For the second time in a week, a traveler arriving in Israel realized they had accidentally filled out forms for a travel permit to Israel on a fraudulent site rather than the official Israeli government site, the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority reported today. The tourist, who was Canadian, was found to have paid $79 on a phony website claiming to provide permits to Israel. The actual website for entry permits charges $7 for a permit, which is valid for two years or until the expiration of the passport.
The tourist was directed to file a complaint with the police about the fraudulent site.
Israel rolled out its electronic travel authorization program last summer. Travelers from visa-exempt countries, like the US and Canada, among others, had previously been able to enter Israel without filling out any forms beforehand. Since this past summer, tourists from visa-exempt countries have been required to fill out an online form to authorize their entry into the country.
“The aim of this process is to prevent passengers arriving in Israel from facing unpleasant surprises, even though there might be a reason known in advance, that prevents them from entering the state of Israel,” the Population and Immigration Authority explained when launching the program. “The system will also help reinforce Israel’s national security.”
The authority urged travelers to Israel to make sure they were filling out the electronic travel authorization on the official website, which ends in “.gov.il” and charges only $7. It noted that a 24/7 email hotline at eta@piba.gov.il is available for questions.
