Sharm El Shiekh ? not if you've been to Israel :(

[R TOY]

Mrs Toy has booked us in for a week at Sharm El Sheikh and all seemed fine until by chance when checking if a visa was needed she noticed in the 'small print' a paragraph saying to contact passport office if you have an Israel stamp in your passport.
We were informed that we may be refused entry or be detained and that passports would have to be renewed..which meant a hurried trip to Peterborough to get new ones.
wondered if anyone else has come across this?
Thomson dont mention anything in their travel documents so prehaps over cautious but i dont fancy spending the night in an Egyption jail !
Also i've just realised my PADI certificate and log book are Israeli as well, Wonder how well that will go down (no pun intended)
Anyone else been diving in Egypt who learnt in Eilat, cant be that unusual can it ?

[Broomsticklady]

You've probably been sensible in getting replacement passports, but I don't think having a fair bit of experience with Egypt entries that you'd have a problem - never entered at Sharm tho. Some other Middle East countries maybe, but not Egypt - major industry being tourism - they don't turn people away!

We've done the other way round - got into Israel with Egyptian visas no problem - just asked why we'd been - "tourism" - "that's OK".

[mybrainhurts]

Don't forget the....

[BliarOut]

Hang on, wasn't it you who gave me the flypast when I was cycling along Deeping high bank in a PH top?

[sooperscoop]

I understand if you ask nicely when entering Israel, they will stamp a separate sheet of paper then staple it into your passport, so you can remove it later.

As ever, I could be wrong.

[HereBeMonsters]

In my last passport I had an Israel stamp, two Pakistan visas, about 6-7 Nigerian visas and still managed to get into the US totally fine. Egypt should be a bit more understanding, I would have thought.

[Gaffer]

sooperscoop is right. Had to do this myself before now for Israel & Cuba & Egypt.

I will have the same problem if I go to Israel & then come back to Libya - although Israel is fine with the Libyan visas, right pain in the butt to be honest.

I must look right dodgy at times.

Claire

[cqueen]

I know loads of people that have been there, every single one of them have sh*t themselves stupid for a week. I don't know why people still go there, filthy place.

[Silver993tt]

cqueen said:

I know loads of people that have been there, every single one of them have sh*t themselves stupid for a week. I don't know why people still go there, filthy place.

Where Israel or Egypt?

[anonymous-user]

The answer is to get two passports - which was a perfectly easy thing to do - which has a couple of advantages....

You can still travel with a passport whilst the other is away getting a visa stamp, and of course with careful management you can keep likely conflicting visas/stamps separate.

Been doing this for years, never had a problem with US/Isreal/Arab countries...

[lambysdad]

You can get into Israel after being pretty much anywhere else in the world.

You will have a lot of difficulty getting into any North African countries and some Middle Eastern ones if you have a stamp from Israel in your passport. Don't even try it is best.

For future reference when visiting Israel, either have a second passport or ask them to stamp your boarding pass (which they are becoming more reluctant to do btw).

HTH.

[Balmoral Green]

I've seen this on a few Arab nations visas too 'Visa is invalid if bearer obtains Israeli visa'.

[Dino D]

had ham said:

The answer is to get two passports - which was a perfectly easy thing to do - which has a couple of advantages....

You can still travel with a passport whilst the other is away getting a visa stamp, and of course with careful management you can keep likely conflicting visas/stamps separate.

Been doing this for years, never had a problem with US/Isreal/Arab countries...

How do you that then - when I have had to apply for visas they asked me for all passports, past and present?
can you legally even have 2 valid passports?

[tubbystu]

Dino D said:

had ham said:

The answer is to get two passports - which was a perfectly easy thing to do - which has a couple of advantages....

You can still travel with a passport whilst the other is away getting a visa stamp, and of course with careful management you can keep likely conflicting visas/stamps separate.

Been doing this for years, never had a problem with US/Isreal/Arab countries...

How do you that then - when I have had to apply for visas they asked me for all passports, past and present?
can you legally even have 2 valid passports?

For most occupations you are allowed up to 3 valid UK passports. They are intended for business rather than purely for domestic use, where visa requirements and exclusions exist. You will require a letter from your employer explaining why you require an additional passport etc.

I have an US/Israel/South Africa one, a rest of the world one and a clean one for Europe etc and as a standby. It also means that you are never without a pasport as they all expire at different times.

They all have different numbers but certainly the Passport Agency and its officers will know about the others.

The clean one always goes with me everywhere in case I need proof of identity etc.

[hornetrider]

Silver993tt said:

cqueen said:

I know loads of people that have been there, every single one of them have sh*t themselves stupid for a week. I don't know why people still go there, filthy place.

Where Israel or Egypt?

Egypt in my experience. I've never known bowel movements like it, never again

[DBSV8]

hornetrider said:

Silver993tt said:

cqueen said:

I know loads of people that have been there, every single one of them have sh*t themselves stupid for a week. I don't know why people still go there, filthy place.

Where Israel or Egypt?

Egypt in my experience. I've never known bowel movements like it, never again

it depends where you go tbh , I have yet to meet anyone whos visited El Gouna and had any troubles ?

[anonymous-user]

tubbystu said:

Dino D said:

had ham said:

The answer is to get two passports - which was a perfectly easy thing to do - which has a couple of advantages....

You can still travel with a passport whilst the other is away getting a visa stamp, and of course with careful management you can keep likely conflicting visas/stamps separate.

Been doing this for years, never had a problem with US/Isreal/Arab countries...

How do you that then - when I have had to apply for visas they asked me for all passports, past and present?
can you legally even have 2 valid passports?

For most occupations you are allowed up to 3 valid UK passports. They are intended for business rather than purely for domestic use, where visa requirements and exclusions exist. You will require a letter from your employer explaining why you require an additional passport etc.

I have an US/Israel/South Africa one, a rest of the world one and a clean one for Europe etc and as a standby. It also means that you are never without a pasport as they all expire at different times.

They all have different numbers but certainly the Passport Agency and its officers will know about the others.

The clean one always goes with me everywhere in case I need proof of identity etc.

Absolutely - you can even do this mostly on-line now - limit is as 3 per above, if you can prove that you travel frequently, or that you travel to countries where potential passport/stamp conflicts exist, an explanatory letter is all that is required. A very common practice for frequent flyers.

[audidoody]

Israel and Egypt have had a peace treaty for 30 years. There are no passport issues. I've done several dive safaris from Eilat into Sharm, Dahab and Nuweibah and back over the years and it has not been a problem. The border crossing at Taba processes thousands of passports a week. Same with Jordan. No problem crossing with Israel stamps in p/port.

Syria, Iraq, and Iran is where you'll need an Israeli-stamp-free passport.

[TuxRacer]

cqueen said:

I know loads of people that have been there, every single one of them have sh*t themselves stupid for a week. I don't know why people still go there, filthy place.

No one I know has had a problem, including myself.

ETA: And the Red Sea was amazing and the day trip to Cairo fantastic. Highly recommended.

Edited by TuxRacer on Thursday 11th November 15:20

[chillo]

DBSV8 said:

hornetrider said:

Silver993tt said:

cqueen said:

I know loads of people that have been there, every single one of them have sh*t themselves stupid for a week. I don't know why people still go there, filthy place.

Where Israel or Egypt?

Egypt in my experience. I've never known bowel movements like it, never again

it depends where you go tbh , I have yet to meet anyone whos visited El Gouna and had any troubles ?

Went to El Gouna a few years back and was laid up for 3 days while there and no apetite for a week or 2 afterwards!
Proper, proper eye of a needle stuff!
A mate went ther too and ended up in hospital for a couple of days on a drip he was that bad!