LawImmigration
Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952
חוק הכניסה לישראל, תשי"ב-1952
Published: 1952-09-05Last amended 2026-07-20✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More
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Section B: Various Offences
Offences§
12.
(a)A person who does any of the following:
(1)enters Israel, or resides therein, contrary to law;
(2)gives false information in order to obtain, for himself or for another, a visa to Israel or a licence to reside therein;
(3)violates any of the conditions prescribed in his visa or the residence licence granted to him under this Law:
(3a)enters one of the countries listed in section 2a of the Prevention of Infiltration (Offences and Jurisdiction) Law, 5714-1954, without a permit, contrary to the provisions of section 7a;
(3b)violates any of the conditions prescribed in a permit granted under section 7a;
(4)contravenes any other provision of this Law or of Regulations made thereunder, is liable — imprisonment of one year;
and in respect of an offence under paragraphs (1) or (3), if he entered Israel from the Area or through the Area, he is liable — imprisonment of two years.
(b)If a person was convicted of an offence as referred to in the latter part of subsection (a), in the circumstances referred to therein, the court shall order, in addition to any other penalty, one or more of the following, unless it sees fit not to do so for special reasons that shall be recorded:
(1)imposition of a fine of not less than NIS 10,000 and not more than NIS 40,000;
(2)forfeiture of property of the convicted person that was seized in accordance with the provisions of section 32 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance; for the purposes of the power of seizure under that section 32 — cash found on a person suspected of an offence as referred to in the opening part of that subsection, in the circumstances set out therein, shall be deemed to be remuneration given for the commission of the offence or a means for its commission, unless proven otherwise.
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Contact Us →Section C: Unlawful Transportation
Unlawful Transportation§
12a.
(a)(Repealed).
(b)(Repealed).
(c)
(1)A person who transports in a vehicle a foreign resident unlawfully staying in Israel is liable — imprisonment of four years or the fine prescribed in section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977 (hereinafter — the Penal Law);
(1a)If an offence under paragraph (1) was committed in one of the circumstances set out below, the offender is liable — imprisonment of seven years or double the fine prescribed in section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law:
(a)a modification was made to the vehicle, including the addition of an addition or the installation of a device, or another act was done, all with the purpose of concealing the foreign resident unlawfully staying in Israel;
(b)three or more foreign residents unlawfully staying in Israel who are not family members of the transporter were transported in the vehicle; for this purpose, "family member", of the transporter — his parent, child, brother or sister;
(c)the transportation was carried out within the framework of transportation services whose purpose is to enable the entry into Israel or stay therein, unlawfully, of foreign residents, as referred to in subsection (c6);
(2)The provisions of paragraphs (1) and (1a) shall not apply to a transporter as referred to in that paragraph, in a public bus, on a service line; for this purpose, "public bus" and "service line" — as defined in section 1 of the Traffic Ordinance;
(3)
(a)If an offence under paragraph (1) was committed by a corporation, it is liable — double the fine prescribed for that offence;
(b)If an offence under paragraph (1a) was committed by a corporation, it is liable — double the fine prescribed for that offence;
(4)
(a)A fine imposed under paragraph (1a) shall not be less than the amount set out below, as the case may be, unless the court decided, for special reasons that shall be recorded, to mitigate the penalty:
(1)a fine imposed on an individual — NIS 10,000;
(2)a fine imposed on a corporation — NIS 40,000;
(b)The provisions of this paragraph shall remain in force until the 24th of Nisan 5787 (1 May 2027).
(c1)
(1)If a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence under subsection (c) or (c5) has been committed and that one of the following paragraphs applies, he may deliver to the driver of the vehicle in which the offence was committed or to the owner of that vehicle a notice prohibiting the use of the vehicle for a period not exceeding 30 days (hereinafter — prohibition of use notice), and take the vehicle licence for that period:
(a)the driver had previously transported a foreign resident unlawfully staying in Israel;
(b)the vehicle had previously been used for transporting a foreign resident unlawfully staying in Israel, provided that three years have not yet elapsed from the date of that transportation;
(c)one of the circumstances set out in subsection (c)(1a) obtained;
(2)If the driver or the owner of the vehicle requested to cancel a prohibition of use notice given when the condition referred to in paragraph (1)(b) obtained, the police officer may instruct him to accompany him to a police officer or give him a summons to appear before a police officer within 48 hours of the time of delivery of the notice and taking of the vehicle licence as referred to in paragraph (1); the police officer shall be entitled to order the cancellation of the prohibition of use notice and to return the vehicle licence to the person from whom it was taken;
(3)A prohibition of use notice shall state the reason for the prohibition on use of the vehicle and for taking the licence.
(c2)The court that convicted a person of an offence under subsections (c) or (c5) may order by way of an Order, in addition to any other penalty, a prohibition on the use of the vehicle in which the offence was committed for a period not exceeding six months (hereinafter — prohibition of use Order); in the prohibition of use Order the court shall determine the place where the vehicle is to be kept during the period of prohibition of use.
(c3)The following provisions of the Traffic Ordinance shall apply, with the necessary modifications and adaptations, to a prohibition on use of a vehicle under subsections (c1) and (c2):
(1)section 57a(b)(2) and (3) with this modification: in section 57a(b)(3) instead of "in paragraphs (1) and (2)" there shall come "in paragraph (2)";
(2)section 57a(c);
(3)sections 57b, 57c(b) to (f) and 57d to 57g, with these modifications:
(a)(deleted);
(b)in section 57b(a), instead of "from the court competent to try traffic offences" there shall come "from the Magistrate's Court";
(b1)in section 57b(b)(2), instead of "in section 57a(a)" there shall come "in section 12a(c) or (c5) of the Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952";
(b2)in section 57c(c)(2), instead of "in subsection (a)" there shall come "in section 12a(c) or (c5) of the Entry into Israel Law, 5712-1952";
(c)(deleted);
(d)in section 57d, instead of "the court competent to try traffic offences" there shall come "the Magistrate's Court".
(c4)
(1)
(a)If a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence under subsections (c) or (c6) has been committed, he may require the transporter to accompany him to a police officer or take from him his driving licence;
(b)The provisions of sections 47(c), (d), (f) and (g) through (k) and 48 through 50 of the Traffic Ordinance shall apply with respect to sub-paragraph (a), with the necessary modifications and with the following modifications:
(1)In place of section 47(e) of the Traffic Ordinance, the following provisions shall apply:
If a police officer has grounds to assume that an indictment will be filed for an offence as referred to in sub-paragraph (a), he shall act as follows, as the case may be:
(1)for an offence under subsection (c)(1) — he may disqualify the transporter from holding a driving licence for a period not exceeding 20 days;
(2)for an offence under subsections (c)(1a) or (c6) — he may disqualify the transporter from holding a driving licence for a period not exceeding 60 days;
(2)in section 49 of the Traffic Ordinance, instead of "46, 46b, 47" read "47";
(3)in section 50 of the Traffic Ordinance, wherever appearing, instead of "sections 46 or 47" read "section 47";
(2)A court that convicted a person of an offence under the subsections listed below may order that the convicted person be disqualified from receiving or holding a driving licence for the period specified below, as the case may be:
(a)for an offence under subsections (c)(1) or (c5) — for a period not exceeding six months;
(b)for an offence under subsections (c)(1a) or (c6) — for a period not exceeding two years.
(c5)
(1)One who permits a foreign resident who is not entitled to drive a vehicle in Israel to drive a vehicle registered in Israel — the penalty is four years' imprisonment or the fine prescribed in section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977;
(2)Where an offence under paragraph (1) is committed by a corporation — the penalty is double the fine prescribed for that offence.
(c5a)
(1)A vehicle owner must take reasonable measures to prevent an offence in his vehicle under subsection (c5);
(2)Where an offence under subsection (c5) has been committed, it is presumed that the vehicle owner has breached his duty under paragraph (1), unless he proves that he did everything possible to fulfil that duty;
(3)A vehicle owner who breaches his duty under paragraph (1) — the penalty is the fine prescribed in section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977.
(c6)
(1)One who manages or organises transportation services for the purpose of enabling foreign residents to enter Israel or reside therein unlawfully — the penalty is seven years' imprisonment or a fine four times the fine prescribed in section 61(a)(4) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977; for this purpose, it is immaterial whether the person who manages or organises transportation services as aforesaid also provides lawful services or services for lawful purposes;
(2)A fine imposed under paragraph (1) shall not be less than the amount specified below, as the case may be, unless the court has decided, for special reasons to be recorded, to mitigate the penalty:
(a)a fine imposed on an individual — NIS 40,000;
(b)a fine imposed on a corporation — NIS 160,000;
(3)The provisions of paragraph (2) shall remain in force until the 24th day of Nisan 5787 (1 May 2027).
(d)
(1)(Repealed);
(2)A transporter in a taxi, as defined in section 1 of the Traffic Ordinance, may demand from a passenger documents by virtue of which the passenger entered Israel lawfully and resides therein lawfully, and it shall constitute reasonable cause to refuse to transport a passenger or his luggage in accordance with the provisions under the Traffic Ordinance, if the passenger did not present such documents to the taxi transporter;
(3)The provisions of this subsection and the provisions of section 12b13 shall apply, with respect to a transporter, only to a journey conducted, in whole or in part, within the area bounded between the blue line and the black line, as marked in the Schedule to the Unlawful Stay (Prohibition of Assistance) (Legislative Amendments) Law, 5756-1996, including the roads specified in that Schedule, provided that one of the following conditions is met:
(a)three or more foreign residents who are not members of the transporter's family and who are residing in Israel unlawfully were transported in the vehicle; in this paragraph, "family members" of the transporter — his parent, child, brother or sister;
(b)the transporter received, or was expected to receive, payment for the journey.
(d1)Where an offence under subsection (c), (c5) or (c6) was committed in a vehicle belonging to a corporation, by an employee of the corporation, it is presumed that the employee transported the foreign resident as the agent of the corporation, unless proved otherwise.
(d1a)
(1)Where a person has been convicted of an offence under subsections (c), (c5) or (c6), the court that convicted him may, in addition to any other penalty, order the forfeiture of the vehicle in which the offence was committed, if the person convicted of the offence is the owner of the vehicle or the permanent possessor thereof, and in this regard the provisions of Chapter IV of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Arrest and Search) [New Version], 5729-1969 shall apply;
(2)Where a person has been convicted of an offence under subsections (c), (c5), or (c6), and the court that convicted him finds that it is not possible to order forfeiture as referred to in paragraph (1) on the grounds that the person convicted of the offence is not the owner of the vehicle in which the offence was committed or the permanent possessor thereof, the court, in determining the amount of the fine to be imposed for that offence, may take into account the value of the vehicle, in whole or in part;
(3)A fine as referred to in paragraph (2) shall not be less than half the value of the vehicle, unless the court has decided, for special reasons to be recorded, to mitigate the penalty; the provisions of this paragraph shall remain in force until the 24th day of Nisan 5787 (1 May 2027).
(d2)A person who was convicted of an offence under subsections (c) or (c5), and who within three years from the date of his conviction was convicted of one of those offences (hereinafter — additional offence), the following provisions shall apply to him:
(1)(Repealed);
(2)The court that convicted him of the additional offence shall order his disqualification from receiving or holding a driving licence for a period not exceeding three years.
(d3)(Repealed).
(e)In this Chapter —
"area" — Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip;
"foreign resident" — a resident of the area and also any person who entered Israel through the area, except an Israeli, as defined in the Law for the Extension of the Validity of Emergency Regulations (Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip — Jurisdiction in Offences and Legal Assistance), 5728-1967.
"employer" and "manpower intermediary" — (Repealed).
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Contact Us →Section D: Special Procedural Provisions
Special Procedural Provisions§
12a1.
(a)The Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982 (in this Law — the Criminal Procedure Law), and the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Arrest and Search) [New Version], 5729-1969 (in this Law — the Criminal Procedure Ordinance), shall apply to a foreign resident suspected of an offence under section 12(a)(1) with the following modifications:
(1)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 128 of the Criminal Procedure Law, the provisions of section 130 thereof shall also apply to a defendant who was summoned to the commencement of trial, provided that the summons to trial warned that the court would be entitled to try him in his absence and to order the forfeiture of a vehicle seized under section 32 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, if he fails to appear;
(2)With regard to the Criminal Procedure Ordinance —
(a)where a vehicle that brought a foreign resident who is residing in Israel unlawfully into Israel has been seized, the court shall not order the return of the vehicle under section 34 thereof before the conclusion of the proceedings, except for special reasons to be recorded;
(b)notwithstanding the provisions of section 39 thereof, a court that convicted a foreign resident of an offence under section 12(a)(1) shall order, in addition to any other penalty, the forfeiture of the vehicle seized under section 32 of the Criminal Procedure Law, even if he did not appear for his trial, unless it decided, for special reasons to be recorded, not to do so;
(c)the court shall not forfeit a vehicle as referred to in sub-paragraph (b) if the person convicted is not the owner of the vehicle, unless all of the following conditions are met:
(1)the owner of the vehicle was given an opportunity to state his arguments;
(2)the owner of the vehicle did not prove that the vehicle was taken from him by the foreign resident without his knowledge or without his consent, or that he did not know, at the time of handing over the vehicle to the foreign resident, that the foreign resident would drive it in Israel unlawfully;
(d)the court shall not order the forfeiture of a vehicle under sub-paragraphs (b) or (c), unless it is satisfied that the defendant and the owner of the vehicle were not prevented from entering Israel and appearing for trial.
(b)Nothing in the provisions of this section shall derogate from the provisions of the Customs Ordinance, with regard to the seizure and forfeiture of a vehicle.
12b.§
(Repealed — הוראת שעה (תיקון מס' 4), 2000)
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