GoPalestinian Territories Visa Requirements

Visa Entry

Palestine is currently not fully independent and does not have the authority to issue visas. Chinese citizens who intend to travel to Palestine must apply for the corresponding type of visa to Israel from the Israeli Embassy in China and enter Palestine with that visa, or apply for an entry permit from the Palestinian Civil Coordination Department through a Palestinian invitation unit in advance, and enter the West Bank of the Jordan River by land from the Jordanian side. Those who plan to travel to the West Bank of Palestine can go to the West Bank from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel or from Jordan via the Hussein Bridge checkpoint. When passing through Israeli military checkpoints, the Israeli side needs to verify passports, visas, and entry permits (equivalent to entry stamps) provided by the Israeli border inspection.

Due to the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, there are certain safety risks associated with staying in Pakistan. Personnel traveling to Pakistan should avoid dangerous areas and military restricted zones, and refrain from staying for extended periods of time at the Israeli Palestinian junction and military checkpoints. They should also avoid taking photos of Israeli military and police personnel and checkpoint facilities. There are currently high security risks in Gaza, and it is recommended not to go there temporarily.

Customs epidemic prevention and control

Due to the need to pass through Israeli customs before entering Palestine, entry must comply with Israeli customs regulations. Please refer to the relevant regulations of Israeli customs for details.

Residency and Naturalization

The application for settlement in Palestine requires approval from the Israeli Ministry of Interior, and the procedures for foreign nationals to settle in Palestine are complex and difficult. The Palestinian nationality policy adopts the principle of bloodline, and if both or one of the parents is Palestinian, they have Palestinian nationality. Palestine recognizes dual citizenship.

The risk level for Palestine is red (extremely high risk).                       

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds Chinese citizens not to travel to Palestine in the near future. Personnel and institutions in the area should evacuate or transfer to safe areas as soon as possible. In case of emergency, please report to the police in a timely manner and contact the Chinese embassy or consulate in the local area.                       

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas embassies and consulates will continue to closely monitor changes in the overseas security risk situation, dynamically adjust relevant risk assessments, and release and update corresponding security reminders in real time on platforms such as the China Consular Service Network. Please continue to pay attention.

public security

Palestine is under Israeli occupation and lacks complete sovereignty. From time to time, there have been conflicts between military police and Palestinian civilians, resulting in incidents of bloodshed and casualties. In May 2021, a military conflict erupted between Palestine and Israel in the Gaza Strip, resulting in thousands of casualties.

The overall social security in Palestine is good, with fewer incidents of heinous crimes, and the attitude of all sectors of society towards China is generally friendly.

On September 30, 2021, the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a security reminder, reminding Chinese citizens to closely monitor the development of the situation, not to travel to the Gaza Strip in Palestine temporarily, and to travel to the West Bank area with caution. This reminder is valid until March 31, 2022.

natural disaster

Palestine has a Mediterranean climate with a long dry season (approximately from April to November), and the main natural disasters are droughts and mudslides.

FDA

The water quality of Palestinian tap water is poor and needs to be filtered before it can be consumed. At the same time, it is advisable to purchase food from regular and hygienic shops and restaurants as much as possible.

Urgent Help

Police station: 100

Rescue: 101

Fire alarm: 102

In case of emergency, please contact the 24-hour consular protection hotline of the Chinese Embassy in Palestine at 00970-595776516

air traffic

Palestine does not have an airport, and travelers to Palestine must first fly to Israel, Jordan, or Egypt before entering Palestine by land.

land transport

There is no railway in Palestine, and a relatively complete road network has been built between major cities. According to the Oslo Accords, the West Bank of Palestine is divided into Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C. Zone A is fully controlled by Palestine, covering an area of approximately 18%, mainly including cities such as Jerusalem, Nablus, and Hebron; Zone B is under Palestinian civilian control and Israeli military control, covering an area of approximately 21%; Zone C is fully controlled by Israel and covers an area of approximately 61%. Driving through Zone B or Zone C on the West Bank of the Jordan River requires passing through Israeli military checkpoints. Drive the vehicle to the right.

water communication

Palestine has no water transportation. Maritime traffic in the Gaza Strip is blocked by Israel.

Urban transportation

Palestine has a public transportation system, with yellow minibuses between cities that stop at any time. There are fixed bus stations and stops within each city and district, and taxis in each city and district.

major city

Ramala, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jericho, Hebron, Tulkarem, Galqiliya, and Jennin are located in the West Bank of the Jordan River, while Gaza City, Deir ez Zor, Han Younis, and Rafa are located in the Gaza Strip. Palestine advocates for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, but Jerusalem is currently under full control of Israel, and the main administrative body of Palestine is located in the city of Jerusalem.

Commodity prices

The types of daily consumer goods in Palestine are limited, mostly imported from Israel, and the price level is relatively high. There is no national currency in Palestine, and the common currency is the Israeli shekel, which is equivalent to 2 Chinese yuan per shekel.

There are many banks in Palestine, such as Palestine Bank, Arab Bank, Ahli Bank, Jordan Bank, Kuweit Bank, and Investment Bank, among others. In the main urban areas of Pakistan, banks generally have ATMs with English operating interfaces. Some of these ATMs can be used to withdraw funds with credit cards or savings cards from banks with cross-border withdrawal services. There are many currency exchange points in Pakistan, making currency exchange more convenient. Due to the high transaction fees for cross-border withdrawals, it is recommended that short-term travelers bring an appropriate amount of US dollar cash and exchange it for shekels upon arrival in Pakistan. When making purchases in Pakistan, some shops, hotels, and restaurants can use credit cards.

Insurance Medical

General illnesses can be directly registered and treated at Palestinian hospitals, with a registration fee of approximately 20-200 shekels (equivalent to around 40-400 RMB). Due to the long-term state of war, the medical conditions in Palestine are limited. Except for a few newly built hospitals, the facilities are generally outdated and the prices of medicines are relatively high. It is recommended to bring your own commonly used medicines when traveling to Pakistan. If necessary, you can seek medical treatment locally or in Israel. There are many pharmacies distributed in the main cities of Pakistan, and the prices are relatively uniform. Prescription drugs need to be prescribed by doctors.

If you need to purchase insurance, there are formal and large-scale insurance companies in Palestine, such as National Insurance Company Limited (NIC), Al Mashreq, Trust International Insurance Company, Global United Insurance, etc.

Customs taboos

Palestine mainly adheres to Islam, follows Islamic customs and practices, and eats halal food. Important holidays include:

Ramadan (adjusted annually according to the Islamic calendar, from April 2nd to May 1st in the Gregorian calendar in 2022) is called "Ramadan" in Arabic. According to Islamic doctrine, Allah surrendered the Quran to Muslims this month, making Ramadan a great, joyful, auspicious, and noble month. During Ramadan, from the beginning of the eastern light until sunset, except for a few people such as the sick, pregnant women, and soldiers fighting, adult Muslims must strictly fast, not eat or drink, not smoke, and not engage in recreational activities. People don't eat until the sun sets in the west, and then they either entertain themselves or visit relatives and friends. During Ramadan, local restaurants are generally closed during the day, and government departments postpone their morning office hours to around 10am. During the Muslim fasting period, in order to respect Muslim religious customs, non Muslims are not allowed to smoke, drink water, eat or engage in recreational activities in public places.

Eid al Fitr (adjusted annually according to the Islamic calendar, May 2 in 2022 according to the Gregorian calendar) begins on the second day after the end of Ramadan and lasts for three or four days. People go to mosques for worship, and relatives and friends also visit each other's homes to congratulate each other. Many young men and women specially arrange weddings at this time. During the Eid al Fitr holiday, the hotel occupancy rate is high, making it difficult to book rooms and resulting in higher prices.

Eid al Adha (adjusted annually according to the Islamic calendar, July 9th in 2022 according to the Gregorian calendar) is an important festival in Islam, where Muslims offer sacrifices to their holy ancestor Ibrahim. The main activities include gathering to celebrate and slaughtering cattle and sheep.

Palestinians usually greet each other with a handshake. Men often wear suits or casual clothes. Most women wear headscarves and traditional Islamic attire. Women in Pakistan should avoid wearing clothing such as vests and short skirts.

Communications Power

Internet: Most hotels and cafes are equipped with wireless internet devices. Free Wi Fi internet access is available in the city center of Ramala. The current mobile network in Palestine is 3G.

Phone: The international area code for Palestine is 970, and the area code for Jerusalem is 02. For example, to call the Consular Department of the Chinese Embassy in Palestine from China, you can dial 00970-2-2951223. After activating international roaming services for domestic mobile phone numbers, they can be used normally within Palestine. The mobile phone standard in China is GSM, and domestic phones can be used by directly installing a local SIM card.

Power supply: Palestinian standard voltage 220 volts, 50 hertz, European style socket with 2 or 3 circular holes, locally available conversion plug.

contact information

Police station phone number: 100.

Emergency hotline: 101.

Fire alarm hotline: 102.

National News Agency:www.wafa.ps .

Ministry of Tourism and Heritage of Pakistan:www.travelpalestine.ps .