travelinfool4u

I want to visit Israel in December but I am currently living in UAE. Is there any way I can avoid getting an Israel stamp in my passport. I am Muslim as well and Saudi Arabia will not allow someone in with an Israeli stamp. Im planning to visit Jordan and Egypt as well, but I was wondering if this is possible.

Grcxx3

It's pretty common for people to have the Israel stamp put on a separate sheet that is just slipped into your passport.

With luck, someone who has actually done this will reply.

sandi

Grcxx3 is spot on. At Immigration, specifically request (smile and speak softly) that the Visa stamp be put on a separate sheet of paper rather than into your passport. Do not loose this incoming stamp as it'll be required upon your departure from Israel.

Neither Egypt nor Jordan have this rule, so the Israeli stamp wouldn't matter, but as you have to return to UAE (and I'm not sure how they handle) and maybe one day visit to Saudi Arabia, Syrian, Lebanon (some others)... best to just get the Israeli stamp on that slip of paper.

P_M

I did this 3 years ago. When I entered Israel the Israeli customs agent was a little snippy but she complied with my request. On my way out of Israel I asked again to please not stamp my passport and that customs agent agreed much more nicely.

I recently read on this board they will no longer honor this request but I do not know that first hand.

P_M

travelinfool4u, I don't know your citizenship but if you are American please consider this: If you discover the Israelis will no longer agree not to stamp your passport you might consider getting a second 2 year passport.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...3085724AA0wMIz

The US is not the only country that offers this service so if you are not American you should ask the agency that issues passports for your country.

thursdaysd

You also need to be careful that other stamps in your passport won't reveal that you visited Israel. The border guards of countries that care will check that. For instance, if you have an exit stamp from Jordan, and a later entry stamp, it will be pretty obvious where you went in between.

justshootme

Jordan and Egypt do not deny entry to people with an Israeli stamp in their passport. Both countries have signed a treaty with Israel. From what I understand the Israeli agents only stamp a separate piece of paper if you can prove that this is necessary, ie if you have travel arrangements in countries that deny entry to those with Israeli stamps or many stamps in your passport from a country that does deny entry. However, there are no guarantees.

thursdaysd

Right, the Jordanian guards won't care. But trying to enter, say, Syria with the Jordanian stamps showing entry to Israel could be a problem.

1965

Someone mentioned two passports. My friend's husband has to travel between some of the mentioned countries on buisness, and she said he has two passports. I don't know anything about how that's done, but you might look into it, especially if you plan future trips of this kind.

Elkaz

Israel has no problem stamping a piece of paper. BUT coming from the UAE be prepared for extra security questions. Be polite, calm and honest! Your biggest problem is if you enter Jordan or Egpt at any of the Israeli crossings it is easy for someone to realize you must have come from Israel! It may be necessary to fly into Amman or Cairo to avoid land ENTRY stamps to either of those countries via a border with Israel. Airport entry stamps give no indication of where you came from.

i.e. if you cross the Allenby Bridge there is only one place you came from --regardless of no Israeli stamp in your passport

travelinfool4u

Thank you for the info. I may just reconsider traveling to Israel at this point in time. My passport will expire in a couple of years so I can always go then request a new passport...but thanks for the info!

aby

in addition to Elkaz's remark:
Any Israeli stamp should be avoided!
i know an American who had a loose-leaf visa to Israel, but issued a visa to Egypt at the Egyptian embassy in Tel-Aviv.
An official at the Lybian or Sudanese (i don't remember) border identified the Tel-Aviv stamp on the Egyptian visa and denied entry to that country!!

P_M

This is a little off the subject but:

Aby aside from the Israeli stamp issue, it's a shame that person bothered to get an Egyptian visa in advance. The Egyptian visa is so easy to get at the Cairo airport, it is a complete waste of time and money to get it in advance unless you are from a country where that is requried. Americans and several other nationalities can easily get the visa upon arrival for only $15.

snoopy9

I know most parts of the world don't stamp Australian Passports except on special request but was wondering do they do that for Israel.Any help would be most welcome as I am thinking about going there in the future.

thursdaysd

"I know most parts of the world don't stamp Australian Passports except on special request" Really??? Do you just mean Europe? Because I can't see you getting into most Asian and ME countries without a stamp! Does "I know" mean you have personal experience, or just that you've heard it said?

P_M

snoopy9, they will stamp your passport unless you ask them not to. I see no reason why they would have a rule never to stamp Aussie passports when they do stamp everyone else's.