When flying into Israel you will be given a form to complete. These will be handed out and should be completed before you land in order to avoid any delay when you arrive at passport control.

You will need to enter your personal details and travel details, as well as other questions, and the form will be requested, together with your boarding pass and your passport when you reach passport control.

Once your passport has been stamped for entry you can pass through to collect your luggage, and finally pass through customs before exiting the airport.

If you are crossing the border into Israel from Egypt or Jordan you will receive a a form requesting your personal details, and a security control will check your vehicle and passengers. You will need to provide your completed forms with your passports and these will be checked.

If you are planning on passing through Israel into other countries you can ask for your passport not to be stamped by the staff. This may be refused by the staff, and it does not apply if you are only travelling on to Egypt or Jordan.

Whichever method of travel you choose you will need to pass through a security checkpoint and provide your passport and entry forms. Your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months and you will need to retain your entry form as it must be presented when leaving the country.

The main entry points to the country, Ben Gurion Airport and Rafah Crossing have a standard green and red “lane” system for customs. You need to pass through the red lane if you have any items to declare. If you are arriving via alternative routes, you will be required to submit a customs declaration as there is no green channel.

At the airport if you have nothing to declare you should go through the green channel. Many items can be carried freely and do not need to be declared upon entry. These include:

Personal Clothing and shoes Cosmetics Alcohol – 1 liter of liquor, 2 liters of Wine (per person of age 17 or over). Tobacco – 250 grams (per person of age 17 or over). Presents or other items – Of a value of no more than $200 Food – 3Kg in total, no more than 1Kg of any food type is allowed. Other Items – Journalistic euqipment (Typewriter, Camera, Film Camera, Tape Recorder), Radios, Musical Instruments, Camping Equipment and Sports Equipment.

If you are carrying items that are not included in the above list, or if you are unsure whether items you are carrying should be declared it is best to go through the red channel (or declare them upon entry) as if the items are taxable you may have to pay a fine, the goods may be confiscated and you may also be prosecuted.

Certain items require a deposit to be paid upon entry, which will be returned when you leave the country. In this case you will need to pass through the red channel in order to declare the item and to receive your deposit back when leaving the country.

Certain items require a licence, including Firearms, Knifes, Penknife, Plants, Raw meats and Raw Materials. If you are unsure, you should check whether you require a licence in advance.