Location: Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
Event: COVID-19 – Travel Options Remain Limited
Travel options to and from Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza remain extremely limited as a result of border closures and flight cancellations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is currently one regularly-scheduled direct flight between Ben Gurion Airport and Newark Airport on United Airlines, but it is subject to change at any time. El Al Airlines confirmed plans to run limited direct flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) twice weekly and to New York (JFK) once a week from June 4 to June 24, 2020. To the best of our knowledge, there are no regular flights available at this time from Ben Gurion Airport to other destinations that provide direct connections to the United States.
Individuals, including U.S. citizens, who are not Israeli citizens or permanent residents are not presently allowed to enter Israel. Exceptions may be made for non-nationals whose lives are based in Israel. Such individuals who wish to travel to Israel should contact the Consular Department of the closest Israeli embassy or consulate for further information. We recommend travelers not board flights to Israel without a pre-clearance letter from the Israeli government as there is no assurance they will be admitted into the country.
All of Israel’s land border crossings with Jordan and Egypt remain closed to regular passenger traffic until further notice.
The West Bank remains under a state of emergency, and individuals who do not hold Palestinian nationality may not enter the West Bank and Gaza. The Erez border crossing between Gaza and Israel and the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt are closed.
Please check the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem COVID-19 website for more information about available flights and the status of border crossings.
Actions to Take:
- Encourage all U.S. citizens to enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and ensure you can be located in an emergency.
- Visit the Internal Revenue Service Coronavirus Tax Relief site for the most up-to-date information regarding economic impact payments and other tax information.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Information about local conditions related to COVID-19 is also available from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan and the U.S. Embassy in Egypt.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the United States.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
14 David Flusser St.
Jerusalem
Telephone: +972-2-630-4000
E-mail: JerusalemACS@state.gov
Website: https://il.usembassy.gov/
U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv
71 HaYarkon St.
Tel Aviv
Telephone: +972-3-519-7575
E-mail: TelAvivACS@state.gov
Website: https://il.usembassy.gov/
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747or 202-501-4444
Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Country Information
Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Travel Advisory
Enroll in Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
