Rules for overlanding in Israel

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 17 August 2026.

Which licence you need

All vehicles — An international permit or an Italian licence is good for up to one year from the day you arrive in the country. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

Insurance — The compulsory minimum is third-party cover with an unlimited ceiling.
Who may drive — No special authorisation is needed to bring in a vehicle registered in someone else's name. A temporarily imported vehicle, though, may be driven in Israel only by the owner or a member of their family, and by anyone else only while the importer or a family member is on board.
Lights — Headlights must be on outside built-up areas between 1 November and 31 March.
Equipment on board — You must carry a warning triangle and rear reflectors, a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit and a reflective vest. Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists, and so are seatbelts and a child restraint system.
Tolls — There is one toll motorway, Route 6, the Trans-Israel Highway running from the north of the country to the south.

What catches travellers out

ETA-IL and entry slip — Since 1 January 2025, a travel authorisation obtained through the ETA-IL system before boarding or reaching the border is required for visa-free stays of up to 90 days; it costs 25 ILS, lasts two years and guarantees nothing, since border officers still decide. Israel does not stamp passports but hands you a small slip with your details and the terms of your stay: keep it until you are home, because it is what proves your right to be there.
Checkpoints — Movement between Israel and the Palestinian Territories goes through military checkpoints, some of them reserved for commercial traffic or particular categories of traveller, and checks are closest in the direction of Israel. Always carry your identity documents, the slip you were given on entry or your visa, and anything else showing your right of stay. Crossings can be suspended at short notice where tension flares, and tend to be closed around the main religious festivals, so confirm the one you plan to use is open.
Devices and passwords — On departure, Israeli authorities can hold electronic devices such as phones, cameras and computers; they are usually checked and loaded onto the same flight, but can follow on a later one, so report a missing item to your airline at arrival. Security officers have also asked travellers for the passwords to private email and social media accounts, checking them there and then on the traveller's own laptop, and those who refused were refused entry.
Shabbat and festivals — Public transport is limited from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, much more so in Jerusalem, and stops entirely on Yom Kippur, when Ben Gurion airport also closes. Avoid ultra-orthodox neighbourhoods during Shabbat, such as Bnei Brak in Tel Aviv, dress appropriately there and in Arab villages and places of worship, and do not eat in public on Yom Kippur or in Arab areas during Ramadan.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 17 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Israel before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 17 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.