There are three points where you can make the overland crossing from Jordan into Israel (and vice versa). The easiest, fastest and most popular option for tourists is the southern Wadi Araba border crossing, between the two cities of Aqaba (Jordan) and Eilat (Israel).
Before we did this crossing ourselves, we found very little information online about what to expect. Lots of people cross from Israel to Jordan, but it seemed like nobody was doing this crossing the other way. So here’s the low-down on the Wadi Araba crossing.
Getting there:
We were lucky enough to get dropped at the border by a lovely French couple who we met in Wadi Rum. If you’re not fortunate enough to get a free ride, you’ll need to take a taxi to the border crossing. It’s just a few kilometres outside of Aqaba town, and the ride should set you back 7JD. Security guards will perform routine checks on the road that leads to the crossing point, so have your passport ready to show.
Leaving Jordan:
From the carpark where you get dropped off, you’ll have to walk through Jordanian departures. First, you move through a security check, and then to a departure window, where your Jordanian visa will be stamped. Because we had stayed in Jordan more than 3 nights, we did not have to pay the 10JD exit fee. When we crossed, there was a small queue, but we were waiting for less than five minutes.
Entering Israel:
Next, you’ll walk across the border into Israel. Once you’ve officially passed through the large wire gate, the signage becomes a lot clearer than it was on the Jordanian side. Simply follow the pedestrian symbols on the pavement. First stop is a preliminary check of your passport, just to see that you have your papers in order (New Zealand has visa-free entry, so we were fine.) After that, there’s another comprehensive security check (where you will have to remove your shoes). Once you and your bags are cleared, you’ll be issued with a slip of red paper.
From there, you proceed to immigration. Expect to be questioned at the immigration window – nobody gets away without a bit of interrogation. Our conversation with the border officer lasted less than five minutes: she wanted to check our relationship status, how long we’d spent in Turkey, how long we’d spent in Jordan, and what we’d done in each of those countries. Also what our immediate transport plans were in Israel (we were going to catch the bus to Jerusalem). The officer was friendly, and none of the questioning was stressful. However, if you have stamps for Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or Saudi Arabia in your passport, you may come under more intense questioning.
She gave us our visas on a slip of paper. Israel does NOT stamp passports at any port, but you have to keep a hold on your paper visa until you leave. Don’t lose it!
Getting to Eilat:
Once we left immigration, we immediately found ourselves in a carpark. Unfortunately, there were no waiting taxis, and no public busses come within 1km of the crossing point. We no longer had service on our Jordan SIM card. After standing around for a bit, we asked one of the women working at the gate where we could find a taxi. Turns out, the taxis have to be called in specifically – so she called one for us, and directed us to a waiting area. This does mean that you end up paying a call-out fee on the taxi ride, but there’s not really any other options. A taxi from the border to the Eilat bus station cost us 44 shekel. Welcome to Israeli prices!
