Israel Reopens Its Borders To Vaccinated Tourists

Israel is the latest in a long line of countries to announce that its borders are finally open to travelers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Israel, located at the crossroads of three continents – Europe, Asia, and Africa – is a destination rich in cultural, historical, and religious significance, and the news that it is now open to visitors will undoubtedly be welcomed by visitors from all over the world.

Israel has made significant progress in terms of vaccination and controlling the spread of Covid-19, but previous attempts to reopen have been thwarted for a variety of reasons. Here’s everything you need to know about Israel’s recent decision to reopen its borders to vaccinated travelers.

Israel Reopens – What Travelers Should Know

The announcement that Israel was reopening its borders to international travelers came last week, and it is the result of the country’s Covid-19 policies having a significant impact on the number of cases. When it comes to Covid-19, Israel has some impressive statistics, including a drop in serious cases of the virus below 300 and an average number of daily cases well below 1000, with only 675 reported yesterday. Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of the country’s population has been immunized against the virus.

As a result of these circumstances, those in charge of the country believe that Israel is primed and ready to welcome foreign tourists once more. However, the country has imposed strict restrictions on who can and cannot enter the country – and it’s mostly bad news for unvaccinated visitors. Only vaccinated visitors are permitted to enter the country, with the Israeli Health Ministry approving a variety of vaccine types.

Unvaccinated travelers who have recovered from the virus can still enter the country, but there are restrictions. They must have a digital recovery certificate proving their recovery, and those who recovered more than six months ago must be vaccinated. Because digital recovery certificates are difficult to obtain in the United States, many unvaccinated but recovered American travelers will be denied entry.

Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, and the single shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine are among the vaccines set to be accepted by Israel. Following negotiations between the two interested parties, Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine was recently added to the list. Those planning to visit must also have received their vaccinations a certain number of days before their departure date and must leave the country within a certain 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 scheduled to go into effect on November 1st. Travelers can demonstrate their vaccination status with either a paper or digital copy of their vaccination certificate. In addition, travelers must be tested for Covid-19 both before and after their trip, and they can only enter through Ben Gurion Airport. Travelers will be quarantined only until the results of their Covid-19 test are received.

Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.  Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

Source: https://bit.ly/3bmbh8Y