Border control at Israel airports: what happens to travellers and their data

Arriving: the steps at the border

The US State Department says everyone entering or leaving Israel is subject to immigration and security screening. This may include prolonged questioning and physical searches. It says passports are normally not stamped on entry ⁴.

People refused entry have the right to an immigration court hearing to contest the decision. The State Department says they are detained for the length of the case. It says US citizens refused entry should receive a written explanation from Israeli authorities ⁴.

For US citizens, the State Department says the passport must be valid for 90 days at the time of entry, and an approved ETA-IL is needed for business or tourism ⁴.

Entry permission: visa or ETA-IL

The Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA) announced that from 1 January 2025, nationals of visa-exempt countries need an approved ETA-IL before they leave for Israel ². Applications are made on the PIBA website. An approved ETA-IL lets the holder travel to Israel and stay for up to 90 days ¹.

The ETA-IL costs NIS 25. Israeli missions say it was free during the pilot phase ^1,3. PIBA sends an email when it receives the request and a receipt for payment. It aims to answer within 72 hours, and there is no express option ^2,3. Israeli missions warn travellers to apply only on official sites whose address ends in gov.il ².

Approval stays valid for up to two years or until the passport expires. A traveller who changes name, gender or citizenship must apply again ¹. Israeli citizens, permanent residents with an Israeli identity number and holders of diplomatic or service passports do not need an ETA-IL ³. Diplomats on official missions, aircrew on duty reported by the airline and some seafarers joining a ship are exempt too ¹.

Nationals of countries that are not visa-exempt apply for a visitor visa at an Israeli mission. The embassy in Australia lists documents such as a travel document valid for at least three months beyond the visa, bank statements, proof of employment, a return ticket and proof of insurance. It says applicants must appear in person ¹¹.

Biometrics and automated gates

Ben Gurion Airport brought in a border control system for biometric passport holders in July 2016, according to JTA. Travellers are scanned and the data is compared with the information on the passport chip. JTA reported that Israeli biometric passports hold fingerprints and facial data. It noted that the system was controversial in Israel over fears that the biometric database could be hacked ⁶.

Globes reported in March 2019 that biometric passports became compulsory for Israelis in June 2017. It said a biometric passport check compares three images: the printed photo, the photo on the chip and a live face scan. Travellers with older passports and foreign tourists were directed to human inspectors for security questioning ⁵.

Official sources consulted for this guide do not say whether foreign visitors can use automated gates at Ben Gurion, or what biometric data PIBA collects from them on arrival.

Passenger data: API and PNR

In February 2022 Israel's ministerial committee for legislation approved a bill to amend the entry law. Globes reported that it would oblige all airlines to send PIBA passenger details before boarding a flight to Israel. Under the law at the time, carriers reported passengers only on arrival. The bill linked the change to Israel's bid to join the US visa waiver programme ⁷.

A separate bill on Passenger Name Records passed its first reading in the Knesset, according to law firm Pearl Cohen in February 2023. It would let the state collect PNR data such as phone number, email, payment method, itinerary, baggage and travel history to fight terrorism and serious crime. The explanatory notes said Israel did not then routinely receive API or PNR data, except in a PIBA pilot ⁸.

Sources consulted for this guide do not confirm whether either bill became law, which agency now receives the data, or how long it is kept.

Watch lists and checks

The PNR bill's explanatory notes said early data would let Israel identify passengers who may pose a security risk up to 48 hours before departure, and stop suspects from boarding ⁸. The 2022 entry bill aimed to let the state prevent people from reaching Israel when it finds this necessary ⁷.

At the airport, security questioning is part of the process. Globes reported in 2019 that a machine-based system would flag unusual profiles to a human inspector ⁵.

Your data: the law and how to ask for records

Israel's main privacy law is the Privacy Protection Law, 5741-1981. Amendment No. 13 took effect on 14 August 2025. It set the Privacy Protection Authority's independent status and roles in statute, strengthened its enforcement tools and let courts award damages of up to NIS 10,000 without proof of harm ⁹.

DLA Piper's summary says the amendment adds grounds for statutory damages, including failure to answer a request to access or correct information. It notes a 2023 authority publication on the right of inspection for databases held by bodies listed in section 13(e) of the law, which include security authorities, the prison service and the tax authority ¹⁰.

PIBA takes questions about ETA-IL refusals by email at [email protected] ³.

Who runs the systems

The Population and Immigration Authority runs the ETA-IL and border control ^1,2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its missions publish visa and ETA-IL guidance ^1,11. The Privacy Protection Authority oversees the privacy law ⁹. Official sources consulted do not name the suppliers of the ETA-IL system or the airport gates.

Security screening on departure

Security questioning starts when passengers arrive at Ben Gurion to fly out. Globes reported in March 2019 that machines would start asking set questions such as whether passengers packed their own bags, with an alert to a human inspector for unusual profiles ⁵.

Globes said the plan aimed to replace the paper exit approval note shown before the duty-free area with a scan of the biometric passport. It said the note could be passed between people to leave the country fraudulently ⁵. The State Department says departing travellers may face prolonged questioning and physical searches ⁴.