Russian Tourist Denied Entry into Israel over Possession of Rubles at Ben Gurion Airport

A 28-year-old Russian tourist, identified as Elizaveta Mishkevich from Saint Petersburg, was denied entry into Israel upon arrival at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, according to a report by Russian media outlet SHOT.

During passport control, Mishkevich was directed to secondary questioning, where border control officers reportedly scrutinized the Russian rubles found in her wallet. According to Mishkevich, an officer questioned why she was carrying rubles given that the currency cannot be exchanged within the country, citing this as one of the factors leading to the entry refusal. The traveler also claimed officials informed her that entry would not be permitted without a formal invitation letter from a resident in Israel.

Following the decision to deport her, Mishkevich was reportedly not boarded onto the scheduled return flight. As a result, she was forced to spend the night at Ben Gurion Airport and remains in the transit area awaiting arrangements for a return flight.