Israel Reopens Its Borders For Vaccinated Tourists

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Last Updated 3 years ago

Israel has become the latest of a growing list of countries to reveal that its borders are finally opening at long last for travelers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Situated at the crossroads of three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa – Israel is a destination full of cultural, historical and religious significance, and so the news that it is one more open for guests is bound to be welcomed by travelers from all over the world.

Israel has made good progress towards vaccination and controlling the spread of Covid-19, but previous attempts to reopen have had to be postponed for one reason or another. Here's everything you need to know about Israel's latest decision to reopen to vaccinated travelers once again.

Israel Reopens – What Travelers Should Know

News that Israel was set to reopen its borders for international travelers was revealed last week, and is the fruit of the country's Covid-19 policies having a significant impact on the number of cases. Israel boasts some impressive figures when it comes to Covid-19, including serious cases of the virus dropping below 300 and the average number of daily cases firmly below 1000, with just 675 reported yesterday. On top of this, around two thirds of the country's population being vaccinated against the virus. 

Such conditions have led those in charge of the country to believe that Israel is primed and ready to receive foreign tourists once more. However, the country has laid out some strict guidelines about who can and who cannot enter the country – and it's mostly bad news for unvaccinated travelers. Only vaccinated travelers may enter the country, with a range of vaccine types deemed acceptable by the Israeli Health Ministry. 

Unvaccinated travelers are still able to enter the country if they have recovered from the virus, but there are conditions. They must have a digital recovery certificate proving that they have recovered, and those who recovered more than six months ago will need to be vaccinated. Digital recovery certificates are hard to come by in the US, which will restrict access for many unvaccinated but recovered American travelers. 

The vaccines that are set to be accepted by Israel are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm and the single shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Russia's Sputnik V vaccine was also added to the list recently, following negotiations between the two interested parties. Those intending to visit must also have had their vaccines a certain number of days prior to their date of travel and must leave the country within a specific time frame.

Those periods are as follows:

• Travelers must have had the second or booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least seven days before travel, and must leave the country within 180 days.
• Travelers must have received the second or booster dose of the Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines at least 14 days before, and must leave the country within 180 days.
• Travelers must have received one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine at least 14 days before travel, and must leave the country within 180 days. 

The changes are set to go live from November 1st. Travelers can prove their vaccination status with either a paper copy of a vaccination certificate or a digital one. On top of this, travelers will need to be tested for Covid-19 both before travel and upon arrival, and may only enter through Ben Gurion Airport. Travelers will need to stay in quarantine only until their Covid-19 test result comes back. 

Read More:

CDC Says It’s OK For Vaccinated People To Travel This Holiday Season

Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19

Everything UK and EU Travelers Need To Know About The U.S. Reopening For Tourism

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