Israel Considers New Fee for Travelers to Taba Resort Area

Israel's Ministry of Transportation is proposing a change to the exit fee policy for travelers heading to Taba, Egypt. Currently, individuals traveling to the immediate vicinity of the Taba border crossing are exempt from the NIS 120 exit fee per person. Under the proposed change, all travelers would pay the fee upfront upon departure from Israel.

Those intending to stay only in Taba would then be eligible for a refund upon their return to Israel, provided they can prove they did not travel to other areas of the Sinai Peninsula. The current exemption is limited to areas within one kilometer of the Menachem Begin border crossing. Travelers continuing beyond Taba to other Sinai destinations are already required to pay the exit fee.

The Ministry explains that the current system makes it difficult to verify travelers' intentions at the border, leading to potential revenue loss. A hotel booking in Taba is not considered sufficient proof, as reservations can be canceled. This proposed change comes amid ongoing legal proceedings, including a class-action lawsuit filed in July 2023 alleging that the Airports Authority improperly collected advance fees from passengers eligible for exemptions. The lawsuit was certified as a class action, and an appeal by the authority was rejected by the Supreme Court in June 2025.

The proposed regulation aims to shift the exemption eligibility from the point of departure to the point of return, allowing for upfront collection and subsequent refund if conditions are met. This would affect families, who would need to pay a larger sum initially, even if they expect to receive a full refund.