Jerusalem District Travel Forum

Hi,

I am an Australian travelling on an Australian passport. I am travelling throughout the Meditterranean and the Middle East. I plan to travel by land, not air. My itinerary is to travel to Jerusalem, via Greece, Turkey, Syria and Jordan, then back again, to Lebanon to catch my plane from Beirut to depart.

I believe that I do not need a visa to enter into Jerusalem. However, will they stamp my passport at the Jordanian/Israeli border? If so, is there an alternative to avoid this? I will not be allowed to re-enter into Syria or enter into Lebanon if my passport has a stamp from entering into Israel.

Many thanks.

You don't need a visa, but your passport will be stamped by passport control. You can probably avoid an Israeli stamp if you ask them to do it in a separate piece of paper, but I don't think you can avoid the Jordanian exit stamp. This exit stamp is enough for the Syrians to refuse you entry. As far as I know the only way to go is to fly into Israel, not coming by land. Even then the passport control officer might decide to stamp your passport anyway.

Theoretically it is possible to do, but not 100% certain, since the Israeli authorities just may stamp your passport despite being asked not to, even though the probability of this is low. Then what would you do?

BTW, this can only be done if you cross back and forth at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing, since it is only at this one the Jordanians will not stamp your passport (a Jordanian stamp from a border crossing with Israel is as much as a giveaway as the Israel stamp itself). Make sure you return to Jordan before your Jordanian visa expires.

As far as i understand from many visitors over the years to Israel and Syria Ramon described the situation very well and factual in every detail