is valid for two years or until the passport expires, and it covers multiple entries, each for a tourist stay of up to 90 days on B/2 status. How that 90-day allowance works across repeat visits is set out in how many days a tourist can stay in Israel per year.

An ETA-IL is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry. Admission is still decided by the border officer under the Entry into Israel Law 1952, who grants the B/2 visitor permit on arrival and can refuse it or shorten it, as explained in whether a tourist can be refused entry to Israel. Someone whose travel pattern suggests de-facto living or working in the country can still be questioned despite a valid authorization. For longer or purpose-driven stays, the routes in the extended-stay visa guide apply instead.

Israeli citizens and dual UK-Israeli nationals do not use the ETA-IL; they enter on an Israeli passport. Anyone holding a substantive Israeli visa, such as a work or student permit, travels on that visa rather than the ETA. The authorization also confers no right to work: it is strictly for tourism, family visits, and business meetings within the B/2 scope.

In Practice: Under the Entry into Israel Law 1952 the Population and Immigration Authority (Rashut HaOchlusin VeHagira) requires visa-exempt travellers, including UK nationals, to hold an ETA-IL before boarding. The authorization costs NIS 25, is usually approved within 72 hours, and stays valid for two years or until the passport expires, each entry allowing a B/2 stay of up to 90 days at the border officer's discretion. Dual Israeli citizens are exempt and must enter on their Israeli passport.

Key Considerations

• UK nationals have needed an approved ETA-IL before flying to Israel since 2025.
• It costs NIS 25, is usually approved within 72 hours, and lasts two years.
• It is not a visa; entry remains at the border officer's discretion under the Entry into Israel Law 1952.
• Each entry allows a tourist stay of up to 90 days and confers no work rights.
• Dual Israeli-UK citizens use their Israeli passport, not the ETA.

When to Consult a Lawyer

This question typically requires professional legal advice when:

• Your ETA-IL application was refused and you need to understand why before reapplying.
• Your pattern of long, repeated stays risks being read as living in Israel.
• You need to move from tourist status to a work, study, or residence permit.

A qualified Israeli attorney should advise before you rely on tourist entry for anything beyond a genuine visit.

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Speak With an Israeli Attorney

We advise UK visitors whose stays have grown long enough to raise questions at the border, handle ETA refusals, and move clients from tourist status to the right visa when a visit becomes something more.

Contact us for a confidential initial consultation.