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I know that travelling with multiple passports has been covered extensively, and that the general rule is that when in one of your countries of citizenship, you present security with that country’s passport, and you just show the airline staff the other passport.

I am an Israeli citizen, but hold other nationalities. I will be flying directly from Ben Gurion to one of my other countries of citizenship. Thus, I must check in using my foreign passport. Unfortunately this passport has a number of stamps that could lead to my being severely harassed by Israeli security.

Thus, I would like to know if I am required to present both passports when getting interviewed before the ticket counter, or if the ticket counter people do not check to see if you have a clearance sticker on the back of your passport, and only check for the tag on your luggage (or if they will accept an Israeli passport with a sticker and a check-in using another passport). I could obviously use my Israeli passport with the interview-clearance sticker when approaching the immigration exit gate, and then my other passport when boarding the plane. Given Israel’s unique airport security system, is this allowed and possible? Or am I required to present both passports to the interviewer?

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  • Do the security people ask for all your passports, or just for a passport? Do they ask questions about dual nationality?
    – DJClayworth
    Jan 21, 2019 at 14:26
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    Whatever you do, don't lie if you are asked about other nationalities (which you'll probably be asked, as you will be asked what you are planning to do in your destination country). The harassment you fear about because of the stamps is nothing compared to the trouble you'll be in if you are caught lying to the security personnel.
    – SIMEL
    Jan 23, 2019 at 9:02

3 Answers 3

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As you probably know, at the entrance to the Departures Area in Ben Gurion there is (or at least was) a bilingual sign which states in English, "Please present ticket and boarding pass", but which states in Hebrew "Please present ticket, boarding pass, and [Army] draft certificate". I saw with my own eyes a young American/Israeli dual citizen being taken from that checkpoint, for having tried to leave on her USA passport without the requisite permission from the Israel Defense Forces. I suspect the security database will be well aware of your nationalities. I suggest you use your Israeli passport except that you give the check-in clerk your third-party passport and tell the clerk you have two passports, so she sees you do not need a visa. (You could even stick with the Israeli passport, if you are going to a country where Israelis do not need a visa.)

I do not hold Israeli citizenship. The question I was always asked is if I speak Hebrew.

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As far as I know, you won’t be demanded to show all your passports as long you have Israeli citizenship and you passing with an Israeli passport. You must enter Israel with an Israeli passport and you should use it for exiting Israel. Don’t be afraid of questions about other nationalities or passports. They can always ask you which countries you visited disregard your nationalities and I do not suggest to lie for security, they are too good at busting liers.

I could obviously use my Israeli passport with the interview-clearance sticker when approaching the immigration exit gate, and then my other passport when boarding the plane

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS!

No, you cannot board an Israeli plane without a security check sticker so this trick won’t work. It will be better to answer unpleasant questions about your other countries visits rather than be caught on passport shuffling trick because after that much more unpleasant questions will be followed.

Please note!

If you visited countries forbidden for Israeli citizens like Iran you better ask legal advice, do not take such risks.

Update:

Thanks to user @phoog, that reminded me that such security checks (that marks your passport with a special sticker) are not only in Israeli airports but in any airports around the globe where Israeli airlanes are landed (relevant for Israeli airlines and obviously there is no Israeli security in the airports located in the forbidden countries for visit of Israeli citizens.)

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    "you cannot board an Israeli plane without a security check sticker": I had a similar experience in an African country when, on boarding, I could not readily find the passport I'd used to check in with. I showed my other passport. The agent became very concerned until I found the first passport and showed it to him. After he checked the security sticker, he was visibly relieved and quickly sent me on my way. I hadn't even noticed the security sticker before that point.
    – phoog
    Jan 27, 2019 at 18:44
  • The incident I mentioned in my previous comment had nothing to do with Israel, though. It was a flight from Nairobi to Paris, or maybe from Nairobi to Kigali.
    – phoog
    Mar 19, 2019 at 3:28
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I've flown out of Ben Gurion a few times and I remember being asked about other nationalities during every exit interview. Thus I suspect that you will get asked the same question while leaving the country.

If you want to hide your passport stamps from Israeli immigration, the only safe bet is to leave the passport in question in a different country and pick it up once you leave Israel. Given how strict border security is in Israel I wouldn't take my chances otherwise.

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    I flew out of Ben Gurion in November and was not asked about other nationalities. I do not hold Israeli citizenship.
    – Richard
    Jan 22, 2019 at 10:00

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