Amman into Israel with Arab PP stamps?
Aug 1, 2011, 3:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
Amman into Israel with Arab PP stamps?
I am planning on visiting Jerusalem in September, travelling on Emirates via DXB and then using the Arabian Airpass to Amman, then by road across the Allenby Bridge into Israel, I have 7 months left on my old passport, but it is full of UAE stamps as I travel there 3x pa.
I don't particularly care if I get an Israeli pp stamp as the pp will expire next year anyway, I would rather not, but don't want to push my luck by asking for no stamp (and my only other travel plans in the mean time will be in and out of DXB). But, I am worried that the multitude of UAE passport stamps will give me problems getting into Israel, I have heard tales of people being questioned over every trip and in and out.
On the other hand, if I renew my PP before I travel I will be stuck with Israeli stamps in a new PP, which will be a pita.
Any advice?
I don't particularly care if I get an Israeli pp stamp as the pp will expire next year anyway, I would rather not, but don't want to push my luck by asking for no stamp (and my only other travel plans in the mean time will be in and out of DXB). But, I am worried that the multitude of UAE passport stamps will give me problems getting into Israel, I have heard tales of people being questioned over every trip and in and out.
On the other hand, if I renew my PP before I travel I will be stuck with Israeli stamps in a new PP, which will be a pita.
Any advice?
Aug 1, 2011, 3:56 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: FB Blue, BA EC Blue, HH, Etihad Silver
Posts: 96
You are right that multiple UAE stamps can cause quite a delay in Israel. Apply for a new passport in advance and just ask at the Israeli border not to stamp your passport, they understand and don't care, did that often. Just make sure to request it when leaving Israel aswell.
Aug 1, 2011, 4:07 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
You are right that multiple UAE stamps can cause quite a delay in Israel. Apply for a new passport in advance and just ask at the Israeli border not to stamp your passport, they understand and don't care, did that often. Just make sure to request it when leaving Israel aswell.
not so easy, nowadays they take issue if you ask for it not to be stamped, and a stamp leaving and then re-entering Jordan is just as much a give away as to where you'bin sneaking off to!
I don't want any hassle, I have heard of people recently being refused entry to Israel, over any excuse, as my old PP will only have 6 months left on it when I travel, even that could be a cause for them to give me grief, so I suppose I get a new one, and hope they don't feel like spoiling it with their stamp that day!
Aug 2, 2011, 10:15 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA PLT / 2MM
Posts: 2,113
Are you Jewish? If so, you'll have no problems getting back into Israeli with Arab stamps. If you're not, expect hassles.
Aug 3, 2011, 6:55 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
FYI, Jordan will not stamp your passport when you leave through Allenby. The Jordanians do this for political reasons since the west bank is where you enter.
Are you Jewish? If so, you'll have no problems getting back into Israeli with Arab stamps. If you're not, expect hassles.
Are you Jewish? If so, you'll have no problems getting back into Israeli with Arab stamps. If you're not, expect hassles.
No, I am not.
Anyway, how could they tell? My passport is British, do they ask your faith at Immigration too?
Aug 3, 2011, 10:57 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: 6E Westbound, 4E Eastbound
Programs: AA EXP & 3MM, Priority Club Plat since 1984
Posts: 6,293
It is stunning the number of innaccuracies in both of your writings.
Israel does not bar entry based on another country's stamp. period.
Yes, you might be questioned more extensively, but there is no such thing as denial at the whim of whom you happen to be standing in front of at the airport.
Israel will stamp a piece of paper upon request. Numerous deep threads here on the subject with first person reports.
I am very interested in your statement:
not so easy, nowadays they take issue if you ask for it not to be stamped
Could you please share your personal experience in being denied this request?
Were you at the airport, on a cruise or at a land based border crossing such as Eilat or Allenby? Based on the other threads on Flyer Talk, this is a very new developement.
Since it is also a rather condemning statement to write:
I have heard of people recently being refused entry to Israel, over any excuse,
I for one would like to know how many people you personally know or have seen being denied entry to Israel. Otherwise you could see where this statement might be misconstrued as rumour mongering at best, or gratuitious Israel bashing at worst.
Israel does not bar entry based on another country's stamp. period.
Yes, you might be questioned more extensively, but there is no such thing as denial at the whim of whom you happen to be standing in front of at the airport.
Israel will stamp a piece of paper upon request. Numerous deep threads here on the subject with first person reports.
I am very interested in your statement:
not so easy, nowadays they take issue if you ask for it not to be stamped
Could you please share your personal experience in being denied this request?
Were you at the airport, on a cruise or at a land based border crossing such as Eilat or Allenby? Based on the other threads on Flyer Talk, this is a very new developement.
Since it is also a rather condemning statement to write:
I have heard of people recently being refused entry to Israel, over any excuse,
I for one would like to know how many people you personally know or have seen being denied entry to Israel. Otherwise you could see where this statement might be misconstrued as rumour mongering at best, or gratuitious Israel bashing at worst.
Aug 3, 2011, 12:15 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA PLT / 2MM
Posts: 2,113
And yes, it is common to be asked about your religion at either immigration or airline security. If you say you're Jewish, you may be asked about what synagogue you belong to, how often you go to synagogue, whether you have family in Israel, etc. The answers don't matter; it's just a way for them to test how you react.
Aug 4, 2011, 9:10 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
How can they tell? A Jewish last name or looking Jewish will make it easy to breeze by. Having an Arab/Muslim name or looking Arab will create way more questioning. If you're a white Brit, expect something in between.
And yes, it is common to be asked about your religion at either immigration or airline security. If you say you're Jewish, you may be asked about what synagogue you belong to, how often you go to synagogue, whether you have family in Israel, etc. The answers don't matter; it's just a way for them to test how you react.
And yes, it is common to be asked about your religion at either immigration or airline security. If you say you're Jewish, you may be asked about what synagogue you belong to, how often you go to synagogue, whether you have family in Israel, etc. The answers don't matter; it's just a way for them to test how you react.
Originally Posted by Thumper
It is stunning the number of innaccuracies in both of your writings.
Israel does not bar entry based on another country's stamp. period.
Yes, you might be questioned more extensively, but there is no such thing as denial at the whim of whom you happen to be standing in front of at the airport.
Israel does not bar entry based on another country's stamp. period.
Yes, you might be questioned more extensively, but there is no such thing as denial at the whim of whom you happen to be standing in front of at the airport.
Israel will stamp a piece of paper upon request. Numerous deep threads here on the subject with first person reports.
I am very interested in your statement:
not so easy, nowadays they take issue if you ask for it not to be stamped
Could you please share your personal experience in being denied this request?
Were you at the airport, on a cruise or at a land based border crossing such as Eilat or Allenby? Based on the other threads on Flyer Talk, this is a very new developement.
I am very interested in your statement:
not so easy, nowadays they take issue if you ask for it not to be stamped
Could you please share your personal experience in being denied this request?
Were you at the airport, on a cruise or at a land based border crossing such as Eilat or Allenby? Based on the other threads on Flyer Talk, this is a very new developement.
Since it is also a rather condemning statement to write:
I have heard of people recently being refused entry to Israel, over any excuse,
I for one would like to know how many people you personally know or have seen being denied entry to Israel. Otherwise you could see where this statement might be misconstrued as rumour mongering at best, or gratuitious Israel bashing at worst.
I have heard of people recently being refused entry to Israel, over any excuse,
I for one would like to know how many people you personally know or have seen being denied entry to Israel. Otherwise you could see where this statement might be misconstrued as rumour mongering at best, or gratuitious Israel bashing at worst.
Sorry but I am not prepared to post personal details about my background on such a sensitive subject as this on here.
Yes I can see where this can be misconstrued, by people who are perhaps biased and not up to date on the latest situation. I suggest they google for the information before jumping to conclusions.
Aug 5, 2011, 3:30 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
In my experience, with loads of Arab stamps in my passport including Saudi Arabia, there are no questions at all upon entering Israel, UNLESS you are flying on El Al. In which case you would likely be questioned thoroughly before getting on the plane. And I am not Jewish.
Aug 5, 2011, 1:15 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
From the current advisory on the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office website on travel to Israel and The Occupied Territories.
Entry requirements
Entry Requirements - Visas
You do not need a visa to enter Israel. On entry, visitors are granted leave to enter (by means of a stamp in the passport) for a period of up to three months.
In the past the Israeli immigration authorities have agreed to stamp landing cards, where available, and not passports, but since September 2006 they will rarely agree not to stamp your passport. If your passport is not stamped on entry and you have no other evidence of legal entry into Israel, you are likely to face problems travelling around Israel, particularly at any crossing points into the OPTs.
If you work in Israel without the proper authority, you can be detained and then deported, a process that might take several months.
There have been incidents when the Israeli authorities at the Allenby Bridge crossing and at Ben Gurion airport have limited certain travellers' freedom to travel within Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Israeli authorities have not provided clear information about which categories of travellers can expect to be subject to these restrictions and about the practical effects of the restrictions.
At the Allenby Bridge crossing, as well as at Ben Gurion airport, Israeli border officials have used a new entry stamp for certain travellers that states "Palestinian Authority Only". Since travellers entering via the Allenby crossing must pass through Israeli checkpoints and Israeli-controlled territory to reach Jerusalem or Gaza, this restriction effectively limits travellers who receive this stamp at Allenby to destinations in the West Bank only. Nor is it clear how, practically, a traveller receiving the stamp at Ben Gurion airport can leave the airport without violating the restriction. This stamp has been used even with travellers who have no Palestinian or other Arab ancestry, and who would not seem to have any claim to a Palestinian Authority ID.
Israeli border officials at Ben Gurion Airport have also begun requiring certain travellers to sign a form that states that he/she is not allowed to enter territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority unless he/she obtains advance authorisation from the Israeli "Territory Actions Co-ordinator", and that violating this restriction may result in the traveller being deported from Israel and barred from entry for up to 10 years.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...srael-occupied
Entry Requirements - Visas
You do not need a visa to enter Israel. On entry, visitors are granted leave to enter (by means of a stamp in the passport) for a period of up to three months.
In the past the Israeli immigration authorities have agreed to stamp landing cards, where available, and not passports, but since September 2006 they will rarely agree not to stamp your passport. If your passport is not stamped on entry and you have no other evidence of legal entry into Israel, you are likely to face problems travelling around Israel, particularly at any crossing points into the OPTs.
If you work in Israel without the proper authority, you can be detained and then deported, a process that might take several months.
There have been incidents when the Israeli authorities at the Allenby Bridge crossing and at Ben Gurion airport have limited certain travellers' freedom to travel within Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Israeli authorities have not provided clear information about which categories of travellers can expect to be subject to these restrictions and about the practical effects of the restrictions.
At the Allenby Bridge crossing, as well as at Ben Gurion airport, Israeli border officials have used a new entry stamp for certain travellers that states "Palestinian Authority Only". Since travellers entering via the Allenby crossing must pass through Israeli checkpoints and Israeli-controlled territory to reach Jerusalem or Gaza, this restriction effectively limits travellers who receive this stamp at Allenby to destinations in the West Bank only. Nor is it clear how, practically, a traveller receiving the stamp at Ben Gurion airport can leave the airport without violating the restriction. This stamp has been used even with travellers who have no Palestinian or other Arab ancestry, and who would not seem to have any claim to a Palestinian Authority ID.
Israeli border officials at Ben Gurion Airport have also begun requiring certain travellers to sign a form that states that he/she is not allowed to enter territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority unless he/she obtains advance authorisation from the Israeli "Territory Actions Co-ordinator", and that violating this restriction may result in the traveller being deported from Israel and barred from entry for up to 10 years.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...srael-occupied
Last edited by l etoile; Aug 7, 2011 at 1:31 pm Reason: removed inappropriate comment
Aug 6, 2011, 6:35 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
enough already!
I have read on SEVERAL other travel websites of different people having problems asking for passports not to be stamped.
I have linked to an official travel advisory from the British Foreign Office saying the same.
I asked a genuine question, regarding a passport concern, and would appreciate genuine replies on topic.
I have read on SEVERAL other travel websites of different people having problems asking for passports not to be stamped.
I have linked to an official travel advisory from the British Foreign Office saying the same.
I asked a genuine question, regarding a passport concern, and would appreciate genuine replies on topic.
Last edited by l etoile; Aug 7, 2011 at 1:32 pm Reason: removed inappropriate comment
Aug 7, 2011, 2:09 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
OP, you don't need a new passport. As long as the passport has at least 6 month left upon entry, Israel will not deny entry, regardless of what you've heard.
About stamps: The UAE, as evidenced in other threads, has NO PROBLEM with Israeli stamps in your passport. Israel, likewise, has no problem with UAE stamps. In fact, you likely won't even face additional questioning for UAE stamps, or many other Arab countries.
The countries likely to give you a tougher time, are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and a few others. Not the UAE however.
The border agents do racial profiling. Does that stink? Sure. Does the situation warrant it? Does it work? Absolutely to both. Whether or not you agree with the policy, that's what happens. Don't like it? Either toughen up and deal with it or don't go.
Be respectful at the border. These people are doing their job to protect millions of Israelis: Jews, Arabs, Druze, Bedoins...
As for your text from the British Foreign Office, Israel does indeed have an interest in making sure the people who visit are respectful of the country and not causing a ruckus, regardless of their political feelings. No one will stop you from crossing between pre-1967 Israel and Judea and Samaria, or vice versa, as well as between Area C and Areas A/B. Just don't be a nuisance. This is no different than any other country in the world.
About stamps: The UAE, as evidenced in other threads, has NO PROBLEM with Israeli stamps in your passport. Israel, likewise, has no problem with UAE stamps. In fact, you likely won't even face additional questioning for UAE stamps, or many other Arab countries.
The countries likely to give you a tougher time, are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and a few others. Not the UAE however.
The border agents do racial profiling. Does that stink? Sure. Does the situation warrant it? Does it work? Absolutely to both. Whether or not you agree with the policy, that's what happens. Don't like it? Either toughen up and deal with it or don't go.
Be respectful at the border. These people are doing their job to protect millions of Israelis: Jews, Arabs, Druze, Bedoins...
As for your text from the British Foreign Office, Israel does indeed have an interest in making sure the people who visit are respectful of the country and not causing a ruckus, regardless of their political feelings. No one will stop you from crossing between pre-1967 Israel and Judea and Samaria, or vice versa, as well as between Area C and Areas A/B. Just don't be a nuisance. This is no different than any other country in the world.
Aug 7, 2011, 6:08 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: 6E Westbound, 4E Eastbound
Programs: AA EXP & 3MM, Priority Club Plat since 1984
Posts: 6,293
enough already! 
perhaps if the chaps could put their big boy panties on now and stop with the political accusations and insinuations and accept that Israeli Immigration does not have a shiny white image as paragons of fairness and virtue, we might all learn something here.
I have read on SEVERAL other travel websites of different people having problems asking for passports not to be stamped.
I have linked to an official travel advisory from the British Foreign Office saying the same.
I asked a genuine question, regarding a passport concern, and would appreciate genuine replies on topic.
The reasons for my travel are nobodies business but my own, and the 'gentlemen' who take such umbrage at these concerns need not reply if they have nothing to say without making assumptions on my part, thanks again.
perhaps if the chaps could put their big boy panties on now and stop with the political accusations and insinuations and accept that Israeli Immigration does not have a shiny white image as paragons of fairness and virtue, we might all learn something here.I have read on SEVERAL other travel websites of different people having problems asking for passports not to be stamped.
I have linked to an official travel advisory from the British Foreign Office saying the same.
I asked a genuine question, regarding a passport concern, and would appreciate genuine replies on topic.
The reasons for my travel are nobodies business but my own, and the 'gentlemen' who take such umbrage at these concerns need not reply if they have nothing to say without making assumptions on my part, thanks again.
The upset was over your seeming unwillingness to believe the answers you received.
When we answer questions here at FT (10+ years now for me), we are answering them not just for you, but those who will come after you asking the same question.
You asked about situations at passport control. You were referred to previous threads here at FT as well as told first person experiences that seem to not agree with what you had heard. Your continued disbelief led many of us to feel that instead of looking for what people's experiences were, you were more interested in reaffirming what you had heard previously. Yes, under certain circumstances, there have been people denied entry into every country on earth. Israel is no different.
Arrive at Passport Control with an attitude of "they are really going out of their way to ensure a safe experience for my visit" and the process will be mutually beneficial and entirely more pleasant - you get in, and the Border Control people do their job.
And yes, you are 100% correct, it is no ones business why you are traveling anywhere.
Aug 7, 2011, 6:28 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Look it's natural to be concerned. Israel is a very polarizing country when viewed from abroad. And even among the Israelis there is massive discontent. 300,000 Hebrews took to the streets last night to protest again the government. This has been going on for several weeks and is growing and growing.
When an ultra-right wing government like the current one in Israel gets threatened, it tends to try and lock things down. There are examples of this all over the world, even in the USA post 9/11. So anyone trying to enter Israel right now may very well find some unusual difficulties. That said, there isn't much you can do to prepare other than cancel your trip. You might get great advice from someone who is in a similar situation as yours, who entered last week. But this week things may be different. Israel has never had this level of street protests so who knows? And then there are the Gaza relief flotillas...
When an ultra-right wing government like the current one in Israel gets threatened, it tends to try and lock things down. There are examples of this all over the world, even in the USA post 9/11. So anyone trying to enter Israel right now may very well find some unusual difficulties. That said, there isn't much you can do to prepare other than cancel your trip. You might get great advice from someone who is in a similar situation as yours, who entered last week. But this week things may be different. Israel has never had this level of street protests so who knows? And then there are the Gaza relief flotillas...
Last edited by l etoile; Aug 7, 2011 at 1:33 pm Reason: removed inappropriate comment
Aug 7, 2011, 10:18 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London / Dubai
Programs: EK Skywards
Posts: 76
The upset was over your seeming unwillingness to believe the answers you received.
When we answer questions here at FT (10+ years now for me), we are answering them not just for you, but those who will come after you asking the same question.
You asked about situations at passport control. You were referred to previous threads here at FT as well as told first person experiences that seem to not agree with what you had heard. Your continued disbelief led many of us to feel that instead of looking for what people's experiences were, you were more interested in reaffirming what you had heard previously. Yes, under certain circumstances, there have been people denied entry into every country on earth. Israel is no different.
When we answer questions here at FT (10+ years now for me), we are answering them not just for you, but those who will come after you asking the same question.
You asked about situations at passport control. You were referred to previous threads here at FT as well as told first person experiences that seem to not agree with what you had heard. Your continued disbelief led many of us to feel that instead of looking for what people's experiences were, you were more interested in reaffirming what you had heard previously. Yes, under certain circumstances, there have been people denied entry into every country on earth. Israel is no different.
The current situation is in flux, and it is a well known fact, and one that has been clearly illustrated on here, that Israeli immigration treat Jews differently to non Jews, and then again, others with certain affiliations are treated entirely differently, so forgive me if I don't feel satisfied with the replies that comes from evidently Jewish and pro Israel posters here.
Not only that, but I was also then subject to intrusive interrogation on my trip, my affiliations and then accusations and insinuations were implied.
Arrive at Passport Control with an attitude of "they are really going out of their way to ensure a safe experience for my visit" and the process will be mutually beneficial and entirely more pleasant - you get in, and the Border Control people do their job.
And yes, you are 100% correct, it is no ones business why you are traveling anywhere.