Chaim V’chessed reports that Israeli A-class visa holders, such as permanent residents, students, and their families, can now travel to Israel without a pre-flight PCR.
This information has already been updated on the Israel Health Ministry’s site, so hopefully airlines got the memo as well.
You will still need to take a PCR upon landing in Israel and quarantine until you get back negative results or until 24 hours lave lapsed.
Unfortunately tourists still require a pre-flight PCR. That’s something that many countries across the globe have been dropping. Canada dropped their pre-flight PCR requirement last week and most European countries have done the same if you’re fully vaccinated. Even Australia will drop their pre-flight testing requirements next week.
Hopefully Israel and the US do the same as well.
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30 Comments On "Israel Removes Pre-Flight PCR Testing Requirements For Visa Holders, But Not For Tourists"
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Why hopefully? I’d rather fly on a plane that has most flyers tested rather than not!
Why?
You can always voluntarily wear a mask until the end of time if it makes you feel safer
Israelis and Israeli visa holders don’t need pre-flight tests, so it’s just discriminatory at this point.
That’s a loaded word for a country treating its citizens/residents different than non-citizens, which is what happens in every single country in the world (not covid specific)
No, most countries have the same pre-flight testing requirements for everyone.
If you don’t want people with COVID flying, what is the difference if they are citizens, students, or tourists?
I wasn’t trying to say that there is a practical/logical or scientific reason for the distinction, but solely that a country having a different set of rules for its citizens is not itself discriminatory.
It depends for what.
For social security or health insurance benefits, of course not.
For something being done in the name of science and safety, it clearly is pointlessly discriminatory. Which is why the US and other countries don’t exempt only their own citizens from pre-flight testing.
The countries you mentioned dropping PCRs only allow vaccinated tourists. What other country allows non-vaccinated tourists without a pre-flight test?
Plenty, including the UK, Iceland, and many more.
Hungary
While Israel doesn’t require for citizens and have a 72 hour timeframe, the US requires for all and just one calendar day
Can’t compare as the US allows for antigen tests.
Upon landing in London 2 days ago the pilot announced that you don’t require to wear a mask anymore it’s your own decision if you want, more than 90% of people took of the mask at that moment.
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/uk-will-drop-covid-travel-measures-british-airways-virgin-atlantic-will-drop-flight-mask-requirements-not-us-flights/
@Dan Always love your quick and informative responses
Dan how about Israely citizens that reside in the US. do they need a test ?
No
Is this still true if only the adults have Israeli passports, but the kids have only US passports (but of course are still Israeli citizens)? Or would the kids need to test in that case?
To clarify – Canada currently only allows in Canadians, and vaccinated non-Canadians. Only those vaccinated can skip the Covid test, which is 72 hour PCR or day-before-antigen. Unvaccinated travellers then have a 14 day quarantine, for which people are still being checked up on.
I believe children under 12 who are not vaxxed who are entering with a vaxxed parent do not need to quarantine at all. Although they do need to take a test before coming.
Correct
Which ya makes soooo much sense 😉
Any idea when about Israel will be dropping their air travel mask mandate? – Will be traveling US to Israel w/ Swiss. – Swiss has already dropped the mask mandate on April 1. – Hopefully the US might follow suit on April 18 ?! – But I cant find any info/update on the Israeli mandate being lifted
what about stop over flights
Never an answer to my question- please answer. What happens to an American with israel passport – no shot – who has no permanent home in israel, but plans to stay 3 weeks in a hotel—-where does she go first 24 hours and what happens if she tests false positive or positive and she has no home- have they abolished the quarantine hotels and does she just stay at her hotel and then needs to isolate -and for how long —-and is this checked? Please reply as this has never been answered and I would like to go to israel after three years due to plandemic.
You can stay in a hotel, even right after you land. If you test positive on arrival, someone from Misrad Habriut will contact you about quarantine requirements, but you can stay where you are. I think that quarantine is for about 5 days, with a requirement to take an antigen test at the end, but that may have changed.
following the “science” with such an arbitrary policy.
Are new olim traveling on aliyah visas included in this exemption?
Do you need to take a Covid test if you are traveling through Turkey for Israeli passengers?
Do they check up on you if you tested positive for covid in israel ? And do people fly with edited pcr papers ?