Crossing the Israel/Jordan Borders
(Revised 2020)
This is the definitive guide to Israel – Jordan border crossings and visas. (Revised 2020)
Ha! Don’t believe that claim from anyone! These rules can change at any time and as in one particular moment in my case, a rule can be ignored or forgotten. I had a couple of Israel-Jordan land border crossings myself and we’ve been compiling crowd-sourced experience and knowledge since then. I advise getting second opinions about what is possible. I wasn’t clear about passport stamp options, and I unwisely canceled an easy trip to Lebanon – missed opportunity! During my trip, just for kicks I asked immigration officials and tour operators questions I already knew the answers to and some of them either didn’t know, weren’t sure, or had it wrong! (according to what I had experienced earlier that day). Try to rely on official sources (I found some that contradicted each other) but then balance that off with the most recent experiences of fellow travelers (see myriad comments below, but I’ve also add much of that information up here as well).
My own crossings went very smoothly, but there are true horror stories of entry into and exit from Israel. Even Paul Theroux had a bad moment in The Pillars of Hercules: A Grand Tour of the Mediterranean
One thing to remember at any border in any country: you have no cards to play. You can read in the news of diplomats who have gotten shafted in some cases. Israel may be a little tougher than some due to what they fear may come walking in over the border. So if someone is being testy, insolent, mean, unreasonable, or whatever, do your best to lighten the situation rather than escalate it. In all cases remember it is better to attract flies with honey than vinegar. I mean to say that if a border agent gets testy with you, lay on the sugar. Be polite and patient. You came to cross the border, not to debate.
Find a place to stay in Jordan
Find a place to stay in Israel
Crossing the Israeli – Jordanian Border
I was originally going to entitle this “the Clusterf*ck of border crossings between Jordan and Israel”. But instead let’s look at it positively. You have options!
First, before you attempt crossing to Israel be sure you don’t need to apply for a visa in your home country or at an Israeli embassy elsewhere in the world. See the current Israeli visa rules. Many countries are exempt from visa requirements – including the US, UK, much of Europe, Australia, parts of South America and Africa, and more. Check to be sure. (For that matter, also be sure Jordan doesn’t require you to get a visa BEFORE arrival. For most countries, they do not. But check the drop down menu at the bottom of this Jordan Tourism Board page to be sure.)
Also, see the special note about avoiding the Israeli passport stamp, and other stamps associated with that crossing, to enter Lebanon or certain other countries.
Crossing to Israel at Allenby Bridge / King Hussein Bridge:
This is the closest land border to both Amman and Jerusalem, about an hour away from each. My hostel in Amman (Jordan Tower Hotel – recommended!) helped me and three other guests book a taxi to the border at Allenby/King Hussein bridge for 26 JD total. Much easier than taking a taxi to the bus station (maybe 5 JD) and then the bus to the border (8 JD). And in this case, cheaper. Other travelers report about 35 JD as a typical taxi price from Amman.
After arriving on the Jordan side by bus or taxi, go to the departure waiting room (opens at 8 a.m. but taxis will often get you there just after 7 a.m. so you can wait and beat a crowd if one is forming that day. There are restrooms here). The last bus from the Jordan border station across the border is allegedly 8:30 pm Sunday-Thursday – this is questionable internet information that currently contradicts what Jordan Tourism websites and embassies have recently told us. On Friday and Saturday, we are told the border closes at 2 pm. But now we hear that this is true on all days and that you should leave Amman by about 11 am to get to the border and get through in time. (We are still trying to determine the veracity of all this, so if you are there on the ground, please share what you know. Mar 7, 14) It is best to go in the morning anyway.
At the first window the agent examines your passport. If you owe the departure tax you will pay it at the next window. If you entered Jordan that day or the day before (and the stamp will show this) you will not owe a departure tax, otherwise you must pay 10 JD. You leave your passport and go out and get on the bus which will wait until it’s full to cross the bridge to Israel. The Jordanian border agents will bring the passports to each person personally on the bus when they are finished processing them.
The last distance between Israel and Jordan is crossed by bus for 7.5 JD. You will also pay for each bag you need to put under the bus. (1.50 JD approx.)
The bus stops and everything is unloaded. Your bags will be searched carefully (I hope you have no artificial hips, ugh!) and you will be sent through the metal detector like at an airport. On the other side, an Israeli immigration agent will ask lots of questions and look over your passport carefully. Stamps from certain Arab states may bring questions but should not affect your entry at all. Have good, pleasant replies for why you were there. They will give you a small piece of paper with a small passport photo with details like passport number, nationality, validity, etc. and as you enter the next area they will look at your passport.
Past immigration you can change money at a crappy rate. I did the minimum I needed to get to Jerusalem.
Outside you can either hire a taxi to your next stop or take a yellow mini-van to Damascus Gate (Bab Al-Amood) in Jerusalem for about 40 NIS plus 5 NIS for luggage. The ticket booth for the mini-van is around the corner to the right. The bus departs when it’s full. The taxi is very expensive. The taxi driver I met started at 300 NIS but dropped significantly while haggling with others I overheard. In a group and with haggling you may be able to get a better per-person price than the mini-van. Here are several hotels and hostels closest to Damascus Gate.
Need a SIM card for Israel or Jordan… or both?? OneSIM:
Crossing from Israel to Jordan:
You will pay an exit tax on the Israeli side of about 105 shekels (Jan 1, 2017) before you get your exit stamp (about 176 shekels at Allenby!).
Crossing at Allenby Bridge / King Hussein Bridge:
You can return to the border using the same yellow mini-van that drops passengers off at Damascus Gate (Bab Al-Amood) in Jerusalem (see the drop-off point in the photo above). Be aware that Jordan does not give visas at the Allenby / King Hussein bridge crossing. If you do not have one, you are wasting your time here (and Israeli border agents will not always alert you to this!). A visa-on-arrival in Amman at Queen Aila Airport (40 JD as of January 2017, about USD$60, ) is typically only good for that single entry! You need another visa to re-enter Jordan. ***HOWEVER, you may re-enter the Kingdom through Allenby/King Hussein on that same Amman / Queen Aila Airport visa if your exit from Jordan and re-entry are within the two-week validity of that visa.*** This little exception only works here, not at the two other land crossings, allegedly. ***The “rule” here has gotten murkier. One traveler exited at Eilat, spent 7 days in Israel, tried to return via Allenby, was told No, insisted he had only been there 7 days, and the border agents said, sure, give us another 20 JD (the visa rate at the time). Ahem. Probably not the rule as it is written. We suspect that that two-week allowance to depart Jordan at King Hussein/Allenby with your initial visa and return is perhaps only valid if it is all done at that particular crossing. I wouldn’t recommend offering a bribe, but perhaps insistence and begging may elicit the offer in a clutch. :)*** The white taxis on the Jordanian side cost as much as 35 JD back into Amman.
Other Options:
1. Apply for a multiple-entry Jordan visa at a Jordanian embassy before your trip begins. This takes some time and at 120 JD (USD$170) it saves you money and hassle only if you will use it at least three times. It is valid for 6 months (for entries from the date is was issued, not a six-month stay). Two entries on arrival are cheaper.
2. I contacted the Jordanian embassy in the USA and was told that there is a double-entry visa for Jordan available at the airport and at the borders. (1/2015): The cost is 45 JD about 60 JD (USD$84.50 and its validity for entries is for three months from the date is was issued. ***WARNING: 2/17 see Aqaba/Eilat crossing info below! ***WARNING: 4/14 a recent traveler reportedly asked for the double-entry visa at Queen Alia Airport in Amman, and was told there wasn’t one. There may have been confusion there regarding a double-entry visa vs. purchasing two single visas. ***
3. Go to one of the other two land crossings when trying to enter Jordan from Israel – see Beit She’an (Jordan River)/Sheikh Hussein crossing and Eilat/Aqaba (also called Wadi Arava Border in Israel) crossing below. These crossings have visa on arrival and may be cheaper than even arriving at the airport (or free)
4. Fly to Amman from Tel Aviv (pricey)
5. Apply for a visa at the Jordan Embassy in Tel Aviv This can be a hassle as the location of the Jordan Embassy in Tel Aviv is not convenient, and the cost is rather high: 360 NIS (1/2015) for a single-entry, 1000 NIS for multiple-entry. You’ll need to fill out a form and submit a passport photo, and service can be done same day; if you are in early enough in the morning, you can get it in the afternoon.
Crossing at Beit She’an / Sheikh Hussein:
Jordan River / Sheikh Hussein Bridge crossing. In Israel, you can get public transportation to Beit She’an (Egged buses except during Shabbat when route options end early on Friday, start late on Saturday) which leaves you 7 km short of the border. The bus is 2 to 2.5 hours from Jerusalem for about 42 NIS. From there, taxi rental is generally pricey and susceptible to some cheating as well. You can take a taxi all the way from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to this border (again around two hours) but you will pay through the nose (more than 700 shekels some have said. Haggle like hell and go in a group.)
Pass through Israeli immigration at Jordan River Border Terminal with the 105 shekel departure tax, walk or take the 5-shekel shuttle a short distance across (that shuttle bus is 1.5 JD if you are leaving Jordan and going to Israel), and pass through Jordan immigration. Visa on arrival is available here for qualified nationalities/passports. [A traveler reported 12/2016 a 20JD visa good for 3 days for Israeli passport holders, but then on 2/16/2017 a European traveler entered with visa on arrival and paid only 10 JD for a visa good for 3 to 20 days.] (Remember to skip getting the passport signed by Jordan if you prefer to eliminate evidence of having been in Israel.) The Jordan River Border Terminal hours are Sunday to Thursday 6:30 to 21:00 and Friday-Saturday 8:00 to 19:00 (confirm times here) Special hours apply for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and the Muslim New Year (Id il Hajira) and potential random security issues. Be aware that you should try to arrive well before the closing time, and be clear on the Israel border closing times for Shabbat (Fri-Sat).
From here you can either take a taxi to Irbid for about 20 JD and take a cheap public bus from there to Amman, Jerash, etc., or take a taxi all the way to your final destination. There is a taxi company office on the Jordan side, and the price to Amman was about 29 JD (1/2017). In Amman I was quoted 50 JD for the 2-hour Amman / Sheikh Hussein segment which is way too much, but I’d expect that from a random driver, especially if you are standing with bags in the middle of nowhere. So haggle! It is a longer trip than just crossing at Allenby, almost double the distance. (See Allenby Bridge/King Hussein info above). This border is usually open 24 hours a day. On the Israeli side parking is available if you come by car, for a fee of about 36 shekels/day.
The view of Eilat across the water from Aqaba
Crossing at Eilat / Aqaba (Wadi Araba):**
Eilat-Aqaba crossing (also referred to by the region “Arava” in Israel and “Wadi Araba” in Jordan). This is five hours south of Tel Aviv by bus with Egged (about 78 NIS), and four hours south of Amman by bus (8 JD with JETT bus). You may travel from Jerusalem to the Eilat border by Egged bus #444 for about NIS70, and get off at the second last stop (Eilat Junction). From there, it’s a 1 km walk to the border (well signed and easy walk which can save you a taxi ride from Eilat town center).
Taxis on either side will stiff you (could be haggled to 25 shekels to the border from the bus station in Eilat – I paid 35, and 11 JD from the Jordan post to downtown Aqaba. Taxis on the Jordan side are referred to as the taxi mafia. I tried to haggle here but even the guards remain mute when drivers say you have no choice. (But see the taxi note below – haggle!) It’s about 1.8 mi/3 km out to the nearest highway, and then another mile or so south just to the edge of town, and it gets pretty hot. Walking is not the best idea.)
The Yitzhak Rabin border station is open Sunday to Thursday 6:30 to 20:00 and Friday-Saturday 8:00 to 20:00 (confirm times here) Special hours apply for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and the Muslim New Year (Id il Hajira) and potential random security issues.
From the Israeli side you first pay the exit tax at the first windows, about NIS105 (or pre-pay at a postal bank for a few NIS less), then go to the next set of windows to stamp out and get your gate pass. (Remember you no longer need to worry about avoiding that passport stamp if you get the new Israeli visa card when you enter Israel.) You will walk across the actual border crossing. Fun in the sun with luggage: Amusing going the Jordan direction as they all seem bored and disinterested; quite a different scrutiny going the Israel direction. Don’t try to be funny.
Free Visa on Arrival at Aqaba, Jordan:
**UPDATE for May, 2017: That free ASEZA-sponsored Jordan visa on arrival you may have heard about at the Aqaba/Eilat crossing? It had been alleged by official sources at the start of 2016 that it was no longer available at the border and that NO VISAS are currently being issued at this border crossing as of January 1, 2016. You may even still find this on official websites. There is still the Jordan Pass option (read on) but after multiple travelers claimed visa on arrival was still available, we realized that in practice and signage at the border, the free visa on arrival IS available for independent travelers. On 2/13/2017 we were hearing a new change may be in effect at Aqaba and a contact at the Jordan tourism board said “ASEZA just changed their rules” and “you will have to pay 40JOD.” But Markus, a German traveler entered on 2/10/2017 and received an “Independent Travelers’ Entry Manifest through South Wadi Araba Crossing Border” form. You fill this form (Name, Passport information, Date Of Entry/Departure) and they process this and give you a copy. Do not lose it. They will stamp your passport and the manifest when you enter Jordan. (If you are worried about evidence of your travel in Israel, request them to not stamp your passport here.)
However, when you depart Jordan, you may still have to pay a fee for that “free visa” you just received. Upon departure, you will show the Manifest and pay the departure tax/fee if you didn’t stay three nights. That fee becomes 60 JD; plus the usual departure tax of 10 JD. If you stay in Jordan for 3 or more nights with the Aqaba Entry Manifest, you should not have to pay the 10 JD exit tax, and thus your entry at Aqaba is free.
We’ve been misinformed through formal channels before. That’s all we know at the moment, unfortunately. Because this contact reported it as “news” I wonder if they even knew that travelers had been getting the free visas through much of 2016.
The free visa is for travelers 1) staying at least 2 nights and less than 2 weeks in Jordan and 2) carrying a passport from a nation eligible for visa on arrival, of course. There is also a rule that this applies only to those who enter AND leave via this border. Keep that in the back of your mind if you leave from a different border or airport that you may be charged the usual 10 JD exit fee.
Up until at least early 2017, the warning had been stay TWO nights and you’re OK. Here’s the sign still up as of 5/2017:.
But it seems a 3-night rule is being enforced for Jordan Pass holders. Have a look at this newer sign at the Aqaba border station, which warns Jordan Pass users specifically, that you may be fined for not staying 3 nights in Jordan (May 2017).
If we get more information from travelers on the ground, we will post it here.
Other Options at Aqaba:
If you plan to cross into Jordan at the Aqaba/Eilat border crossing, you have three other options: 1) you can get a pre-arranged Jordan visa (at least two weeks in advance) from a consulate or embassy elsewhere, or 2) you can travel with a qualified tour company on a tour. In this case the tour company can vouch for you at the border (confirm this with your tour company), or 3) purchase the Jordan Pass which, in addition to the entry to many of Jordan’s tourist sites, also includes your visa fee (but NOT at Allenby/King Hussein crossing) and “only if you are staying 3 consecutive nights and buy it before arrival to Jordan” so says their website.
Jordan Taxi from Border Station into City of Aqaba
From the border into Aqaba you will only have taxis, and they are all in collusion. Some call them the “taxi mafia.” From a fellow traveler: “The easiest way is to ask for a taxi to Aqaba, then switch to a bus or another taxi to Amman or Wadi Musa. Don’t tell the driver your final destination, or else they will try to take you there. Make sure you change money before crossing the border because the taxi driver may claim that they have no change.” Another traveler Massimo advises: “There is a big price list of taxis outside of Aqaba border on Jordanian side. (see above) They quote price per person but locals say it’s actually price per taxi. You DEFINITELY must bargain on price, as mentioned above. I paid 14 JD for 3 people instead of 9 JD per person (would have been 27 JD).” On 02/10/17 a couple paid 10 JD into Aqaba.
Here are some hotels in Aqaba.
That about sums it up. If you see anything amiss here, please do let me know in comments below! Enjoy Jordan / Israel. It is quite a nice travel pairing!
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
Pingback: The Truth About the Free Jordanian Visa
Pingback: I don’t want Israel to stamp my passport
your website (pictures and article) gave what I was looking for. very very helpful- thanks!! keep it up!
I am a UK citizen and planning a road trip by motorbike across the middle east and I am planning to enter Isreal from Jordan. Are you aware if I will have any problems taking my motor bike into Isreal. Someone mentioned they will not allow to take vehicles into Isreal.
Hi Doug, While this is not my area of expertise, I can say that I stood in line behind someone driving into Israel at Allenby. If you own your motorbike, I’d expect to carry proof of ownership. If you are renting, ask the rental company as I am sure they’d know. The window where one changes money at Allenby is also where you can buy vehicle insurance, so we all stood for a long time waiting behind the people bringing a car in. You must have vehicle insurance for your time in Israel. Not sure if you can get that ahead of time but then if you do, you’ll need proof of it. That’s as much as I know. Please let us know how it goes!
Cheers,
Kevin
Hi Kevin
Thank you for the detailed information. My brother and I will be going to israel from jordan tomorrow morning via the allenby bridge. However, we have a problem. Our driver can only pick us up at 9am and we will only reach the border at about 10am. So we are worried that by the time we clear the checks and immigration, the yellow mini van will not be in service anymore. Do you know what time it stops?
Thank you
Hi Nazmi, I don’t know exactly what schedule those vans run on, if any at all, but I’m pretty confident they won’t be finished before lunch , so I wouldn’t worry about it. as long as there are paying customers, I think they are running. Have a safe journey!
Hi Nazmi,
Are you a Malaysian?
it is possible to cross with vehicles from the Beit-Shean border. cars, bikes, whatever…
Our family of three would like to go from Jordan to Israel. We will be Petra and would like to visit Eilat. From my reading, you have to walk if you go from aqaba to eilat. We have few luggages, and would like to know whether is there any car we can hire instead of walking. If we have to walk, how far is the walk and how difficult because we have large luggages. thanks.
It’s not a very long distance and there is no car hire or bus to make that short distance. And the surface is developed so you should be fine. You likely walked farther on your way to the gate for your first flight. 🙂
Hi Kevin
Your attention to detail is great! Any traveller attempting to visit Jerusalem will have so much insight thanks to you, well done! I travelled with my family in 2012 from South Africa and had no problems entering and exiting the borders, fee’s were much less, but increases must take place. We planning to travel in Jan 2015 again (tickets booked 🙂 so happy) but I really can’t remember if my kids paid exit tax at the Israeli border. I think I was so shocked about the $51 that we paid that I forgot if I paid for my 2 kids. Do you have any idea?
I haven’t traveled with kids, but I suspect that yes, the kids pay the same. Also, next January when you travel, the fee will change slightly as it does every year, mostly to adjust for the shekel value. Remember the fee is higher at Allenby than the other two border crossings.
I have a question about the vehicle insurance amount when crossing with my car from Jordan to Israel.
I have no information about that, but others here hopefully will chime in… (sorry!)
Hi,
I cross with my car always and 10 Days cost me 76JD on Sept 10/2014
Great insightful website! I plan to leave JO for a few days visit to Israel. I will exit JO at the Allenby and then return via the Sheik Hussein bridge near Irbid. I am wondering if the visa fee is the same as the airport–40 JOD for this boarder crossing…?
No visas. Just exit fees. 10JD on the Jordan side, 100 shekels on the Israeli side. That being said, make sure your Jordan visa is current before you go because you need a valid one to return.
Tks a lot for your information. We crossed the border through Alennby bridge/ King Hussein today and even with the Jodan visa that we took in the airport and only 5 days spent in Israel, we had to pay 20JD each for a new visa for the police customs in Jordan.
I know that this is not a rule but be prepared for this unusual situation too.
That’s very interesting. So were they cheating you or is that part of the official two-week limit clause for that single-entry visa? Ah, the plot thickens…
In my personal opinion, they cheated us. We shared a taxi with a french couple, they had exactly the same kind of of visa and they didn’t pay anything.
The world is not perfect my friend…
True indeed. Where are you from?
We are from Brazil. We are traveling around the world for a while and blogs like yours are very helpfull to plan the trip. Tks again.
Pingback: Partner Schedule Change and Reaccommodation - FlyerTalk Forums
Where does one get a visa form for Jordan while crossing the border at Eilat ? What currencies are accepted and fees to be paid while exiting Israel and entering Jordan.
Thanks
The form is available at the immigration window after you’ve crossed to the Aqaba, Jordan side. Exit fees from Eilat (it is more at Allenby/King Hussein) are about 103NIS (as of 2012) payable in cash in NIS or USD or credit card at Change Place at the border. This includes a 5NIS commission but pre-paying it at the Eilat post office would make it 98NIS. It is said you can also pre-pay online at the Change Place website but it doesn’t appear to be possible in English (not when I checked anyway). Here is the Hebrew page: http://www.cpl.co.il/03-02.asp
My husband and I crossed the border at the King Hussein Bridge from Jordan into Israel today. We began our journey from Petra where we took a bus (about 3 hrs and 5 dinari each) to Amman. From there we caught a taxi (21 dinari) to the border. We had to pay a 10 dinari exit tax each, and we were required to take the bus over the bridge (we had read elsewhere that it was possible to walk but that wasn’t the case today at least). The bus cost 4 dinari each and 1.30 for each bag. The border crossing on the Jordan side was very quiet, no line at all. On the Israeli side, it was crowded and quite chaotic but we got through in about an hour and half without any issues. Btw, we had arrived in Jordan a few days ago via the ferry from Egypt to Aqaba. We did not pay for our tourist visa there. We were told when exiting Jordan today, that it would be no problem to return with our Visa in a week. We’ll see if that is true or not next week.
Great! Keep us posted!
Here’s the latest from our travels between Israel and Jordan. Last Sunday, we travelled by bus from Jerusalem to the border (38 shekels each). We left around 8:00 am and there was a short line when we arrived at the first checkpoint. It took about 15 minutes for the bus to pass through. We went through Israeli customs without any issues (no line ups either), but we were a little surprised at the hefty exit fee charged: 172 shekels or $50 US per person. Once through customs, we boarded a bus that took us to the Jordan side where we paid for the bus (I think it was 4 JOD each plus a small baggage fee). On the Jordan side, we had no problems with our tourist visa that we got in Aqaba a couple of weeks ago. We shared a taxi with a girl we met who just happened to be going to the same hostel – 21 JOD for the trip. In both directions, we had to change taxis part way – seems there is one set of taxis that works in the city and the other works outside. It was no big deal, the first taxi driver arranged with the second taxi driver. It only took us 3 hours to get from the Jerusalem bus station at the Damascus Gate to our hotel in Amman. I would definitely recommend using this route as long as you already have a Jordanian visa.
Thanks for the update, Christina! Yes, for some reason the Allenby exit tax is higher than at other crossings. And all of them may change come January 1st when the rates are typically readjusted. That’s interesting about the taxi switch. Going TO the border from Amman we had hired the taxi through our hotel. He took us all the way to the border. Do you know if that is some sort of official policy or if perhaps a couple of drivers are collaborating to pick up more tourists faster at the border? As long as the price remains reasonable, I guess it doesn’t matter. Sharing keeps it reasonable IMHO.
Hi Kevin, thanks for all info. Do you know if it is possible to obtain an Israeli tourist visa at Allenby bridge? As a south african I apparently do not need to apply for a visa upfront, but am issued a tourist visa upon entry – this is what it says on the Israeli embassy website in South Africa. So, now just not sure if that applies everywhere?
As an American, I also did not need a visa up front. And I did enter at Allenby, so you should be fine. That should apply at all borders.
HI Kevin,
I’m an American on a student visa in Israel. I plan to go over Jordan next week via Jerusalem one week before my student visa expires. I want to spend a bit more time in Israel and do more sight seeing, how I can obtain a tourist visa upon my re-entry into Israel from Jordan? What’s the best way?
Thanks, Jen.
Hi Jen, I don’t want to comment on that too much because student visas might have special rules I wouldn’t have any idea about (such as limits as to how soon you can return or some such oddity). I’d recommend asking your school about the matter. If all things are “normal” and you haven’t overstayed that expiring visa, then a re-entry a week or so later would be dealt with as it would for any other American: No need for a visa and you’d get 3 more months. But do double check that. Sometimes you have to stay outside a country a certain time period first.
Thank you Kevin.
Where is the best place to change Shekels into Jordinians? did you change before you crossed the border or after? And where do you verify your visa form in Aqaba if you go through eilat?
Jen
Hi Jen, As I was coming back to Jordan, I kept my JD and changed USD on the Israel side, but just enough to get to Jerusalem where I looked for better rates. Borders generally suck for rates, but there is always a place to change money. In the case of Aqaba, I guess I’d change on the Israel side.
As for verifying the visa, you’d do that at ASEZA in Aqaba, and I walked there like a fool in the sun just to see if it could be done. Not worth it. And once you get taxis involved and time, it becomes less worth it. So far, I and everyone else I’ve communicated with, did not verify the visa and still left from Amman without having to pay it. I think the verification item is intended more for travelers who ask for and get one in the airport in Amman. Then you need to prove you really intended to and did go to Aqaba.
Hi Isabel – I know SA citizens have suffered alot lately from losing visa-free access. Israel, however, still grants this to SA’s as they would to Americans, Europeans, Aussies, etc. You do not need a pre-arranged visa to enter Israel regardless of which border or airport you enter.
However, if you cross back into Jordan from Israel via Allenby, and your Jordanian entry visa has expired during your time in Israel (or you exited Jordan through any other border/airport), then you will need a new Jordanian visa before arriving at Allenby. Or you can just use the crossings near Beit Shean or Eilat and get visa on arrival.
Thank you, Kevin, for the information. I have to cross over alone tomorrow and have felt a bit apprehensive about it but not so worried about it now after reading your article. I appreciate it!
Holly
Glad it helped, Holly. How did the crossing go?
The Exit fee from Jordan has gone up to 10 JD
Thanks for letting us know! I will note that in the text. Even the official sites aren’t showing this yet. Where did you exit?
Brilliant and thorough advice, I’m going to try and go from Amman- Jerusalem tomorrow through Allenby/King Hussein for 24 hours- yes it is a lot of effort and money when I fly back to the uk on sat but there we go.
One question though, can you get a visa for Israel on their side- obviously if I need one in advance I can’t go!
I have a single entry for Jordan but am just hoping that as it’s only 24 hrs I’ll be ok. Will let you all know how my trip goes after…
Thanks again!
I was being blind, no visa needed for less than 90 days in Israel. Will update my findings tomorrow…
Was just about to say 🙂 Good luck! Let us know how much you got in in 24 hours.
Hi, I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer for me.
1. I am entering into Aqaba by ferry from Egypt on a tour and they are trying to tell me that I cannot leave the tour to stay in Jordan rather than return to Cairo. (Crossing the border into Israel at Eilat is what I am wanting to do). If I do decide to do a runner on the tour, will I still have to pay the visa fee as I am leaving via land instead of water?
2. Once I have finished my trip in Israel, I continuing on to elsewhere via Amman whereby I have a 12hour wait til my next flight. I thought I might as well spend that time going into Amman than sitting in the airport. As I have already previously entered Jordan, will they allow me reenter by paying for another single visa or should I be purchasing a multiple entry Visa before I leave home?
I hope that all makes sense
Cheers.
Hi Kim,
Last spring a tour guide in Jordan told me that tour groups who book through a Jordanian agent get their visa waived. I imagine that isn’t the case here – they are a purely Egyptian company? Well, no matter. Either way I expect you’d receive a free visa at Aqaba. As long as the tour company isn’t hanging on to your passport, I can’t see how they can’t prevent you from following your plan. And the free Aqaba visa should not exact a fee when you cross into Eilat.
You say you are continuing on via Amman. Do you mean you are FLYING to Amman from Israel? Be aware that a land crossing at Allenby wouldn’t be possible without a Jordanian visa. But it seems you are simply connecting in Amman. I think you will have to pay the visa to leave the airport. It wouldn’t be worth getting a multiple-entry visa as that is 3x the price of that single entry. And the visa at Aqaba should be free.
If you do go into Amman, and you love hummus, check this out: http://revtravel.com/international-travel/middle-east/the-best-hummus-in-jordan/ Excellent stuff!
Thanks for much for your quick reply!
Yes, I should have specified that I was flying from Israel via Amman. Unfortunately at the time of writing I had 23 screaming 6 and 7 year olds on computers so I was a little distracted lol.
Everything you have said has made perfect sense, thank you! I haven’t done a lot of travel on my own independently so this is all a learning curve for me 🙂
Definitely will check out the hummus, YUM!
Thanks again for your advice 🙂
Hi Kevin,
I’ve read everything there is on the web regarding crossing into Jordan from Bet She’an. Your site is the most up to date and resourceful. I have one question: I’m an American tourist who simply wants to leave Israel just to return and have my passport visa stamp extended for another three months. Can I just go into Jordan for the day and expect to re-enter Israel to receive another 3 month visa? I’m planning to leave in the morning. Thanks!
Hi Dalyah, I tried to get through to a consulate person about this matter, but no one was taking calls. (Odd) I know that border crossing works in other countries, but I would be hesitant to expect that from Israel with their tight security. There may be a minimum exit time. I know of places that say (but don’t always enforce) 90-day limit in any 6 month period. Or places that just ask for 48 hours. Sorry that doesn’t help! Please let us know what you find. (And I hope you find they let you right back in!) Safe travels! Kevin
Hi Kevin,
may I ask… do you have any news on that issue ?
I am pretty much in the same situation as Dalyah…
My first 90-days-israeli-tourist-visa are about to run out,
and I would like to stay an other 1.5 months…
as my hebrew course (Ulpan) is still going on for an other 45 days…
so I am wondering if it is a reliable plan to go to Eilat, and then on a 1-day trip to Petra (Jordan).
Any comment would be very appreciated.
Thanks and regards !
Unfortunately, I have no information about that yet. It sounds to me like one of those uncertain situations where sometimes it is possible but it depends on the whims of a person at the border. Surely someone at the school has had students who have done this before, no? Also, can you not extend stay through the usual bureaucratic methods? I’m sorry I’m not much help. But if you do find answers, please let us know here and we can share the information. In any other country I’d say Go for it, but I imagine Israel keeps pretty close tabs on comings and goings.
Hi! Lovely blog you have here.
Just one question, I’m planning to get a visa-on-arrival at Amman’s airport, and then cross from Aqaba to Israel before heading back to Amman for my flight home. The Israel portion of the trip should take less than a week. Is it possible for me to go through the Sheikh Hussein crossing without getting another Jordanian visa or do I have to go through Allenby?
Thanks!
Good question. Here’s what we know from travelers recently: they have left Jordan via Allenby Bridge and returned via Allenby less than 2 weeks later on that single visa at Amman airport. We are told you have up to two weeks to do that. (One traveler claims he had hassles and could not but we don’t have the full details of the attempt.) I do NOT know for sure that this two-week window of permission is possible after leaving via a different border. While that may sound crazy a bit, I say it because there seems to be so many details that vary throughout. We can say this: You CANNOT obtain a visa at Allenby to get back into Jordan. But if you are entering via Sheikh Hussein, you may be able to enter on that original visa. I can’t claim that with any certainty, but at least if you can’t, then you can at least purchase another visa there (which you cannot do at Allenby/King Hussein).
Hi, my partner and I are in Petra and planning to visit Jerusalem tomorrow. We have Australian passports and arrived in Amman 2 days ago. I’ve been reading so many things online and crossing through Eilat sounds like a better option that Allenby. Is this what you recommend? And after a few days in Jerusalem, we need to go back to Amman to catch a flight. I guess Allenby is closer so do you think this would cause any issues with the visa?
It’s all getting confusing and hope we can make it to Israel. Any help would be appreciated 🙂
Cheers
Hi Rolly, interested in hearing your experience!
Hey!
First of all thank you very much for all the information!
I have a question regarding the Beit Shean border crossing to Jordan. I was planning to cross it with my bicycle and I was interested if it is possible to get a Jordanian visa at that border crossing.
I ask myself if it’s possible to cross the borders with the bicycle 🙂
Hi Sasha,
Did you ever find out whether it’s possible to cross on your bike? I also want to try that and am wondering if it’s possible. Maybe we should try together!
Iliana
Hi Iliana! Did you do this cross? Im just about to start this trip and Im still looking for informations and tips!
Please, let me know If you did it!
Tks!
Hi Sasha, I am so sorry, I am sooo late to reply. The Holidays buried me. I’m still wondering as well, but it seems I found someone who has done it: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=180814. I’m sure it’s the same at Eilat, but I wonder about Allenby as they seem to require that bus ride. Irrelevant to your particular question, but I wonder. 🙂 And yes, the visa to Jordan is available here. But perhaps you’ve done it all already!
Great blog! Thanks so much!
I’m currently in Dubai and looking to get to Israel. I’ve done this in the past by taking a flight to Cairo and then a 6 hour bus ride to Taba and crossing the land border on foot, paying 40 shekels to the Eilat bus station and then either taking a flight to Tel Aviv or an Egged bus. However, with the current situation in Egypt, I’m seriously considering flying into Jordan, Amman. If I fly into Amman, how easy will it be for me to get to either: Eilat, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?
I have dual citizenship – Israeli and American, so not worried about Israeli visa, but do wonder about any visa I might need to leave the Amman airport. A flight from Amman to Tel Aviv is just not in my budget.
I need to know an exact process for once I land in Amman as I am a 20 something female traveling alone! I am very familiar and comfortable in Egypt as I’ve done the trip many times before… But I’m uneasy about the Jordan side of things.
Please help 🙂
I flew into Amman, paid visa on arrival, took a bus into town, stayed one night at a hostel (posted on my blog here) and shared a taxi ride to the border in the morning booked via my hostel for a fair price for four of us. Crossed as above. Shared van (not taxi unless you can fill it and split fare) from the Israel side to Damascus gate. Returning is the issue. We’re told travelers are re-entering Jordan at Allenby in less than 2 weeks and being allowed in on that original visa. If this fails then you have a problem as you cannot get a visa to enter Jordan there. I took Egged to Eilat, crossed, bus to Amman, all in one day. Starting at about 6am, in Amman by about 4 or 5pm.
I intend to enter Israel from the Aqaba/Eilat crossing and then re-enter Jordan at the King Hussein/Allenby crossing with the same visa I got at Amman airport, within two weeks. Can I do this, or must I return to Jordan from Eilat? Also is it possible to a cab from Ramallah to the King Hussein crossing directly, or must I return to Damascus Gate first? Thanks.
Thanks for all this helpful info. We crossed King Hussein/Allenby this morning and alrhough it takes time, it was all pretty straight forward. it took us about 4 hours door to door. Just a tip, if you take a JETT bus from Amman city (their office is 1km up the hill from the OLD Abdali bus station, opposite Islamic hospital) for 8.50 JD per person, it actually includes the bus crossing to the Israeli side, which Jett operates. So this saves you 5JD you would have to pay if you came to the border by taxi, plus we didn’t have to pay an extra 1.5JD for our bags.
A question though – on the Jordanian side, we had the paper slip with our names, nationality, passport no & exit stamp taken from us at the Jordanian police checkpoint that we went through on the bus between the two borders. We also had our half butt of the departure tax taken from us at the Israeli side. We need to get back into Amman in 6 days to get our flight – will it be a problem to cross back at Allenby without these on the existing visa in our passport? We would still be within the time period for the Jordanian visa but don’t really have any proof that is where we crossed. We do still have our Israeli entry / exit form which show arrival at Allenby which I am planning to photocopy in case they take that away when we depart but I am nervous about crossing back. Does anyone have a similar experience? I understand it is not possible to get a Jordanian visa at the Allenby crossing so I guess an alternative is to apply for a visa in Tel Aviv which looks to have a same day service.
Thanks for all advice!
I crossed from over from Eilat on January 1st which was a breeze, and then crossed back over via Allenby Bridge on January 3rd (as my flight was 6pm from Amman that day to London!) Was slightly nervous as wasn’t 100% sure what they were going to say.
I got there and they said I didn’t have a visa to come back over and that I had to go to another visa. I told them I did have a visa from Amman from 7 days earlier with my girlfriend. They talked with each other and said they would let me pass, but only for another 20 dinar entry visa.
I thought they were f’ing me in the ass, as I read your blog stating that if you had a visa from within two weeks of it expiring you could go through Allenby/King Hussein for free! I didn’t read it as saying (cross the same border for free entry) although you do state that later in responding to a comment.
In the end, my gf and I paid 20dinar extra each (after paying 172 shekels exiting Israel) to get back to Amman. In the end it equates to 55 quid to pass that freaking border.. they’re having a laugh!
Your blog was much appreciated though, Kevin.
Rob R
Hi Rob, Thanks for sharing your experience. I personally haven’t done that “inside of 2 weeks you can return via Allenby” deal, but others are reporting it. I am leery of saying it is an official policy but several have done it. My suspicion is it’s a depart/return Allenby thing. But it seems they offer a bribe entry if you press them? Better than my trip all the way down to Eilat and back up to Amman in one day! I will add this info to the post above…
Yep, the border control officers were basically responding to my protestations that I hadn’t come across originally from the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge so I couldn’t return for free, even though it was only 7-8 days earlier I had received my ‘Amman visa.’
I’m still not sure whether our 20Dinar each was a bribe to get a visa to cross or they were helping us out so as we wouldn’t have to take a north or south border (which they evidently did to yourself). I think having the previous visa into Jordan at all ‘should’ ensure you get back in to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge border.. it just depends whether they will slug you the extra 20 Dinar or not.
Just by-the-by, I also found out when you arrive in Amman, that if you press the point to customs/immigration that you are going straight to Acaba you can forgo the 20Dinar entry into Jordan.. as the Govt is currently trying to promote Acaba for tourism.. hence no current fee to enter via land from Eilat into Acaba..
cheers
Rob
Hello.
The most updated information from me who crossed the border on 18/1 back to Amman.
On the Israel side, the exit tax is now 178 NIS!!!
You need to pay the exit tax at a office before the immigration counter.
The officer there gives you a bar code label after paying 178 NIS.
After that, get on a jett bus and it takes you to another station.
Get off there and you need to buy a ticket. A ticket for a person and a luggage costs 16 NIS or 3.5 JD.
Strange enough, when you get off the bus, if you are holding a foreign passport, the officer will keep it and ask you to go through the metal detecting device first. Do it. No problem. After all passengers get off, the official who takes your passpart leads you to another place for check in.
The cheapest way to go back to Amman is by a large white bus, which costs you 3.5 JD. Don’t believe that there are only taxis. When you cross the border with a lot of Arabs, you know that only taxis are not enough for serving all of them!
Ask the immigration officer and they will show you the way to the bus station.
FYI, I did the border crossing at Allenby/ King Hussein Bridge on 18/1/2013 at 9:30 a.m.
hi. i have dual citizenship – Israeli and USA. am planning to cross King Hussein bridge after getting the Jordanian Visa in Tel aviv. I have to get to the Q. Alia airport for a 12:30 PM (noon) flight. 2 questions: 1. what is the quickest and cheapest ways to get from the crossing to the airport? 2. If I get to the Israeli side when they open – will I make it to the airport on time??!
Well, I suspect leaving Israel won’t take as long as getting in. But let’s say your whole process takes only an hour and you cross at 8am and get out in Jordan by 9am. I guess two hours is enough to get to the airport from there leaving you 1.5 hours for security/check-in, but I am a nervous person by nature. 🙂 Taking public transportation would delay by going into the city to a station and then you’d have to transfer to an airport bus. Cheaper of course but not concerned about your schedule. Unless you are really going on the cheap here, I might consider just hiring someone at the border (taxi) to go the whole way there. Maybe find someone to share. Should take just under an hour (depends on traffic) and might cost $50USD? Haggling required I’m sure. Definitely the quickest.
Hi, I’m French and I’ll travel soon in Jordan, south to north, with my wife and daughter. We ‘ll be around Jerash-Ajlun-Irbid and then we think to go after to Jerusalem. Is it possible to go by taxi till the Sheik Hussein bridge, cross the border and take another taxi till the Beit Shean central bus station ? Thanks for your informations.
Yes, that should work. You may have to haggle a bit at the border. 🙂
Does anyone know if you can fly into Israel but then leave by bus? I have been reading that you need a return/exit ticket to be allowed entrance. But I will be flying Istanbul to Tel Aviv then taking a bus to Cario. Can I just tell them ill go by bus?
Yes, you can. But there’s no accounting for an immigration agent giving you a hard time. Know the schedule and price and date, etc. so you sound convincing. Can you book one online and just produce the confirmation? Do you have an onward ticket out of Egypt that might also convince them? Typically it’s the airline before your flight to Israel that is going to ask for it. Wandering Earl suggests making one up in MS Word or purchasing a totally refundable ticket and getting it refunded once you get there. Or put a flight on reserve (it’s free to do so), get the reservation printout and confirmation number (without an expiration date visible or at least one past the date of your trip) and show that. I’ve used that for visa applications.
Thank you so much for the valuable information!!
I will be crossing from Jordan to Israel via the King Hussein Bridge beginning of March . Even though I will be only staying in Jerusalem for 2 days, I think to be safe I will apply for a multiple entry visa at the Amman airport, right?
I am wondering how safe it is to cross the border? Can i take any taxi to take me to the border? or should I plan it with the hotel or a travel agency? is there any travel agency you would recommend? Is it safe on the israeli border? We are 2 women traveling alone, i just want to be extra careful.
Also, is there any day of the week we should avoid to cross? any holiday in march or will Shabbat make the crossing harder?
thank you so much!!
Hi Manuela,
I believe a multiple-entry visa would have to be acquired in your home country, and it cannot be taken at the airport on arrival.
There are public buses from Amman to the border, but sharing a taxi with fellow travelers from your hotel is rather convenient and affordable. (I stayed at Jordan Tower Hotel, a hostel and they set it up for me for a good price.) The border is safe. Like anywhere in the world there are always haggling taxi drivers, but you can take a mini-van (run by Palestinians) to and from the Israeli border to Damascus Gate. Cheap and easy and no haggling. On Friday/Saturday and Jewish holidays, Allenby closes at 1:30pm ISRAEL time (Be aware that Israel sets their clocks back one hour from about September to March, and Jordan did not do that in 2012-2013. Shabbat sometimes affects bus companies (but won’t affect the Palestinian-run mini-vans, obviously).
Being careful is always a good idea, but not much to worry about here, pretty straightforward.
Hi,
Wonderfull work all of you.
My question is, if i can enter Jordan from Israel from the south and leave Jordan trough another different boarder back to Israel?
I am planning to cross to Jordan taking the Wadi araba exit, and i am planning to leave jordan next day back to Israel through Allenby bridge.
thanks
Hi Mariki,
Shouldn’t be a problem at all. If, however, you are entering in the south on that free Jordan visa available there at that border, and then leaving from Allenby the next day, they may charge you for that visa with your exit tax at King Hussein/Allenby. (Technically that’s how it works; it’s free for intended visits to the Aqaba area. But I don’t find that it’s policed much.). But entering Jordan at Aqaba and leaving that way is totally fine. Good luck! And please report any anomalies. 🙂
I will Kevin, actually i haven´t decided yet what i will be doing at the end, i am travelling alone, so i will probably end up joining some one for a while.
I am sure i will figure out things once i get there.
But is good to Know they will let me leave from allemby, hopefully with little charge, i would like to go to the dead sea on the Jordan side.
Thanks
I’ve crosses at Aqaba/Eilat and Beit She’an/Irbid. What you describe is similar to my experience. What I have read about the Allenby crossing makes me think going out of your way to either of these two alternate checkpoints is worth the effort. Particularly since they both open the way to some beautiful landscapes.
Hi i´m back from Jordan to Israel!
This was my experience; I cross two days ago to Jordan from Eilat, around 8 am there was me and a group of Asian people ahead to cross the border.
I paid 110 ILS to leave Israel, when i got to the Jordan passport control the guy there ask me if i was travelling alone, i answer yes and were i was from. The next question was: are you from Real Madrid or BarÇa?, and i said BarÇa of course (i don´t care about football). Them he asked my passaport and he went inside to cheked, i thought he was going to start asking me a bunch of questions but after 5 minutes he said, María come with me…he passed me ahead of the Asian group, stamp my passport and wish me a nice stay in Jordan. I did not pay anything to enter in Jordan. Nevertheless, the travelers i meet in the hostel all told me they had to pay 27 JOD to get in.
Maybe being Andalusian and having an “arab look” also help.
I left two days after from the same border and i pay to leave Jordan 10 JOD.
No problems…this was my experience to share.
What time does the border at Allenby close on a Friday. What is the latest we can leave Jerusalem to reach Amman on a Friday night
1:30 pm ISRAELI time. Israel sets the clock back one hour like in the USA, but Jordan did not this year. From Sept 23 to March 29, 2013 Jordan is one hour ahead of Israel. I would recommend getting to the Jordan side at LEAST one hour before that. In fact, I wouldn’t even cut it that close because you can never know what issue might come up. It’s like arriving 2 hours early for an international flight – it’s usually not necessary… until it is. 🙂
Hi! I´ll be visiting in April. Thanks all for the useful info.
From what i´ve read i understand that in the jordanian side of King Hussein bridge, the officials keep your passport until you go to the bus, and same on your way back.
Do you know if they stamp it during this process? Is it possible to ask for a separate sheet? I´m planning to visit other arab countries.
Thx!
be sure to ask, of course, but they should hand you a slip which they will use as the place to stamp something. They’ve been doing it for everyone at times, even without asking, but be extra cautious anyway. See my article here: Avoiding the Passport Stamp in Israel
Hi,
I visited Israel few days ago and crossed the border at Sheik Hussein bridge known also as the Jordan Valley Crossing. I took a tourist visa in Amman upon arrival as I hold a Mauritian passport upon leaving to Israel I forgot to ask for the entry visa…. I came back through Alenby and I paid again 20JD for another visa. It took a bit of time there but they finally assisted.
Hi Bazir, This is very interesting. So you are saying that you purchased a Jordanian visa at Allenby/King Hussein? Actual stamps to put in the passport? Or did they let you in based on that original Amman visa and just charge you (as a fine or for fun)?
I am Indonesian and planning to visit Jordan in couple of weeks. I need an info how to get into Israel from Jordan (I dont have any visa for Israel)
According to the Israeli government page, you need a visa and you need to get it before you arrive at the border of Israel. http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/05664082-4C0C-4C2E-A593-C9D0C0B20C2A/0/VisaRequirements.pdf
Hi Sir,
Im a Filipina travelling from Jordan to Israel this week.I was worried about what I read from your testimonials about the single entry.I will be travelling by land through King Hussein Bridge and got my Jordan visa for 1 month validity.It started on March 13.I have already booked my accomodation and trip.I hope to stay in Israel for 10 days – from March 28 to April 6.Then I have to catch a flight to Amman airport on the 27th.So is it possible for me to re-enter Jordan?
Thank you.
Hi Nina, so you are flying into Amman from Israel, a second entry? I’d be nervous about that too. While the land borders have allowed re-entry in less than 2 weeks, I don’t know if the airport will. I’d ask someone in immigration in Amman. Filipinos require a pre-arranged visa not a visa on arrival, right? Are you continuing on to another destination from Amman? Can you get another visa in Israel at an embassy? In Tel Aviv? I’d do so to be safe or at least get advice from them. Please let us know what you find out.
Hi Kevin, I am planning on entering Jordan at Aqaba (from Israel) and flying out of Amman back to the UK. I will be doing this on a UK passport. Is there any logistical problems doing it this way such as extra costs exiting Jordan? Do you think I will be fine obtaining the visa upon arrival at the border entry?
Hi Matthew, You will be OK getting visa on arrival and likely OK leaving Amman without a departure tax. I was warned they might charge a departure tax because I entered on the free visa in Aqaba and didn’t go to ASEZA to validate it, but they didn’t charge me anything at all and everyone is telling me the same. I suspect that is standard. (Doesn’t hurt to be prepared, of course and have some cash on hand to change should it not go your way, but that is the ultra-paranoid-prepared side of me. Don’t worry about it at all.) All easy peasy.
Nice one Kevin, thanks for your help. Wasn’t too worried about the departure tax in Amman, was more concerned about whether you had to enter and exit Jordan at the same point of entry because I’m sure I read somewhere yesterday that this could be an issue if entering from the south. I’ll certainly carry extra Jordanian currency on me for any unexpected expenses – cheers.
Hi Kevin, just one more query…what is the format of the Jordanian visa regarding size? Will I need a full blank page available in my passport?
It was like a couple of postage stamps for me.
Hi Kevin,
We are a hungarian couple and we’ll travel to Israel in May. We’ll rent a car for 10 days and I’d like to visit Petra for a one-day-trip by car (from Eilat or from Jerusalem). Is it possible to cross the border by a rented car? cheers
Yes, I THINK so. I saw people crossing with cars at Allenby. However, your rental car company is who you should ask. Confirm that you are insured and have proper documentation of that insurance (personal car insurance that clearly covers you or a policy from the rental agency). I am sure they are going to require it. You might also think about crossing the border and renting in country.
Hi, I rented a car from Jerusalem and in doing so, was told by a couple of companies that it was most definitely NOT allowed, but for reasons of insurance only. Both govts allow cars to cross, but it was the car hire insurance company preventing it.
It might be less hassle to hire a car on the Jordanian side for the day. But you should really allow 2 days for the hassle crossing, the drive to Petra and then pay an extra 5 Dinar for a 2 day pass to Petra (50, 1 day – 55 2 day) and then visit Petra at sunset on the first day and then 7.30am then next day where you will have Petra nearly to yourself for an hour or so before tourists arrive. Then you can drive back that afternoon.
Israeli private cars can cross at Eilat/Aqaba, but you need to pay:
D/Licence translation: 13 NIS
International Licence: 12 NIS (you need to have this already)
Car licence plate replacement to Jordanian plate: 25 Dinar
Jordanian car insurance: 20-30 Dinar
Jordanian car fee: 25 Dinar.
Hiring in Jordan is easier, quicker and cheaper.
Hi. Do you know if it’s possible to take pets across the Allenby Crossing?
Hi, Unfortunately, I have no idea. Let me know if you find out though and I’d post that remark here.
Hi everybody,
I am currently in Amman and planning to cross into Israel through the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge next Friday, 19th of April. I got my visa for Jordan on 23rd of March at Queen Alia airport, and renewed at the police station in Madaba, so now it’s valid until 23rd of June 2013. I am planning to come back to Jordan on 25th of April through Allenby again. Is it possible to re-enter on my single entry visa for Jordan, since I have stayed in Jordan for more than 2 weeks (27 days) before entering into Israel? I read it’s only possible to re-enter Jordan within 2 weeks after the visa for Jordan is issued? Would this mean I will have to re-enter at another border? Thanks for any information.
I was planning to exit Israel by land border to Jordan as you have described. The problem with this is that to enter Israel you need a return/on going ticket. So I was not allowed to board my plane to Israel in the first place. How did you avoid needing a return/ongoing ticket out of Israel?
That sucks. No one asked me at my airport of departure, but I did have a reservation for my ongoing flight. I think others have either insisted they would taking a bus or whatever, or simply showed up with a reservation at the airport/immigration and canceled that after they were in. Did you have an ongoing ticket from Amman or something? What airline was this that didn’t let you board?
Thanks for replying! I have not booked the next part of my trip yet out of Amman, I will try asking the airline (Turkish Airlines) if an exit flight from Amman would fulfill the requirement, since you can’t show a receipt for a future taxi. It didn’t suck too much because at least they let me fly as far as Istanbul, and let me reschedule the Israel leg for a later date. I will get back to you Kevin.
Well I haven’t heard back from Turkish Airlines, or Israel consulate on if a Jordan-Dubai flight counts as an ‘on going ticket.’ In the meantime, tell me more about this easy trip to Lebanon?
It was easy at the time, just a short hop flight, but now I suspect not so much. I’m not up to date on the situation there, and just months after my trip last year the violence erupted. So window of opportunity closed. 🙁
Okay, I’m officially in Israel. Turkish Airlines in Istanbul did not even ask for proof of an ongoing flight this time. The interrogation in Tel Aviv was intense, and they asked about ongoing flights, but they never asked to see proof of a purchased flight, though I had proof of a Amman-Dubai flight in my hand. They did however ask for a bank statement, which I also had. I’m not sure what they suspected me of, but they were very upset that I was on a long vacation, that I had been to other countries, that I hadn’t booked a hostel yet, and that I didn’t know anyone in Israel. I’m glad I hadn’t booked a hostel in Tel Aviv because it was a holiday and there was no public transportation to Tel Aviv, but only shared vans to Jerusalem. Check your Jewish holiday calendar before booking your flight.
As for Lebanon, because of the situation in Syria, the easiest/cheapest way in appears to be a round trip from Amman for ~$300usd. This is ~7 times the cost per mile of flying in America/Europe/Asia so I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Plus it’s discouraged by the state dept, and I’d have to stay far away from any borders which may included Baalbek, one of the biggest draws for me.
Thanks for your posting on this subject Kevin. I will be crossing at Aqaba, something I did not know was possible before reading your post.
Just travelled through Jordan via Eilat and it’s very easy, assuming you have a passport of the right nationality.
A taxi to the border crossing (5kms) from anywhere central in Eilat, such as the bus station was 35 NIS. Do haggle, if not for yourself, then for keeping the standards for future tourists – they will ask for 40/50+. There was no bus service I could find. There’s no chance of taking a Israeli hire car across and you really don’t need to. For 2013, the exit fee from Israel is 100 NIS cash only and opening hours are 6.30am-8pm normally and 8am-8pm Fri&Sats.
Free Jordanian visa – no forms. Any more than 10 people creates a 1hr queue in my experience. No Logistics awards going to the Jordanians anytime soon. Since they paid for it, they should learn how to use the x-ray machine. I had to show them how to use it, due to a previous occupation. Lots of coffees and cigarettes being enjoyed…all very casual and friendly.
Jordanian Taxi Mafia Man & his homies are still there and regained their influence. They have as of early April 2013, spray- painted over all the fixed govt prices to all destinations except Aqaba (11 Jordanian Dinar, should’ve been 8 according to locals) on the official price board on the inside of the border crossing. Outside in the car park, they have amateurishly stuck on new numbers over the govt-approved pricing to places like Wadi Rum/Petra. As I took a photo of the board for this blog, I was immediately stopped by the border guards who ran out from the gate and strictly insisted no photos. Interesting. From memory I think they wanted 65ish dinars – one way to Petra, but no photos to confirm!
But if you can drive in your own country, then you can can confidently drive in Jordan which surely has to be one of the safest countries in the world. The worst of the driving was goats, unpainted speed bumps near towns on the national highway and more goats. Against all conditioned behaviour, be sure to pick up one of the many grateful Bedouin hitchhikers for an added experience, local driving directions and a certain invite into their home for tea and temporary new best friend status.
There is really no excuse to take a taxi anywhere in Jordan other than a bit of first-timer tourist trepidation playing on your otherwise normal good sense.
Pay the pirates 11 to Aqaba to somewhere like Hotel Mina which right next door has the comedy duo of Hassan from Dollar Car Hire and Hassan of Thrifty Hire working desk by desk out of the same office. Good english and full insurance rates for 30 Dinars per day. Petrol was approx 75 euro cents per litre so I used E 20 for 3 days of driving. Bargain and a great way to freely explore and see Jordan.
The taxi association in Aqaba protested against the govt changes to freeing up the border crossing. It’s officially accepted that no pick-ups by hotels/car hires can be done at the crossing. They can take you there to exit though, as Hassan No.2 kindly did as part of the hire price.
A truly great country to see and not from an overpriced tour bus window while sitting next to a elderly fat European. Do it!
i am thinking to visit Israel and Jordan, may i ask is in the
se countries a lot of hostels!!
I’d say there are a fair amount of hostels in most major cities.
i had never been abroad and thinking visit israel and jordan soon but should know forehand do i need israeli visa as russian citizen
Russians do not require prior visa clearance for Jordan (just pay for one on arrival) and Israel no longer requires visa for Russians (since 2008).
thanks a lot hope to visit Holy land soon
kevin do you heard about ferry from turkish iskenderun to israeli haifa, what is the price of ticket for single passenger? had you heard something about that?
I don’t know anything about it, but that sounds rather cool. If you find out more, please let me know! Cheers! Kevin
ferry is real!!!! from iskenderun to port said and haifa cost is 170 and 140 usd each one!!!
Wow, cool! How long does that take? I wonder if there is one to North Cyprus and then another to Israel.
definatley to Cyprus too but not sure about North one, in the same time i guess about ferry from turkish mersin to north cyprus
Hello Kevin,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to set this up and patiently respond to so many questions from all of us strangers. Much appreciated. 🙂
I am from the US and flying to Israel/Jordon for a vacation arranged by a tour operator there.
My schedule: flying RJ to Tel-Aviv thru Amman (layover 5 hrs), touring Israel for a week, departing Israel on bus to Petra (overnight) and then flying RJ out of Amman.
After reading your site and Q&A’s, I am a bit confused and would greatly help if you can shed some light:
1. Can I get the Jordanian visa when I land in Amman (before catching the flight to Tel Aviv)? Or, considering that I am flying out of Jordon and returning after a week on bus, should I get a multiple entry visa here in the US?
2. Will I have issues boarding the Amman-Tel Aviv leg considering that it is one-way? I am assuming that it shouldn’t be an issue because I am flying the same airline (RJ) and have a confirmed reservation for my trip back to the US, although flying out of Amman and not Tel Aviv.
3. Finally, will I have any issues in that tourist bus when entering Jordon again as I leave Isreal? (I don’t remember which crossing we are doing and need to look it up.)
4. Any suggestion or guidance so that I can plan ahead and not get caught by surprise?
Again, THANKS A LOT!!
More info: tour group size is 6 adults and the bus will enter Jordon thru the Sheikh Hussein bridge. Since that crossing issues visas and the group size meets the requirements (and we have provided our passport details weeks ago), I presume that the tour operator will get me a single entry visa at the crossing without any issue. Have emailed him for confirmation.
If that is the case, question 3 is moot and for question 1, I guess I need not get a multiple entry ahead of time.
Sorry I am so slow to respond. Traveling, of course. 🙂
Sounds like you sorted out 1 and 3 already. As for 2, I agree with you, you SHOULD be OK. You never can know for sure, I guess. But having that onward ticket should be enough. But you said the bus into Jordan is a tour, right? So bring that itinerary along too and that should be irrefutable evidence, no?
Hi Kevin!
Thank you for such a good description of your trip. Could you tell please how much time does it take to get from the boarder to Amman and when does the last bus leave to Petra? Maybe you know? Thanks a lot!
Hi Masha,
I really don’t know about the Petra buses, but my taxi to the border in the morning was maybe 45 minutes. Little traffic at that hour and going TO the border from about the Roman theater in the city. Hope that helps!
K
Hi Masha! Were you able to do this route? If so, How? Thanks?
Pingback: Crossing the border from Jordan to Israel. | 365 Days in the World
I would appreciate any advice you may have for the following situation. I was thinking of traveling in Israel this August. To see Petra, I would crossing into Jordan from Eliat. Then, to get back to Israel, I could take what looks like the long way, but going back through Eliat and then travel to Tel Aviv, and then home. But, it seems closer to head north from Petra, and cross near Amman.
I’m a veteran traveler, but I am somewhat cautious as I am traveling with my 10-year old daughter. I don’t want to subject her to a lot of hassle, although a little hassle would be fine.
Hi Michele, I suppose it is a bit of a crap shoot. I experienced the “little hassle” level, but I’ve heard stories of the “a lot” level. I went first thing in the morning from Amman as my research had told me that was the best bet to avoid any bottle neck of border crossers. It was all very reasonable. That’s the best advice I can really give though others here may have other insights. Jordan side of course is easy peasy. Being the first bus to arrive on the other side would be helpful. At Eilat it takes about as long as the actual walking to the other side. 🙂 Good luck, and please come back and let us know how it went!
Kevin: Thanks for all the great info and insights. I will be travelling in a party of four (2 adults and 2 children) from Israel to Jordan in the next couple days. I have an Israeli plated car and was wondering if I can park it at either Allenby or Eliat (and if so, what fees are associated). We plan to stay in Jordan about three days – primarily around Petra. On the Jordanian side, we plan to hire a driver through our hotel to take us from the crossing to Petra. FYI, our Jordanian visas were 200 NIS ($55) each from the Liaison office in Ramallah.
Hi, I’m afraid I have no information about parking but I wonder if you might consult with a hotel in Eilat, park there, take a taxi a short way to the border? Or even a public lot in town that might allow it for 3 days. Allenby is a bit out in the middle of nothing while Eilat is just a short taxi ride down the road. Hadn’t thought of getting a visa in Ramallah. But why are they so much? Are they single entry? Also, at Eilat/Aqaba they should be free if you enter there.
Fantastic blog website !!!! which leads to my confused old mind ! Travelling with 2 passports Australian & British. Enter 10 July 2013 (from England) to Tel Aviv>Jerusalem. Due to my new British passport lost in the post & new one just reissued & arrived safely , I have no time to obtain Jordanian Visa in Australia .
If my daughter or myself don’t get a Jordanian visa in London, then what option would you recommend us to take taking into account we fly out from Amman to Dubai 8dys latter. We intend to to visit Petra, & head north to Madaba> Jerash > Amman. ?
I will research Jerusalem>Eilat by bus, but can we obtain the Jordanian visa in Aqaba as you have suggested in your Blog? Best Cheecha
That Jerusalem>Eilat option is a good one because it is free and on arrival. https://www.themadtraveler.com/travel-tips/the-truth-about-the-free-jordanian-visa/ Others report getting a visa in Ramallah, but I’ve not done that. Buses to Eilat/Aqaba are reliable, and then a bus up to Amman is easy.
Thanks so much for writing up all this detailed information! I’m in the beginning stages of planning a trip that includes Jordan and Israel and this is so helpful. I don’t want to take any chances at border crossings and this is exactly what I was looking for: someone to hold my hand and walk me through all the steps 🙂
Glad to help, I was in the same boat. Please check back when you are done and report any anomalies. Have a fun and safe trip!
URGENT! I had some problems with my visa and turns out i was in israel illegally for a whole year, but i am leaving the country from jordan amman queen alia airport. What is the worse that could happen when the israeli border patrol finds out??
By a whole year??? Wow. Oops? There are monthly fines and I believe you have to take care of them at a governmental office. Maybe the airport. But it appears you cannot pay them at a land crossing.
I already went to the office where they issue visas and they said they couldnt do anything for me, that all that was left was to exit, that it wouldn’t be a problem because I am not a citizen.
Wow. That makes no sense. Why would a citizen come to them for visa issues? And why, as they implied, would a citizen have a problem when exiting and not you? I’d be prepared with fine money. I’ve read it is as much as 135NIS per month of overstay. I know of very few incidents in the world where overstaying is no big deal, and this is Israel, not some sleepy loose border country. But that’s the worse they could do, right? (And if they are like the US, they deny you future visas maybe.) But as I am nervous and paranoid, I’d go maybe a day early in case they send me back somewhere for some silly reason. I would really appreciate it if you let us know how it goes. This is a curious situation!
I saw that you wrote I would have to pay a departure fee, so i am hoping I just pay that plus a reasonable amount for my crime. I am scared.
I was here as a student and i have the letters of acceptance to the universities i applied and attended, do you think that will help me?
Also, what type of currency should I use, I was planning to use shekels because that’s really all I have available. Where could I get Jordanian currency?
Shekels would be right. They may even accept credit cards. I wouldn’t be scared (unless you were broke), and the student papers should help at least show why you were there. By the way, are you entering Jordan at King Hussein/Allenby? Do you have a Jordanian visa? They don’t issue visa on arrival at that crossing. (It is free at Aqaba/Eilat and on arrival.)
I am currently in Haifa, i was told that i could take an egged bus from either nazerth or afula, which goes through beit she an.
That should work! 🙂
Do i really need a visa just to fly out of there, I wasn’t playing on staying there a night because my flight departs at 5:30 a.m.
You can get that visa at the border on arrival, I believe 20 JD ($30USD). However, if you are departing in under 48 hours, there is a transit visa. I don’t know if or how you get that at that land border. But I’d definitely ask and be insistent upon it if the guy at the window says No or hasn’t heard of it. At the airport they sometimes “didn’t know” of such a thing, but there is a separate Transit visa desk. Also, you shouldn’t have to pay an exit tax at the airport due to your short stay.
So when are you crossing? Late in the day and then sleeping/waiting at the airport until 5:30am the next day?
So that means that I am going through a crossing point that doesn’t need a visa to enter jordan? That would be the allenby crossing right?
Yes, you need a visa (see regular vs transit in my other response). Visa is on arrival for US citizens and many others. For land crossings, only Allenby/King Hussein requires you to get a visa elsewhere. You can get the visa on arrival at all other land crossing including where you intended to cross at Sheikh Hussein/Beit She’an.
You’re amazing! You know more than the natives here! Doesn’t matter if I ask in hebrew or any other language, israelis just never know. I’ll let you know how it goes, I leave tomorrow around noon. Hope everything goes fine with my mini crime, I was told to play dumb, which I know I will suck at but looks like i have no other choice. 22 hr flight here I go.
Good luck! I hope the next message is from Jordan! Yes, smile and play dumb. My border agent was really gruff and I just never gave in to it and tried to be my friendly Midwest self and she finally started smiling. Never escalate anything but kindness. 🙂
Pingback: Borders vs. Algorithms: A Rome2rio Dilemma | Rome2rio Blog
Hello
Any recent news about the situation of entering Israel by Eilat and departuring in Alleby Bridge?
I saw a 2012 message that the Jordanian guards did let the guy enter because the visa was still valid, but charged him 20 JOD.
Has anyone experienced this border cross lately?
Hopefully next month will be my turn, first time in Israel =)
Thanks
I am planing to go from the port of Haifa to Amman and return on the same day. Can you let me know if this would be possible and what is the best way to go about it. I will be arriving on a cruise ship to Haifa. Thanks
What border point do you plan to cross? Remember that Allenby/King Hussein does not grant the Jordanian visa. Sheikh Hussein would work. And how long to do you expect to be in Amman? What time would you leave and return? The border is not open 24 hours. It may be possible, but I can’t imagine it’d be worth it. (personal opinion)
I plan to visit Israel in September, and I would like to go back to Jordan, where I was around !5 years ago to visit Wadi Rum. How easy/complicated is it to cross the border in both directions? Cheap options to go to Wadi Rum from Aquaba? Is it better to rent a car there?
The border at Aqaba/Eilat is quite easy and convenient for Wadi Rum and the visa is free there. Yes, rent a car in Aqaba in my opinion.
Excellent blog, very informative!
My husband and I are planning to travel from Amman to Jerusalem on 7 August. I have residency in Amman and US citizenship, so I think visa issues for me are sorted. My husband is a South African citizen and only has the 3-month visa (extended at the police station – is it only a single entry visa?). Will he be okay to cross the Israeli border in that case?
For our return trip, we will be coming from Nablus on 11 August. Do you recommend that we cross at the Sheikh Hussein border to get the Jordanian visa? What transport options would we have in this case – from Nablus to the Sheikh Hussein border and to Amman?
Thank you for all the information you can provide!
Hi! I can’t say what kind of visa your husband has – that’s a question for a Jordanian authority, or perhaps it says on the visa the number of entries allowed. I suspect it’s one, but what do I know. He is OK to cross the border and as a South African he will get the free entry to Israel. Since you are returning via Nablus/Sheikh Hussein border, you can get the new visa into Jordan there. (You cannot get a new visa at King Hussein/Allenby). Transport options are local minibuses or private taxis to Irbid. Haggle if you do a taxi or find someone else heading the same way and share it.
to cross from Eilat >Aqaba…. (from Jerusalem) from central bus stn catch 414 to Eilat . Instruct driver (or look at yr iphone GPS) and get off at the roundabout before Eilat. Its about 2km walk just follow the road its downhill !!! the rest is piss easy ! Just pay the exit fee (cannot remember how much) at Israeli side walk across the Jordanian visa is FREE…. …from the Jordan side to Aqaba I paid JD$12 to town and made a snap decision to use the Taxi straight to Petra for JD$50 cash !!! bought the taxi driver some bottled water (Ramadan) and off we went !
thanks for the tip. I took the bus as well and decided to taxi cab it to the border in Eilat. Predictably overcharged for taxi on either side, but within my budget. 🙂
Hi Kevin
I’ll keep it simple. I obtained a Jordan visa at Queen Alia airport. I will exit Jordan and enter Israel via Aqaba/Eilat crossing. Spend 7 days in Israel then re-enter via the Hussein/Allenby bridge. Do I need to obtain another visa or it’s ok to re-enter Jordan again.
I did read in your article above that the Jordan guards at the border asked for 20JD, if I have to pay for it at the border fine but I don’t want to be returned to the Jordan embassy in Tel Aviv and get another visa…
This is an uncertain issue that I’ve come across. Other travelers report crossing back over Allendy/King Hussein within 2 weeks of getting that Amman visa, but most of them are also exiting there. And as you read, someone just remained firm and ended up paying 20JD and getting in anyway. I wouldn’t want to say with certainty as it seems the rule there isn’t clear. If they rejected you at the King Hussein border, and I tend to think they will not or they might charge you that “fee”, then I wouldn’t bother with another visa appt in Tel Aviv. Faster to just bus to Eilat, cross and bus up to Amman. I did that, departing Tel Aviv early in the morning and arriving in Amman the same day in the middle of the afternoon. A minor pain but it worked out just fine. Plenty of bus options.
If I cross into jordan at Aquaba and go straight to Petra will this avoid the Israeli border stamp.I will be staying in jordan for 3 months so I can come back to aquaba within the month to register and if so will I have to pay the visa fee then or will it be better to do everything within 48 hours.
I am not sure I understand your question. If you cross at Aqaba, Jordan (from Eilat, Israel) you are coming from Israel already. When you enter is when you must ask for the separate stamp outside the passport and you’d get that slip of paper stamped when you exited Jordan. Be sure to get the separate stamp upon entering in Jordan as that is also a clue to countries that care that you went to Israel. I have not renewed a Jordan visa before in Aqaba, so I am unaware of the current fees to do so. I’d wait and take that free visa, because the worse that could happen is you pay the visa fee after that month, right? It may be you get that first month for free.
Hi,
I’m reading your blog with great interest.
We are a family of 6 travelling to Israel in Dec 2013 and we really want to go to Petra.
Does anyone know if I can take my rented car from Eilat to Petra and back ?
Thank you.
Louise
Hi Louise, Perhaps others may chime in here, but I know that some rental companies do allow you to do that — I’ve heard of others who have taken rentals over the border there — but the best thing would be to contact the rental company to be sure. Have fun!
Great blog!!
I am going to spend 2 weeks in Jordan and I plan to rent a car to discover the country. (hotel in Aqaba) I would like to make a 2 or 3 day trip to Israel as well. (Jerusalem, Betlehem etc.) Is it passible to cross the border at Eilat and back by a rent car from Jordan? Is there any special procedure?
Thank you for info!
Otto
Hi Otto, I know it is “possible” but the place to ask that question is at the car rental company you use. I saw someone taking a car through at Allenby/King Hussein, and on the Israel side they got hung up on car insurance. They were required to buy some at the currency exchange window there inside the border station, but then were allowed through. So ask your rental agent if you can cross at Eilat and find out about whether you can buy that insurance in Jordan before getting to the border.
Hi Kevin!
Thanks so much for the article -real real useful!
I was hoping I could have your thoughts on the following: In my guidebook (loneyplanet) it says that if I enter Israel from Jordan, instead of the standard 90 day visa, I might get only a month or even 2 weeks. But i can’t find any talk really of this online. Is this something you’ve heard of? Im hoping to stay a min of a month so id like to avoid the 2 week visa!
Happy travelling 🙂
I haven’t heard anything of that, but I suppose anything is possible and they just want to cover their butts on that matter. (In the US, a border agent can make a decision on length of stay.) I wouldn’t worry about it.
Ah cool, then I won´t 🙂 Cheers Kevin!
Thank you Kevin for your helpful blog post.
I was wondering if there are washroom facilities since one has to wait a long time.
Also as I’m travelling with my parents whose English proficiency is not the best for a long period of questioning and dad is a bit of hard of hearing, if the border agent will allow a family to be “interviewed” together? Have you seen that during your crossing?
Thank you
Hi Tina,
I am ashamed to say I didn’t always notice! Of course there MUST be washrooms, at least for the staff. I specifically do recall washrooms on the Allenby (Israel) side, but already past immigration if you are heading INTO Israel from Jordan (but before immigration if heading toward Jordan there). Again, there must be something or they’d have some problems with all those people losing it. As for interviewing together, not a problem on the relaxed Jordan side. They were pretty strict on the Israeli side, but from what I saw, they did allow a wife in with her husband when they gave him the full private lookover for his artificial hip. (ugh) Be patient, polite, and smile a lot. I laid it on thick and my initially cranky and cold agent lightened right up and got conversational and smiled. They’re only looking for troublemakers. My questioning wasn’t very long and much of it started because I had a lot of Arab countries in the passport, which they simply wanted explained.
Good luck and let us know how your experience goes!
Cheers,
Kevin
Thanks Kevin for the prompt feedback. I’ll try to report in 2 months. 🙂
I have booked tickets for traveling from Amman to Mumbai on September 3rd. I have planned to cross the border from Jerusalem to Jordan via Jordan river crossing. I don’t have Jordanian visa at this point of time. Will they issue visa on arrival at Jordan river crossing in the month of September? Is there any change of regulations regarding issuing visa at the Jordan river crossing
Hi Andrew, No changes being reported at the moment. Both borders should work for you. Aqaba is a free visa.
Thank you so much for the information! I would like your opinion on this quote from the lonely planet page:
“If you will be in Jordan for less than 24 hours en route to a third country you can request a free-of-charge transit visa. This also exempts you from the JD5 departure tax but you must leave Jordan within 24 hours of arrival”.
This is from
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/practical-information/visas
We are planning to fly from Amman airport on September 9th, and will get there from Israel through the Sheikh Hussein bridge just a few hours before our flight. Do you think the lonely planet remark applies for us and that we are exempt from a visa fee and departure tax? And if so, how to make sure we can materialize this exemption?
Thanks so much
Michael and family
Hi Michael,
The transit visa is supposedly only available at the airport, so the border won’t work. Also, from a Jordanian Embassy website:
“Transit visas can only be issued at Jordanian airports and not at Embassies or Consulates. Passengers continuing their journey to another country by the same or the first connecting aircraft within 24 hours, and not leaving the airport are exempt.”
I did, however, arrive at Amman airport and leave to Israel within 24 hours and they didn’t charge the usual departure tax. But obviously that doesn’t help you. Just interesting to note. I asked for a transit visa at the airport when going to Israel and they said No.
Thanks, that’s also what they told me in the embassy here in Israel. So it can’t be avoided. As long as there will be taxis from the border to the airport and we’ll catch our flight, it’s o.k… Shana Tova from Israel.
hey kevin!
thanks for all info posted… im an american citizen planning to go to amman then to jerusalem.. i get a visa in queen alia aiport and wanna travel within the same day to jerusalem…ive read that on the border which am confused about is that i can go thru the allenby bridge? or sheikh hussein?…second also the visa entry they give is 2 weeks but i would like to stay more how cani extend the visa stay?
thanks!
Allenby (Israeli side)/KING Hussein (Jordan side) is your closest border/bridge. SHEIKH Hussein is farther north but also doable. I’d expect the visa is 30 days for Jordan. Get a 2-entry visa at the Amman airport if you want to come back through Allenby/King Hussein; they do not grant visas to enter Jordan at that particular crossing.
Hi Kevin,
I’ve read your post and it’s really a great source for travelers who want to go to Israel like me. I’m an vietnamese and it’s required I have to apply the visa to get in Israel from Jordan. So I want to ask you whether we can get the ISRAELI VISA at the Allenby/KING Hussein border? And would the ISRAELI VISA on my passport cause a problem when I apply visa for Arabic countries (Marroco, Tunisia, Lebanon.. )
Thank you and sorry if I miss the answer for similar questions posted here.
I don’t know for sure about your Israeli visa, but if you are required to get one, that usually means you need to get it at an Israeli consulate/embassy, possibly in Vietnam. Yes, any evidence of travel to Israel can create problems when you try to enter a few countries (see my post here: ) so I believe you’d have to request a loose-leaf visa, one not glued into the passport. Lately, Israel evidently is not stamping passports when you enter the borders, however, make sure that you do not get an exit/entry stamp at a Jordan/Israel border. This is also evidence that you have been to Israel. They are usually very good about stamping a separate paper for this in Jordan.
Many thanks Kevin, I didnt know that Israel can provide losse-leaf visa as well. I’ll mention it when applying. Thanks again Kevin and wish you the best for your future trip 🙂
Just to be clear. I don’t know that they can provide a loose-leaf visa at the Israeli embassy. I just mean to say that at the border, when they stamp passports, they are now providing a loose-leaf paper for the stamp. Let us know if they give you your visa this way as well! Good luck!
Hi An! I’m from Vietnam, too. You traveled to Aqaba with a paid Jordan visa or a free Aqaba visa? I want to get the free visa in Amman. Tell me if you got that too. Thanks! 😉
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for lots of information!
I will be visiting Israel for ten days later this year. Although I’ve searched many sites and forums, one issue is still unclear to me. Israeli exit (departure) tax. It’s included in my return plane ticket to TLV. However, during my stay I want to visit Jordan (Petra, Amman) for two or three days. I’m going to cross in Eilat-Aqaba and return by Allenby Bridge. Am I supposed to pay Israeli exit tax in Eilat-Aqaba, while it’s still included in my return plane ticket from TLV?
I’ve read somewhere, that if you pay the exit tax once, it’s valid for 14 days and during that time you can cross the border as many times as you wish. You just need to show your tax receipt each time you leave Israel. Do you think there is any way to avoid the exit tax in Eilat, e.g. by showing my return ticket or any other document confirming the exit tax has been already paid in my plane ticket?
Thanks!
I can’t say for certain, but I would count on paying it in Eilat. Can’t hurt to try though. But do let us know please if that 14 days validity proves to be true! That is an interesting bit of fine print!
Thanks Kevin. I’ll keep you updated if I have any news on the tax issue.
Thanks for this post. I would like to drive my own car, which is registered in Saudi Arabia, from Jordan into Israel. The car is insured and I am the registered owner. Do you know if this is possible?
I can’t say for sure. But if you have proof of ownership and proof of insurance that covers you in Israel, I think you should be OK. But again, that’s my guess!
Thank you very much Kevin for your information. I have a multiple entry visa for Israel. I am an Indian citizen and planning to visit Jordan through Eilat. I want to visit Petra. Can I get the visa to Jordan after reaching at border? Can you please let me know some hotels/hostels and their approximate cost near to Petra? Will two days be enough for Petra? Again thank you very much in advance.
Our current info says that Indian nationals CAN get the visa at the border. You can also visit Petra in two days. I don’t know much about hotels there, but I can say I stayed at Taybet Zaman, an Ottoman village hotel and it was nice.
Thanks Kevin for the information . we are planning to visit Jordan-Israel in Nov’2013
muy interesantes todos los comentarios, pero tengo muchas dudas, somos una familia de 4 personas y queremos hacer un tour en Jordania y luego otro en Israel, termina uno el 4 de enero /14 (en Amman)y comienza el de Israel el 5/1 en Tel Aviv, los vuelos son escasos o nulos y muy caros. es dificil cruzar x tierra? lleva muchas horas? alguna de
las fronteras en mejor que otra? gracias!!! Mariela
No es muy dificil. De Amman a la frontera (King Hussein/Allenby bridge) lleva menos de una hora. Tambien de la Frontera a Jerusalen. (No se cuanto tiempo mas para llegar a Tel Aviv) Las horas para cruzar dependen en la hora, pero es mejor intentarlo temprano en la manana. A que hora termina el tour el 4 de enero? De donde son Uds.? Necesita Ud. una visa para Israel?
Hi there
My friend and I crossed the King Hussein Bridge today, we’re British and had arrived in Amman from the airport on 3rd October and travelled down to Aqaba into Israel. After 5 days in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv we took this border back but wasn’t going to be within the two weeks of our visa stamp.
Without being able to get to the embassy today to get the visa issue checked (due to Shabbat) we took the bold move to go for it and see what happened.
Border crossing was busy and slow but we had NO issues with our visa in Jordan.
Hope this helps people that are travelling soon.
Just returned from Jerusalem/Jordan trip for a short October trip.
We had landing visas after flying into Amman from Montreal, crossed border from KHB to Allenby on a Saturday. No need to get another visa for the return trip (Israel-Allenby to Jordan-KHB). We returned after 3-night stay in Jerusalem.
Arrive extra early and waited. We didn’t stay 24 hours in Jordan so didn’t need to pay 10JD exit fee. There are washrooms at the departure area for foreigners. You write nationality, name etc on a strip of paper and then give it to them with your passport. They have to scan your luggage. Then you take luggage & put on the bus outside and wait there or go to the duty free store (cheap cigarettes there). Everything was smooth on the Jordanian side. Some of the agent/security guard were quite funny. Some time later, the manager comes to ask you to pay 5JD for bus + 1.5JD for each luggage. He is the same person that will return the passports to you.
Head to the Israeli side, the bus goes to the barrier area and speak to the person at the wicket but was told to wait, so the big bus has to gingerly back up. Then after a while, the barrier lifts up & the bus driver goes forward. You see a chaotic scene of people with bags, luggages along the road where the bus need to drop us off. Get off bus, line up to get to a wicket and show your passports and get airline-like tags for luggage. They then take away your luggage for checking. You get scanned, with your backpacks. Note: personal space: it is normal to have someone standing very close to you. After you get to a high “window” structure for immigration/customs questioning. Why didn’t you fly directly to Tel Aviv? Have you been to Israel before? What do you do? Which hotel are you staying? Why come to Israel? Finally given a small piece of paper that had a reduced version of passport photo with details like passport #, nationality, validity, etc. Head to the next area where they look at your passport. I was told to wait as they took away my passport. Was told maybe they will open my luggage. Don’t remember what happened after.Things worked out. I also have another small piece of paper with stamps on it. Nothing was stamped in our passports.
Happy Travelling.
Thanks for that information, Christina. I have updated the post with a few specific details you have mentioned. Cheers! Kevin
Forgot to mention you can be interviewed by customs as a family.
Also there are washrooms when you go from Allenby to KHB. The exit tax for Israel when we crossed was 174 shekels per person. Ouch.
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for all of the great info. Really helpful. Just want to double check and make sure that I understood this all correctly. If I plan on entering Jordan through the Aqaba crossing, I do not need a pre approved visa. I will fill out a form upon arrival and then be able to get it validated in aqaba (or pay a fee when exiting Jordan). A taxi from Aqaba to Petra will be expensive, right? Any better way to get to petra?
Thanks for your help.
Yes about the visa. I’m not sure I’d seek out the validation for it. Read the instructions on the back- they may have changed. (And if they have, please let us know!) Many have said they didn’t go to ASEZA and they didn’t need to pay on exit anyway. From Aqaba to Petra I’d expect would have a bus. I don’t know for sure.
help please!
I have been reading the info above and still not sure about my situation. I am getting confused b/c each website I read today is saying something different.
I am a US citizen and want to get to jordan for few days then cross to Israel via land then back to Jordan to fly out all in about two week. Do I need to obtain visa to Israel and Jordan before hand? thank you
US Citizens do not need a visa in advance for Jordan but pay for one on arrival. Israel lets you in without one as well, but you have to pay an exit tax. When you land in Amman, ask for a double-entry visa. Some other travelers claim they have left Jordan via King Hussein/Allenby bridge border crossing and returned in less than 2 weeks on that single-entry visa they normally get in Amman airport. But official sources tell me that’s not OK. Beats me. But I do know you cannot ENTER back to Jordan at that particular border crossing without a valid visa, and while the other two crossings sell you one when you arrive at the border, King Hussein/Allenby does NOT. Thus, I say ask for the two-entry, spend the extra $15 or whatever and not worry about that re-entry.
Thank you for your fast reply. I appreciate it very much.
Is there still a bus from Nazareth to Amman and vice versa using the Sheikh Hussein crossing?
Yes. there is bus Nazareth – Amman, mostly for students. During the semesters – Sun, Tue, Thur, Sat.
Leave from Nazareth 08:30, Amman – 14:00.
This bus leave Amman from: “AG- Afifi Group + Nazarene Express Maraya Hotel, Al-Jama’a street”
thank you so much for all your new updates!
I entered by air at the Amman Queen Alia airport on Tuesaday, and asked for a double entry visa when i bought visa at airport. the agent told me to get the visa at the Hussein (Allenby) bridge. I’m not sure if he meant on the way in or the way out. Enroute to Jerusalem today I paid a 10 JD exit tax and a 25JD bus ride to Damascus gate.
I’m leaving here Sunday to return to Amman. I’ll post what happens with re entry on my single visa. I hope this works!! I’ll have a 20 JD in my pocket of there is a supplementary fee
Thanks for the information! Why am I not surprised. The consulate in New York City says you buy it at the airport. Every source says you can’t buy one at that border. And yet, reality doesn’t necessarily line up with the stated rules. Also, did you arrive and depart Jordan within 24 hours? If so, that 10 JD wasn’t supposed to be charged. I wish you luck. Others have done this, often without any JD to get back in.
Hi, i am an Indian passport holder living in UK. i want to visit Jerusalem crossing from king Hussein bridge(Amman)..i will have a double-entry Jordan visa..do Israel officials going to issue visa to enter Jerusalem on the spot(other side of king Hussein bridge) or do i have to arrange it prior to my travel for 7 days Jerusalem visit?
If your passport is from India, you need a pre-arranged visa for Israel. There MAY be an exception if you have legal residence in the UK, but you’d have to contact the Israeli embassy/consulate for that.
I am planning to do a day trip to Petra from Eilat, and I am trying to figure out the total cost of crossing the Eilat-Aqaba border. I see that the visa should be free, and the Israeli exit fee about $30USD – is that correct? Is there an exit fee from Jordan as well?
Israeli exit fee for 2014 is NIS 102. Jordan’s should be 10 JD.
Hello Kevin,
Thanks for the information, unfortunately I get mixed up easily on these messages.
I am planning a trip to Jordan/Isreal. We are flying into Amman (via Queen Alia) and plan to head straight to the Isreal border. Our flight is to arrive around 9:40ish am. We would like to stay in Jeruselum for 2-3 days and also visit Masada/dead sea then back to Jordan to visit Petra. I am thinking that it would be smart to take the King Hussain crossing into Isreal and the Aquaba crossing back to Jordan
I have a few questions:
1) Do we need to obtain a visitor visa at the airport for Jordan if we plan to head straight to Isreal and just get a visitor visa back when we go through Aquaba?
2) I read the border crossing times for Aquaba and it says till 10pm sun-thus, and till 8pm fri and sat. Is that for both entering and exiting Isreal? I assume yes, but want to make sure.
3) Do you know if there are buses that would take you from Amman airport directly to the King Hussain border?
4) Are there buses from the Aquaba crossing to Petra?
5) I am also considering crossing back over the King Hussain crossing, but it seems like a back track to go from Masada and back up to go back down to Petra.
I apologize for asking so many questions, but I’m reading all these comments and still get so confused.
I appreciate any help you can lend me. Thanks so much.
1. Yes, you will get a visa at the airport. At Aqaba they will either let you in again because it’s been less than 2 weeks on that first visa from the airport or issue you the free visa available at the Aqaba border.
2. I can’t say 100%, but I would also make that assumption. I would also NOT risk arriving there close to quitting time. 🙂
3. Not that I am aware of. Take a bus into town and a different one to the border. Or a taxi.
4. There are only taxis waiting to overcharge you at the Aqaba border. Get a ride into town and get transportation to Petra this way.
5. Can one get directly to Eilat/Aqaba from Masada? Then I’d agree.
Thanks Kevin!
More Jordan planning still to go! It’s quite hard to be budget friendly with each place being so far apart from one another.
Looks like we will head down from Masada to Aqaba and hope things will go well from there.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for all the great information here.
I will going to Petra from Eilat in March.
I am Hiv positive and will have my meds with me, of course. I know that Jordan blocks entry/deports foreigners known to be HIV+.
So my question isdo they do a thorough baggage check at the Eilat/Aqaba crossing insomuch as you know? I would hate to be barred from entering because they found HIV meds in the toiletries kit of my back pack.
thanks again!
Mark
Hi Mark,
They didn’t really go through my bags too thoroughly, but you make a good point. I’m not familiar with the meds, but are they pills/capsules? Might you put them in other bottles? Tylenol, etc.? Pockets?
Hi Kevin,
They’re pills. And I will be in Jordan for less than a week, so its not alot of medication. I could just leave them in my pockets. I assume that I am overly paranoid to think that they check people’s pockets who are going to Petra?
The other possiblity as you mention is that I just put them in the same bottle as my multivitamins. But then again , in your experience, do they do a thourough search to the point of opening a vitamin bottle from a toiletries kit to see what’s in it and then get suspicious of the fact that there are different pills in there?
The worst that can happen is that I can be barred from entry, since they are meds, not illegal drugs.
I appreciate your thoughts on this.
Mark
They really weren’t hardcore about it and it seemed like they had a trainee with them, so it was probably even more thorough than normal (ie. not at all). But I’d still blend them in somehow. As you said, the worst case is they turn you away and you find something else to explore. But I find that unlikely. Good luck!
Thanks again Kevin.
My wife & I are going to Amman in April this year.
As tourists we have a day to spare. We would like to go to Jerusalm but now maybe reconsidering. If we left Ammen early what would be the latest you would suggest leaving Jerusalum to make it back before the border closes?
Is it going to be worth our time?
If you did that I would recommend going as early as possible in the morning. But to be honest, with all the hassle of the border crossing and worrying about getting back to the border in time that night, I am not sure it is worth it. Jerusalem deserves a lot more time than part of a day. And if something delays you and you miss the border crossing, what will happen? With a day to spare maybe go see Jerash or something.
Kevin,
I next future I would like to take a car (in budget.com) in Jerusalem and go to Eilat. In Eilat I want to cross the border and I would like to spent 2 days in Petra. The problem is that I have to leave my car in Israel. Could you advise me when can I leave my car in Eilat near the border. Could you show me save place for my car ?
Hello, I don’t really know where you can park. You might try a public parking garage, if there is one, or find a hotel and see how much they might charge for you to leave it in their parking lot.
I have heard that next to border terminal there is parking. Do you know about it ? It could be used for my purposes ?
I have heard about it and though I have no direct experience of it, others have posted their satisfaction with leaving a car for a couple days at the Yitzhak Rabin Border (Eilat/Aqaba) and here is official record of its existence: http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Arava/UsefulTerminalInfo/ParkingLots/
I am a dual US/EU female passport holder that owns a car bought in Saudi with a Saudi license plate. My driver is Canadian. On March 20th we have an eleven day holiday from teaching in Saudi and want to road trip Saudi-cross over-Aqaba-Eilat-drive around Israel-cross border Eilat-Aqaba-Saudi. Are they going to let us in with my Saudi plates? Have you heard anything from anyone else in this same situation? We have both been to Jordan many times with many stamps…
I can’t answer this with certainty. But… it seems to me that first off, the proper paperwork of ownership and proof of insurance that covers your car in Israel will be required. I don’t think Israel will have a problem with the plates. I saw someone purchase insurance at the currency exchange at Allenby/King Hussein crossing on the Israeli side but I don’t know if that is possible at Aqaba/Eilat. The issue may be your actual trip to Israel when you try to return to Saudi Arabia. Israel no longer stamps passports (a no no for a few countries such as Saudi Arabia) and you need to avoid getting an exit stamp from Aqaba (which also proves you entered Israel). Now, is there going to be findable proof that your car entered Israel on this trip? This, to me, seems a potential issue. But again, I am entering the realm of opinion and figurin’ not stating these things with authority. You might try it and have a backup plan if it turns out you are best to leave the car at the border for your time in Israel. Sorry I don’t have something more concrete than this at the moment!
my visa for israel expires on 1 march and I will be going to jordan,1 march is saturday so there will be no buses.Will there be a problem if I cross the border the next day or shouldI go the day before.
My flight back to uk leaves amman on 31 may so if I enter jordan on 28 I willnot get visa to that day.If I take this option willI justhave to pay 1.50 dinar for those extra 3 days.Pleasereply asap soI can make plans.IfI only havetopay the 1,59 dinarI may choose thisoption tobe on safeside
The lasttimeI wasin Jordan I only had topay rhe 1.50 finaras I overstayed 2 weeks,I wasunaware ofthingsthen.I had a visafor2 monthsandthought I couldstay thatlong.I did notknowabout regisering after 1 month.Anyway hopewfora speedy rplyThank you
Hm. You can extend your visa while inside Jordan, no? Also, if you wanted to go on Saturday, Palestinian-run taxi vans/monit sherut/service taxis to the border still run. (Be aware you can’t take an entry visa for Jordan at the Allenby/King Hussein crossing.) Or maybe get the visa from the embassy in Israel before that. If you are comfortable with the leave late/pay fine method, and have done that before, that sounds OK. I haven’t here but have done it elsewhere, sometimes paying a simple fine, sometimes getting a bored wave-through. 🙂
Thanks for reply.My main concern is if I will have a problem with israel border control if I leave 2ndmarch instead of 1st and whatis the worstthat can happen.I will be crossing at the sliat aqaba crossing.Can you pleaseadvise me asap.Ifthere willbe a problem then I will enterjordan a few days earleir and pay the fine there .Atleastthat way I know whatto expect.lookingforward to a speedy reply
The worst that can happen I suppose is being pulled aside and questioned for an extended time, a fine, and being told you may never enter Israel again. Not sure how likely that is, but considering that possibility, I’d take my chances with Jordan’s overstay fine. That’s my two cents.
Thanks so much for all the useful information you provide!
I had 2 questions I am not clear on:
1) I have seen some contradictory information about what times one can depart from Jordan via King Huseein To Allenby in Israel. Everyone seems to agree about the hours that there are staff at the border, but the times one can actually cross seem more limited. I have a flight that arrives at 4:15pm on a Thursday into Amman and would like to go straight to Jerusalem. Do you know if I will be able to get through the King Hussein border?
2) From what I can discern, I can return via Allenby to Jordan within 2 weeks of leaving Jordan via that route. However, I am not clear on whether I can use the same visa that I get when I land in the airport. Can I use a single-entry visa? Do they have dual-entry visas on sale at the airport, and, if so, do you recommend asking for one of those?
I would really appreciate any help!
1. I think the consensus is you should give yourself at least one hour before the last border-crossing bus (8:30pm is the last one on a Thursday, if it’s not am Israeli holiday) from Jordan to Israel. If you think you can get to the Jordan side from the airport by 7, you should be OK. Earlier is always better in case something weird happens or they are busy. I’m paranoid that way.
2. Here’s what I can tell you. People on this post have returned inside 2 weeks via this crossing. At least one of them had to argue a bit and cough up some JD to enter King Hussein on that single-entry airport visa. But people have done it, though I don’t see that it is the official policy. I have called the Jordanian Embassy about this and they told me you can buy the two-entry visa at the airport. I’d pay the extra JD for that double-entry visa just to have certainty at Allenby/King Hussein.
Thanks for your advice. I will definitely buy the dual-entry visa at the airport and let you know how it goes.
In terms of leaving Jordan, I just noticed that the Jordan Tourism Board has posted the hours of 8am-2pm for departures, though I have read that people seem to have done it later (like you suggested, until 8:30pm on a Thursday).
http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=105
Do you think something has changed or that the information visitjordan has might be incorrect?
Thanks!
Yikes, I would definitely heed that and consult an embassy for confirmation. I’ve seen contradiction there before, but I’m not one to gamble against them. (It’s this sort of frustration that inspired this post to begin with!)
Jonathan: FYI, I have a couple emails out to Jordan Tourism, but no reply as yet.
Thanks, I appreciate that
No word from Jordan Tourism? I have had trouble getting through to the embassy here…
Sadly, nothing. Incredible, no? How about this, contact Jordan Tower Hostel. jordantoweramman.com They send tourists by taxi nearly daily and they’d know the word on the ground.
Pingback: jordan to israel: in transit | line of sight
I received an Israeli stamp in my passport in 2010. This year I want to fly into Amman for a Jordanian vacation. Will the Israeli stamp prevent me from entry in Amman?
Not at all. Jordan and Israel exchange tourists/travelers all the time.
How far is it from eilat highway turnoff to border.Is the idtance walkable.If I need to take a taxu how nuch shouldit cost at most.also howmuch isexit task.I wouldlike to knowsoI just enough israel currency,Alsothank you forhelp with previous query,I am travelling on friday,
Ugh! I am too late! I don’t know about the turnoff, but from where the bus dropped us off, it is 5-6km, so just over an hour to walk. Exit tax is 102 shekels. I paid 10 shekels (about $15 painful USD) for the taxi to the border. Sorry if this is all too late, which is appears to be! Let us know how things went!
Hey!
We fly into Queen Alia at 10am on a Friday morning – In your opinion, does that give us enough time to get to the border and make it to Israel, or would you recommend staying a night in Jordan? (This will be in 2 weeks time before any daylight savings switch) We plan to catch a taxi directly from the airport to the border.
Thanks!
Should be ok! But if you end up in Amman for a night, there’s always some incredible hummus as consolation 🙂 Best Hummus in Jordan
I am Indian citizen(Have Indian passport) live in one of the Gulf countries. I wish to visit Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv etc.
How far are these cities from Allen Bridge Border? Do I need multiple entry visa for Jordan for this journey plan?
What are the transport available from Allen Bridge to the cities in Israel?
Can I use USD in Israel for shopping and pay food and transport bills?
Is it problematic for Indian citizens to cross border from Jordan/Israel?
I believe you do need a multiple entry visa in this case. Check with the Jordanian embassy regarding getting the visa before you travel. Jerusalem is less than an hour away from Allenby bridge (maybe 40 minutes). You can take a private taxi or a shared taxi (sherut) which is cheaper unless you have a group for a private taxi, and goes right to Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. You can change USD at the border and it is recommended that you do NOT buy shekels before your trip and that you do not try to use USD in transactions or you will get a bad rate, if they accept them. Crossing in and out should not be a problem for you as long as you have the proper visas.
Hi Kevin you mention here that one should not purchase shekels before your trip. We were going to get shekels in SA prior to departure ….our bank gives a really good rate. Is it better to pay or exchange JOD in Israel?
Thanks,
Hilary
If you see a good rate, I guess I’d take it! 🙂
I managed to get in touch with embassy and the info they had was the same from visitjordan (they had a document version of the same website basically). 8am-2pm for departures to Israel from King Hussein Bridge.
I also spoke to someone from Jordan Tower Hostel, and they said the opposite. That departures were until 9pm, and they would advise leaving by taxi by 7:30pm to make it across.
Do you have any other thoughts, or is my best option at this point to show up and see what happens?
thanks,
Jon
Which embassy did you call? I tend to trust the boots on the ground. The hostel sends people practically every day and surely they’d hear about it if a traveler got turned away. I contacted the hostel as well and they said the border closes early on Fridays and Saturdays and that one needs to go to the Allenby border before 11am. I guess if the hostel says so I would personally go for it and have a backup plan. Easy for me to say, and I admit I will be cozy at home with a bowl of popcorn waiting to see your report while you’re the one hefting the bags around. Sheikh Hussein two hours north is open 24 hours by the way if Plan A doesn’t work.
Jordanian Embassy in Washington, DC. Should I try the US Embassy in Amman?
What time did the Hostel tell you the border closes the rest of the week (e.g. Thursday)?
thanks again for all your info,
Jon
Oh ho! They just emailed me again and said, Well, if you have it from the embassy that it closes early, then trust that. !!! WTH? Blows my theory of who to count on. Maybe contact a Jordanian tour company, but otherwise, all parties are now holding the line on this one. That is the trouble with these borders. Things can change quickly and without much clear communication of the situation even among the parties involved. That double-visa the embassy told me about, didn’t appear anywhere when I asked.
In all cases, get to the border before 8 on weekdays other than Fri and Sat. 11am sounds like a good bet if you planning to go Fri/Sat as both sides have their respective weekly prayers on these days.
The single entry visa from Queen Alia still works. No need for a double entry.
Shahid,
Do you mean 8 pm or 8 am? And others are telling us that using the single-entry visa from Queen Alia for re-entry at Allenby/King Hussein doesn’t always work or that there is a two-week limit. (The embassy denies this is possible, but travelers tell us of doing it.)
Kevin I just read the dialogue concerning the Allenby Bridge opening times and as you correctly state, its difficult to know who to trust as they all say something different. We tend to advise people not to leave it until the last moment as we have heard from visitors, they have been turned away on spontaneous closures. We just called the Jordanian side (Allenby Bridge) and asked the times of opening and this is what we were told Sun-Thu 0700-2200 .. Fri & Saturday 0700-1100hrs… If you check the Israeli website for borders and airports (http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Borders/Alenbi/ ) they say different : Sunday to Thursday – 08:00 – 00:24 and Friday and Saturday – 08:00 – 15:00. Therefore to avoid disappointment we always tell people to use the border between 0800-2000 or 0800-1100 Fri & Sat. Crossing from Jordan to Israel normally takes approx 1.5 hours depending on how busy and crossing back from Israel to Jordan takes less than 1 hour – all things being equal and discounting peak holiday periods. Bear in mind borders can be subject to spontaneous closure for security reasons and people can get stranded. (as it did last week when a Jordanian Judge was shot dead on the Allenby Border by Israeli border guards as he tried to cross) They can also open as quickly as they close. Welcome to the Middle East… I trust the above is helpful or at least clarifies some points raised. The main thing to bear in mind – nothing is certain or fixed and it is frustrating sometimes, so just work on the basis of approximation. Excellent advice is given by Kevin in his precise and interesting blog.
I went to Jerusalem last week using these directions and they were very useful.
A few updates though:
• A taxi from Amman to the King Hussein Bridge is around 35 JD’s one way. I booked through the Taxi mumayaz service. One the way back I took one of those white taxis from the Jordanian side back home directly and it cost me the same.
• The Bus from the Jordanian side to the Israeli side is now 7.5 JD run by the Jett company.
• Damascus Gate is also more commonly called Bab Al Amood.
• You can Bus 21 from the bus station next to Damascus Gate to Bethlehem (8 Shekels, last stop is Bethlehem) and other cities.
• I believe there is a bus (Bus 160) which goes from Jerusalem Central Bus Station to Hebron directly. You can also go via Bethlehem and catch Bus 23 from Bethlehem to Hebron if you like (9 shekels). This should cost around 8 shekels as well
• You can take taxis but get ready to negotiate the price
Generally the place is fine but get ready for a hard time from the Israelis at the border. It seems they want as few a people as possible to visit the place and they have no sense of politeness or courtesy whatsoever. I had to wait three hours at their side while they did their supposed investigation which I’m sure shouldn’t have taken more than 5 minutes. They asked me to fill in a form with all my details and wait.
The Israeli staff there were horrible, unhelpful and after 3 hours a somewhat friendlier lady came out, took my paper, punched the details into their supercomputer and issued me the visa. I found the officials on the Jordanian side much more friendly and hospitable.
If you want an excellent place to stay, go to the Hashmi Hotel in the Old City. Its bang in the centre of the old city and walking distance to all the religious sites. You can get to it from Damascus gate within 10 minutes and everyone knows where it is. The owners are bearded muslims, but are very friendly and speak excellent English. However, they only allow married couple or singles to stay there. The hotel is very clean, safe modern and I couldn’t have asked for more. All the guests there were Europeans going to the Christian sites. I paid 100 JD’s for a great room with 3 beds in it (they accept JD and Dollars and probably other currency too). You can call them on +972 54-547-4189
The country is beautiful and I would encourage all to visit and to support the Palestinian businesses there as the Israelis are really giving them (Muslims and Christians) a really hard time to just survive. Its certainly worth the hassle the Israelis put you through.
Other links which give more info on buses and travel are as follows:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/israel-and-the-palestinian-territories/jerusalem/transport/getting-there-away
http://vicbethlehem.wordpress.com/tag/hebron/
Hope you have a pleasant journey!
Thanks for the info about the border crossing and the extra Palestine/Bethlehem entry and visit info!
I am currently in Israel. I have a US passport.
On Saturday, March 15, I need to leave from Jerusalem to go to Irbid, Jordan. I entered through Israel and I do not have a Jordanian visa.
Please advise.
If you want to enter Jordan at Allenby you’d need a visa ahead of time from the Jordan Embassy in Tel Aviv. Otherwise, use the Sheikh Hussein/Beit She’an crossing to the north. Both at that border and at Eilat/Aqaba to the south (not relevant to your journey) they do not require a visa ahead of time – you pay when you enter.
My pleasure Kevin! Your post was very helpful in crossing over. Just my way of giving what little I can back 🙂
Hi, you may have addressed this, but my question is: Can you cross from Jordan at the northern crossing and return to Jordan from the southern crossing? Do you have to exit and enter from the exact same crossing, or can you use different ones?
Yes, you can cross wherever you like. The only limitation is entering Jordan at Allenby/King Hussein where, unlike at the other two crossings, Jordan does not issue a visa on arrival. You either have to have it ahead of time or be returning within two weeks of leaving that border with the visa from Queen Alia airport. (And officially that’s also not possible, but in reality it’s being done.)
I agree with Kevin, although I got an official email from the Jordanian embassy in the UK saying its fine to get the visa from Alia and go back and forth via the King Hussein Bridge.
I suggest travellers contact the Jordanian embassy in their respective country with the same query and get confirmation in writing. I took a copy of the email with me just in case but there were absolutely no problems when we came back.
A few weeks ago, you thought that landing at Amman airport at 10 AM on a Friday would probably be fine to get to the border if we take a taxi. Now in the past few weeks, there seem to be a few posts saying to get there by 11 AM. My questions:
1.) Would you suggest going for it?
2.) How long precisely is a taxi from Amman airport to the Allenby border?
3.) When people say “get to the border” by a certain time does that mean the taxi dropping us off as far as we can go? Or would we need to get somewhere even further by 11 AM or whatever time?
We’re really starting to get nervous about making it on time this Friday, particularly due to the death at Allenby last week.
Wow,really complicated. I was going to go from tel aviv to the jordanian border.
Now I have heard about the new central bus station in Tel Aviv,but I am not sure if there are direct links from there to the Jordan border. Also if there are,at what hours they leave and how much do they cost.
You said that the Allenby bridge does not emit visas,that is the middle border crossing,between Israel and Amman? Then where should I go? Aqaba is a long distance,I want to get to Irbid,going down towards aqaba is a very long and frustrating road to take.
Some say that the northern crossing is the one that does not emit visas. The information is scarce and contradictory….How can I get the easiest,quickest and cheapest way to Irbid from Tel Aviv? Meaning I arrive at 10 in the evening,should I go to the central bus station in Tel Aviv and wait for a certain bus there? At what crossing can I pay for the jordanian visa?
Yes, sometimes a bit complicated. No direct links at this point in Tel Aviv that we are aware of. Sounds like you should go to the north crossing SHEIKH Hussein/Beit She’an not KING Hussein. Yes, they DO give visas there. You are planning on going to the border at 10 pm?? You can get an Egged bus to Beit She’an if it’s not Shabbat.
I will arrive sometime at 10 PM,but I guess that by the time I manage to get from the airport to the northern border,it will be sometime 5-6 AM,and the border opens at 8 if I am correct.
I guess I will have to take Egged buses to Jerusalem first,and then from Jerusalem to Beit She’an. I tried finding a direct link from Ben Gurion to Beit She’an….no luck so far.
I don’t know the timetable of all the busses,but I need something that gets me to the border by morning,I will be pretty much exhausted from travelling all night and I do not wish to spend money on a hotel for the night,especially since it costs about 50-60 euros/night.
Try Tel Aviv to Afula, then bus to Beit She’an. The 961 bus from Jerusalem goes to Beit She’an, but that isn’t best logistically. Egged timetables are online. The Jordan River/Beit-She’an-Sheikh Hussein border opens at 6:30am I think on all days but Friday/Saturday when it is 8am.
Pretty complicated. For now I will try via Afula,seems there are no other options. I need to go from ben gurion to tel aviv new central bus station(what i’ve read over the web,it’s a nightmarish maze where you can easily get lost and might miss your bus).
From Tel-Aviv to Afula,then from Afula to Beit She’an,If all goes according to plan I should be in beit sometime at 6 in the morning. The thing is,how do I get from beit to the border crossing.
How far is it from the town,I mean can I simply take my bag and walk 2-3 kilometers,or is it forbidden?Are there special buses that take you directly to the border? I do not wish to haggle with the taxis if there is something like 2-5 kilometers to the border. I have 2 feet,I can walk that distance if I have to chose between paying 30-50 euros or walking.
This is where I found some other info about buses,besides egged. http://www.bus.co.il
Sorry! I was traveling and this got buried in the inbox! I suspect you probably already have your answer, but here’s what I have: There is (allegedly – I have no personal experience this time) a bus (Bus #16) from the Central Bus Station in Beit She’an to the Sheikh Hussein/Beit She’an border at 0600; 1245; 1840. From the station it’s just about 7km walking. Taxis are another option, likely a haggling one.
I already made the trip,it was…..exhausting is what I can say. The people at the ben gurion airport were not exactly friendly. They can try to justify their rude behavior with whatever they wish,there are countries that are at much bigger danger from terrorist threats,countries like Jordan for instance,or take for example Ukraine in the recent,yet the customs people are much friendlier and a lot less intrusive.
In any case I got from the airport to the train station,from there to tel aviv,from tel aviv a bus to afula,I waited about 5 hours in a very cold night,there were about 5-6 degrees celsius and there was nothing open in Afula. Then from afula to beit she’an,and from there you could walk to the border….about 8-9 KM,or you can take a taxi for about 50 shekels.
It was a long,tiring road to take,it was less expensive than other options but it was much,much more tiresome.
Hi! Your tips are very helpful in my trip so I just wanna share my recent travel experience to Jordan and Israel about 2 weeks ago.
1. I was unable to get the duo visa at Queen Alia airport and the staff told me I can get the visa at the border (Allenby). I was skeptical as I had done a lot of research and everyone tells me I can’t get one at the border. But the staff didn’t let me purchase another one. I thought ok, at most I will get it at the embassy in Tel-Aviv since I will be heading there. Bad choice.The embassy is about 30 mins bus ride plus some walking from the city centre (not that inconvenient), but the cost of the visa is 200 NIS (57USD)!! That’s like twice the price! You need to fill up a form and submit a passport photo. If you don’t have a photo, I think the nearest one would be in Dizengoff Center. There’s a photo shop at the ground level, facing the main road. You can pass the photo to them when you go back to the embassy to collect the photo. They do process within a day. I went to the embassy slightly before 10am and was to collect at 2pm on the same day.
2. Crossing the Allenby Bridge from Israel – took the service taxi (which is a mini bus) which runs hourly. It is 40 NIS and 5 NIS for luggage. Taxis quoted me 250 NIS. The exit tax is 177 NIS. After I passed the immigration, we were asked to sit and wait for a bus to bring us to Jordan. There seemed to be 2 separate buses: one for locals, the other for tourists. Paid 7.5JD for the bus and 1.5JD for the luggage. And after the immigration, I took a taxi to Queen Alia airport, 35 JD.
Thanks for the great intel! So the Embassy says there is a double-entry visa and immigration at Queen Alia says there isn’t. Ah, typical. Everything else seems about right. Thanks!!
Hello, I will arrive to Israel in may 29, and I want to go to Petra crossing the Wadi Araba Border or the Sheikh Hussein Border because I want a visa on arrival, are you sure that if I ask the officers in Jordan to stamp in a separate sheet of paper they will do it? Thank you, hoping for your answer
Yes, they SHOULD stamp a separate sheet of paper, but before you even hand them the passport, be sure to ask, because they do not do it automatically. I’d think the Aqaba/Eilat border is the best option of those two (depending on where you are coming from in Israel, of course) and it is closer to Petra. At Aqaba they are quite accustomed to the separate stamp and they offer a free visa as well.
Hi,
Thanks for all the useful information.
So I’m planning to go in the upcoming weeks to Amman, and was thinking of crossing the border to Israel for a few days, and then go back to Amman to catch the flight out. However, I am unsure whether I will be able to get a multiple entry visa for Jordan before I leave.
I’m unclear in your description and from your comments if this option is still possible “HOWEVER, you may re-enter the Kingdom through Allenby/King Hussein on that same Amman / Queen Aila Airport visa if your exit from Jordan and re-entry are within the two-week validity of that visa.”
Any new info on this option? Or is applying for a new Jordan visa in Tel Aviv currently the only option?
Thanks!
Tinerix
The information is still current and still word on the street. Last call to an embassy said Get a double-entry visa on arrival at the airport in Amman. Travelers say they returned via Allenby on that single-entry visa if they were only in Israel a few days. Crossing back at either of the other two borders is a good backup plan. Aqaba is free.
Ok perfect thanks for the info, and I will let you know if I hear anything new.
No news. Ask for the double-entry at the airport (they may deny it exists) but we still hear travelers re-enter at Allenby on that airport single-entry visa.
Pingback: The Real Treasury of Jordan | Travelers Roundtable
Sorry if this sounds like a broken record, but:
Me and a friend are flying into Amman from London and will get a single visa on arrival.
We plan to hang around in Amman for a couple of days to see the sights, and then do the crossing into Israel via the King Hussain Bridge, to see Jerusalem for a few days.
If we return to Jordan within two weeks, can we cross back over on the same entry point using the visa we bought from Amman airport?
Perhaps it would be wiser to get someone from the Jordan Consulate in London to confirm that so we can wave it at the border guards if they kick up a fuss?
Sources say yes. Read the post above carefully though. If you think you can get a confirmation from the Consulate, sure, why not. But I have yet to see this policy written down anywhere.
Hi, Kevin:
Thank you so much for this comprehensive information!
I’m a Canadian student who will be travel from Tel Aviv to Amman on Friday May 23. I will be travel with group prior to my departure to Jordan so the earliest I can leave for boarder crossing is 2:00PM. I do not have a Visa ahead of time. I will very much like to arrive at Amman the night of 23 if it’s possible. I don’t mind transit or long bus ride. Can you please advice on the most economic feasible method?
Thank you!
Chloe
Shabbat begins on Friday afternoon. Allenby bridge does NOT issue visa on arrival, so can’t go there. Bus to Eilat/Aqaba (it appears the last bus to Eilat (5+ hours) departs at 4pm). Free visa when crossing to Aqaba. Then bus up to Amman (3-4 hours?) and a very late arrival. However, the border closes at 8pm! So that won’t work for the same day. Buses to Beit She’an/Sheikh Hussein might be faster, then taxi to border, pay for visa, taxi or bus to Amman. But with Shabbat? That border closes at 7 pm. You may be out of luck here for a May 23 arrival.
Thanks for your response!
Yeah, I’m fully aware the bad timing of travel on Friday afternoon, but since there’s no other option….
Would it make a difference If I can leave Tel-aviv at noon? I’m thinking more of crossing from Beit She’an/Sheikh Hussein, since I will be driving from Amman to Petra. Which bus should I take if I want to go with this route? And how long approximately will the bus ride take?
Or another thing is to get VISA ahead of time during my stay in Israel and cross the boarder at Allenby. Is this feasible in time?
That might do it. Six hours should be enough time for buses and arriving and gives you an hour to get through whatever hassles they throw up. 🙂 Try Tel Aviv to Afula, then bus to Beit She’an. The 961 bus from Jerusalem goes to Beit She’an, but that isn’t best logistically. Egged timetables are online.
Oh, and getting the visa in Amman might work if you have the time.
Hey Kevin:
Thanks again for the prompt response and advice!
So I went to check for bus schedule from Tel Aviv > Afula > Beit She’an on Friday. Assuming everything runs smoothly If I catches the 13:40 bus from Tel Aviv CBS, then I can arrive at Beit She’an CBS at around 16:11 After that I can take taxi from the CBS to the boarder and be there before 18:00.
Somehow this seems too good to be true. So I was wondering how punctual is the Israeli Bus? If the bus connection won’t work out, does you happen to know the approximate taxi fare from Afula to the boarder?
I’d expect they’d be pretty much on time and if not, surely not so far off. A traveler in the comments above says 50 shekels. From Beit She’an station. From Afula? No idea.
Hi Kevin
thanks for all the very informative info!!
I plan to travel to Israel from Amman via Allenby border to Jerusalem and then to Tel Aviv on a Saturday- Are the buses or Shared Minivans available on Saturdays ? and how reliable are they?
thanks
Brenda
Just be aware of the border closing times and be there well before the closing hour. Buses will not run on shabbat, so no Egged types of transit until the evening on Saturday, but the shared vans are Palestinians, so they should be good to go.
Hi. I read your blog before crossing the border to Jordan and back again and would like to extend my thanks for putting the information up there and sharing it – the comments too are rich in information.
For recent feedback – we did the crossing last weekend (5 days in Jordan over the first weekend of May 2014) – we got off the bus from Jerusalem at the junction to the border and walked the last few hundred metres, this is really simple and saves you a 30NIS taxi fare from the bus station. The exit ransom from Israel was 120NIS per person and the Jordan visa is still free. It took us less than 10 minutes to get from one side to the other (we worked afterwards that this is due to the time of crossing (2p.m.) when nobody else was around and chose to make the return trip at the same time, with the same result. Don’t forget to keep 10 JOD per person for the exit tax when you leave Jordan.
Taxis in Jordan: a taxi to Petra from the Aqaba crossing is 55JOD (government rate and I suspect a bit of this goes to the taxi ‘governer’ who controls everything at the crossing. However, Petra to Aqaba cost us 45JOD with a Petra taxi – all depends how you negotiate. Also, if you meet anyone while crossing the border who is going to the same place as you and you want to pool, make sure you go out of the gate together or the taxi governor will try a split you into different cabs – he really is a shark.
At the moment Jordan is desperately trying to attract tourists (it might help if they stopped trying to rip them off all the time) and good deals can be had almost everywhere if you are prepared to haggle. Having said this, it really is a wonderful place to visit and much more free and easy than Israel in my personal opinion.
Once again, thanks for the blog and Happy Travelling.
Thanks for contributing! This is helpful! Cheers, Kevin
Hi Kevin – Do I need to have JOD handy when I cross from Eilat to Aqaba? Do I need to change money in Eilat first before crossing? I plan on crossing to Aqaba very early in the morning since I’m taking the overnight bus from Jerusalem (when it first open – 6:30am). Should I even attempt to get the free Jordan visa since I don’t know if the “stamp” office in Aqaba will be open that early. Especially since the Jordan visa fee doubled since 2 months ago! Thoughts? Advise? Thanks in advance!
No, you can change money at the border. Get the free visa. If you enter in Aqaba as I did, it doesn’t seem to be necessary to get the ASEZA validation. In fact, they had no idea what I wanted when I went there and sent me away finally saying don’t worry. Ha. Are you going on directly to Amman from there? Just curious.
Thanks, Kevin. I’m not going to Amman. I’m going straight to Aqaba to attempt to catch the bus to Wadi Musa (and away from the Taxi Mafia!). Go to the hotel to drop off my luggage, then head straight to Petra.
Day 1: Cross from Eilat to Aqaba. Spend day in Petra.
Day 2: Spend day in Petra.
Day 3: Head over to Wadi Rum and stay in a Bedouin camp.
Day 4: Go back to Aqaba and back to Jerusalem.
My schedule is really hectic so hopefully everything will go smoothly. I need to mentally prepare myself for the Taxi Mafia encounter. Since I’ll be traveling with my mom, I’m sure he’ll take advantage of us.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes and we can advise others on future Taxi Mafia avoidance tactics! 😉 Also, please confirm if they are not giving that free visa any longer.
I just came back from Jordan. Taxi Mafia still exists. Easiest way is to ask for a taxi to Aqaba, then switch to a bus or another taxi to Amman or Wadi Musa. Don’t tell the driver your final destination, else they will try to take you there. Make sure you change $$$ before crossing the border because the taxi driver will “claim” that they have no change. A ride from the border to Aqaba is 11JD. Free visa is still available at the border. Hope this helps!
Hi Kevin,
as i found your site quite helpful when i was researching the King Hussain Bridge Crossing i just wanted to share my experience.
I flew into Queen Alia Airport and got my 40 JoD One Time Visa. I asked the border guards about the two entry visa or a multiple entry visa and they stated they could only issue the standard single entry – for anything else i would have to visit the consulate. This started me worrying. Anyway i picked up my luggage (which Royal Jordanian didn’t lose for a change!) and met my driver to take to me to the King Hussain Bridge. Once I arrived I decided to take the VIP service as this was a work trip and i needed to save time. It cost 78 JoD to bring me over to the other side. While waiting I asked the Jordanian officials if I would be able to return on my single entry visa at the end of the week (i crossed on a Monday and was planning to return on a Friday). He assured me I would and while waiting they brought me a cup of excellent arabic coffee. After a few minutes we boarded a minibus with our luggage and headed over, eventually being dropped off on the Israelis’ doorstep. It was a madhouse with a large, dusty crowd of tired travellers dropping off their luggage and making their way into the PassControl Area. While the VIP service shepherded us through the lines, they have no control on the actually security procedure and I ended up waiting three hours in their lounge before i received a Visa on my Entry Document. I assume this is because i have a well used passport and mentioned the West Bank when the agent asked me if I had visited before. She was quite insistent that the entire area was Israel. Okay. Whatever.
Anyway I finally got through after my three hour cooling off period. By this time all the non-VIP travellers were already through! Met my driver and made my way to Ramallah.
I worked in Ramallah for the week and also had time to visit Bethlehem. Had a great cup of coffee at Hassan’s little coffee bar at 420 Hosh al Syrian – if you need a tasty cup of coffee in Bethlehem he will fix you right up!
Then came time for my return early Friday morning. Got dropped off on the Israeli side of the Bridge at about 10:30 – paid my 43 Euro exit fee (or however many NIS that is), went through Israeli PassControl and then boarded the bus with my luggage. We drove right over and had no difficulty at all getting back into Jordan on my Single Entry Visa from Queen Alia Airport. The only costs were the 7 JoD fee for the Bus and 1.50 JoD for each bag. The collected the passports while we were still on the bus and took them to the border agents where we stood in line to pick them up. Very easy. The Jordanian Side of the border was closing up by the time we got through, as it was a Friday. I would advise anyone crossing the border on a Friday to do so as early as possible to avoid hangups.
In the end it was a great way to cross into Israel (or the West Bank) – the only hitch might be the harsh treatment by the Israeli border control agents – but that of course is their job.
Thanks again Kevin for this site. It helped me during my researches and is a great resource!
Hi Kevin
I will be crossing from Amman to Jerusalem in September, and I’ll use all the tips you have included on your website. I would prefer to take Israeli shekels with me to use when I get to Israel. However, I think I have read that Jordan doesn’t allow tourists to bring Israeli currency into the country. Have you got any comments on this?
Thanks – and thanks for this blog.
Keith
Taking them in should not be a problem (that may sound silly but could be a reason to be turned away at a small handful of countries, just not Jordan) but converting them, I really don’t know. I converted my shekels at the border when I left Israel.
Is it true you can apply for a re entry permit to the nearest police station in Amman Jordan? Thanks!
I don’t think so and haven’t heard that before, but if you find evidence of it happening “unofficially,” let us know! You can extend your 30-day visa at the police station, adding another 60 days to your stay. You must do this within that first 30 days, however.
Hi!
We are planning to cross from Jordan to Israel through Allenby on Thursday with our Queen Alia single entre visa (we have Spanish passports) and to exit Israel from Sheik Hussein crossing in the north on Saturday so we can spend more time in Jerusalem as Allenby closes too early on Saturdays.
Will we have trouble entering and existing from those different borders?
Thanks!
It won’t be a problem at all. The only thing is you might have to pay for a visa when you come back in at Sheikh Hussein. But try to point out your single entry visa and that you were only outside Jordan for under two weeks. This has consistently worked crossing back at King Hussein and we are curious if it works elsewhere. Let us know how it goes please!
Thanks Kevin!
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for all the valuable information (and updates!)
I will be flying into Amman from Paris in a few days, and will be heading to Tel Aviv the next day, planning to cross at Allenby. I will be in Israel to study, and will be exiting by land a month later. Should I even bother asking for a multiple entry visa at the airport in Amman? Or avoid all hassle and pay upon arrival at the airport and again a month later?
I’m traveling with two passports, US and French. I will be flying to Lebanon from Amman after a few days around Jordan (post-month in Tel Aviv). Should I use my French passport to fly into Amman and to enter Lebanon// my American one for the Jordan/Israel and Israel/Jordan border crossings? I’m still confused, despite having read the extensive posts and your responses to comments. Where should I expect to run into the most questioning? At this point I’ve lost track of who needs to know what and what I should avoid mentioning!
I am too late, I think! Sorry! You should be fine with the Israel/Jordan cross as they do not put evidence into either passport. If you DO have evidence in one and use the other in Lebanon, be sure they can’t find it in a search. But really, I don’t see that either passport makes a difference. Your single-entry in Amman should be enough for a crossing and return at Allenby. So people say these days.
Hi Kevin and fellow travelers,
We are a group of 12 (10 canadians, 2 british ) planning a 28 day private tour starting in Israel, Jordan and ending in Egypt in October of this year.
Hopefully we can book with a travel agent here in Canada for the destinations we want.
Travel agents keep telling us not to book the tour from outside the country. What are your thoughts on this.
I have been in contact with a tour operator in Israel called Nohah Tours and they seem legit. Has anyone heard about them?
Is it also adviseable to get all documentation papers filled out by the tour company regarding the border crossings to save time?
Hope you can help me with this, Thank you and take care.
Yvon Pilon
Hi Yvon,
Sounds like a great trip. If travel agents (from Canada/UK?) are saying not to book outside the country (which would benefit them in some way with commission, no?) then I’d trust that wisdom. Booking ahead of time, however, might give you peace of mind and prevent time being wasted doing so when you arrive. Filling out the forms for border crossing takes no time at all, but tour guides may be able to skip lines at some borders and take all the passports at once to a counter.
FYI- We attempted to cross the Allenby Bridge (King Hussein) from Jordan to Israel yesterday and were told it is only open from 8-10 am on Friday’s and Saturday’s. We talked to three different border agents and the VIP service window. Who knows if this is the new rule, just for Ramadan or other but I thought we’d give other travelers a heads up. We ended up paying 35 JD for a taxi from the King Hussein crossing up to Sheikh Hussein crossing and made it across. Also, we were told the VIP border service is not available on Friday’s or Saturday’s. Again, this was just our experience yesterday but thought we should pass it along.
Well that’s troubling. What a pain! Glad you were able to form Plan B and get across. And thanks for sharing the information. We will try to see if this continues to be the case. They can and do, of course, change the times at a moment’s notice, particularly for random security reasons. Who knows?
What’s the best way to visit Petra from Jerusalem? We aren’t very intrigued with staying in Eilat. We’re thinking about Jerusalem – Amman – Petra? Not sure if we save any time crossing on the Allenby Brdige, or just go through Eilat? Very difficult to plan this…
Plus – Will we be able to visit and get transportation on Friday & Saturday?
I guess it all depends on your mode of transportation or if you hire a guide or take a tour. That’s typically fastest, but not always preferred. Jerusalem is maybe 40 minutes to the border there but getting to Eilat to cross will take several hours (I rode 5 in a bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat). Fri and Sat depends on the service. Palestinian-run shared taxis to the border run. Bus schedules online will show when they run on those two days. Be aware of border crossing hours at that time as well.
Hello Kevin–we are traveling to Amman, Jordan for 2 1/2 weeks in August. While there we are hoping to make a day trip to Israel to visit Jerusalem. I am concerned about the US State Department Warnings about visiting Israel and also the 3 kidnapped young men have just been found dead. Can you help me better understand security issues for Americans in Israel? Do we have to cross Palestine controlled area from Jordan to get to Israel? Also, am I understanding correctly…we need more than a single entry Visa when we enter Jordan in order to go to Israel and return to Jordan? I can get those when I arrive at the Amman Airport?
To be so close to Jerusalem and yet so far.
I wouldn’t be concerned about State Department warnings, other than just being aware of things (like anywhere) in the news. The kidnapped youth were settlers in disputed lands and part of a conflict that has gone on for years. The Israeils make it very clear when you are entering Palestinian areas and you would meet security details at those places, but your trip will not venture there I imagine. A day trip you say? That might be the hangup. Crossing the border and back CAN be done in one day but there is so much to see in Jerusalem alone, I’m not sure what you could accomplish. Plus, IF there is a delay at the border — say a long line, a heightened security day, a random closing or what have you — you could spend 3 or more hours just there. Can you stay the night at least in Jerusalem? Be aware of the shortened border hours on Fri and Sat. As for the single-entry, everyone appears to be using it to get back in at Allenby/King Hussein. It always makes me nervous to say that, because I haven’t seen the official statement that it is allowed. But in reality it happens. As a worse case scenario sort of guy, I always recommend knowing what to do when something happens. Have a backup plan (Sheikh Hussein/Beit She’an border). But that’s me. It’s quite likely all of this will go well as you expect. 🙂
And no sooner have I told you to ignore state department missives and to keep an eye on the news, than the news comes on and rocket attacks step up. Might be time to reconsider. (Though you might say that only two made it to Jerusalem and odds of being in a traffic accident were actually better.) Me? I might still go for a day. But be sure to check local sources about the current delay times or possible temporary closings of the border.
Pingback: Amman – First Impressions | Pilgrim Pat
Kevin,
I have read all the posts on this blog, many thanks. My flight will arrive in Amman airport July 12 (Saturday), 8:15am. I have booked a hotel in Jerusalem for two nights, then back to Amman for taking a fight July 15 morning back to US. Plan to take a taxi to Allenby direct from the airport. Now I heard this bad news from the previous post: the Allenby Bridge (King Hussein) from Jordan to Israelis only open from 8-10 am on Friday’s and Saturday’s. Now I have many questions:
1. Can I make it for Allenby bridge Saturday arriving by plane 8:15am?
2. If I cannot make it, take a taxi to Sheikh Hussein crossing, how long will it take from Allenby crossing to Sheikh Hussein crossing? Also how long will it take from the Sheikh Hussein crossing point to Jerusalem? Can I find taxis taking me from Sheikh Hussein crossing to Jerusalem?
3.My hotel is very expensive. Should I cancel my reservation before it is too late?
Many thanks for any responses!
Hmm. What if the flight is late? If you are through immigration and at the curb in time, you might make it to the border before 10. But that is cutting it awfully close and just one tiny delay might ruin the whole plan. And then you have a morning flight in Amman on July 15? But you will stay the night in Amman on July 14, right? So that’s ok. At Sheikh Hussein crossing Israeli taxis all the way to Jerusalem (127 km) are expensive last I heard. There are Egged buses from Beit She’an starting after 7:30pm, two hours plus to Jerusalem, 44 shekels. What you COULD do is try the very tight connection, depending on arriving at the curb at Queen Alia airport, and it would be 1 or 1.3 hours to King Hussein border/Allenby. Or directly to Sheikh Hussein will be just about 2 hours (maybe a bit more). But if you try King Hussein first and fail, it is just over an hour from there to Sheikh Hussein. Just understand all the risks and potential misses and the costs. 🙂 Could be a great story either way.
Hi Kevin, just to clarify. We are entering Jordan via Amman QAIA with a single entry visa, then go straight to Jerusalem via the King Hussein border for 1 night and then the next day back to Amman via King Hussein border again. No need to apply a Jordan visa correct? Also, i am based in Riyadh, so i will ask them not to stamp an Israel visa in my passport. How about an Israel exit stamp, can i ask them to to stamp in my passport as well?
Yes, that is correct according to actual traveler experiences. I always feel compelled to add that I haven’t found that officially written anywhere. But people are doing it all the time.
Nothing to worry about with the stamp on the Israel side, but be sure they don’t stamp you in Jordan upon entry and exit — that too is proof of where you’ve been. 🙂 See here also:
https://www.themadtraveler.com/travel-tips/i-dont-want-israel-to-stamp-my-passporthttps://www.themadtraveler.com/travel-tips/i-dont-want-israel-to-stamp-my-passport
Hi Kevin,
Your article is very informative. But it is likely much more help for the Western people. As my current passport is Vietnamese and holding an UK visa, I have some questions I think I need to ask:
– I plan to head from Israel to Jordan. In case of I get my Israel visa, do I still need a tourism visa for Jordan trip if I overland like you suggest?
– I can only travel in December. I read that the weather in Israel in December is nice. But how about Jordan? Is that the same as Israel?
Thank for your help 😛
The post should still apply for you, but you will still have to get a visa ahead of time for Jordan. In regards to the weather, the winter in Jordan can be pretty cold. Especially in the desert the temperatures can get low enough to snow. I’m sure some years are warmer than others but at night it is definitely cold. Honestly, I’d expect much of Israel to be the same.
Hi An Tran;
I am Jordanian Taxi Driver(tourist driver) in Aqaba City; If You need to know any information about your visit to Jordan i can help you and plan your trip, I have a lot of friends tourists from all the world and be your guide also.
contact me :
E-mail: Safdi_1973@hotmail.com
Tel: 00962 779 236 206
Hi Kevin, thanks for such a useful article, just had a few questions about getting from jordan to israel with a car. My car has egyptian number plates and I was wondering if i would be able to get it in, and which would be the easiest border to use? i have a british passport and both an egyptian and international driving license. Ive asked around and a few people have told me its not easy to take vehicles across, just wondered if you have any advice. Thanks in advance
Hi Nadia, I am late to reply, sorry! And unfortunately, I have no good advice/information about this. I saw someone take a car across at Allenby/King Hussein and they had to purchase insurance at the money changing window on the Israel side. That’s all I can tell you though. So they did it successfully, but I have no idea if it was their car or a rental, etc etc.
Pingback: jordan to israel: in transit | Endless Mile
My daughter is going to school in Jordan this semester and we were thinking about traveling from Amman to Jerusalem for a day when I visit in December. Under the current political situation, do you have a sense for how prudent this would be?
It’s absolute safe. Jordan and Israel have had peaceful relations for decades now which have not been affected by whatever you mean with “current political situation”.
Pingback: Swim suits in Israel and scarves in Jordan
Can you enter Israel at the Akaba/ Eliat crossing and then come back into Jordan from the Allenby Brudge Crossing?
Only if you have a valid visa ahead of time, because they do not do visa on arrival to Jordan at Allenby/King Hussein.
Great information, I’ve spent a full evening reading it all.
I hold a uk passport but have been a dubai resident for two years, from what I have seen above that shouldn’t create a problem.
I’m hoping to travel through the king Hussein to visit the wailing (western) wall. My goal is to do this and rerun with in the same day. Subject to no major delays or problems would you say that’s possible?
Thanks Emma
Yes, some people do that. Get the early start and don’t go around Shabbat.
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for the great website; it is very helpful. Do you know how long the Israeli visa is valid for a US citizen when crossing from Allenby Bridge. thank you
Americans get 90 days when they enter Israel.
Hi Kevin
Really appreciate the work you have put into this site. I plan on visiting Petra at the end of October. I am geographically challenged so I want to clarify – from Jerusalem (I am currently in Hebron and presume it will be best to get to Jerusalem) to cross (I was able to get a visa for Jordan on my Aussie passport in Ramallah on the same day) into Jordan, my fasted route would travelling from Damascus gate and the Allenby bridge?
Also do you know if they accept credit card for the Israeli departure tax or cash only in NIS?
Thanks.
Hey I have an emotional support animal. I am an american who is a student in Jordan. I am visiting Israel for 2 weeks and then returning to Jordan. I would like to take my emotional support animal but im worried about crossing the border both times. Do you have any idea the regulations? if it is even allowed or not? the last thing I want is to have an animal caught up in customs and either make me miss my trip, or my flight.
Thanks!
Hi Kendra, I am sorry to say I haven’t got a clue, not even a guess. I’d contact the embassy/consulate. I guess you already know Jordan’s position on it, or did you acquire the pet inside Jordan?
Hi kelvin
I just read the blog and hope it is not too late for me…please give me advise for my situation: I have purchased a single enter visa at queen alia airport, after a week I enter Israel on 30th Nov (Sunday) through king hussein bridge, and my Israel visa is till 14th Dec, my question is can I leaving Israel on 14th Dec (Sunday) and back to
amman through king hussein bridge? Is it
still consider within 2 weeks? Or I have go
back early to Jordan to avoid any trouble?
Thank you
just update that might be helpful for someone to know. I just got a Jordanian visa to enter Jordan from Israel and it costed 360 shackles! I got it from Jordanian Embassy in Ramallah. This is about $92.
is that a single-entry or multiple? Where is your passport from?
you might have listed option there is. keep updating the monetary figures with time though. 🙂
Pingback: Overnight layover in Amman - Page 2 - FlyerTalk Forums
Just an update to some of the information here, I went to the Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv yesterday, and the cost for a single entry visa is now 360 NIS. We expected it to be higher but not by this much. For a multi-entry, its around 1,000 NIS. They only accept NIS for payment. I have a US passport.
We just got back from an amazing trip to Israel and Jordan– serious travelers, add these to your bucket list! We would not have survived the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing without The Mad Traveler, so thanks a million for the info. Here are my notes from Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014:
–We live in Washington, DC so we got Jordanian visas at the embassy here ahead of time. Not cheap, $270 for four people (abt. $68 each), and a money order is required.
–Took Israeli taxi to Allenby Bridge, arrived at 1:30 pm. Gave luggage to security dude.
–Got in line to pay exit tax (177 NIS/each, about $45/each. Got receipt.
–Lined up for immigration, to show receipt and passports.
–Wait, and wait, for bus. There’s the ‘tourist’ or Jet bus, and the ‘local’ bus. Unless you look Arabic, they make you wait for the tourist bus. Waited at least 1 hour. VIP service to supposedly skip bus wait costs $109/each. Hard to tell if it works.
–Got on bus, drove 2 minutes to another stop, and picked up 2 men (who???)
–Cross Jordan border, stop at checkpoint.
–3:35 Immigration officials board bus, check passports for visas, take pp’s
–3:40 Arrive at Jordan immigration. Man boards bus, takes 52 NIS per person cash.
–4 pm Exit bus, get in line to retrieve passports. Join taxi queue.
–Taxi to Amman, tons of traffic (30 JD for 4 people/bags).
–Arrive in Amman at 5 pm.
We are crossing the border to Jordan at Eilat. We are planning to take the taxi to Aqaba and then get a bus to Wadi Musa to go to Petra. My main question is, where does the bus leave from in Aqaba? Where do we tell the taxi to take us from the border so that we can catch that bus? Does anyone know how frequently they leave from Aqaba to Petra?
Has anyone rented a car in Israel, and left it in Eilat while they went into Jordan, then picked it up on their way back? Is this easy to do? Is there a safe place to leave a rental car in Eilat?
Hi Rachel, I give this info not first hand (disclaimer) but there should be a minibus to Wadi Musa from the downtown bus station which is next to the Aqaba Police Station. Likely several per day and leaving when full. Haven’t used it myself, but the border station at Eilat has a parking lot and their website confirms that. Is it safe? Is there a fee? Yes and allegedly : http://www.iaa.gov.il/en-US/borders/YitzhakRabin/Pages/default.aspx
Hi Kevin and Rachel,
you are right about the bus from Aqaba to Wadi Musa. The last one will leave about 3 or 4 pm from the downtown busstation.
I have another question to you. I will fly to Eilat next week and I also want to cross this border. Do you know how to get from the airport to the border? And Rachel, can you let us know how your crossing went?
Is there a departure tax you have to pay when leaving Israel?
I’d expect you need to take a taxi. It’s not far at all, but I am sure they will charge you handsomely anyway. Haggle. Yes, there is a departure tax, updated in the post above.
Kevin, Thank you for the excellent blog. I am an American traveling to Jordan this coming April, 2015. After 9 days tour of Jordan, plan to go to Israel to meet with a US tour group at a hotel in Tiberias/Galilee.
I would like to do the border crossing from either Amman, or Aqaba.
Which option would you recommend? I am traveling with my adult daughter, and would like your suggestion about the most expedient and cost effective method.
Are taxi fares reasonable from the Sheikh Hussein border to Galilee? Is there any bus service available? Could you provide advise? We do not mind crossing to Israel from any of the three options, but would prefer the most expedient way. Thanks in advance for your comments.
From either Amman (meaning King Hussein/Allenby) or Aqaba, right? Not Sheikh Hussein? Here’s what Google coughs up for Sheikh Hussein, which seems reasonable and would be 2 hours by bus from the border crossing there. https://goo.gl/maps/ZTW7R Not sure what a taxi would cost, but I am sure a lot more than the local buses. Haggling should be expected. This seems the best route to me — but I haven’t personally done it. Are you coming back into Jordan afterward? Be aware of the visa rules if you try to cross back at Allenby/King Hussein.
Thanks for your quick answer. Based on your comment, I would take the Sheikh Hussein crossing up north. After crossing, would take a taxi to Tiberias, to meet with the tour group. (Hopefully, no more than $50 USD. ). I am not coming back to Jordan, so no issues there. Do you know how much a taxi would cost from Amman to Sheikh Hussein? or if it is too expensive, are there any bus service from Amman to Sheikh Hussein? Kevin, Again, thanks a lot for the google map reference and your support.
I see local bus numbers on the Google map. As for taxi from Amman to S. Hussein, I really don’t know, but I suspect it’d be cheaper than a taxi on the Israel side. Buses from Amman to Irbid would be cheap and then a taxi from there would cut the cost of a direct taxi from Amman. While I wouldn’t trust the Google map 100%, I suspect there might be buses nearly to the border there, or a short taxi ride into Beit She’an to take an intercity bus to Tiberias. [I always like to be clear when this is something I figure, and not a first-hand experience. Such is the case here! But it shouldn’t be hard to confirm.]
I’m flying into Aqaba late March then plan to cross to Eilat (possibly Taba as well) for a day trip and then return to Jordan via the same crossing. I know I can get the free-visa on arrival at Aqaba but will it be a problem returning to Jordan a day or two after leaving? I can’t seem to find much info on the entry/re-entry regulations regarding the Aqaba free-visa. I’m a U.S. citizen. Great blog!
Jeff
Hi Jeff, I see no reason why it would be a problem and I’d expect it’d be the free visa both times.
Kevin
Hi Kevin, your blog is fantastic and very helpful. My husband and I are traveling to Jordan (Amman) on the 24th April, from South Africa. Doing the usual sites, will hire a car. We will be in Aqaba and have plans to leave Jordan and enter Israel, at Aqaba/Eilat crossing on the 30th April. Will leave hire car in Aqaba. Then from Eilat travel to Jerusalem (still have to check best travel options here). We plan to stay until the 3rd May and re-enter Jordan at Allenby Bridge crossing the morning of the 3rd to catch our flight back to SA on the 3rd in the afternoon. My first of a stream of questions LOL:
1. Is this a good idea or should we travel via hire car from Aqaba on the 30th back to Amman airport, leave car there and cross at Allenby?
2. Do you know about cost and options for transport from Aqaba Israel side to Jerusalem?
3. We “apparently” dont need a Visa to Jordan and we like the idea of the free visa and quick crossing at Aqaba into Israel. What will we need to cross back into Jordan at Allenby? (if we left at Aqaba).
4. The cost you mentioned from Aqaba city to border is 11JD … is this per person or per taxi? Also is the 20 shekels from border to Eilat also per person?
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to get back to all of us 🙂
5.
Hi Hilary,
Here’s my concern: crossing the border on May 3 in the morning and flying in the afternoon. If there is a delay at the border or if it is shut down for the day due to an unforeseen security issue, that could be a problem. Also, to enter at Allenby/King Hussein you must have a visa beforehand. This is true only of that check point. The “free visa” is for entering at Aqaba. If you arrived at Amman first, you will have a visa on arrival from that airport — not free but 40 JOD (approximately 56 USD). And others have used that single-entry visa to re-enter Jordan at Allenby within 2 weeks (though technically it is a SINGLE entry and you used that entry already when you arrived April 24.)
2. http://www.egged.co.il/HomePage.aspx I used the bus to get from Tel Aviv to Aqaba and it was reasonable but I can’t remember how much. Check their site for schedule and price.
4. I was traveling alone. I assume it is per taxi, not per person, but these are taxi drivers so expect there might be some sneaky attempts there. But as for the 11 JD, it does not appear to be negotiable FROM the border. From town (Aqaba) TO the border, you might have some luck because they are not the so-called “taxi mafia” waiting at the border and standing firm. 🙂
In case you are not following the comments section, do come back and see another travelers recent post about doing exactly what you plan to do. Seems to have worked just fine.
Hi Kevin,
Thank you so much for your input and valuable blog. Feeling a little more relaxed, we are going to hope for the best on the 3rd and wing it re the border, we will get there early and have 5 hours LOL. Really appreciate your time and expertise. Have a fantastic week.
Hilary
Update.
We entered Jordan through Queen Alya Airport and got a visa on arrival (single entry). We left after 8 days to Israel (at Akaba/ Eilat) and reentered Jordan through Allenby Bridge 3 days later without any problems. The clue is to ask the borderguard when leaving Jordan to not stamp the passport (which they do without any problems, as they probably think you don’t want evidence that you travelled to Israel) – they stamp then a small paper that the borderguard 5meter further keeps with him. When you then arrive at the allenbycrossing and you are still within the visa period you have a valid visa without an exit stamp and they let you in without any problems. No questions asked, no fee to pay – never entered a non european country so easy!
I’m not sure if that’s the logic or not — obviously they see where you are coming from and you already have the entry stamp at Alia, no? — but yes, it works and you are not the first person to do this successfully and it seems widespread (though I cannot get an authority to confirm it). Some travelers say it works if your foray into Israel is less than 2 weeks. Also, I didn’t even have to ask for the loose-leaf paper for the exit stamp, they just automatically were doing it for everyone when I crossed. That’s nice.
Do you ask for the separate paper or stamp when entering in Israel too from Aqaba? Thanks again.
In fact, one no longer needs to do that apparently. Currently Israel issues a sort of visa card, so no stamping necessary. But be sure that’s the case when you are standing there. 🙂
Thank you so much. Will do the same.
Hello,
When traveling from Israel to Jordan without pre-acquired Jordanian visa, is it possible to enter through Aqaba border and exit from Jordan back to Israel on the North, Sheikh Hussein border?
Yes!
Thank you! Or exit through Allenby bridge?
Also yes!
I will be traveling from US to Kuwait early May 2015. From there my sister and I will fly to Ammon and crossover to Israel. We will spend about 2 wks in Israel and then crossover back to Jordan to spend some time in Wadi Rum and Petra, about 3 days, and head back out to Kuwait. My thinking was to enter Israel from the North or from Allenby Bridge and exit from the South. We are older women and we plan to travel light with just backpacks. Which entry to Israel would be best and safest? Or would it be better to do the 3 day tour of Petra and Wadi Rum first and enter Israel from the South, make our way up North Israel and finalize our trip in Jerusalem and cross over back to Jordan at Allen Bridge? Also, we plan to rent a car while traveling In Israel. Can we pickup rental car from one city and drop it off at another without additional cost?
Thanks for the information.
We just crossed to Israel and back again the next day and it was a breeze, even with Syrian stamps in our passports. We got the 7.00am Jett bus from Amman for 10JD each. Because we got the Jett bus to the border, we didn’t have to pay another 7JD for the Jett bus that crosses the border. We only found this out because the first bus picked up the second bus driver on the way and he recognised us and got us a refund! On the Israeli side we got the Nijmeh shuttle to Damascus Gate for 45NIS each or 10JD – its cheaper to pay in shekels. On the way back we got the same shuttle for 42NIS to the border, then had to pay 7JD for the bus across the border – you can pay 52 NIS but its cheaper in JD. Israeli exit tax was 178NIS. From there we got a small bus for 3JD to the Interior Circle in Amman. Total time Amman-Jerusalem was 3 hours. New Zealand passports.
Hi Kevin,
you blog really helped us so much in having so much information.
By the way I am Romeo from Philippines and working here in Abu Dhabi.
By the way my flight from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Amman, Jordan is April 5, 2015 then Amman, Jordan to Abu Dhabi UAE on April 8, 2015. I got my Tourist Jordan single visa last March 10, 2015. I am planning to go in Israel on April 5 through the Border. In your blog I knew about the Israel Stamp, Fees, and other Infos. My questions are:
1. Since I got a single entry visa in my passport, if I will cross King Hussein/Allenby bridge going to Israel will I get an Exit stamp in my passport? and if I will have one of course I need to get another visa so I can enter Jordan again since my flight is Amman-Abu Dhabi, and also it will be an evidence for me (2 entry and exit stamp)
2. Is there any solution for this that you can offer me?
Thanks Kevin you are such a big help.
Romeo
Hi Romeo,
Typically they stamp a loose leaf paper when you exit there, so no worries about that. (Also, I thought UAE doesn’t really care about Israeli travel, no?) Anyway, as for #2 the single-entry, I am uncertain. Normally, people who aren’t required to get a visa in advance arriving at Amman get a single entry on arrival. They use that to leave and re-enter at Allenby (even though it says “single entry”). Will it be different for you? I can’t promise. One solution would be to get a double- or multiple-entry visa beforehand, but it seems you might be too late for that. Another option is getting a visa in Tel Aviv, but again, your time there is short. But that single-entry visa has been working for everyone else. I just worry that since they require you to get a visa in advance, they might treat you differently. That may be unnecessary worrying, but I am a pessimist 🙂
Actually I am quite worried about this 🙂
If I will get another visa let us say a single or a multiple visa I am not sure if they will stick it to my passport and with that it is really obvious that I have 2 visas for Jordan 🙂 I am not sure as well if I will get a visa upon arrival. Is the visa you are telling me will be in another or different slip or piece of paper or they will stick it in my passport like what I have now? If i will try to get visa in Tel Aviv do i need to exit or cross the border from Jordan near the Tel Aviv?
I imagine the visa will be stuck in your passport and I don’t know if it says where it is issued (could say Tel Aviv). You’d be able to cross from any border if you have a visa. But the process might take too long. I really can’t advise here with certainty.
Kevin thanks for you response, I really appreciated it..
Matthew 19:26
Hi Kevin, I just had a very successful crossing from Amman to Israel, and i came back home here in Abu Dhabi so safe..
I just follow what you have posted here..
Thanks a lot for the big help..
God Bless you more and more..
i will be looking forward to see more in your blog and get some ideas as well on my next travel..
here is my facebook: Romeo Tumayao Puncia III
Take Care!
Glad it helped! I hope you enjoyed it! Book your travels through my website next time 😉
Great Info. Crossing Aqaba in May from Israel to Jordan. Thanks for the tip on just getting the taxi to Aqaba as i would have got it the whole way to Petra. The not making jokes is also a great tip as it’s the first thing i would do if feeling nervous.
Just wanted to add in my experience–I crossed from Jordan to Israel on 28/3/2015 and back into Jordan on 14/4/2015, both ways via Allenby. I was able to return into Jordan on my original (single-entry) visa without any problems, and people I spoke to told me that this is possible within the monthlong duration of the visa, rather than two weeks (this is because Allenby crosses into the West Bank, so Jordan doesn’t consider the crossing as formally leaving). I also asked about a double entry visa at the airport in Amman and was told no quite firmly and that I would have to have applied at an embassy to get one. I hope others find this helpful!
Would you happen to know how late the bus runs from Tel-Aviv to Eliat on Saturdays ? We are a group and we arrive at Tel-Aviv at 22h10, so maybe around 23hish given the customs and border patrol at Ben Gourion. We are thinking of going to Petra via Aqaba after hiring a car in Aqaba. But to get to Aqaba we will take the bus. I hope this isn’t too complicated of a message to understand. So:
Arrival at Ben Gourion : 22h10 Saturday
Bus to Eliat possible ?
Thank you in advance for you reply.
Cheers !
C. Royon
France
There appears to be one just before midnight. http://mslworld.egged.co.il/
Hi Kevin, great blog.
Just 1 question. I am an Australian citizen but I live in Saudi Arabia and have been for 2.5 years. I have a lot of Arab states passport stamps in my passport, do you think that this will be a problem when crossing at the Hussain/Allenby bridge?
Shouldn’t be. Just have good answers for the Israeli side for why they’re there and be patient and polite even if the person asking decides to be an ass about it.
Thank you so very much for this post! I had a mini panic attack this morning, as our tour changed from using the Beit She’an entry to the Allenby Bridge and nobody informed us! We are 13 days away from leaving and I am NOT sending my passport away to get a Visa.
Now I know that we can leave the tour, head to Beit She’an, cross and GET A VISA, and meet up with our tour in Amman. I feel much better now.
Hi!
There are tons of information but honestly I don’t have energy to read it all (comments).
We are two young “poor students” ans we would like to visit Aqaba just for a few hours on your trip to Eilat (from Tel Aviv). What are all the fees connected with it right now. I read that entry is free but exit fee from Jordan is 10 JD and I also saw something about exit fee from Israel (about 100 NIS? that’s expansive).
If we hire a car, is it a problem? Is it complicated to cross the border? Are there expansive fees or anything we should know about?
Matouš
Hey everyone
Im in Israel right now in acre and i have to go back to Jordan soon. I came through sheik Hussein bridge, do i have to take the same bridge back to Jordan? And how Can i go from acre to the bridge?
And is it possible to Enter Jordan by exiting from another bridge? I was thinking by going home to Jordan by alenby
Hi everyone,
Our experience (US Citizen) of crossing the border crossing between these 3 countries last month.
Just back from a trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. We arrived into Cairo, barely any tourist whatsoever at most of the historic sites, ie pyramids. If you watch/read the news you probably understand why. From Cairo we flew to sharm el sheikh, beautiful beach resort town. From there we went up to Taba by hire car/taxi with a mandatory military/police convoy for safety that took 3hr + with about 5-6 checkpoint along the way ( I heard there are 2 times for convoy, 3pm and 9pm). We crossed the Taba border crossing into Israel with ease (took around 30mins or less). Just answer the questions truthfully and you’ll be fine.
From the Taba border, we took a taxi to the Aqaba border (cost around 50-60 shekels). At the aqaba border, we had to pay 105 shekels for Israel exit tax (ridiculous for only being in the country for 15-20mins or so). Procedure is same as what’s written here.
On the Jordan side, you’ll see a lot of green taxi, aka taxi mafia. Just tell them you want to go to downtown or whatever and make sure you agree on a price. Our taxi driver kept driving slow trying to sell us his service and all that. Just agree on the price and destination, nothing else.
We rented a car in Aqaba so that we could drive/explore Jordan without the hassle and cost of bus/taxi. Driving in Jordan is quite nice and safe. After 4 days in Jordan, we crossed into Israel through the Allenby Bridge / King Hussein Bridge.
On the Jordan side, they will do almost exactly what Kevin has described in his blog. We paid 10 dinar each for exit visa/tax. The Jett bus cost is 7.5 dinar for person and luggage is 1.5 dinar. June was the month of Ramadan and so there wasn’t much people but on the Israel side, it gets hectic.
At the passport check on Israel side, even though you think you are in a line, people will cut and push you around. So be stern and forceful in stating where you are. Also watch your pockets as there will be so many people shoulder to shoulder with you. Afterwards you will enter the building, where you and your luggage will get screened just like in the airport. Make sure you watch your stuff as there are so many people trying to get their stuff also. We were questioned and had to wait for an hour or so. It took us around 3 hours just to crossing this border. Good luck to those you travel when there isn’t a major holiday over there.
We took a sherut to Jerusalem, another one somewhere in Tel-Aviv (driver just dropped everyone off at the city limits or something), and finally a taxi to our hotel. All in all, it took us around 7hrs or so from our hotel by the Dead Sea in Jordan to our hotel in Tel Aviv.
It was quite an experience needless to say. But what an adventure it was. Happy travels everyone.
Uptake from August 30th 2015.
When crossing Kings Hussein Bridge two years ago, had to pay 7,5JD for shuttle bus between Jordanian-Israeli side. Not anymore. Nobody paid for the bus….
Update from August 30th 2015.
At Kings Hussein bridge, the shuttle bus between Jordanian-Israeli side is free. Two years ago I paid 7,5Jd + 1,5Jd for baggage. Apparently not anymore.
Last month, I also travelled from Amman to Jerusalem. I would like to thank this blog for being my inspiration. I also wrote my experience on my blog.
https://ellisluciano.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/the-kuripot-diary-in-the-holy-land-travelling-from-amman-jordan-to-jerusalem/
Thanks! 🙂
Hi, I’m travelling from Acre to the Sheikh Hussein border crossing and wondered what the best way of doing this is? I believe the buses don’t go all the way there. If anyone could advise, that would be great.
Hey!
Im a 21 year old male who is looking to cross from Amman to Jerusalem in March 2016, just wondering if there was any tips or advice?
I will have been in Dubai 2 weeks prior to heading to Jordan, will this cause any issues when making the transit into Israel??
Thanks
Make sure you have the proper visas and all that, of course. Have good answers as to why you were in Dubai and Jordan and why you want to visit. They can be stern and demanding, but answer politely, be patient, be honest, and you should be fine. Smile, no matter what. 😉
Hello all, I am traveling by myself from Jordan to Israel using the Beit Shean crossing on 14 December – I wonder if anyone would be around as well so we can team up?
I brought the “Jordan Pass” apparently it allows you to get entrance into all tourist area’s/sites and Visa’s including Petra. I got the 2 day pass for Petra and it cost me 75 JD – (106 USD) Apparently its to help drive tourism. When you way up the cost of entrance fee’s and visas it will probably go beyond this amount. So hopefully its a good purchase.
I go to Jordan in March and will be traveling to Israel mid march. I too will be staying at the Jordan tower. I booked it then brought the lonely planet and have also seen it in there!
Hey Scott, Not sure if you are planning on entering Jordan via Aqaba? Be aware some new rules may be coming into effect any day now (or already have, though even Jordan Tourism authority doesn’t seem to know when). But it may be that you cannot enter from Eilat, Israel to Aqaba with a visa on arrival or the Jordan Pass. Watch this situation as it develops, if this border crossing/entry is in your plans.
Hi Kevin.
Im coming in at Amman by Air. Im going to Sri Lanka first for a month from England. Your tips are great! Its hard to find a way from Jordan to Israel! Im going Petra as well so looking at all kinda options.
Hi,
I called recently officials at jordanpass.jo and they told me that according to the new rules of Eilat/Aqaba crossing Jordann Pass still guarantees a free entry to Jordan (if you stay at least 3 nights). No visa and fees. If you stay less, then on exit some fees will be charged. Still, you dotn need to prearange visa if you have Jordan Pass.
That’s good to hear. I got a mixed message from Jordan Tourism. And they said nothing has taken effect yet. THIS is why I made this blog post. If this is the arrangement, that seems fair. Why give free passage to encourage time in Aqaba/Jordan if a person is merely making a run to Petra and leaving? Travel agencies may not mention this aspect and thus encourage travelers to buy a package to get in. (Which they’d have to do, however, if they wanted just to run to Petra for a day or two.)
Hi,
First, really appreciate your blog — amazing source of information!
Like the others, I’m trying to figure out how in the world to manage the Israeli / Jordan border crossing using the quickest (and ideally cheapest) route. I’m flying into Tel Aviv with my Jordan visa in tow so was thinking the best way to go was via the Allenby Bridge but I’m not sure what’s the best way to get there (take a taxi or are there buses from Tel Aviv?) and then how to go onto Amman? Alternatively, should I go to the Beit She’an / Sheikh Hussein crossing instead — same issue of how to I get there from Tel Aviv (sounds very complicated with lots of interchanges) and onto Amman on the other side?
Thanks for any advice!
Hi all,
Just made this trip (from Amman to Tel Aviv and back) a week ago. I took the Jett bus from Amman down to the King Hussein Bridge for 10 JD. The interesting part: that fee also covered my transportation across the border, between Jordanian customs and Israeli customs.
After handing in my passport, I boarded the bus, and a guy came through to collect the 7 JD fee for the bus across. I paid. Five minutes later, just before we departed, he came back, asked to see my Jett bus ticket from Amman, and upon seeing it, refunded me my 7 JD. A victory for totally unnecessary customer service, in the least likely of places.
Could you please briefly talk about your experience going back into Jordan (to Amman)? Thanks!
Hi,
Great blog with lots of information. I just love all the border crossing stories, different rules and scams. I have experienced a lot of them myself but always had plenty of time. This time it’s a short trip so I want to be as prepared as can possibly be. Plan is to travel in Israel and cross to Jordan from Eilat and spend 2-3 days in Jordan, then fly out of Amman.
I’m so confused about the visa and departure tax etc. I’m Polish and partner is British. Can we get visa on arrival? How much is the departure tax ( 101 or 173 Shekels)? What about the Jordan pass? I really want to see Petra but it seems so expensive for just 2-3 days with the $130 entry fee and visa fees and departure tax 🙁 Trying to find the cheapest way to convince my partner to go to Jordan.
Any help would be appreciated.
Sounds like a fun trip. But please look at the Eilat/Aqaba crossing information updated in the post. You CANNOT get visa on arrival at that border as of 1/1/2016. Departure tax varies according to crossing. The higher priced one is at Allenby. I am only just learning about the Jordan Pass. The new border rule allows tourists to get visa on arrival at this border only if they are traveling as part of a tour. Here’s an example of a 2-day tour with Viator from Eilat: http://www.partner.viator.com/en/17591/tours/Eilat/Petra-2-Days-from-Eilat/d23242-9877P12 If you go that route, just be sure the tour co. can get that visa for you. Exit tax and visa costs are not usually covered in tour prices though. Or much simpler: get your visa for Jordan before your trip! Then you can enter without problem at Eilat/Aqaba. Do the math and compare the cost and hassle of doing Petra independently vs. having someone guide you and perhaps cover the entry fee in the tour. Much to consider!
Hi, yes it should be a nice trip. I will have get the visa before entering Jordan as it doesn’t work for me to cross at the Allenby. I want to go diving in Eilat so it just makes sense to cross the border there. Definitely don’t want to do a tour, as I don’t like them and usually you spend most time at souvenir shops. I like to be free even if it means hassle from taxi drivers etc. I’m totally use to it. I read a bit about the Jordan pass, which sounds great but still confusing. It says it waves the visa fee but I need to get it at the embassy, therefore I will have to pay for visa. It still seems cheaper than paying for everything separately and also gives you entry to many attractions.
Hello fellow indi travelers! I just returned from Israel-Palestine-Jordan trip and wanted to share fresh info since this blog helped me a lot when I was just confused and unprepared middleeast-wannabe-wanderer. So here is how it goes now:
– Visas: the only two ways of obtaining visa upon arrival to Jordan now are flying into Amman airport and at the Jordan river crossing point (which I did). The other two crossing points you can cross only with having your visa obtained at the embassy of Jordan in your (or any other) country issued not less than two weeks before the arrival (which for me was quite a hassle with Jordan having no embassy in my country and me not having enough time). The good thing is that even if you obtain visa at Jordan river crossing for example, you dont have to use the same point to exit the country, but whichever suits you (I left the country at Aqaba-Eilat point without problems). Btw, I am from Serbia and Serbia was among the countries which weren`t required previously obtained visa, which just proves the fact that everybody needs to have a visa starting from this January.
– Jordan pass: this little thing is a life-saver. It costed me 70JD (one day Petra) and it waives you of visa fees AND exit fee (only this combined 50 JD, and the cheapest ticket to Petra is 50 JD now). You have to buy it BEFORE coming to the border and you have to spend three nights in Jordan in order for it to work, but with Jordan being such a beautiful country, this really pays off. I experienced zero troubles that people who were suspicious about it mentioned in forums: online payment went smoothly and people at the entrances to the sites were well familiar with the Pass and equipped with electronic scanners (I used it for Amman Citadel, Wadi Rum and Petra). Important note: Jordan Pass does NOT substitute visa (you cannot enter the country with just having a Pass), but it does saves you money for the visa/exit fees (this was confirmed to me by the official Jordan Pass team, but I advise you to write them about anything as they are really polite and accurate and were in fact the only official body that I ever got a reply from).
– For those who consider crossing the Jordan river point from Israel to Jordan, I warmly advise you taking the direct bus from Nazareth to Amman that goes through this point and can save you time, money and nerves dealing with taxi mafia from both sides…Tickets cost 80 Sk and can be purchased online at this link http://abrahamtours.com/tours/transfer-nazareth-amman-jordan/
If anyone needs more info or details, I ll be happy to help. Thanks to everyone who contributed this blog, safe travels folks and greets from Serbia! 🙂
This is fantastic information! Thanks for helping us all keep up to date. I’ll work it into the post as well. Cheers! Kevin
Hi Marija,
thanks for your helpful comment, especially on direct link from Nazareth to Amman…
I’m planning to enter Jordan next week with Jordan Pass only and I got confused by your sentence: “Jordan Pass does NOT substitute visa (you cannot enter the country with just having a Pass)”.
What else do I have to have besides my Jordan Pass on my phone?
Thanks in advance for your response and wish you best from Split,
Ante
hi, been in Jordan this January 2016 crossing Eilat/Aqaba border. There is no possibility to cross without visa (unless with qualified travel tour). As a backpackers there is ONE more OPTION as long as you stay in Jordan for more than 3 days – to buy JORDAN PASS (http://jordanpass.jo/) that is qualifying you to enter Jordan without visa.
That is how we croseed Eilat/ Aqaba border on Jan 12, 2016 without no issues (no visa in our passport).
The border check control stated that if the 3 days duration is not fullfilled, you are going to pay fine 50JOD once leaving Jordan. This was what he said, but I have no personal experience with him hence won’t guarantee this.
Hope this helps you guys!
hi Jana, thank you for your post. This is how I wanted to cross the border with the Jordan pass. Thank you for confirming that it worked. Now no need to get visa at the embassy 🙂
Hello! Can anyone tell me the best way to travel from Petra to Eilat. Should I stay one night in Aqaba and cross the next day into Israel. There’s tons of info regarding crossing from Israel to Jordan but haven’t found much the other way around. Any help is appreciated!
Depends on what time you will arrive at the border (just outside/north of Aqaba, short taxi ride). If you are early enough in the day to cross, you can do it. The Israeli website posts 8pm as the closing time, so I’d plan for at least an hour before that, just to be safe. But there isn’t the kind of wait times you’d find at Allenby.
Hi Karen, I have the same problem. Did you already cross the border? I’ll travel next month, and I don’t know what to expect. Thanks
Hello Kevin,
can or would an Afghan stamp in a current travel passport of a German EU-citizen be a hinderance for crossing from Israel into Jordan at King Hussein and vice versa? thanks for any shared experience or thougts on likeliehood,
Thoughts: Jordan likely won’t care. Israel might point it out, and may be semi-confrontational about it. so have your explanation ready for why you went there, stay polite, calm and patient. Smile.
Hey, i crossed two weeks ago at jordan river border crossing from israel to jordan. There is a bus from nazareth to amman for 80 shekel. You can book it on the abrahamtours website. The visa costet 10 JD. When you stay less than 3 nights it will be 40 JD. For me that was the cheapest option, you only have to have time to stay i nazareth or to go there early in the morning.
Hi,
Thanks for posting this, it has helped a lot with our planning. We are still a little confused about the border crossing at the Jordan river from Jerusalem though. Has anyone done this recently that can give me some advice?
My boyfriend and I are British (so no problems getting a visa from this crossing), we will be going at the end of March and are planning on getting the Jordan Pass (heard it will work out much cheaper). Does anyone have any idea of how long it’ll take to get to Amman from Jerusalem including border crossing if we go this way(we don’t know whether to spend a night in Amman or if we will be able to get to Petra in one day)? Also, does anyone know whether you still need to buy a Jordanian visa when we have the Jordan Pass (I emailed them and spoke to them but it wasn’t very clear what ‘visa fees’ refer to)?
The comments section has been a massive help to us so far but would be amazing if someone had recent experience at this gate. Its starting to make us both very stressed trying to organise everything!
Thanks,
Sophie
Pingback: Two American Girls Traveling the Middle East | globetrottingcareerwoman
Hello, I am visiting Cairo and want to visit Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Petra while I am close. The most economical way to do it is to fly into Jordan. Do US citizens require a Jordan visa prior to leaving the US? Also, because I need to catch a flight back to Jordan, is there a preferred way to get back to Jordan from Israel? I can plan my trip around whatever will be the best way. The Egypt portion of my trip is planned through an agent but I am doing Israel etc with a friend on our own and it is getting a little confusing so would love some input.
Thanks in Advance
Does anyone know whether the 2 week rule (amount of time left on your Jordanian visa) still applies to use the Allenby crossing back into Jordan? I will have just 5 days left on my visa…Should I risk it or go to Sheikh Hussein?
The Jordan pass seems the best option anyway, as although I have lived in Jordan for a year I will visit Petra and Jerash with a friend, so paying 75 JOD is actually a lot cheaper than paying for it all separately. Thanks. Can’t believe I have been here a year and didn’t know about it! http://jordanpass.jo/Contents/Prices.aspx
Hi!
Does anyone know if I can cross the Allenby Bridge crossing on a private Jordanian car? I did so at Sheikh Hussein couple of years ago. Not sure about this one.
Thanks
Do you remember if there are restrooms at the Jordanian Terminal at Beth Shean – Sheik Hussein? travelling with a group of Seniors.
I remember using the restroom on the Israeli side.
Dear Kevin. A quick enquiry if I may and apologies if this has been asked before (though maybe it hasn’t)? I notice two of the three crossings cover visa matters but the one via Beit She’an crossing wasn’t clear to me from your wholly impressive article if this crossing requires you to not have a Jordanian visa in advance to cross or not. Please kindly clarify?
Not required in advance there
Hi I am planning to cross from Aqaba to Eilat and come back to Aqaba 1 week later using the same gate.As I read comments above you are talking about exit and entrance fees.Does everyone has to pay this fees? I dont need visa for Jordan as a Turkish.
Merhaba, Ilyas! Actually, you DO need a visa (see here: http://international.visitjordan.com/generalinformation/entryintojordan.aspx), but with a Turkish passport you can obtain a single-entry visa on arrival at the airport in Amman and at the Sheikh Hussein border in the north. However, due to the new rules in January 2016, you CANNOT purchase the visa-on-arrival at Aqaba/Eilat. So you need to be sure that whatever visa you obtain when you go to Jordan (or before your trip) will allow you to enter a second time so you can come back in at Aqaba. Exit fees are 10 JD.
Thank you!! I checked from the webpage of Turkish foreign affairs and it says there is no need visa for Turkish passport holders to visit Jordan!! Thats why I was about to buy ticket from istanbul to aqaba(it is just 90$ go and back) and was plannig to visit israel as well.But now as I can see it doesnt make sense to buy that ticket after paying 85$ double Entry visas for Jordan.I will buy my ticket directly to israel 🙂
Wow, what a cheap flight!! I think the problem is unclear language. Turks don’t need to pre-arrange a visa, like travelers sometimes do, before the trip. According to that Jordan Tourism site, Turks (and many others) can pay for the visa on arrival, but it is still required. This is a tiny difference usually except in the case of Jordan where at 2 of the 3 land borders you cannot get a visa on arrival anymore. Enjoy Israel! What airline is offering such a cheap fare?
It is Turkish Airlines.Until end of may there is a promotion.
Well,actually it is clear,it is writing with details the conditons of entering to any country including arrival visas on the Turkish foreign affairs .But for Jordan it just says you are excempt visa for 90 days in 180 days period.So tomorrow I will call the Jordanian embassy to be sure.
Please let me know what you find out. I often find two official sources conflicting each other. Thanks for bringing it to my attention also!
Sure I let you know after calling the embassy.What I found so far is I am visa-free to visit Jordan according to Turkish foreign affairs and wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Jordan
But according to Jordan webpage I need take visa on arrival and pay.
Lets see what embassy will say ? 🙂 Thanks for your help!!
hiya, awesome blog and comments!
wanting to go from Amman to binyamina/caesaria area (north of tel aviv.). which crossing would make more sense time and money-wise, particularly regarding transportation options on the Israel/Palestine side?
and reading the blog comments, it seems this jett bus option might be he best for King Hussein crossing? would you agree?
Yes, you cross on the Jett bus at King Hussein. Might be a horse a piece for the crossing choice. Probably more frequent options from Allenby just due to volume, but that border can also take long on a bad day or late start. (My own crossings were reasonable, arriving from Amman before the border opened.) Going the northern crossing route also has Jerash to offer if you care to see it along the way. But get a better opinion than mine about the travel route options from Sheikh Hussein/Be’it She’an. If you learn something useful, please share it with the rest of us! Cheers, and safe travels!
Hi, I am currently in Israel/ Palestinian Territories and was denied renewal of my visa. I was here several months ago and they renewed but this time they wont..if i cross into jordan for lets say a week, do you think they will allow me to re enter and give me a new visa?????? I’m a USA Citizen with no other passport..i am scared of leaving and not being allowed back in. They say I over stayed my last visit, but my passport was with the Israelis and they were in the process of renewing it, so it makes no sense to me. They renewed my visa and stamped the renewal 10 days after my first visa expired, My main concern at this point is crossing over to jordan and not being able to get back in, is there a minimum i should stay in jordan? Hope to get an answer to this ! Thanks.
Hi Nora, Anything I say is purely speculation here I’m afraid. So when you actually overstayed last time no one said anything (because they had your passport) and it is only now that they noticed that last time you overstayed? Overstaying visa is treated differently everywhere (simple fine in Thailand, deportation and possible blacklisting in USA). So now it will expire and you still haven’t overstayed yet, right? Are you limited to a certain number of days in Israel within a certain time frame? (ie. 90 days in 180-day period, etc.) Often no one pays attention to that, but it is a vulnerability I suppose. I don’t know about a minimum stay outside of Israel. Maybe 48 or 72 hours? Do you think the visa denial has something to do with spending time in Palestine? Have you got a back up plan if they don’t let you back in?
Last time i overstayed they said nothing, and just renewed my visa. I am now back three months later. I went through the jordan bridge this time (last time through tel aviv was my first time) and they gave me 1 month, telling me i overstayed, i honestly had no clue of this. when they renewed for me, my visa was to expire 11/28/15, i sent my paperwork in maybe 2 weeks before, but with the ongoing conflicts of course it took time. My passport along with my new visa came around 12/13/15, i never noticed that they stamped it 12/8/15 on the new visa. When i got to jordan this time around, my uncle was with me as he was in america visiting my family so i decided to come back with him, i was held by the israelies and questioned why i stayed so long and that a law is a law, that i over stayed 10 days which i had no clue of! I was told to go to ramallah where i could extend the ONE month they gave me. I did as told, but was denied and a paper was stapled to my passport in arabic stating “renewal is strictly only allowed once. With this being said, i am scared of crossing over staying a few days then being denied to being allowed back in…if they wanted me to stay they would have apporved my renewal right? Im not sure wht to do. I guess it may have to do that i am staying in palestine with family and not israel…who knows. not sure on what to do!!!
That’s frustrating. But many people who love pesky rules like this get hired for these jobs it seems in the world. I sure wouldn’t risk overstaying again now, so what would you do when the visa runs out? Fly home?? If that’s the only solution, then I’d still try leaving to Jordan for a weekend and coming back, maybe at Eilat. But be prepared for the worst and know what you would do then. (Fly home from Amman?)
It is super frustrating! im trying to get some type of maybe study or work visa, my family here is trying to help. Plus i have a cousin (one of my many being arab LOL) that works at the multiplicity building also trying to help. If anyting I may stay in Amman, I really want to spend summer here. I guess i’m bored of the USA lol. hopefully it works out.
Ah, yes, have you got a cousin who owns a good hotel?? lol. One of my biggest regrets is I never got to Palestine. Maybe next time. Hook me up! 🙂 There are worse fates than staying in Amman. I frequently reflect on Hashim hummus, which nearly brought tears to my eyes it was so good.
Well if you ever do make it here, i’ll be more then happy to help or show you around LOL. Ahhh yes, hummus can be very delightful even in the worst situations.. 🙂
HI Kevin
I was wondering if you can shed some light. i am planning to fly from manchester to tel aviv, spend 1 week in jeruselem, then i have a flight booked from amman queen alia to jeddah in saudia for me to do umrah.
i was hoping to enter through tel aviv and then take a taxi to allenby crossing.
i am british citizen with a UK passport.
what would you advise is the best thing for me?
That sounds like a good plan. If you prefer to save some money, there are shuttle vans to the border from Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. However, if there is evidence of a border crossing from Israel in your passport, you may have a problem entering Saudi Arabia. Find out about that. Israel can allow you in without a stamp (you’d carry a separate card upon entry) and Jordan can stamp a separate piece of paper when you enter at Allenby/King Hussein. (You will need to tell them that before you hand them the passport) However, if they are really clever in Saudi Arabia they might ask where your Jordan entry stamp is since you arrived from Jordan.
asking please i am jordanian can i use both king hussain bridge on leaving to israel from jordan and return from shaikh hussain bridge to jordan because the opening hours on saturday is more suitable for my trip
If you are Jordanian and have the Jordanian passport, I think they will let you in at all the borders 🙂 But you need a visa to enter Israel, right?
Kevin you’re the MAN!
I have some questions and I hope you can help. A buddy and I are planning a trip to Eilat/Aqaba. Plan is to drive our rental car down from Tel Aviv to Eilat the drive across to Aqaba (is this even possible?). Then we would stay 2 nights in Aqaba and do a Petra Tour with a company there. Then head back to Eilat. Would our Visa fees be waived in this situation since we are staying 2 nights? Thanks!
Is the Petra Tour Co. arranging your visa for Eilat/Aqaba border? Because you can no longer get that on arrival there (since January 2016). I’d check with the company to see what they can do for you. I think that would at least make the crossing possible without a pre-arranged visa but you may still have to pay. Please let us know what you find out so we can share it with everyone. Thanks! And definitely check with your rental company about the border crossing. Should be possible. I only know that going from Jordan to Israel required some insurance proof, but I am not sure about the reverse direction.
Cheers,
Kevin
So ultimately we booked a tour w an Israeli company for Petra. They are going to arrange our visas, drive us to our hotel in Aqaba, pick us up the next day for Petra and drop us back off in Aqaba for one more night. Then next morning pick us up and bring us back to Eilat. Visa fee waived since staying 2 nts. This we found is the easiest/most affordable way to get Visa situation taken care of and not have to pay unnecessary Eilat hotel prices (insanely cheaper in Aqaba). We will stay in Eilat Saturday night to get turntt
Thank you so much!!! I have been looking for an updated blog since Jordan’s visa changes this year.
Glad to know it helped! If you experience any anomalies or official/unofficial changes, please share them back here to help us keep this as accurate as possible. 🙂
Thanks for the information, really useful. Maybe it was quiet because of the ramadan, but we had 2 very smooth border crossings 2 weeks ago. From Jordan into Israel in less than an hour and back a little longer because we had to wait for the bus for half an hour.
The visa issued at Queen Alia Airport are valid for 4 weeks now, we spent two weeks in Jordan and then 5 days in Jerusalem.
My husband and I are American. We are planning to fly into Amman, stay for 5 days, then cross at Allenby into Israel and stay for 6 days, then return to Amman to depart. I have heard conflicting information about whether or not the single entry visa we can purchase at the airport will work for two entries (returning at Allenby) or not. The US State Dept website says it will, but then I see other places where people say it will not. What say you, fellow travelers? Should we incur the expense of buying Jordan multiple entry visas in advance, even though they may not be necessary, to be safe?
Pingback: Israel Pilgrim Trip - Through Jordan - Wandering Dejavu
Pingback: A Road Trip Through Israel - Tips to get around including Petra
Hi Kevin,
I’m wondering if you had information about crossing with Jordan Pass. I’m especially interested in Eilat-Aquaba and Bridge Allenby stations. Could be there any additional costs? I mean I red somewhere that when entering Jordan with pre arranged visa or JP you have to pay 20 JOD ‘handling fee’. It is most likely a hoax as I could not find any information if this except one website. Do anyone know anything of this?
Thanks in advance!
Bests,
Gergő
Haven’t heard of an “handling fees”. As long as you are eligible for visa on arrival (based on the nationality of your passport), you CAN enter at Eilat-Aqaba if you bought the Pass beforehand AND providing you stay a minimum 3 whole consecutive nights in Jordan. You CANNOT get visa on arrival at King Hussein/Allenby, even with a Jordan Pass. If you get a visa ahead of your trip, you can enter there but then you lose the advantage of the Jordan Pass visa fee waiver. This is information from Jordan Pass itself.
Thank you very much for the quick answer Kevin!
I’m travelling with my girlfriend and we will stay about 5-6 days in Jordan and then return to Israel. So now I think that the Jordan Pass would be the best for us. The Allenby Bridge would have been interesting because we wanted to travel northwards (Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea etc.) and then cross there to Jerusalem, but now I see that there is not possible…
One more thing occured to me, as much I understand you if we entered at Eilat-Aquaba to jordan, it is possible to go back to Israel at an other border station, right?
Bests,
Gergő
Sorry for the slow reply – I am not getting comment notifications right now. Ugh. Anyway, yes, you should be able to leave Jordan at any border station (as long as you are not on the “restricted visa” country list).
Hi Kevin, me and my friend flying to Tel Aviv on september, and we are planning to visit jordan for 5-7 days, i read alot but still not sure if we can get visa (we are romanian) at Sheikh Hussein border…please help
Thank you
Hi Natalia, Romanians are eligible for visa on arrival in Jordan, and the Sheikh Hussein land border crossing (NOT the KING Hussein/Allenby Bridge crossing!) currently gives visas on arrival. Kevin
Hi everyone,
I hope this discussion is still active and that you can help me further:
I am currently for an Arabic course in Lebanon and before I go back to Europe I would like to take a flight to Amman and cross at King Hussein Bridge to Jerusalem in order to stay in Israel for a week. I would then have a flight back to Europe, from Tel Aviv to Munich. I am well aware that I will go through an intense security check at the Israeli border, but do you think anything worse can happen to me (or that I am not allowed into the country)? I am studying something political science related, which might be a bit weird, but besides the language course, both trips are solely of touristic purpose and I should be able to prove that…
Does anyone have any recent experiences in that regard?
Also, being allowed to get a visa for Jordan at the airport and having been to Amman this year already: Is it sufficient to show the authorities in Amman my further travel documentation in order to get a Visa? And is it ok to leave the country within the same day again?
Please let me know if have any experiences with this!
Thanks in advance,
Carina
Hey Carina,
You will likely get hassled a bit at the border crossing for having been in Lebanon (I always do), but you should be fine getting through. Be polite, answer all their questions, don’t lie. I always delete social media accounts as well because they can look through your personal devices at the border. This is me being overly-cautious but I have heard horror stories from friends some of whom have gotten 5 year bans from Israel for things they’ve said online. If you’re trying to catch a flight from Tel Aviv it’s probably better to be safe.
For a Jordan visa all you need is your passport and cash. That one is really not difficult. However, if your goal is to try to get around buying the visa because of your very short stay, I’m not sure that’s possible. I think you will have to just bite the bullet and pay the 40JD otherwise you will likely just end up stuck in the airport.
Best of luck!
Hello
I am from Poland. Becouse there is no flight from Poland to Jordan I will flight to Ovda in Israel and in the same day I want to go to Aqaba. I will stay 3 nights in Aqaba and go back to Ovda and flight back to Poland.
I will cross the border near Eilat.
Please tell me do I need a visa? Can I buy it at the border? I will sleep 3 night in Aqaba. I would like to visit Petra for 1 day.
Please read the post carefully. You cannot get visa on arrival at Eilat/Aqaba border. Unless you book a tour with a qualified tour agency, then they can arrange that for you.
Some comments on a recent crossing from Israel at the Be ‘it She’an/ Sheikh Hussein border post , we are a middle aged couple on Australian passports. We didn’t plan far ahead enough to get a visa to use the Allenby bridge crossing, so put up with the extra cost and travel time to do the detour.
It seemed that walking across No Mans Land was not permitted, and you had to use the shuttle bus (5NIS).
Leaving Israel they asked if we wanted a stamp or not, entering Jordan they asked how long we were staying, and on hearing it would only be 3 nights they gave us a discounted visa for JD 10, ( we did not have Jordan Passes so can’t comment on that).
And if anyone wanted to confirm the current situation, Raymond, owner of the Amman Pasha hotel in Amman (and a returned migrant from Australia) has travellers passing through every day so is always up to date and is very helpful, Google it and and give him a ring.
Thanks for that great information! Cheers, Kevin
It’s very easy to cross from Eilat with a Jordan Pass if you have a minimum stay of three nights in Jordan. I did it a week ago with Jordan Pass ordered online the night before. It took us 1.5 hours to cross the border. After 3 night in Jordan, we crossed the border again, this time at King Hussein Bridge. It took 3-4 hours, so not that bad. We did meet a group who had been waiting for 11 hours though. Entering Israel you will be asked several questions about previous visits in other countries, relation to fellow travellers, purpose of your visit in Israel and so on. All in all I would say that I have read a lot of bad experiences crossing the border, but in my view it was actually pretty easy.
Oh, and by the way, I am from Denmark. There might be different rules for different nationalities. I am not fully aware of that.
Enjoy your border crossing, and look at it as a part of your adventure!
Received a LOT of info from you guys, thanks! I’m intending to study in Amman this winter and before I fly home I want to experience Israel ( the flights from tel aviv are much cheaper as well ). My plan is to take the bus from Amman to the Eilat/Aqaba crossing. Is the surrounding safe for a solo traveller? And although I’m born and raised in Sweden I am of Kurdish descent..will it be a major problem or should I just expect some questions? And is there a problem if they find out I have been living in Jordan? Thanks again!
Allan
I wouldn’t expect any issues. You have valid reasons for being there, etc. You can always expect questions though. Be honest, answer patiently, and smile.
My mom and I (US citizens, I am a student in Israel for a few years) just got back from a trip to Jordan through the Eilat/Aqaba border. After reading all this info we were very worried about crossing the border because I didn’t know the laws had changed until late the night before we went. To our surprise none of the stuff we read here happened!
We paid a 105 shekel/each exit fee from Israel and entered Jordan for free, stayed 2 nights in Petra and returned on the third day. We paid a 10 JD/each exit tax from Jordan and easily entered Israel. We did not buy the Jordan Pass or prearrange a visa. None of that seems necessary as long as you are staying for at least one night in the country. We had no trouble and the crossing felt comfortable and safe. If you are staying in Petra overnight you should bring the paperwork given to you at the border in Jordan to be stamped at the main ticketing gate in Petra when you enter. I think that may have also saved us any further visa or entrance/exit fees in and out of the country. I think the pre-visa/high entry tax is meant to scare people into prearranging and paying the fees and for those entering for a single day to have to pay high prices. Stay a night or two and it will cost you no more than $20 (US) to enter and exit.
Very interesting, however, I do note that you did stay the alleged minimum two nights. Inconsistency at the border, whether to one’s advantage or disadvantage, is the whole point of this post. Thank you for sharing that experience. So, to be clear, you entered independently, without a pre-arranged visa or tour or perhaps hotel reservation? Had you pre-purchased your entry to Petra perhaps? I don’t think we should tell people stay “a night or two” when you stayed two nights. Staying one night might not satisfy the no-fee visa requirements per the Visit Jordan and government sites: “The Jordanian Government has waived visa fees for all non-restricted nationalities coming through Jordanian tour operators whether travelling individually or in groups. The visa fee is waived on the condition that the traveler/travelers spend a minimum of two consecutive nights in Jordan.” And yet, one paragraph later the same official source says “Starting 1st of January 2016, entry visas will no longer be issued at the Wadi Araba Border Crossing. The only exceptions are Israeli tour groups and others carrying proper entry documentation entering Jordan for tourism purposes. Moreover, Israeli tourists and those carrying proper entry documents who have bought the 90JOD entrance ticket to the Petra Archeological Site, will be exempted from the obligatory 24 hour stay in Jordan under the following conditions” thus contradicting itself in two paragraphs regarding minimum stays. Ugh. So are the officials doing their own thing at the border or was this an exceptional case as we’ve seen periodically over the years? I do imagine that at the moment with the instability in the general region that tourism is down and any policy that limits tourists is a pretty bad idea. But please confirm you haven’t met any of the requirements. Do you have residency in Israel due to your student status?
Hi Kevin,
I can confirm that we entered independently of any tour and did not show any proof of where or how long we were staying to the border patrol. We also did not pre-purchase any tickets. I do agree that the information is completely inconsistent and confusing. From what I understood after talking to the border patrol guards on the Israeli side is that if you remain in Jordan overnight then the new “pre-arranged visa requirement” and even the high cost of crossing the border is waived. I cannot speak to whether the stamped mandates from the Petra ticket office or our 2 night stay was the cause for us not to pay more than 10 JDs each. I do not have residency or any special status in Israel, simply a student visa. From those I spoke to, the prearranged visa seemed like a way of making money off of tour groups that come into Jordan for a single day and leave, and in order to change them extra money (without doing it illegally) they had to create some kind of law or visa requirement. Wish I had a more clear understanding, maybe it was sheer luck!
Thanks for letting us know! It surely would seem that the policy’s intention was to nab the day trip people for longer. But it sure makes it difficult to know what exactly to expect. 🙂
Hi Kevin,
My name is Manolo Medina. I’m in Jerusalem with my family, my wife and my 11 and 8 year old daughters. We are from Mexico. We came from Amman and are going back tomorrow to Jordan. Like everyone here, I appreciate your excellent information. Still, I have some questions maybe you can help me with:
1. Do you know at what time they close the border tomorrow saturday 29-10-2016 at Allenby / King Hussein bridge?
2. My nephew lives here in Jerusalem and we rented a car for the sights in Israel. We want to use the rented car for him yo drive us all the way to the border crossing Allenby / King Hussein bridge. He would leave us there and get back to Jerusalem. He is worried on the checkpoints. Whether he will be able to get us all the way to the border crossing. Can he use the rented car to get us all the way or would we need a taxi / public transportation instead ?
I am so sorry, Manolo, but I only just saw this comment! Did you make it to the border? The rental car should have worked fine. The Israeli government lists their closing time on Saturdays as 15:00. I hope you found this information in time! http://www.iaa.gov.il/en-US/borders/alenbi/Pages/default.aspx
Hi Kevin,
We’re planning to cross to Amman via Allenby. Would Jordan Pass be sufficient for us to cross with non-restricted nationality passports? Or would an official visa still be required prior to our crossing (since Allenby doesn’t issue visa on site).
Thanks for your help!
Annie
The Jordan Pass site says you still cannot do the visa on arrival at Allenby with the pass. So yes, a visa in advance would be required for this plan.
Hi Kevin,
I am planning on visiting Jordan and Israel in December. In your opinion, is it easier to start in Israel and cross into Jordan…or do the trip in reverse? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Sage
Hi Kevin. First of all thank you for putting up this site. I used it a lot to get fresh info during my Trip.
I was in Isreal and today I crossed the Eilat/Aqaba border.
I am Italian, so EU passport.
I just want to tell you that whatever they say, I didn’t have ANY Visa in advance, no jordanpass and I didn’t Pay anything at the border. All I need to do is stay 2 nights in Jordan (confirming what Vanessa wrote previously) and less than 2 weeks.
-Attention, on the israeli side there is a sign saying that you cannot pay the Jordan Visa by credit card but you need JD. They have an exchange office on the Israeli side with very bad exchange rates.
I suggest to change the minimum money to pay the taxi (9 JD per person at least) in Eilat (i changed today 10 euros for 7 JD in Eilat Exchange office near the Bus station)
-Taxi from Eilat Bust Station to Jordan border. I stopped 2 taxis and wanted to pay only 20 Shekels (as per your suggestion here) both said 30 or nothing and left. The third taxi said the same…I haggled and reached 25 but 20 no way. I didn’t insist and paid 25. I never reached 20.
-Taxi Mafia updgraded and have a big sign outside saying price to Aqaba centre is 9JD PER PERSON, not per taxi. I was with 3 friends and bargained for 14 JD, so the sign is a very flexible one. I guess some can get it for even less. We thought it was enough.
I didn’t take a picture of the sign but I may do it on my way to Egypt via Eilat and post the picture here for you.
I hope this helps you update info on your site and help other travellers.
I’m goint to Egypt in 3 days and I’ll let you know if there’s anything new from that side.
I have one question/remark on Aqaba/Eilat border crossing:
– the website says that Jordan Pass holders will be issued a visa on site. Have you heard anything about it?
Very helpful article by the way, thank you!
Best!
So it would seem! The Jordan Pass website actually says that as well, and travelers have confirmed it. AND, at least a couple readers have reported getting the free visa at that border without the Jordan Pass, and staying in Jordan for a couple nights (or just one, in one case) and thus not being charged for the visa upon leaving.
Hey there! I am a Swiss citizen completing an internship in Amman and am planning on going to Palestine and Israel this Thursday (so in 2 days). I have two questions;
– I got into Jordan with a Jordan Pass which will still be valid when I will come back from Palestine/Israel. As I am crossing at Allenby/KH Bridge and am planning on coming back through this same bridge, do you happen to know whether this visa will be OK? It’s not like I am coming with the visa, the visa is *already* in my passport, I just got it thanks to the Jordan Pass. If you could help that’d be great! In any case I will let you know how it went coming back next Sunday.
– I am planning on coming back on Sunday; what is the latest at which I can cross the border to get back to Amman? I.e. at what time does the latest Israeli shuttle leave Jerusalem for the KH/Allenby border, and at what time does the latest Jordanian bus leaves KH/Allenby border for Amman?
Many thanks!!
Egor
Sorry, Egor! The comment got to me late! We think that visa should serve you at Allenby since you exited there and your stay was short, but we’d love to know what your experience was there. Sunday the Allenby terminal is allegedly open until midnight, but you need to get started well before that. The last bus back across the border is about 22:00 and King Hussein lists its closing time at 22:00. Start by 20:00, I’d recommend.
Hi! Love your blog! You might be able to help me with this question:
Am planning to fly into Israel and a few weeks later travel overland to Jordan.
I’ve read that in order to be granted entry into Israel I need to show proof of a return flight…is there any way around this if I plan to exit overland?
Any advice would be greatly welcomed 🙂
Thanks,
Amanda
Hi Amanda, It may depend on who you face at the check-in or when you arrive at immigration. Not a great answer, right? Do you have a flight from Jordan to home or something? That ought to work. Or maybe even a printout of a Jordan hotel reservation. If you prefer, you can create an itinerary from an old flight, changing dates, flight numbers, price, etc. to look real. (Others have done this regularly.) Or you can book a refundable flight and cancel it after entry.
Hello,
Following the experience shared on this great forum, my wife and I purchased a Jordan Pass and we will try to pass the Eilat/Aqaba border using this document. Let’s see. 🙂
Coming back from Jordan to Israel, we have a flight to catch from Eilat on Tuesday, 20 December at 1.00PM local time. We plan to spend the night before in Aqaba. Do you think it will be possible to reach the flight? Our plan is to be at the border when it opens on Tuesday, 20 December at 6.30AM.
Can you please also let me know if there is a border entry fee into Israel?
Thanks.
Daniel
Hi Daniel, If you are flying out of Eilat, that should be fine. It’s typically a much quicker crossing than Allenby/King Hussein. I like that you are going early just to be safe. As long as your country of passport has the visa waiver, you enter Israel without fee. (Israel Departure fee is another story, however!)
Hi!
i cannot post photos on this blog but I would just like to add to my previous comment that.
1) i did not pay any exit tax from Jordan (I went out from the same border I entered, that is Aqaba/Eilat)
2) there is a big price list of taxis outside of Aqaba border on Jordanian side.
They quote price per person but locals say it’s actually price per taxi.
You DEFINITELY must bargain on price, as mentioned above, I paid 14 JD for 3 people instead of 9 JD per person (would have been 27 JD.
This is the photo I took of the pricelist outside of Aqaba border.
Kevin feel free to download it and use it on your site if you wish.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/htqxp8msv55t0kz/2016-11-21%2008.06.09-1.jpg?dl=0
Thanks, Massimo! Great information.
Hi Kevin, thank you for your answer.
I am summarising my notes so far on the Eilat/Aqaba border going from Israel into Jordan on 17 December. I do not take Visa fees for Jordan into account as we will buy the Jordan Pass. I will report back on our experience using the Jordan Pass. We do not have any pre-arranged visas, our passports are Polish and Austrian.
Eilat/Aqaba border opening hours:
Sunday to Thursday 6:30 to 20:00 and Friday to Saturday 8:00 to 20:00
Taxi from Eilat Bus Station to the border :
approx. 30 Shekel per trip CASH
Israel exit fee:
105 Shekel per person CASH, alternatively by CREDIT CARD
Taxi from border to downtown Aqaba:
approx. 10 Dinar per person CASH
Israel entry fee when coming back:
none
Looks right. But see Massimo’s comment regarding taxi from border to Aqaba: “They quote price per person but locals say it’s actually price per taxi.
You DEFINITELY must bargain on price, as mentioned above, I paid 14 JD for 3 people instead of 9 JD per person (would have been 27 JD).”
Pingback: The Truth About the Free Jordanian Visa – The Mad Traveler
Thanks Kevin. One final question: how long can we expect it will take to get through the border from Israel to Jordan and vice versa? Planning to go to Jordan on Sat 17 Dec in the early afternoon, planning to come back on Tue 20 Dec in the very early morning. Thanks. Daniel
Hard to say, but typically it’s nothing like Allenby. Less than half hour for me but there were less than a dozen of us throughout my crossing. Plan for an hour maybe but I’d bet it’s half that. Let us know 🙂
hello fellow travellers!
i’ve read most of the recent comments here and seeing this very helpful community, wanted to ask some of my own as well. I’d highly appreciate any answers and many thanks in advance!
here is my story.. i’ll be flying to jordan (got a turkish passport that has the israeli visa already) and after spending a few days in/around amman, i’m planning to cross over into israel overland, and spend another few days here before my return flight out of tel aviv.
* I guess the KH/Allenby Bridge seems to be the best option for me as it’s the closest to Amman, right? I just wonder if it’s always open and for everyone? it seems like we might have to travel through some palestinian territories which I believe is not possible for everyone? or is there actually a road that can get me to jerusalem by avoiding palestine?
* also, I’m travelling alone so what is the most convenient, cheap, fast etc way to get to the border and then onwards to jerusalem? how much approx should i expect to pay?
looking fwd to hearing your answers – many thanks in advance!
cheers,
taşkın
Hi Taşkın, Yes, that’s the best border for you. I’d recommend getting there right before it opens in the morning (see post) for the quickest passage in. The road from there to Jerusalem is not considered entering into Palestine which would have a whole different check point. Bus to border is cheapest in Amman, however, if you are staying at a hostel, you may be able to ask the staff and coordinate with other guests to share a taxi which would be faster/easier, and not unreasonable. On the Israel side, look for a shared taxi-van-shuttle to Jerusalem, Damascus Gate (see the paragraph in the post near “Damascus Gate” and right above “A Note on VIP service.” but figure prices to be a tiny bit higher.) Let us know about your experience please. İyi şanslar! Kevin (Big fan of Turks and Turkey, by the way — see my book: The Yogurt Man Cometh)
This is such a helpful website, thank you. Can I just ask if you have any tips on passing from Aqaba to Eilat direction? We are doing Petra to Jerusalem just after Christmas and will be spending one night in Aqaba to ensure we can cross the border early the next morning. We plan to take a taxi from our Aqaba hotel to the border and walk across. I have booked a hire car in Eilat and am assuming we can find a taxi at the border to take us into town to the car rental place. Would you agree that is going to be possible? We will be four people and I suppose the only question is whether or not one or two of us should go ahead in a taxi to collect the car and come back and pick up the others or whether we take two taxis if necessary to get us there. Hardly your problem I suppose but all advice on the crossing appreciated !
Sarah
Totally possible and typical. If you can’t fit four in the Israeli taxi (seemed to me they had bigger cars than Jordanian taxis, but then bags is really the issue, right?) then figure if it’s worth the double price vs. losing the time of coming back for those waiting at the border. And haggle like hell.
PS. Any idea where I can get the best up to date road map if Israel, hopefully including Jordan as well?
Sarah
I’d probably rely on free online stuff myself, but there are paper maps if you are old school (which I am when back in the USA) >> Israel – http://amzn.to/2hF82Q6 Jordan: http://amzn.to/2gL9Fde
Dear Kevin:
I’m so excited to find this blog. I was reading conflicting reports whether “Visa on arrival” were being offered the the Eilat-Aqaba border. Our family of four, plan to cross on Dec 27th stay a night in Aqaba and the next night across from Petra. At this point, we do not have Visas. But I need to make a quick executive decision whether to drive the 5 hour trek to San Francisco to obtain Visas for the family or risk that they will be offered at the boarder crossing. We plan to get a taxi from our hotel to take us to the local minibus station and head for Petra on the 28th.
Need your advice and expertise in my decision making.
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, Oh man, what can I say? If I say Do it! and someone at the border crosses his arms and says Nope, I will feel horrible! That said, three emails in the last 3 weeks saying they did exactly what you are planning. How about this, however: the JordanPass? That would get you in AND include some site entries (I think it’s only one day at Petra though, which for me was OK.) http://www.jordanpass.jo/ A one-day Petra fee is already 50JD, so for an extra 20 you get the border situation sorted and perhaps visit other sites as well? If you decide to just risk, have your backup plans. Again, travelers are reporting you are good to go, but the contrary info in a couple places nags at the back of one’s mind. 🙂 Let me know what you decide and what happens. Safe travels!
Hey Kevin,
I have a Lebanon stamp on my passport and next week I will apply to a visa to Israel embassy. Do you think that will it be a problem during my visa application period or accrossing the border from Jordan?
It is possible. I think they will definitely notice and ask about it. They asked me about some of mine as well. Just be sure to have a good explanation for why you were there and why you want to visit Israel. Just be honest, don’t be defensive, be patient and polite, and smile. And please let me know how it goes! İyi şanslar!
Hi, love your blog!
I can update on the situation on Beit Sheam/Irbid crossing (Jordan valley crossing).
I crossed it Just yesterday.
All prices are per person.
We arrived at the border at 8:30AM.
The border fee on the Israeli side was 101NIS.
The bus ticket from the Israeli side was 5NIS.
On the Jordanian side we paid 20JD for Visa for up to 3 days.
29JD for a taxi to Amman.
On the way back, we arrived after 8:00 pm and got on the bus from Jordanian side to the Israeli side at 8:45 pm or so.
29JD for a taxi from Amman to the border crossing.
The exit price from Jordan was 10JD, and the bus ticket 1.50JD.
We exited the border station at 9:30PM.
– Reuven
Hello,
Here is some information on our border crossing from Eilat (Israel) to Aqaba (Jordan) on Sat 17 December 2016 in the afternoon.
From Ovda Airport to Eilat City Centre:
We were flying into Ovda Airport, which is a 45 min drive North of Eilat. You need to have cash to buy the bus ticket (line no. 282) from Ovda to Eilat. The ride takes approx. 45 min. The price of the bus ticket is 21.50 Shekel per person. If you do not have Shekel, then there is an exchange office at Ovda Airport. You can exchange EUR and USD for sure, in our case PLN were not accepted for exchange.
From Eilat City Centre to the border:
From Eilat Central Bus Station, we joined two other travellers and took a taxi for 30 Shekel per trip to the border with Jordan. The ride took not more than 15 min. Payment in cash. An alternative here is to take a local bus and get off at the bus station nearest to the border, this leaves you with a walk of approx. 20 min. As we did not go for the alternative option, I do not have any further details here.
At the border:
The four of us paid an overall Israel exit fee of 409 Shekel in cash, i.e. 102.25 Shekel per person.
If you are a single traveller, this is slightly more expensive, but should not exceed 105 Shekel per person. To enter Jordan, we bought the Jordan Pass, which grants you a waiver of visa fees. This turned out to be true in our case. We spend three nights in Jordan. This is the minimum amount of nights to be spent in Jordan if you want to avoid a fee of 60 Dinars per person upon exiting Jordan again, we cannot confirm however this fee is actually levied. Another (Polish) traveller did not buy the Jordan Pass in advance, however he did also not have to pay any visa fees. Overall, the whole border experience did not take more than 30 min.
From the border to Aqaba city centre:
We (my wive, me and another traveller) took a taxi from the border to Aqaba downtown for 12 Dinar per trip. Payment in cash. There is a sign at the taxi stand that indicates a price of 9 Dinar per person from the border to Aqaba city centre. When I asked one of the taxi drivers about the price, he claimed it to be 50 Dinar per trip at the beginning.
From Aqaba to Wadi Rum or Wadi Musa (Petra):
We think the best option is to rent a car. We paid 45 EUR per day for the car. It was totally worth it as we were flexible and did not have any hassle to look for public transport or taxis to any of the aforementioned places.
From Aqaba back to Ovda Airport:
We took a taxi from Aqaba City Centre to the border for 5 Dinar per trip. A local told us that a range between 5 to 7 Dinar is a reasonable price for this trip. As we went in the early morning, there was some traffic at the border with Jordan people commuting to work to Eilat. Nevertheless, we spent no more than 30 min at the border again. No payments this time. From Eilat Central Bus Station, we took bus line no. 282 for the trip to Ovda Airport.
Enjoy your trip!
This is the photo of the announcement on Aqaba border crossing taken by my friend on December 2016:
http://hitchwiki.org/ru/images/ru/e/e0/Independent_travelers_Aqaba_crossing.jpg
It says that you still can enter via this crossing without a visa, and you don’t have to pay anything if you spend more than 3 nights in Jordan and exit via the same crossing.
Ah, good show! Thanks from all of us!
Hey Kevin – great write up, thanks so much for compiling this (and maintaining it!)
We (my wife and I) are currently in Jordan on a Jordan Pass. We both got entry stamps but we are unclear whether these constitute ‘visas on arrival.’
Specifically we are hoping to use the ‘spent less than 7 days in Israel and re-enter on the same visa rule’ to do a side trip to Israel before returning for our flight onwards from Amman. Any thoughts?
Other question is why flying from Israel to Jordan is (supposedly) problematic. It seems that flying roundtrip would be a potentially (expensive) solution?
Thanks!
Hi Diede, That stamp and the pass should be proof enough, I think. But will they honor that at King Hussein/Allenby crossing? I can’t promise. I’d think so but it sure would be worth asking them and getting a name from whoever told you so. Remember if they do not accept it and you are coming back via Allenby, you can’t get another visa on arrival at that border station. However, I’ve also heard of travelers arguing/pleading their case there when they returned on a single visa. As for the flying, I can’t imagine the problem other than cost.
Thanks. We’ll give it a go and see what they say.
Super! Let us know how it goes please!
Trip report. We crossed over from Jordan to Israel via Allenby on Monday and back today (Saturday)
We had entered Jordan 5 days earlier from Oman using the Jordan pass which worked flawlessly. We are Dutch and Mexican passports.
Taxi to Allenby on Jordanian side was 20 dinar. We left at 6:30am to arrive by 7:15. Nothing happened on Jordan side till 8:30. We could have easily left at 7:30am.
Confirmed with two border officials that the exception is still in place and applied to the Jordan pass. Got two affirmatives so we decided to risk it.
It’s worth noting that we got separately processes from Jordanian. Meaning different passport drop off/pick up officials, different bus, etc
We drove in lockstep with the VIP vans. Very happy we didn’t pay for it.
Israeli side was a breeze. Zero questions and they issue a blue inserts by default so no stamps.
All told we were trough in 2 hours but could have been faster had we showed up a bit later.
On the return we paid 300 shekels for a taxi. Because of Sabbath the roads were empty. We left at 7:30 and pulled up to the border by 8 sharp.
We had re-confirmed with two VIP services that we didn’t need visas. It seems the exception is well known. This was further reflected by the fact we got zero questions or even asked to show the pass on the return. (It looks like they can tell from the passport stamp).
On the way back we also skipped VIP service since we didn’t see any people.
All went smooth except tax refund. One of our two refunds didn’t show up correctly in their system and they refused to pay out despite all the correct forms. This delayed us by 20 minutes and we missed the first bus. Added a 30 minute wait.
We were through in less than 2 hours.
In summary, pleasantly surprised by how frictionless given all the horror stories. We have done a bunch of more adventurous borders crossings (Africa, Asia, Latam) – this was middle of the pack in terms of complexity and hassle.
One note – we could easily see this being a different experience if the volume of people is ramped up. It’s clearly low season in Jordan and we might have gotten lucky.
Excellent! Thanks for sharing that!
Hello Diede:
We are going to Petra and Aqqaba on Thursday from Eilat. We are from Mexico and we are only staying for 2 nights. Doy we have to buy the Jordan Pass? Or do you recommend us to get the visa in the Jordan embassy in Tel Aviv tomorrow? Or as I heard, can we go without any visa just showing our passports?
Thank you!!
?
You are eligible for visa on arrival with your Mexican passport, and travelers are reporting going in with the free visa as long as you stay 2 nights. The Jordan Pass is not necessary for that (but you might want to see how much it saves you money on site visits). You may still need to pay the departure tax of 10 JD, but that’s not bad. 🙂 Have a safe trip and please let us know how it goes. Cheers, Kevin
Thank you very much for your response! I’ll let you know the details when we return.
My family of 6 are planning to go to Petra-Aqaba-Wadi Rum in Mar-2017. I found the local Aqaba website (http://www.aqaba.jo/en/node/1412) still indicates that free visas are available. I am emailing them to see what response I get. Because two of my children are less than 12 years old, they are free to enter Petra or Wadi Rum and so I don’t need to get a Jordan Pass for them. I’m trying to find out if it will cause me problems at the Wadi-Araba border if 4 of us have Jordan Pass (includes visa) and 2 do not. I’ll let this board know what happens.
Hi Trevor, There is every indication that travelers are entering there without a pre-arranged visa and getting a free visa on arrival. The only catch (and even that appears inconsistent) is that you may have to pay if you leave before staying two nights. But definitely please report anything you hear or see! Thank you from all of us! Kevin
Hi I wanted to know that since I have a Jordan Pass and am from a nation with free visa upon arrival, will I be able to get a visa at the Wadi Arava border? I’ll be leaving Jordan via airport and am only staying for a full 4 days and 4 nights in Jordan. I’ll also be traveling on a tour group. Thank you.
Yes, you should have no problem at all. There is a free visa on arrival there PLUS your Jordan Pass includes the visa too. Have a great trip!
That is what I’m confused about. The Jordan Pass says that “purchasing the Jordan Pass does not exempt you from having a visa. It only waives your visa fees.” I mean it sounds like there won’t be too much trouble since I’ll be still able to get a free visa upon arrival there.
Also, I’ll be arriving in Jordan via the Wadi Arava border, but I’ll be leaving Jordan via their international airport in Amman.
Yes, what it means is for a person who is required to get a visa in advance, it will not substitute. So as long as your passport is from one of the countries approved for visa on arrival, you are OK.
I’m also concerned because I’m going to be crossing the border and staying in Jordan only for 4 days in mid-February of this year. I hope the visa upon arrival still works then.
US Passport?
Will things be okay crossing the Wadi Araba border and leaving Jordan from the Amman International Airport with just the Jordan Pass if I’m a US passport holder?
Not a problem at all!
I crossed in Mid Jan 2017. I stayed in Israel for 33 days. When I re-entered Jordan I had to pay another 40JD. Ive been told that
a) When you enter at Amman airport the visa says to visit police station within 30 days
b) If you visit police station the Visa will be extended to 3months
c) Id you come back from Israel within the 3 month period you will not be charged the extra 40JD for a new Visa
Does anyone have any info to confirm or deny the above
That all seems legit according to posted visa rules. Visas are 30 days, extensions are typically, not always, 2 months. The coming and going part I would confirm at the time of visa extension though, just to be safe.
With this new executive order from the President of the USA, are US born citizens still allowed to travel to Jordan without any complications? Will we still get a visa upon arrival at the Wadi Arabs border with the Jordan Pass? This isn’t related to this feed, but can US born citizens travel to Egypt without any concerns or complications as well? Will US born citizens be still allowed to receive a visa upon arrival in Egypt for $25 USD? Also, how early should we be going to the airport for a departure flight now? Will we be scrutinized in the US airport for traveling to a country like Jordan or Egypt?
Thank you.
I don’t see any news of such reciprocal behavior, if that’s what you are worried about, and frankly I expect that they prefer to take in tourists. I don’t expect anything of that nature. It’s coming back in where the hassles may occur, but presumably not for citizens/US passports. Yet, anyway.
Due to the executive order given by Trump, are US born citizens allowed to travel to Jordan without complications? Will US born citizens who purchased the Jordan Pass still be able to get the visa at the Wadi Araba border and still be okay if leaving Jordan through the Amman International airport? Even though this isn’t related, are US citizens still allowed to travel to Egypt without any complications at the airports, etc.? What time should people be at US airports when flying overseas, especially to Egypt or Jordan? Is the 25 USD visa upon arrival still available to US citizens at the Cairo International airport?
Thank you.
Good article, but I am confused because at some points it says that tthe wadi araba border doesnt have on arrival visas but then in the comments looks like it says there is on arrival visas? I am Canadian and am planning to travel from jerusalem or tel aviv to amman this April and would like to get an on arrival visa in Jordan. I am checking flights from tel aviv to amman and they are expensive but I Know that the airport gives on arrival visas no problem. I am looking to substitute this flight by doing a border crossing but I just need to know which border crossing 100% can give me an on arrival visa that same day like the airport would …can you help answer this would help tremendously!
Hi Derek, Do you mean in this post when you say “at some points it says the wadi araba border doesn’t have on arrival visas”? I believe I updated that a couple months ago. If you see that somewhere, please indicate it so I can change it. As the post indicates, both the north and south crossings do visa on arrival (at the moment) and only Allenby/King Hussein does not. Safe travels!
Hi sorry, I meant to say in other articles I read that it isn’t allowed (not this one). For instance, in visitjordan website it says that Wadi Araba does not issue visas… thats why Im just confused which crossing will be ok
Ha, OK, whew! In fact, just the other day the tourism board told a visiting sponsored travel writer they couldn’t get the visa on arrival at Aqaba. It’s crazy. But this is the trouble with this border crossing and the reason I made such an elaborate post. Inconsistencies, last-minute changes, contradictory rules. I go with what we hear from the current travelers updating us here and like with all travel, be prepared to roll with the changes and have a backup plan. 🙂
Hello,
I’m a Belgian and I’m planning a trip through Jordan, but the visa-subject is not yet clear to me. I land in Amman airport (april 2017) and a couple of days later I would like to go to Israel trough the border crossing near Akaba. A couple of days later, I would like to go back to Jordan through the King Hussein Bridge. Is this all possible with the single entry visum that I buy at the airport in Amman on arrival? Or do I have to buy a double entry visum? Are there other issues to keep in mind? Thanks for all clarifying answers!
Up until now we’ve only heard of travelers using that single-entry visa to leave and return again through Allenby/King Hussein. That isn’t to say it is not possible, but we have no confirmation of that yet from other travelers. Options: 1) Try it and let us all know 2) get the double entry visa 3) cross back at Sheikh Hussein instead (or try Allenby and be prepared to backtrack to Sheikh Hussein for a crossing?) I think it would work and I’d try it, but that’s me and the consequences would be mine. from the post itself “***HOWEVER, you may re-enter the Kingdom through Allenby/King Hussein on that same Amman / Queen Aila Airport visa if your exit from Jordan and re-entry are within the two-week validity of that visa.*** This little exception only works here, not at the two other land crossings. ***The “rule” here has gotten murkier. One traveler exited at Eilat, spent 7 days in Israel, tried to return via Allenby, was told No, insisted he had only been there 7 days, and the border agents said, sure, give us another 20 JD (the visa rate at the time). Ahem. Probably not the rule as it is written. We suspect that that two-week allowance to depart Jordan at King Hussein/Allenby with your initial visa and return is perhaps only valid if it is all done at that particular crossing. I wouldn’t recommend offering a bribe, but perhaps insistence and begging may elicit the offer in a clutch. :)***”
Thank you for all this information!
So, why is more interesting to grab a cab from border to aqaba, then a cab from aqaba to wadi musa? I didnt get it.
I imagine it is a price issue. At the border they will charge a higher price than you may get haggling with a bunch of taxis in Aqaba or taking a cheap bus.
At the Eilat/Taba/Aqaba Border, will I be able to exchange the Egyptian currency for Jordanian currency? I have like 80 USD worth in Rgyotian pounds and need to exchange it to Euros or at least Jordanian dinar. I can exchange the dinar in the Amman airport for US dollars. Thank you.
Hi Sara, I can’t say with 100% certainty about at the border, but in the past, yes they have. And if you can’t at the border, for sure you can change Egyptian pounds in Aqaba (maybe best near the port) because ferries arrive there directly from Egypt.
When leaving Jordan through the international airport, do we have to pay the immigration officer an exit tax? I heard we don’t since the exit tax is included on the price of the flight ticket. My flight ticket includes the “Jordanian embarkation tax”, which was like 56.50 USD. Since my flight ticket says this, do I have to pay an exit tax in the airport? Thank you.
Sounds like you are covered. I am also a pessimist and would be sure not to show up without some USD in my pocket just in case! I didn’t have to pay at the airport either. 🙂
Hello,
Thank you for maintaining such an amazing source of information. The ins and outs of travel between Jordan and Israel are numerous.
We are US citizens landing at Amman airport on March 17 at 6:55pm. We want to go to Tel Aviv without spending time in Jordan because we will return to Petra and vicinity for several days later in our trip. Please tell us the best way to get to either city…and if we should try to go on the evening of the 17th to avoid traveling on Saturday. Is it better to hire a driver or rent a car or fly (which seems very expensive), or some other combination of transportation? Thank you.
You cannot cross at Allenby on Friday after 3 pm, because of shabbat. I am not sure about hiring a driver, but perhaps a tour company could accommodate you. Flying is of course easy enough but expensive. I took a driver to the border, crossed myself, picked up a local mini-van to Jerusalem on the other side. You could hire a driver there or arrange one beforehand.
Another quick question…is it possible and advisable to rent a car in Amman to drive to Tel Aviv without a drop off charge?
I seriously doubt it, but I don’t truly know.
Thank you, Kevin, for the speedy replies. We have decided that time in Israel is more important than money. We will fly.
HI Kevin, thanks for a great helpful article.
Do you know if it’s possible to get visa on arrival for free for 2-20days at the northern border? I am in Jerusalem at the moment and planning to go to Amman tomorrow (Amman-Petra-Wadi Rum), but it may be cheaper to go all the way to the southern border for the free visa and reverse the order of my trip…?
Any advice?
Thanks mate
In the past, one could request the free ASEZA visa even at other borders besides Aqaba. However, we haven’t heard of it recently. As of 2016, the free visa on arrival was said to have ended, and official sites even said so. However, travelers continued to report receiving it even just a couple months ago. This week, however, we received news from a contact at the tourism board that says “ASEZA just changed their rules” and “you will have to pay 40JOD.” But frankly we’ve been misinformed through formal channels before. That’s all we know. Because this contact reported it as “news” I wonder if they even knew that travelers had been getting the free visas through much of last year. Or does this mean it is no longer free and thus 40JD? We don’t know for sure yet. Be prepared to pay at Aqaba, and I would expect to pay at Sheikh Hussein border in the north. (Never hurts to ask for a free ASEZA visa anyway.)
Amanda, today we JUST received Aqaba experience information from a traveler who crossed last Friday. In short: free to enter, visa charge upon exit IF you don’t stay a minimum number of nights. See Markus’ comment here.
Hi Kevin,
thank you very much for your blog. It helped us a lot.
My girlfriend and I passed the boarder from Eilat to Akaba last friday and went back on sunday. We took the Visa on arrvial option and it was absolutly no problem. We had a rental car, drove to the border, there is a free parking space, took our luggage and went into the border zone. You have to show your passport when you enter. After this, go to counter one, pay 105 ILS passenger fee per person, go to counter three, the passport control, and you will get your exit permission. Now you can walk to the Jordan border (about 200m). On the border you have to show your passport again, get your luggage checked and walk to counter one. Over there you get the “Independent travelers’ Entry Manifest through South Wadi Araba Crossing Border”. Fill in Name, Nationality, Passport NO, Date Of Issue, Date Of Eypiry, Date Of Birth, Date Of Entry, Date Of Departure. They checked everything, made two copys and gave them to us. After this you go to the passport control and you have to answer a few questions like, how long you want to stay etc… Now you get your passport and the manifest stamped. Thats it. Stay permission for one month. 🙂 Go to the exit, show your passport, welcome to Jordan! Now you are in the hands of the Taxi Mafia 😉 -> 10 JD to Akaba… Over there we got our rental car, went to Petra and Amman and drove back on sunday. To get back so Israel, you have to show the Manifest and pay the departure tax if you didn’t stay three nights. 0-1 night -> 60 JD, if you visited Petra 40 JD, 2 nights -> 10 JD, 3 nights -> free. So, after paying the tax you get your passport checked and stamped, go to the exit and leave Jordan. The Israel border is business as usual. Get your luggage checked, passport control with questions, get your arrival permission (no stamp), go to the exit and you are back in Israel. 🙂
I hope i could clearify the situation. To summ it up. Visa on arrival is available, just do not lose your manifest from the Jordan border. 😀 If you want, I can send you all the documents via mail.
Best regards
Markus from Germany
Thanks for this great information! I will update it. Rumor had it they were changing the visa rules, but this was last week? That’s great to know!
Hi, thanks. We crossed the northern border yesterday and got a visa for 3-20days for 10JD.
Just to add another layer of confusion! They didn’t say anything about needing to cross back through that border, so we will try to go back to Israel via the southern border and hopefully that’s fine.
Cheers!
Thanks for the update! We had heard this recently but this is good confirmation. Doesn’t make any sense either. I’ll put a note in the post. Let us know what happens when you depart please. Safe travels!
Hello!
Thank you for this great article!
Is it still possible to get a visa upon arrival at Jordan River Crossing (Sheikh Hussein)? I read on some websites that they changed the visa regulations and you have to apply for a visa in advance. On the JordanPass site it says you can still get a visa upon arrival. Maybe they are not up to date?
Maybe somebody who has just recently crossed the boarder can help me out here? Did the boarder crossing work without a visa in advance at Jordan River Crossing?
Thank you for your time and Kind Regards
Carlos
PS. I have a European Passport
Your timing is perfect. A current traveler just confirmed: visa on arrival at Sheikh Hussein, visa good for 3-20days for 10JD. This appears to be a recent change.
Hi Kevin,
thank you very much for the information you share.
I have g´haerd different stories from different people now so you are realyy being helpful summing things up (and obviously different stories seem to be the usual thing…)
My question now: I plan to go on a month long trip to Israel and spend about 10 days in Jordan in between. I plan to cross the border at Eilat/Aqaba and go back via King Hussein/Allenby Bridge. Do you have to get a visa before to go back to Israel there? I heard that you can get the visa at the border in Sheikh Hussein/Bet She’an and Eilat/Aqaba but not at King Hussein/Allenby…
Thanks in advance for your help!!
Julia
Where is your passport from?
Germany
You don’t even need a visa, but a valid passport only. You can enter at Allenby. The “no visas given at Allenby” probably referring to ENTERING Jordan, not Israel. 🙂
Hello I am a US Citizen, I thinking of going to Israel for a few day then cross border into jordan to check out dead sea and petra then leave out of Amman. I i will not cross back into israel. I wont be in jordan more then two night.
Your thoughts?
Sounds OK. Be sure you leave yourself enough time in Jordan. Two nights may work but be sure of your travel distances/departure times, etc.
Just to recheck: I am going in 2 weeks. Flight from Germany to amman, then rent a car, doing some sightseeing in Jordan, then park the car near allenby and leave for Israel for 3 days. I only get a normal visa at the airport in Amman. Right? Is allenby still possible then? Or would you recommend another one?
Can I ping you to my blog when I write about that journey there? It’s worldcalling4me.de
Cheers
Manu
Should be OK!
I’d still double check on the Jordan side as you are leaving. Other travelers have been doing this literally for years, but I am super paranoid sometimes. 🙂
Asking on behalf of Israeli citizen.
Hi,
Can Israeli citizen who lives in Tel Aviv travel to Amman Jordan for 2 weeks leisure? She doesn’t speak Arabic at all nor English… only speaks Hebrew. ( She is Jewish)
She is worried about the officials both Israelies and Jordanians questioning her reasons for visit to Jordan due to Arabic-Israel bad relationship.
I can’t find any information in English onlie except wikipedia which honestly can’t trust.
How safe is it for Israeli Jewish citizen to visit Amman for pleasure? Would appreciate feedbacks and instructions.
Many Israeli tourists go there and in fact Israeli tour companies take groups to Jordan. I can understand the discomfort of not knowing a language but will she travel alone or with an English speaker? I doubt the Jordanians are going to question her motives for tourism. Will she fly or cross the border? Be sure to read the post carefully if crossing the border.
Hi,
She prefers to fly. And she wants to travel with a friend but she is out of the country. So she will have no choice but to travel solo.
Any thoughts?
If she is comfortable trying to explain herself without words, I think it would be a great adventure. Why does she want to go so badly? I am curious. And why not find an Israeli tour company if she is worried about traveling alone? I would do it. But maybe I am crazy 😉
What you mean trying to explain herself without words? You mean with sign language?
She traveled pretty much the whole Europe and now just wants to be able to visit an Arab country that permits a Jewish Israeli to enter without headaches and based on her “research” Jordan was on top safest and easiest access for Israeli with minimum huss.
And I am certain that majority of Arab countries completely deny entry for Israeli Jewish and in many cases even if other nationalities carry an Israeli visa stamp on their passports.
Yes, with gestures, a few learned words, place names, pointing, etc. 🙂 What else can we do in those situations, right? I’d say her research about Jordan being top of the list is true. I don’t expect she will have problems. Safe travels to her!
Hi Kevin – sorry if this has already been covered – Im going to cross from the Aqaba crossing to Eilat side, adn then take the Egged bus straight up to Tel Aviv.
Do you know what bus number I should take? The Egged website isnt that easy to navigate. I can see Jeruselum but not Tel…
THanks in advance!
Roxy
Looks like there are many throughout the day, numbered 390, 393, 394… I had no trouble with the site: https://mslworld.egged.co.il/?language=en&state=2#/origindestination/0/0/false/2600-493/1744/5000-2699/2109/3/-1
Kevin
Thank you so very much for all the wonderful information you have shared.
My husband and I will be in Jordan for a week in May and then cross the Allenby bridge to Israel for another week.
I have been unable to find the current fees to cross the bridge.
Is it still 10 JD pp exit tax7.5 JD for the bus pp and then 1.50 JD for each bag ?
I am very uneasy about the possible complications with the crossing and am strongly considering the VIP. Any thoughts ???
The fees should be correct. (Let us know if you see a change.) Unless you have some suspicious hips that bother a metal detector, I wouldn’t expect much hassle. It might (or might not!) shorten the crossing time, but either way, Israel is thorough. I still say the earlier the better. Safe travels!
Hi Kevin,
May I ask you for some advice? I’m from Colombia, I want to go to Jordan from Israel in August. I have seen I need to ask for a Jordanian visa before to cross the border, I’m planing to cross it at Eilat and then go to Petra and Aman. Do you think it is possible to get the visa in one day in the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv or maybe at the Liaison Office of Jordan in Ramallah? Any suggestion?
Thanks a lot!
David
I haven’t done this myself, but what I see from other travelers is they can do it in a few hours at the Tel Aviv embassy. If you do this, can you please let us know and we can add such information to this post for others! 🙂
Hi Kevin,
we are five Germans and we want to go to Jordan in early August, crossing the Aqaba / Eilat border. We’d rent a car in Israel and would like to leave it directly at the border. Can you recommend this, or do you think the car is likely to be stolen when it is there for three days? And would there be a parking area at all?
Thank you for your help 🙂
Hi Mirjam, Others have done so. As the parking is at the border, surely security and scrutiny should deter any would-be thieves. 🙂
Hi Kevin, great website! Thanks for the great info. Can I ask you advise: I’d like to visit Petra for a night or 2. I’d cross into Jordan from Eilat and I hold a US Passport.
1. Any updates on visa requirements into Jordan- can I get a Jordan visa at the border?
2. I only have Us dollars and Israeli shekels. How would I pay Jordanian fees in JD?
3. do you know apprx price for cab or bus from border to petra?
Thank you!
No updates that I am aware of. You can change money at the border and if you are staying in Petra long enough, the visa is free. In fact, it is free as you enter but if you don’t stay long enough per the sign/instructions, they might charge you upon exit from Jordan. I don’t have 100% certain info about taxi rates to Petra at the moment. I’ve seen 45JD from Aqaba, and 10-15JD more than that from the border itself. Haggle if you can, and share the ride with fellow travelers if possible.
cool to find my route into the means of information on how to exit JORDAN to ISRAEL i will be glad to be in jerusalem ahead of rocha shanna
Just crossed the border from Israel to Jordan at Eilot/Aqaba. Can report all went smoothly despite the worries generated from websites and reviews I’ve been reading until this point. Paid 205NIS to leave Israel. 100NIS for each of us and a 5NIS admin fee. Very friendly and helpful on the Israeli side. Passed across the border into Jordan. Then had us show our British passports and take and fill out an independent travellers entry manifest. This was the hard bit as it had to be done directly in front of the heat coming out of an air conditioning unit! Had form stamped and then walked through the other side. Simples. Far less stressful than imagined!
Hi, just crossed the Jordanian/Israeli border through King Hussein/Allenby bridge from Jordan to Israel.
A couple of things that wanted to confirm:
1.- opening times are Sun-Thurs from 8am to 8.30 pm. Fridays and Saturdays I’m not sure but think is 8am to 1pm.
2.- exit fee is 10JD and the bus is 7JD +1.5JD per suitcase.
3.- There is a desk just for tourists on noth borders and in Jordan you also take a different bus (smaller)
4.- it was incredibly easy to cross. I was expecting difficulties, rude staff but I have found nothing like that. It has taken me one hour approximately for the full process. We were only 8 people in the tourists bus. I guess I was really lucky. Questions on the Israeli side were very basic.
Hope this helps.
PS: by the way I am Spanish
Thanks for the confirmations!
Thank you all for all info provided!
Just few observations:
1/ Crossed on Friday (Sept 8th, 2017) morning from Eilat to Aqaba with Jordan pass: smooth (2 persons with Czech passports). We wanted to walk on the Jordan side from the border to the city, but it was not allowed. I tried to chat about it with an officer, but no discussion – obligated to take a taxi, the officer confirmed the price of 10 JD per car. Then I asked about the price an taxi driver, he said the price was 12 JD per car, I said 10, he said 11, I said 10, he agreed.
2/ Crossed back to Israel on Sheik Hussein bridge (Beit Shean): smooth. From a new bus station of Aghwar (western part of Irbid) taken a minibus direction Mashara (Al-Masharia), get off 2 kms from the bridge. Again, obligated to take an official taxi (1.5 JD per car), checking bags, then paper works (incl. 10 JD departure tax) and then obligated to take an official bus (1.7 JD per person) over the river of Jordan (about 700 m). Israel side: just a couple of question and OK.
Hope it helps. Frantisek
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but can someone tell me definitively if I need a Jordanian visa in advance or can I just get it at the border? I am flying in and out of Israel and planning to spend 2-3 days in Jordan in late October – cross via Eliat / Aqaba. I am a US Citizen.
There are comments that lead me to think I do NOT need to get a visa in advance, but the Jordanian website seem to say otherwise (http://international.visitjordan.com/GeneralInformation/EntryintoJordan.aspx. However, maybe I am considered “…those carrying proper entry documentation entering Jordan for tourism purposes.” ). I want to make sure I don’t get to the border and am turned away for not having proper paperwork. Thank you very much in advance!
You’ll get it on arrival at Aqaba, everyone’s been doing it. The only issue for a traveler is trying to enter at King Hussein/Allenby. I am surprised (not surprised) to see that on the site. We’ve been through that change and it didn’t stick. If you’re nervous, you can always get one in advance.
FYI, Brian, I just received an email today from a traveler who did this crossing this week. So we can confirm that the situation as you read it is current. Remember, the free visa may still incur a charge upon departure if you haven’t been in Jordan for the minimum number of nights. That’s not a problem, of course – you simply pay the visa fee as everyone does.
Hello. I’ve been recently to Israel and I bring some updates about crossing the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge border from Israel to Jordan. Although I didnt find much information about it before going (the main one was this page), I decided to go anyway and it was really ok. From the Damascus gate in Jerusalem, in a place close to the arabic bus station, there is a mini van that takes people to the border. It costs 48 shekkels and it takes about an hour. The first van in the morning departs at 7am (it can delay a little but because they wait it to be full before leaving). Once you get to the border you pass through the passport control, pay a 175 NIS fee to leave the country and go in a bus that will take to the Jordanian border. There are no shceduled times for this bus so there is no way to know how long you are going to wait until it departs. I’ve waited something about 30 minutes. Once you are in the bus, the driver takes everyones passport and charge a fee. I had one luggage and I payed 8.50 dinars (its possible to pay in shekkels if you dont have dinars). The way takes about 5 to 10 minutes and once they arrive at the jordanian side, you pass through a security inspection. NOthing much, just an x-ray for the luggage. After that you just need to wait for your passport back and than you are free to go. I took the van in Jerusalem at 7am and at 10am I was already in Jordan with my passport in hands. The only thing is that they dont give you much information about the steps you have to follow so this is something that you have to ask all the time to the people who works there, but they have been always very helpfull in answering my questions. And it is important to have a visa already since they dont do it at this border. I hope this informations were helpfull!
I would like to ask for some advice a friend of mine is planning to travel from jordan to israel then back to jordan since he has relatives there in amman jordan which is the best way for him to arrive in israel?thanks
The closest crossing is at King Hussein/Allenby Bridge. Be sure to read all the details in that section of the post about that crossing and visas though.
Thanks for all of this information! I am a Canadian who is trying to figure out the logistics of avoiding doing a tour. I spoke with the Jordanian Embassy and they mentioned the Pass for 3+ nights (free). Since I will be staying only 2 nights I would need a visa at $90CAN. She said there are no longer visas at the Aqaba border. She did mention to double check with the embassy a month before departure as the rules are always changing. My advice: call the Jordanian Embassy BEFORE you leave your home country for the latest information.
Yes, they appear to really be pushing the Jordan Pass, but while it comes with a visa entry the pass of course is not free. I doubt they no longer issue visas at Aqaba. Take everything you hear from tourism board and even the embassy with a grain of salt. It is POSSIBLE something has changed since the last traveler sent a photo of their entry with a visa taken at Aqaba on 9/21, but I doubt it. Honestly, they have no idea what is happening on the ground. This has happened many times before. Of course, we never know when they may actually be right. In fact, the bad official information is the whole reason for this post. :/
Hello everyone,
I’d like to cross the border from Aqaba to Eilat on a SATURDAY MORNING. (Nov 3rd)
I heard the border is open on SHABBAT, but I am wondering if there will be buses or taxi drivers to take us to eilat center? We then need to take the bus to Mitzpe Ramon, 2h30 away from Eilat.
Anyone know if it is possible on a saturday morning? And also the number of the bus we should take to do so?
thanks a lot,
Isabelle
You’re right, the border is open at 8am on Saturday. Should be taxis (probably non-Jewish driven). Not familiar with that route, but I did a quick search on Egged’s site and it didn’t look like the bus ran on a Saturday. Most don’t. You might find smaller vans driven by Arabs in some cases, but I can’t speak with any certainty there.
Thanks so much for the quick response. Indeed I verified also on Egged but I wanted to confirm with someone else because I also heard there are buses. I will give you an updated response when I get one or when I’ll experienced that onsite! 😉
Hello Kevin,
This time, we’d like to go from Tel aviv to Amman directly. Again on a saturday…
do you know the quickest / shortest way?
thanks in advance!
Once again you have the bus/Shabbat problem unless you can get a mini-van making the run with a non-Jewish driver. I know that was possible coming from the border to Jerusalem. I would suspect there’s one for Tel Aviv too – worth checking for. Be aware that they don’t give visas on arrival to cross to Jordan at Allenby Bridge.
Hi,
first of all I would thank you for all your feedbacks on this website. Me and 5 friends, totally 6 adults, are going to spend one week (including the New Year’s Eve) in Jordan driving from Aqaba to Amman by ourselves with a rented car, and we also would like to have a one-day trip to Jerusalem.
Our first doubt is whether we need a 2-entrances visas or it’s better a Jordan Pass or a single-entrance visa is enough. What’s your suggestion?
Moreover, we can still choose whether to visit Jerusalem on the first day from Aqaba (Dec.30 is Sunday) or on the last day from Amman (Jan.3 is Thursday). Which one would be better (I mean less time-consuming for the trip, considering it’s a on-day trip)?
Thanks a lot for your advices!
Claudio & Friends from Italy
Easier from Amman for a day trip; fairly long from Aqaba. Are you planning to take the rental car into Israel? Check to be sure that is allowed and what insurances you’d need to prove. As for the visa, other travelers have left Jordan and Allenby/King Hussein bridge crossing and re-entered Jordan on that same normal single-entry visa. That may still be possible. Normally you have to have a visa in advance to enter Jordan at Allenby/King Hussein – they do not issue them at the Jordan border there. But many travelers have been allowed to return in a day or two with that same visa.
Pingback: C, F, L, R » Souq or shuk (part 2) (Saturday, 2019 February 13)
Hi Kevin,
Love your blog!!
I’m a bit lost with all the comments maybe it was already asked…
We’re a couple with EU nationality, staying 10 days in Jordan and crossing to Israel in Aqaba in order to go to Jerusalem. What is the easiest/cheapest way to do it?
Thank you in advance
Hi Celine, I hope I am not to late to respond — I was, of course, traveling! If you are in Jordan in Aqaba, heading to Israel, take a taxi to the border, cross, taxi into Eilat and take an Egged bus (maybe 5 hours?) to Jerusalem. Simple as that. (Be aware of Shabbat effects on schedules Fri-Sat)
HI, THNKS FOR YOUR INSIGHT. I AM FROM MALAWA AND I WANT TO GO ON A TOUR FROM JORDAN TO ISRAEL.
PLEASE, WHAT EXACTLY MUST I DO AT THE FIRST PLACE?
THANKS
If you are joining a tour, consult with the tour company about how they operate your re-entry to Jordan. I think Malawi citizens don’t need a visa for Israel.
I’m orthodox Jewish looking to travel to Petra. I have no problem not wearing a kippah and don’t particularly look orthodox but I would have my tephillin with me. Would I have a problem getting into Jordan?
Shouldn’t be a problem at all! Do take note of the general rules at the different crossings here though. Can’t get visa on arrival at Allenby/Kung Hussein.
Hi Kevin, thanks for the great and informative article. I am planning to enter into Israel through Allenby Bridge. Do you know if they issue visa on that crossing? I am not from a visa exempt country.
Hi Muhammad,
If you are not visa exempt I am fairly certain you need to apply and get that visa before you try to enter. Otherwise that would be “visa on arrival.”
https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ConsularServices/Pages/Visas.aspx
Good luck! Let us know how it goes both with the application and when you cross. It helps to keep everything current here! 🙂
Safe travels!
Kevin
hello Kevin
1st Thank your for the details information. You are dedicated .. Love you bro.
I am also planing to travel israel, I am indian passport holder with 10yr US visa stamped.
but i have facility to get Jordan on arrival visa, i live in UAE here there i no ISL consulate, so can i apply ISL visa from jordan once i reach in jordan? and how long they would take to issue .
here is my fb https://www.facebook.com/ibukka
That is a tricky question! I don’t have a certain answer. I found this page and near the bottom there is a number you can call to ask your question. It looks like since July they are using an outside Visa service at that consulate in Jordan. It says two months in advance but that is for Jordanians. I have also seen that Indians require more documentation, hotel reservations, flights, a detailed itinerary, etc. I think it is best you call that number to be sure! https://embassies.gov.il/amman-en/Pages/Visa-to-Israel.aspx And please tell us what you learn!
But Kevin, I want to go in Palestin not in Israel, that’s what the problem,. Did u visit Palestine?
Unfortunately, I did not go to Palestine. I think that will be a lot trickier. If you learn something, please share it with us.
Hi Kevin,
I hope this note finds you well and thank you for such a great website!
I was actually wondering if you had any updates on the visa on arrival at the Eliat/Aqaba border in the last month. My friend and I are American. We are looking to cross the border next week. Also I wanted to see if it was necessary to purchase the Jordan pass and if having it actually helped in getting a visa on arrival.
We are going to be staying in Jordan for 4 nights and would be looking to fly out from Amman. Any tips and info on the above would be more than helpful!
Thank you in advance,
Felicia
Hi Felicia,
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) we have heard nothing contradicting the current info here. The Jordan Pass should not matter in regards to getting the visa on arrival. The question will be whether it is still free or not. And as you are staying 4 nights, the “pay when you exit” issue wouldn’t matter either. That’s my two cents. If you find out otherwise (or not) please pass it along and we will share it.
Safe travels!
Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Thank you so much for your speedy response! I really appreciate it!
Couple last questions:
1) Would you say it’s safe for two women to rent a car and drive?
2) is there anything that we should expect (issues as female drivers?)
3) what about dress codes for touring around Jordan
Thanks again for your help and quick reply!
Felicia
The driving is pretty crazy but I don’t think as women you will be in any greater danger. And attitudes are better than Saudi Arabia and perhaps even Egypt, but I’d still be cautious of the usual potential lunkheads and creeps (like anywhere) and men may stare. I don’t remember if mosque visits required hair covering but probably. This post is solid: https://engagingcultures.com/what-wear-when-traveling-jordan/
Hey Kevin,
Thank you for you diligence in this site, what do you think the average time it takes to cross the border from Amman, into Israel till your at the bus stop?
Sorry for my super slow response! And sadly I have no good answer. So many variables. Was the bus across first in line or behind a larger group? Did the guy in front of you have a metal hip? Did the immigration officer have a chip on their shoulder or did her brother want to be a travel writer and suddenly she brightens up and starts asking friendly questions unrelated to immigration? Can we say an hour? Maybe? Much longer and more erratic than Aqaba/Eilat for sure.
Pingback: Welcome to Jordan! – informacje praktyczne
Hi Kevin…. I’m planning a trip in November 2021 to go to Israel for a week. (assuming COVID is under control by then) I’ve traveled a lot and have been to Israel before several years ago. ?, can a couple actually fly into Tel Aviv, rent a car and drive to Petra and then come back and cross the border back into Israel and fly out of Tel Aviv again? We’d like to rent a car to do this but not sure if that is feasible. (2 countries; insurance, etc) If it isn’t do you have any other ideas how we could do Petra by flying into Tel Aviv? I’m using miles on AA to fly into and out of Tel Aviv. Any advise you can provide would be very appreciated. Thanks.
I can’t say 100% about that, but I’ve witnessed car rentals crossing INTO Israel at Allenby/King Hussein from Amman, and they had a small hassle because I don’t think they had settled the insurance issue beforehand. Best to ask a rental company how they work that (I would imagine they do) and at least you already know of the insurance matter before you are standing there at border control! Alternatives would be taking a bus/sherut to a border crossing, then renting the car in Jordan. Aqaba, for example. Take note that there’s no visa on arrival at Allenby Bridge, the closest crossing to Tel Aviv (though you can of course get a visa ahead of time). Alternatively, can you use miles to fly into Tel Aviv and out of Amman? I’ve done similar miles flights (into Madrid, out of Porto, Portugal, for example). It didn’t make a difference in miles/price (other than taxes).