Visa policy of the Republic of Palestine

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Council of Ministers is responsible for administering the visa policy of the Republic of Palestine. Contemporary policy requires all foreign nationals to obtain a visa to enter, remain and/or work in Palestine, with a view to regulating the flow of migration into the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues visas and related documents to foreign nationals upon their meeting certain requirements, which differ according to country. For example, the only requirement to obtain a work visa for citizens of Arab League states (excepting Qatar and Saudi Arabia) is to have no criminal record, while nationals of most other states seeking a work permit are compelled at least to have an employment offer from a company in Palestine in addition to the other basic requirements including the standard criminal record check as well as being in good physical health and disease-free, possessing a non-refundable return ticket on visa expiry date, and not having previously been denied a work permit by the ministry.

The tourist visa permitting entry to Palestine and a maximum six-month stay generally requires applicants to have a return ticket, be disease-free and without any outstanding warrants for their arrest in their country of origin. Nationals of the United Kingdom and United States, barred completely from entering Palestine until 1999, are permitted a maximum stay of one month, and must not have any professional or financial connections to their own government.

The process of granting asylum to refugees escaping war, political violence, disasters, etc. is administered by the National Refuge and Asylum Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, separately from the normal visa application process. Entry for refugees does not have the same requirements such as good health and finances, however such asylum-seekers are generally held in camps which essentially constitute administrative segregation, and permitted entry into Palestinian society only upon their obtaining a permanent residence, with subsidised units often having long wait-lists.