Do France passport holders need a visa to visit IL?

French ordinary passport holders do NOT need a traditional visa for tourism in Israel, but since 1 January 2025 they MUST obtain an approved ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) online before boarding. It costs 25 ILS, is valid up to 2 years, and allows multiple stays of up to 90 days each. Israel is not a Schengen country and is not in the EU, so the Schengen 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply to entering Israel (ETIAS is a separate EU scheme that will affect Israelis entering Europe, not the reverse). France is on Israel's list of roughly 90+ visa-exempt nationalities for short tourist stays. However, since 1 January 2025 the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA) requires every visa-exempt traveler — including all EU citizens such as the French — to hold an approved ETA-IL electronic travel authorization before boarding their flight. Travelers without a valid ETA-IL (or visa) are denied boarding/entry. The ETA-IL is applied for entirely online at the official PIBA portal (israel-entry.piba.gov.il), costs 25 ILS, is normally issued within 72 hours (often within hours), is valid for 2 years or until passport expiry (whichever is sooner), and permits multiple entries with stays of up to 90 days per visit. A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond entry with a blank page is required. This is the correct channel for a French tourist; a consular visa is only needed for purposes beyond short tourism/business or for longer stays.