Language: Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of
Israel. Most of the population also speak English.
Currency: The Israeli Shekel (ILS) is divided into 100 agorot (singular is agora). Money can be changed in the small exchange bureaux found on most main streets, or at banks and hotels. ATMs are prevalent throughout the country and linked to American systems. Most banks are open Sunday through to Friday until noon, and are open again from 4pm till 6pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Major credit cards are widely accepted, as are travelers cheques, though commission
on these is high.
Time: Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from April to September).
Electricity: 220 volts, 50Hz; European-style two-pin and round three-pin plugs are used.
Communications: The international access code for Israel is +972. The outgoing code is 00 (not from public phones) followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the
United Kingdom). There are other outgoing codes depending on which network is used to dial out on. City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)2 for
Jerusalem. Public phones are card operated and are readily available, and instruction cards state whether to dial 012, 013 or 014 for overseas. The local mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators; otherwise mobile phones can easily be rented. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and tourist areas all over Israel.
Duty Free: Travelers to Israel do not have to pay duty on 250 cigarettes or 250g of other tobacco products; 2 liters wine and 1 liter of other types of alcoholic beverages; 250ml of eau de cologne or perfume; and gifts to the value of US$150 for residents and US$125 for non-residents. Prohibited items include fresh meat and fresh fruit (especially from
South Africa).
Tourist OfficeIsraeli
Tourist Office: +972 (0)2 625 8844 or www.goisrael.com
EmergencyEmergencies: 100 (Police); 101 (Ambulance)
Embassies
Israeli Embassy,
Washington DC,
United States: +1 202 364 5500.
Israeli Embassy,
London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7957 9500.
Israeli Embassy,
Ottawa,
Canada: +1 613 567 6450.
Israeli Embassy,
Canberra,
Australia: +61 (0)2 6215 4500.
Israeli Embassy,
Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 470 3500.
Israeli Embassy,
Dublin,
Ireland: +353 (0)1 230 9400.
Consulate of Israel,
Wellington,
New Zealand: +64 (0)4 475 7622.
United States Embassy,
Tel Aviv: +972 (0)3 519 7617.
British Embassy, Tel Aviv: +972 (0)3 725 1222.
Canadian Embassy, Tel Aviv: +972 (0)3 636 3300.
Australian Embassy, Tel Aviv: +972 (0)3 693 5000.
South
African Embassy, Tel Aviv: +972 (0)3 525 2566.
Irish Embassy, Tel Aviv: +972 (0)3 696 4166.
New
Zealand Embassy,
Ankara,
Turkey (also responsible for Israel): +90 312 467 9054.
