Author Topic: Visting Israel During Corona  (Read 4921 times)

Offline Shem Tov

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Visting Israel During Corona
« on: July 02, 2020, 03:27:01 PM »
Is there an official government web site that I can check for real time updates from the Israeli government as to visiting policy as of now?

Offline travel agent

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2020, 04:47:40 PM »
right now not before Aug. 1

Offline Ergel

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2020, 04:48:06 PM »
Anyone make aliyah so they can get into the country? What are the downsides?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Shem Tov

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2020, 05:58:37 PM »
right now not before Aug. 1

Thats what I thought too, but a friend told me that he saw somewhere online that they extended it to Sept 1

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2020, 06:25:28 PM »
I believe you can google החלטות ממשלה and find the official log on the PM office website
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2020, 08:53:10 PM »
Anyone make aliyah so they can get into the country? What are the downsides?

Not easy to get rid of Israeli citizenship.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Offline Ergel

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2020, 08:03:09 AM »
Not easy to get rid of Israeli citizenship.
What problems could it cause? Assuming someone is not of child-rearing age anymore
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Offline Happyguy

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2020, 08:51:17 AM »
They cause you problems if you enter in the future with your foreign passport and not your Israeli even its expired. They force you to renew it. I know not the worst thing....

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2020, 09:37:56 AM »
Is there an official government web site that I can check for real time updates from the Israeli government as to visiting policy as of now?
You have to understand how Israel works. Every government agency (and individual employee within), has a separate set of rules, and many don't bother publishing their policies at all. Israel entry rules are set by Government vote/Interior Ministry, but published by the Foreign Ministry, and enforced by the Israeli Immigration Authority (Border control). None will feel obligated to follow their own policies, much less policies published by other branches of Israel.

The only positive part is that by comparison the government is still far more efficient that other British colonies in the Middle East.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Ergel

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2020, 09:39:01 AM »
They cause you problems if you enter in the future with your foreign passport and not your Israeli even its expired. They force you to renew it. I know not the worst thing....
Yeah, that was my one point to my FIL - keeping Israeli passport up to date.
And losing zchuyot in the even of future Aliyah
Anything else?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2020, 09:42:17 AM »
They cause you problems if you enter in the future with your foreign passport and not your Israeli even its expired. They force you to renew it. I know not the worst thing....
That's if you're Israeli. If you denounce your citizenship you are no longer eligible for an Israeli passport & at most may need to show the denouncement paperwork.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Shem Tov

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2020, 10:04:11 AM »
You have to understand how Israel works. Every government agency (and individual employee within), has a separate set of rules, and many don't bother publishing their policies at all. Israel entry rules are set by Government vote/Interior Ministry, but published by the Foreign Ministry, and enforced by the Israeli Immigration Authority (Border control). None will feel obligated to follow their own policies, much less policies published by other branches of Israel.

The only positive part is that by comparison the government is still far more efficient that other British colonies in the Middle East.

 :)

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2020, 11:32:59 AM »
Yeah, that was my one point to my FIL - keeping Israeli passport up to date.
And losing zchuyot in the even of future Aliyah
Anything else?

VAT
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Offline Happyguy

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2020, 11:39:04 AM »
What problems could it cause? Assuming someone is not of child-rearing age anymore

If you travel with your kids (assuming they live at home) you might get stopped everytime you come in and out the country - How come you are Israeli and your kids aren't etc. My mother is Israeli and the rest of us aren't. So after a couple of annoying experiences, my mother went through the Israeli border control by herself and the rest of us through the foreign one which solved our problems ;D ;D

Offline Ergel

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2020, 11:39:26 AM »
VAT
Forgot about that. Excellent point! Thanks
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Online ExGingi

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2020, 02:02:51 PM »
Forgot about that. Excellent point! Thanks

Wow. That was the first thing that came to my mind. Didn't mention it as it sounded so obvious, until you presented your summary and asked if missing anything. I can tell you that while VAT is just a financial PITA, having to maintain an Israeli passport is a MAJOR PITA that cannot be understated. It's like an invisible shackle.

Though in theory an Israeli passport can save the headache and expense of needing a visa to visit Russia (and in the past also Brazil, though IIRC that has changed recently for Americans).
« Last Edit: July 03, 2020, 02:06:24 PM by ExGingi »
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

Offline Kobe Bryant

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2020, 03:26:23 PM »
Wow. That was the first thing that came to my mind. Didn't mention it as it sounded so obvious, until you presented your summary and asked if missing anything. I can tell you that while VAT is just a financial PITA, having to maintain an Israeli passport is a MAJOR PITA that cannot be understated. It's like an invisible shackle.

Though in theory an Israeli passport can save the headache and expense of needing a visa to visit Russia (and in the past also Brazil, though IIRC that has changed recently for Americans).
Correct

Offline Ergel

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #17 on: July 05, 2020, 08:15:26 AM »
Wow. That was the first thing that came to my mind. Didn't mention it as it sounded so obvious, until you presented your summary and asked if missing anything. I can tell you that while VAT is just a financial PITA
Yeah, not sure how I forgot about that, having dealt with it myself
Quote
, having to maintain an Israeli passport is a MAJOR PITA that cannot be understated. It's like an invisible shackle.

Though in theory an Israeli passport can save the headache and expense of needing a visa to visit Russia (and in the past also Brazil, though IIRC that has changed recently for Americans).
In laws visit the holy land multiple times a year and will likely make aliyah in the next 10 years anyways, so I don't think this will be a major issue (especially since IME renewing a passport takes like 15 minutes at misrad hapnim (with an appointment)
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Online ExGingi

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #18 on: July 05, 2020, 09:44:17 AM »
In laws visit the holy land multiple times a year and will likely make aliyah in the next 10 years anyways, so I don't think this will be a major issue (especially since IME renewing a passport takes like 15 minutes at misrad hapnim (with an appointment)
But when you don't live there and then need to go on short notice, only to discover that it expired... Not to mention the need to carry 2x passports when you travel.
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

Offline Kobe Bryant

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Re: Visting Israel During Corona
« Reply #19 on: July 05, 2020, 09:51:30 AM »
But when you don't live there and then need to go on short notice, only to discover that it expired... Not to mention the need to carry 2x passports when you travel.
I don't see the benefit of having an IL passport, only downsides. (Other than the current circumstances)