Palestine

Do South Africans need a visa for Palestine?

Entry to the Palestinian territories is controlled by Israel, so what matters is Israel’s entry rules. South Africans need Israel’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA-IL), applied for online before travel — see our Israel page. Most visitors reach the West Bank through Israel, or from Jordan via the Allenby Bridge crossing, which is also under Israeli control. Some travellers have received entry stamps restricting them to Palestinian Authority areas. Gaza is not accessible to visitors.

What the official advice covers

As we checked it on 19 September 2026, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Gaza, within 500m of the Gaza border, and to the Tulkarm, Jenin and Tubas governorates in the northern West Bank. It advises against all but essential travel to the rest of the West Bank — except East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah municipality, and Jericho and the areas south of it (including the Allenby crossing), which aren’t covered by either warning. Read the current advice and its map before you decide.

What it costs (in rand)

The West Bank is noticeably cheaper than Israel — budget around R500–850 a day. The Israeli shekel is the currency in everyday use. Family guesthouses in Bethlehem, street food (falafel, ka’ak, and the famous knafeh of Nablus) and shared taxis are all inexpensive. Staying in Bethlehem rather than Jerusalem saves a lot.

When to go

March to May and September to November are the most comfortable — warm days, cool evenings. Summer is hot, especially down at Jericho, below sea level. Christmas in Bethlehem is a major event and books out.

Getting around

From Jerusalem, Arab buses from East Jerusalem and shared taxis reach Bethlehem and Ramallah cheaply. Israeli rental cars are usually not permitted or insured in Palestinian-controlled areas, so most visitors use buses, local taxis or a guide. Expect checkpoints and carry your passport at all times. Fly into Tel Aviv or into Amman and cross at Allenby — compare flights — and a Bethlehem guesthouse makes a good base.

What it’s known for

Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity (UNESCO), the old city and Manger Square; Jericho, among the oldest cities on earth, with Hisham’s Palace and the Mount of Temptation; and lively, modern Ramallah — all outside the FCDO’s West Bank warnings as of September 2026. Hebron (the Ibrahimi Mosque, UNESCO) and Nablus, with its old city and knafeh, fall under the all-but-essential warning, and Jenin under the all-travel one.

Honest take

For a South African passport, the West Bank is reachable with the same online ETA-IL you’d need for Israel, and its core sites — Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah — sit outside the FCDO’s warnings, while Gaza is off-limits and the north is under its strongest warning. Expect checkpoints, restrictions that change at short notice, and a great deal of history and hospitality. Read the current advice and decide for yourself.