Israel reopened earlier this month for tourists who are fully vaccinated and had their most recent shot within the past 6 months.
Personally I had COVID and 2 doses of Moderna in March-April. I tested my antibody levels this month and they’re so high that they’re off the charts. We went for Israel for several years in a row until COVID hit. But now my wife and I are not eligible to go to Israel as we didn’t get a booster and my kids are also ineligible. That’s certainly Israel’s choice and we’ll just spend our tourist dollars elsewhere. Within the past several months, Iceland, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were all happy to accept us. And no, I’m not going to lie to enter Israel illegally. But the Jerusalem Post finally asks if Israel is harming its ties with diaspora Jews by making us persona non grata over the past couple years…
At any rate, Israel’s rules change daily, and here’s some of what has changed of late:
- Starting next week, people traveling to Israel can perform an antigen test instead of a PCR before their flight. The antigen test will have to be done within 24 hours of their scheduled departure time. At home tests won’t be accepted, though it’s unclear if proctored at home tests like eMed will be accepted. Either way, it’s easy to get an antigen or NAAT test from a pharmacy and have results back within an hour or 2, so this is a great development. A PCR test upon landing in Israel is still required. As you get a Tav Yarok/Green Pass when you apply to fly to Israel, you can get the PCR requirement waived for your outbound flight. You’ll still need an antigen test to fly to the US, but you can use a proctored at home test like eMed for entry into the US.
- Israel may move some countries with spiking COVID rates to their red list, effectively shutting down tourism from those countries.
- Infants under the age of 1 can enter Israel and leave quarantine with their parents when they get their negative PCR results, or 24 hours after arrival, whichever comes first.
- Guided tour groups can enter Israel if they are vaccinated more than 6 months ago without a booster. However they will need to take COVID tests throughout their stay. Groups were able to enter before regular tourists, so maybe this is a sign of things to come?
- Children under 12 who aren’t vaccinated and who have a student visa along with parents who have a student visa with their center of life in Israel can apply for an entry permit.
Share your experience with visiting Israel these days in the comments!
Do you have plans to visit the holy land?
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67 Comments On "Israel COVID Entry Updates: Antigen Tests, Infants To Enter Without Full Quarantine And Groups Without Booster Shots, And More"
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Does the antigen test have to be digital?
My wife and I qualify, but I have a 22 month old child.
Given that he is over one but under twelve, is the only way to get him in to get him a student visa?
How do you even get a student visa for a 2 or 3 year old?
It’s a visa for family members of a student. They don’t need an actual student visa, but it’s functionally the same.
Students visa can also mean family of student.
As the case with many families that the father is studying [in Israel] the whole family can reside in Israel on student Visas.
I was being slightly facetious.
I was referencing this line from the post above: “Children under 12 who aren’t vaccinated and who have a student visa along with parents who have a student visa with their center of life in Israel can apply for an entry permit.”
I have tickets to go in January after getting my booster. Davening it should all work out.
Do we still need to apply to go Israel?.
An online Entry Statement needs to be completed within 48 hours before the flight
Other than the 48-hour form, nothing
Does anyone know if someone with a student visa but over six months from getting vaccinated, can enter Israel?
All non-Citizens and non-permanent residents from outside Europe or Israel need a vaccine in the last 6 months.
If you are from Europe or Israel and within the last 6 months had a positive PCR test there proving Corona you could then get a European or Israeli digital certificate of Recovery and use that.
Letters from US Doctors are no longer accepted
I followed you clearly until this sentence: As you get a Tav Yarok/Green Pass when you apply to fly to Israel, you can get the PCR requirement waived for your outbound flight. You’ll still need an antigen test to fly to the US, but you can use a proctored at home test like eMed for entry into the US.
What do you mean “as you get a green pass…”? Do non Israeli passport travelers still need a green pass?
Yes, you get a green pass when you will out the entry form.
What about unvaccinated kids under 12, can they go in as tourist? What about kids who have had covid?
No and no 🙁
How about children that one of their parents are Isreal citizen?
you have to make them citizens and then they can come in a quarantine and test out on day 7
So, just the kid has to go into quarantine while the parents aren’t? How do they enforce that exactly, since you can’t leave small children by themselves…
Also, how does one “make their kids citizens” if the kids were born outside of Israel? I am in that situation.
1. One parent can stay in while another goes out
2. A grandparent or or other relative could stay with the kids
“Make the kid Israeli” means registering the fact that the child of an Israeli citizen even if born outside of Israel, is really an Israeli citizen. If the child was born outside, the government doesn’t necessarily have a record. So you acknowledge that the child is Israeli (you don’t “make ” them) and they can enter with the rules that apply to citizens including not being vaccinated.
Then they are subject to all laws that apply to citizens and need to travel on an Israeli passport etc.
If you can avoid getting your children Israeli passports (citizen) then please do.
The nightmare of paperwork for your children once they reach the draft age, they will need to go through a lengthy process to avoid draft dodger status.
Should they fail to do so, they can face legal repercussions upon entry to Israel age 18+.
As of now, there are only two solid loopholes for a citizen to avoid the draft currently (aside from yeshiva status, which is under attack and nobody knows yet how that will work long term). Those options are either a declaration that despite being a citizen, you and your family live abroad or a proper diagnosis of mental health or medical issue.
The former I am told is a lengthy process that can require visits to the embassy and can take months before you can get certification and the latter has its obvious drawbacks and unless you really have something there can backfire and earn you jail time…
I heard that Israel is accepting European but not US citizens that recovered in the last 6 months. Has that changed?
That has not changed.
I plan to travel to Israel soon. Do I need to fill out any paperwork in order to get back into US? Or just get tested in Israel before I leave and show the negative result in Airport?
Negative result.
Dan Why don’t you get a booster and then you can go?
1. I don’t qualify for a booster.
2. From a medical perspective and Drs. I’ve spoken to, there is 0 benefit to me getting a booster even if I lied to get one. I had COVID and 2 shots and have sky-high antibodies. Even in Israel, COVID recoverees are told they just need 1 shot.
3. Even if I got a booster, I still can’t bring my kids with me.
Israel will only realize the long-term damage they are doing by losing out on the hearts and minds of Jewish diaspora visits after it’s too late.
Even in Israel, recoverees also need to have had a booster within 6 months for a tav yarok (unless their infection was within the last 6 months). Officially, they say that recoverees don’t need a booster, but since the shot needs to be from within the last 6 months…
and honestly the government couldn’t care less!
Actually, Israel is giving boosters to those who have BOTH recovered AND received 2 doses. The booster is recommended (and all tav yarok rules apply) 6 months after the second shot (or recovery). I have first hand experience with this.
I wanted to spend a summer working from Israel with everything being remote, and was planning to rent a house, send kids to camp, etc. maybe see how it is to live there.
But as time went on it became clear that non-citizens without a direct relative would not be allowed for a long long time. We went to Florida instead.
Now my wife has recently recovered from Covid, and is worried about taking a vaccine soon after, while my full vaccine dose was more than 6 moths ago, so we’re ineligible to go again.
Israel is definitely losing our tourist $, as well as goodwill.
With policies like that, why would I move there if at any point they can decide that I can’t go to see my family in the US and vice versa?
Unfortunately it’s a reminder that we are still in gulus . People forgot about this because they where able to come and go to israel as they pleased . We need to daaven for a geulah sheleimah and for a govt run according to the torah .
Amen! It’s a real wake up call, that’s for sure. The last time diaspora Jews were so cut off was during the British mandate!
“With policies like that, why would I move there if at any point they can decide that I can’t go to see my family in the US and vice versa?”
Nearly every country in the world puts travel restrictions on at various times (war, pandemic, etc).
Correct but everyone always expects Israel to act very differently than literally any other country would. We are also expected to just accept thousands of rockets sent into our country and not strike back but no other country would do the same if struck with even one!
Except that’s not true. Israel’s rules are harsher than nearly every western country. And they ignore the connections to diaspora Jews.
Probably because Israel cares more about preserving life than most of those other countries. Now, they may be wrong, and may be too conservative … but they’re doing it with good intentions. And as a western, or almost western, country, they can’t say “we’re only going to let Jewish tourists in, so be ready to prove your religion upon boarding”.
“…good intentions…”. What the road to Hell is paved with….
There’s no any connection between caring. More about preserving life to that my kids that are non Israeli can’t go to Israel until I’m making them citizens.
Between this rule to the pandemic 0% connection.
Ridiculously harsh rules for The average citizen is par for the course in Israel. Take the Building Code: Israel reviewed the codes of the major European countries in formulating it’s own code and extracted the most difficult, restrictive and draconian parts of each, put them together and voila! Created both the Israel Building Code and the Teken or Building Standard. Raises the cost of construction and purchase significantly. I learned this from my FIL and BIL, both of whom have been builders And construction company owners for 60+ years.
If not, then why did you test before the booster?
I did.
-I caught COVID at KWFE on 2/17/20.
-My Roche quant antibody titer in January 2021 was 192.6 and my wife’s was 0. She never got COVID.
-We both got fully vaccinated with Moderna in March-April 2021.
-My Roche quant antibody titer in November 2021 was greater than 2,500 and my wife’s was 1,156.
Can I get in if I am recovered without a vaccine but have proof of recovery from Israel and tav yarok from previous visit?
My understanding is no.
Proof of Recovery in Israel only works when it’s based on a *positive* PCR test in Israel within the 6 months prior to travel. Doesn’t sound like that’s your case.
My wife and I came to israel for the week with our 6 month old. We both have boosters. Filled entry form 48 hours before flight and have green pass.
Needed to take pcr test within 72 hours from flight and will take pcr test before leaving back to the US.
What’s the website for the entry forms?
Agreed with all.
Israel’s entry restrictions, coupled with inconsistency (BTW- the USA too, especially for not recognizing Covid recovery at all, in any way! Which may be nefarious)
B”H, just got here (after 2 years!) this week, with the Nov 1 general re-opening, and things are great here.
What really annoys me, and I find a blatant chutzpah, is that they require a PCR test to exit the country, even though the USA only requires for re-entry, a rapid test, like the very convenient and easy-to-do; monitored self-test kit (as I recently did from another international trip) This is beyond ridiculous!
Good luck, all!
They seem to agree with you, and the exit PCR will no longer be required, as above. Depending on where one is going (people do live in other places than the US) one might still need a PCR to get there.
The post is unclear… is vaccination still required??
Yes.
From the horse’s mouth:
https://corona.health.gov.il/en/directives/air-travel-covid19-green/?tab=by-air
Anyone know a service in NY that will come to test a group of 15 people?
https://youtu.be/elRVM03duMY
is this true that you only need a antigen test to get into israel instead of a pcr was it approved yet?
if it is true then if your coming from England to israel instead of spending 60 pounds on a pcr all you will need is a antigen test for 1 pound
Has anyone successfully used eMed to exit Israel back to the US?
As Dan indicated, it should work, as you have a Green Pass. It would seem that way from the Israeli Health Ministry website. However, all the other sites (such as Chaim v’Chessed) seem to indicate that the PCR requirement is waived only for vaccinations or recovery in Israel.
Also, if Antigen does work, are there any places in Israel that will give you an Antigen test with all your information and passport number in English? AS I understand there are many places to get rapid antigen tests all over Israel, and cost 40 Shekel. Probably even quicker and easier than eMed. Definitely cheaper.
Yes, commenters here have reported emed success.
Israel should adopt the same policy as Switzerland. They also only allow in fully vaccinated tourists (non EU citizens) – the second shot doesn’t have to be within 6 months. HOWEVER, children under 18 traveling with their vaccinated parents are allowed in without being required to be vaccinated or recovered. All they need is a negative PCR. This makes a whole lot more sense and will simplify the process for families with all age children traveling together.
That’s also US policy.
I live here 🙂 so I never paid attention to what the incoming policy is. When I want to travel somewhere that’s when I have to educate myself in what the destination country policy is.
Either way, Israel should get off their high ladder and be more rational and reasonable with their entry requirements especially WRT children.
Will EMED PCR tests be allowed on the way BACK from Israel?
Mistake Emed are antigen tests
I just contacted Ichud Hatzolah (very popular provider of Covid tests to leave Israel, as they are open 24/6 and no need for an appointment). They now offer Antigen tests for only 50 Shekel. (PCR is 179).
Assuming these are acceptable to use to leave Israel to the US, that is only about $16 each.
This might be an even better option that eMed. Cheaper and in and out, as opposed to spending time waiting on the computer.
if i had 5 people to go to israel as a “group” how would i get the correct paperwork to go without the booster?
I think that groups have to be accompanied by a licensed Israeli tour guide. That person woukd be responsible for making sure that everyone in the group does the required tests and does not leave the group to travel or eat separately.
You can’t just declare yourself a group.
I don’t see (yet?) anywhere in the official document at https://corona.health.gov.il/en/directives/air-travel-covid19-green/?tab=vaccinated-and-recovered (or the hebrew version) that pretrip to Israel antigen tests will be enough. They keep talking about PCR tests. (El-Al sends you to this doc as well). Is there anything official ? Second question: do they literally mean PCR or other NAAT tests (=other molecular amplification tests, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/naats.html) are OK? In particular Cuehealth (google them) offers now at home LAMP (25 min) and supervised tests via an annual membership $90/month for 20 tests + $150 for the reader that could make sense for a large family or someone who travels a lot.
Thanks!
Where do I get antigen test within 24 hours if I have 7:50 pm flight would have to same day as no pharmacies do after 7 pm and my closest cvs doesn’t allow scheduling appointments in advance. I’ve been searching everywhere here at Boca raton zip 33487 at embassy suites hotel!