Israel Admitted To Visa Waiver (“ESTA”) Program

On September 27, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) announced the designation of Israel into the Visa Waiver Program in recognition of the shared strategic interests and partnership between the United States and Israel. The Visa Waiver Program, commonly referred to as “ESTA”,  allows nationals of specific countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism, business, or while in transit for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. In return, those countries must permit U.S. citizens and nationals to travel to their countries for a similar length of time without a visa for business or tourism purposes. Prior to the recent designation of Israel, the Israeli government updated its entry policies to extend reciprocal privileges to all U.S. citizens, who can now enter Israel without a visa.

Nationals from the designated Visa Waiver countries must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel to the United States. On November 30, 2023,  ESTA will be updated to include nationals of Israel. These ESTA authorizations are generally valid for two years. Israeli citizens with valid B-1/B-2 visas may continue to use them for business and tourist travel to the United States.