A new digital entry procedure for visitors to Israel from visa-exempt countries is being postponed until next year, officials announced on Sunday.
The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA-IL) requirement, which is undergoing a pilot test and was due to go in force on Aug. 1, will now take effect on Jan. 1, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority said.
The authority cited “a number of requests mainly from airlines that requested additional time to prepare for the implementation of technological systems” as the reason for the postponement.
The new program entails filling out an online form for entry approval before departure for Israel.
The application, which will cost $7 or 25 shekels, is intended to simplify the entry process so that visitors can just swipe their passports at Ben-Gurion Airport upon arrival, as holders of Israeli biometric passports already do.
The U.S., Britain and Canada all have similar digitalized systems in the place, and the E.U. is expected to launch one soon.
The timing of the previously announced rollout of the new procedure had raised eyebrows.
The war against Hamas in Gaza has led to a staggering 80% drop in tourism to Israel, with many foreign airlines that suspended flights to Tel Aviv after the Oct. 7 attack operating on reduced schedules, while others have yet to resume service at all.
“The delay in implementation of the Electronic Visa into Israel for tourists until January 2025 was a very smart move, and is greatly appreciated,” Mark Feldman, Jerusalem director of Diesenhaus Tours, told JNS. “For now, any way we can get tourists to Israel should be encouraged. Once the war is over and millions of tourists are planning on coming to Israel, we can implement it.”
