Finally! Israel Will Reopen To Vaccinated Tour Groups In June And To Individual Tourists In July

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Photo Credit: Askii [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
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COVID cases in Israel have dropped close to nil and the country is continuing its reopening process.

As of June 1st nearly all restrictions will be lifted in Israel, other than the ban on most foreign nationals due to worries about importing COVID variants, and the requirement to wear a mask when indoors.

Israel closed their borders to most foreign nationals back on 3/18/20 and they have extended the ban since then, but things will finally start opening up this summer.

Starting on June 1st, some 20 organized tour groups, will be part of a trial to visit Israel even without having a first degree relative there. They will also need to be fully vaccinated and they will have to test positive for antibodies in Israel in order to avoid quarantine.

On June 15th all government approved organized tour groups of at least 5 people will be able to travel to Israel. The group organizer will be the one to apply for permission for each group to enter and they can already start applying for permission now.

A group organizer told me that he is being told that everyone in the group will need to have a digital vaccine passport, like New York’s Excelsior Pass, in order to prove their vaccination status and enter the country. Companies like CLEAR are working on verified vaccine passports for other Americans.

He also tells me that he is being told that proof of recovery from COVID won’t be accepted and that a vaccine passport will be the only way to enter the country. You will also need to test positive for antibodies in Israel in order to avoid quarantine.

It appears that will mean groups will only be open for those 12 or older as COVID vaccines are not yet approved for those under 12 years old. COVID vaccine trials for children 6 months through 11 years old are currently underway and if proven safe and effective, should be available by September.

Of course all of the fine print and details are subject to change at any time.

Reuters’ Steven Scheer also reports that Israel plans on opening to individual tourists, that don’t have first degree relatives in Israel, starting in July. It’s unclear what those requirements will be at this time, but I’d expect similar requirements to what group travelers need for entry.

Will you start planning a trip to Israel this summer?

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113 Comments On "Finally! Israel Will Reopen To Vaccinated Tour Groups In June And To Individual Tourists In July"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

Rose

So there’s no way to go for families with children under 12, as of yet.

Kidz4isrAel

So children under 12 are SOL? What about in July? Or what if they( or parents) have first degree relatives?

Yehudah

Already booked for August with the United 40 yr sale. But hope that i can change it to July.

Aaron

Isreal should grow up act like an adult what a nerve isreal has we took in all the time isrealy citizens and nothing happened they should open for use with no questions asked or let them suffer

Harabi MiUto

Let them suffer??? That’s incoherent. Please elaborate.

R

Huh?? Maybe you can get someone to type out your message for you

Ivezdad

There have been too many reports of falsified documents. Israel is being smart.
I assume the suffer you hint at is pertaining to lost tourism dollars. The pitiful amount that some tourists leave there is no loss. Hotels bring revenue but these rented apartments yield little in benefit to anyone.

Levi

This is one of the dumbest comments currently on the internet…

#CoronaHoax

Smart? More like tyrannical.. I’ll wait for moshiach to come to go

Bruce Bublick

Yeah, right. Just like the European Raboonim and Rebbes in the late 1939 were waiting for the Nazis Y’SM., who were described as a “passing cloud”, to go away.

Bruce Bublick

Aaron: Instead of posting criticism of Israel on Dans Deals, I suggest you return to third-grade in elementary school.

shelly sussman

So happy! Can’t wait, the USA is falling apart
Need to get away from the hatred

Mark

No way a couple can go as of yet,correct?

Glushtygiz

How can it be recovered from covid with proof of antibodies isnt good enough to get a NY vaccine pass

Jaso

How does a digital passport (such as by Excelsior Pass) work? Is it an App, or a printed version would work too for entry in Israel?
Can anyone organize a group of 5 and apply for entry in June?

s

what about a baby?

Kopi

so, basically no way for non first degree tourists to fly using miles? what about first degree of a student just going to visit relative?

Isaac

Yes you can take babies but you still need to quarantine for the babies and the relevant is that you will have an issue to go back from Israel before the end of this period except if you are getting permission to leave before.

Isaac

To apply for the New York’s Excelsior Pass you can use a regular PC.

Susan

With the vaccine passport, will the serological testing upon arrival, no longer be required?

joel

is the johnson vaccine also accepted ?

Se

I’m Israeli citizen can my kids go in without making them Israelis my parents live there

samdaman

Call Chaim Vochessed, Its possible that they are Israeli in anycase

Bruce Bublick

Yes, as long as they sign a pre-entry document certifying that they agree to join the IDF when they reach 18.

yehuda wilner

well if you call chaim vichesed the GUaranteed RESPONSE WILL BE TO GET CITIZENSHIP FOR ALL PEOPLE IN QUESTION. thats always their ‘advice’. consistent. become a citizen. and they’ll tell you 17 random reasons why it makes sense.. you have nothing to lose… they are subsidized by the state of isreal, whos number one goal is to get a few more citizens, be it apes, russian nonjews, or people that call chaim vichesed for advice.

Isaac

Any approved by the CDC.

Isaac

You can print the NY excelsior pass and you will need it for the TO to apply for the permit.

iahphx

I’m now rebooked to TLV for October. I want to simply present my vaccine card and be admitted. Is that a pipe dream?

Keep jabbing

You’ll need the 3rd vaccine by then lol

Benj0

Would like to fly with my wife and children July 5 to aug 15th (kids aged 7-3 yr old). All this info is somewhat confusing. I have had and recovered from COVID. wife and kids have still not had it. We have first degree relatives living in israel. I am a israeli citizen wife and kids are not. What I think I understand is that we can enter with prior approval but would have to be in bidud (quarantine) for 10 days, correct? I would greatly appreciate a response, thank you

Mordechai

“After you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, simply link to your healthcare account to confirm your vaccine records in a secure, verifiable and privacy-preserving way.” I’m curious how I would be able to verify my vaccination through CLEAR or any other company. I got vaccinated in Palm Beach County, by the healthcare district. They gave me a physical signed vaccine card. As far as I am aware there are no electronic records, at least none that I have access to. I would like to go with my wife and kids at the beginning of August. We have all had Covid and will be all vaccinated by then but I would need to plan this out well beforehand. When are other companies expected to come out with these digital passports? A week, month, year, etc..?

Naftali S.

What about a child under 1 yrs old before the tests are available in September?

Mordecha

Can I expect to ba able to go for Succos with my chidren? They have not been vaccinated, and can’t get a vaccine as they are too young at this time.

...

What if youre vaccinated but don’t have antibodies?

Albert

If basically the whole country is vaccinated, and the cases are extremely extremely low, then why have this restriction to be vaccinated in order to enter in the first place? The chances of covid being transmitted to a vaccinated individual is extremely low, so why do individuals traveling to israel need to be vaccinated? The point of vaccinating everyone is to protect your citizens, and thats exactly what they did. I don’t understand this logic. Can someone explain? And even if God forbid one person does happen to catch it, it wouldn’t spread like wildfire because most everybody is vaccinated. What is the purpose of these rules? You vaccinated your citizens, great. It’s time to lift all restrictions and return to precovid rules.

Barry

Children under 16 have not been vaccinated in Israel yet. Children seem to be less vulnerable, but they still can be infected, and even though it seems they are less likely to spread Covid, they still can infect others.

There’s also the fear that new strains will emerge that the current vaccines are not effective against. Put that together with the fact that Israel’s economy has come through the pandemic with strong signs of future growth despite having no foreign tourists for more than a year. Israelis value safety and there’s real reason to be cautious, and not so much reason to not be cautious.

Orrin d

Perhaps, there is continuing fear that the vaccines will prevent disease from the newer covid variants.

concerned citizen

ahhh the variance, yes thats the biggest fear stick they shake! thats how when the vax first came out and Israel used these variance to lock the country down with out any notice and drove up the fear. while saying the cases were rising but if someone wanted hcq or ivermectin they needed to go underground org. to get it.

Orrin d

Sorry…. please add word ‘not’ to previous comment. Thanks

concerned citizen

control….also the biggest thing they also say is “safety,trying to be careful!” please since when have governments cared so much about there individuals citizens health?

Sr

Looks like I’m not the only one thinking this….

SM

I purchased tickets in January 2021 for July 2021. Family of four, one 3-year-old, and infant less than a year. The wife had covid and recovered, I have not contracted covid. We both do not intend on taking the vaccine at the moment.

Obvious option: Take the vaccine, and be part of this worldwide test trial for the vaccine.

What are my other options, or am I SOL, and in order to enter, we need to be vaccinated?

DaninMCI

I still have long-standing reservations to visit in mid-August. I really hope they have all this sorted out by then. Looking to thread the needle on this trip it seems.

Confused and misses Israel

I am in the process of making Aliyah to become an Israeli citizen and my husband and children will not be becoming citizens. Will they be allowed to come along with me as my first-degree relatives if they are unvaccinated?

Bruce Bublick

Why aren’t your children not becoming citizens? So they don’t have to serve in the IDF?

Bz

This is a helpful blog started by Dan to inform and educate about deals that are useful for everyone.
If you insist on trying to sow discord and make a political statement please go to other sites where ppl do that all day…
Thanks for your understanding. And I am not just speaking to you but to all who do the same..
Sometimes I feel like posting this comment every day here…

Mendy

Well said

Moe

not everyone wants their kids going off the derech when they move to israel. its hard enough as it is…

Douglas MacArthur

What an insanely stupid comment. Your refusal to serve has nothing to do with women singing, Shabbos observance, or Kashrus.

You don’t want to go into harms way.

Bob

At the same time, countless media reports over recent weeks had trumpeted that ‘the skies would be opened to tourists on May 23’. This much ballyhooed date has come and gone with no significant changes in the ban on foreigners entering Israel. A tiny number of tour groups has been granted permission to enter the country. The numbers of permitted groups may increase in coming days, however, the overall ban remains in place for now. Furthermore, Chaim V’Chessed has learned that, as part of the effort to keep foreign variants out of the country, it is possible that the ban on foreign entry may even be tightened

Yanky

No tour groups have been granted. This is propaganda worse than Russia !! They only let in a seminary tour as they processed it as students
Please don’t be so gullible. They are not letting in period. Not with vaccine passports. These are all propaganda and jokes not happening. Please don’t be so naive

Morak

Willa antibodies test showing antibodies be enough for permit to come for birth as I had cod lasbyear and still have antibodies. But cannot provide positive and negative?

Morak

Anyone have an answer for me. Can I submit an antibodies test showing recovered to be able to go for a student visa birth or do I need an actual vaccine?

Moshe

where can we find one of these “On June 15th all government approved organized tour groups of at least 5 people will be able to travel to Israel. The group organizer will be the one to apply for permission for each group to enter and they can already start applying for permission now.”

How can I make my own group?

mom

does anyone know how to get a student visa quickly or only wait for an appointment in July?

Moe

call chaim v’chesed

yanky

THERE ARE NO TOUR GROUPS GOING NOW — only seminary group that is getting in as students
Dan you are off on this one , although Israel advertised it — there are no approval fro any groups at all .

Isaac

I am a TO and I can do groups as of JUN 15. DAN is correct.

Sarah

Can you post contact info as a Tour Organizer?

Yanky

If so than can u send me details

Moshe

Can you send your info so we can sign up for the tour?

frieda

Can you please send your contact info, I would like to apply for permits and organize a group asap.
Thanks!

To be clear....

Don’t need to be vaxxed to make Aliyah

Isaac

You can email me at TripToILDuringCovid@gmail.com

yehudah

if I wanna go to Israel in mid-July what would it require regarding covid

N. S.

Is it really true that Israel will be opening to individual tourists beginning July? I see reports online indicating such a thing. However, the official website of the Israeli gov says absolutely nothing about this. And when I asked Chaim V1chessed they said “No such announcement gas been made”. What is your source of Info?

Rachel

So will individual tourists be able to enter Israel starting July 1st? Or a date in July that hasn’t been chosen yet?

Reb

The ban has been extended through June 14th

Sebastian

Hello. So can we make plans and books our flights without a arranged tour for Mid July?

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