ESTA for Israeli citizens
Yes — if you hold a Israel passport and you are flying or sailing to the United States for tourism, business or transit, you need an ESTA. Israel joined the Visa Waiver Program in 2023.
- Government fee — you pay CBP directly
- $40.27
The $40.27 government fee is $4.00 processing plus $36.27 authorization. If your application is denied you pay only the $4.00 processing fee.
Specific to Israel: Israel joined in late 2023, the most recent addition before Qatar and Romania. Israeli citizens who also hold citizenship of Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria are excluded from the programme regardless — a B1/B2 visa is required in that case.
What Israeli travellers need
- A Israel passportIt must be biometric — an e-passport with a chip and the small camera symbol on the cover.
- Israel citizenshipResidency is not enough. If you live in Israel on another passport, check whether that country is in the programme.
- A qualifying tripTourism, business or transit, 90 days or fewer, arriving by air or sea.
- Clean travel historyTravel to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 2011 removes eligibility.
Cost for Israeli applicants
The fee is $40.27, charged by CBP in US dollars. Your card issuer will convert from ILS at its own rate and may add a foreign transaction charge, so the amount leaving your account will not match $40.27 exactly. If your application is refused you are charged only $4.00.
There is no Israel discount and no family rate — every traveller pays the same, including infants.
Flying from Israel
Most Israeli travellers depart from Tel Aviv. Your departure airport makes no difference to the ESTA itself — what matters is your citizenship and that you arrive in the US by air or sea. Connecting through another country on the way does not change anything either.
Apply at least 72 hours before departure. Most approvals come back within minutes, but some go to manual review, and no airline will let you board without one.
If you are refused
A refusal is not a ban. It means applying for a B1/B2 visa at a US embassy or consulate instead, where a consular officer can consider your circumstances properly. See what to do after a refusal.
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Check your details before you pay
A mistyped passport number means paying $40.27 again and reapplying. A reviewer compares every field against your passport first.