We were enjoying our penultimate night in Jerusalem with some old buddies and delicious cocktails. Until our friend stared at us blankly when we declared our intention to pick up our Jordan visas at the King Hussein Bridge border crossing from Israel to Jordan. ‘You do know visas aren’t issued there, right? You should have gotten them before you arrived in Israel if you want to cross into Jordan there.’
Apparently someone misread the visa requirements and a visa run to Ramallah (a city in the West Bank) was required to get said visas! Some bus, taxi and Jordanian Consulate time later we were the proud owners of two Jordan visas. Here’s our step by step guide to getting a Jordan visa in Jerusalem!
For advice on how to make the journey from Jerusalem to Amman check out our post on how to do the Jerusalem to Jordan land border crossing at the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge!
Note: this advice applies to the King Hussein Bridge/Allenby crossing as a visa must be obtained in advance of this border crossing. Always check the government website for the latest advice before travelling.
Where to stay in Jerusalem
Visiting Jerusalem is an incredible experience but due to the layout of the city and the narrow streets the only real way to explore the city is to walk. We found visiting the Old City early in the morning and later in the evening when crowds were quieter to be the best experience. To allow you to do this we recommend staying as close to the Old City walls as possible. The best hotels we recommend are:
- Harmony Hotel: Where we stayed and a short 5 minute walk from the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. This stunning boutique hotel really made our stay in Jerusalem special. A delicious breakfast each morning, afternoon drinks on the sun filled terrace and a perfect location make this our top pick for staying beside the Old City of Jerusalem. The local area is lively with a great atmosphere and lots of great restaurants and bars. The hotel also has free parking which was great when we rented a car for a day trip to Massada – Click here for best prices!
- Sephardic House Hotel: located within the Old City itself in the Jewish Quarter (close to the Zion Gate), this hotel is a short walking distance from all of the sights, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Temple Mount and the Western Wall to name a few nearby). Perfect if you want to stay in the Old City itself – Click here for best prices!
- Bezalel Hotel: A fantastic value hotel located 10 minutes walk from the Jaffa Gate. A sister hotel of the Harmony hotel, the Bezalel is a great alternative if the Harmony Hotel is booked out! – Click here for best prices!
Click here for the best Jerusalem hotel prices
Preparation
1 | Bring your passport!
Do not forget your passport! It’s required to cross the border at Qalandia back into Jerusalem.
2 | Passport Pictures
The Jordan visa application requires a passport picture and we got our snaps taken at a camera shop on Ben Yuddha Street. It’s probably easiest to ask in your accommodation for the closest passport photo spot. Newsflash: passport pictures can be expensive on the road and we learned an excellent lesson for our future travels that day – never leave home without some spare passport pics!
Jerusalem to Ramallah
3 | Bus to Ramallah
The bus to Ramallah departs from the Palestine Bus Station which is opposite Damascus Gate on Nablus Road (see map below). Bus 218 (and sometimes the 219) travels to Ramallah so check with the bus driver when you get on. The journey is around 45 minutes and the cost is 8NIS. Stay on the bus at the Qalandia border crossing. Palestinians have to disembark but children, the elderly and foreigners stay on the bus and the border soldiers will come onto the bus to check visas and passports.
The Palestine bus station near Damascus Gate:
The bus:
Ramallah
4 | Get a cab to Jordan Liaison Office
The bus stops at Ramallah Bus Station which is near al-Manara square. From there, it is a taxi ride to the Jordan Liaison Office which is located near the Grand Park Hotel in the Al Masyoun neighbourhood. The cab drivers will know the Grand Park Hotel and the taxi fare should be a maximum of 15 NIS either on the meter or pre agreed. Note: the office is closed at weekends (Friday and Saturday). Ring ahead to make sure it’s open.
Jordan Liaison Office: Opening Hours: 08:00 to 15:00 (closed Friday & Saturday)
Cabs outside the Ramallah Bus Station:
5 | The Jordan Liaison Office
Visas are issued at the Jordan Liasion Office and, in total, it took us less than an hour from arrival to departure. We filled in our application forms and watched hopefully as passports were returned to their owners. It can get busy when tour leaders arrive with bulk applications so budget plenty of time. Bring a book or pop over to the Grand Park Hotel for a coffee!
The Liaison Office:
6 | Get a Taxi to Ramallah Bus Station
There were a few taxis waiting outside the Liaison Office and 20 NIS was the going price. It probably should have been 15 but it was a case of us needing a taxi more than we needed 5 Shekels!
Ramallah Bus Station:
Ramallah to Jerusalem
7 | Qalandia Border Crossing
On the way back to Jerusalem all passengers must disembark at the Qalandia Border and pass through a security check. The bus parks up on the Jerusalem side of the checkpoint and waits until everyone passes through the crossing.
It’s an interesting experience: people crossing the border walk down a long covered walkway and pass through turnstiles when a green light shows. There are no Israeli police on the Ramallah side so the crossing is operated remotely through a video camera while communicating through a speaker. Just watch the people ahead of you in the line and follow what they do!
Jerusalem
8 | Arrive back to Jerusalem
The last stop on the bus is back at the Palestine Bus Station close to Damascus Gate. 
For advice on how to make the journey from Jerusalem to Amman check out our post on how to do the Jerusalem to Jordan land border crossing at the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge!
Where to stay in Jerusalem
Visiting Jerusalem is an incredible experience but due to the layout of the city and the narrow streets the only real way to explore the city is to walk. We found visiting the Old City early in the morning and later in the evening when crowds were quieter to be the best experience. To allow you to do this we recommend staying as close to the Old City walls as possible. The best hotels we recommend are:
- Harmony Hotel: Where we stayed and a short 5 minute walk from the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. This stunning boutique hotel really made our stay in Jerusalem special. A delicious breakfast each morning, afternoon drinks on the sun filled terrace and a perfect location make this our top pick for staying beside the Old City of Jerusalem. The local area is lively with a great atmosphere and lots of great restaurants and bars. The hotel also has free parking which was great when we rented a car for a day trip to Massada – Click here for best prices!
- Sephardic House Hotel: located within the Old City itself in the Jewish Quarter (close to the Zion Gate), this hotel is a short walking distance from all of the sights, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Temple Mount and the Western Wall to name a few nearby). Perfect if you want to stay in the Old City itself – Click here for best prices!
- Bezalel Hotel: A fantastic value hotel located 10 minutes walk from the Jaffa Gate. A sister hotel of the Harmony hotel, the Bezalel is a great alternative if the Harmony Hotel is booked out! – Click here for best prices!
Click here for the best Jerusalem hotel prices
Our journey in pictures!
Both our journey to and time in Ramallah were really interesting experiences and we captured some pictures of our adventure along the way!
Border traffic:
Taking advantage of the passing traffic to drum up some business!
Crossing into Palestine:
The Separation Wall:
Wall murals:
Security measures:
Street markets:
Murals:
And the funniest part? Dave helping a local when his car broke down and caused traffic chaos!
Very useful info
Hey, guys! Your information was very useful for me today. I did this bus trip from Jerusalem to Ramallah to get my Jordanian visa. Just an update: the visa application works from 8:30 til 12:30h; they close for lunch from 12:30 til 14:30h; and after 14:30h til they close down is only for picking up visa and documents.
And the cost for issuing the visa over there is way more expensive than at the border, its 360 NIS or 95 USD.
As of January 2018, the Jordanian embassy is no longer located across Grand Park – it is in the Ein Munjid neighborhood of Ramallah. The building name is Al Jabara (or something similar to that), and it is on the 7th floor.
Open from 9-noon and visa pick up is from 2-230 (same day). The person who applies doesn’t need to be the one to pick it up in the afternoon, but I’m not sure if the person applying needs to be there to apply during morning hours
Thanks JJ, I will update the article to reflect above.
Thanks!
Elaine