[Update: Students From Green Countries Will Be Exempt From Quarantine] Israel Will Begin To Lift Mandatory Quarantine On Sunday; A Route For Eligible Americans To Enter Israel Without Quarantine!

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Update, 8/15: Chaim V’Chesed reports that Israel has decided that students coming from “Green” countries will be exempt from quarantine. They also note that this throws a monkey wrench into the plans of many schools as there is no interaction allowed between students subject to quarantine and students exempt from quarantine until the end of the 14 day quarantine period. Because of this, some schools may delay the arrival of students from Green countries.


Originally posted on 8/14:

Starting on Sunday, Israel will no longer require quarantine for returning citizens or foreign nationals who have permission to enter Israel when returning from the following “Green” countries:

  • Austria
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Croatia
  • Denmark
  • England
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Italy
  • Jordan
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • New Zealand
  • Rwanda
  • Slovenia

However if you were in any other country in the 14 days prior to flying to Israel, you will need to quarantine for 14 days.

Additionally, while the EU in general doesn’t allow Israelis to enter, Israel has come to an agreement with Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia for Israelis to enter without quarantine. Greece will also allow 600 Israelis per week to enter without quarantine.

Foreign nationals are still unable to travel to Israel unless they have permission to enter Israel for a bar/bas mitzvah or wedding of a sibling/sibling-in-law, child, or grandchild, for grandparents visiting for a month before and after a birth, and people attending a funeral of an immediate relative.

If a foreign national does have permission to enter Israel then you can skip quarantine if you have only been to green countries in the past 14 days.

What does that mean for Americans with permission to enter Israel?

  • Americans can enter Croatia for tourism, present a negative COVID PCR result from the past 48 hours, and not have to quarantine. If you provide a negative test older than 48 hours you can get retested locally, quarantine, and emerge when you get a negative result. You can spend 14 days in Croatia before flying to Israel without the need to quarantine.
  • Americans can enter England for tourism and self-isolate there for 14 days, before flying to Israel without the need to quarantine.

You can read a Croatia trip report on DDF here in the Croatia Master Thread.

Chaim V’Chesed notes that Israel is still discussing whether to exempt students coming from green countries from quarantine. I don’t see why they should be different than other foreign nationals that have permission to enter, but apparently it’s still under debate.

If you’re going to an eligible wedding or bar/bas mitzvah in Israel, it sure seems worthwhile to vacation in Croatia for 2 weeks so that you can avoid having to quarantine for 2 week in Israel!

Of course this situation is still fluid and can change. Plus, Israel plans to update the green counties list every 2 weeks, so a country that is currently green, may be removed by the time you travel.

Are you eligible for entry to Israel? Will you consider spending 2 weeks in Croatia?

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76 Comments On "[Update: Students From Green Countries Will Be Exempt From Quarantine] Israel Will Begin To Lift Mandatory Quarantine On Sunday; A Route For Eligible Americans To Enter Israel Without Quarantine!"

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

Jay

And you didn’t include a trip report for Croatia?!

Thanks for this, now gotta head over to DDF to check them out.

@yungermanchik
chinagel

How are they to know how long you were in the green country?

aw

you don’t think they know exactly where you’ve been?

sam kohn

by seeing the visa stamped?

CR

By looking at your passport, lol

Shaul

Perhaps they’ll ask for proof if you present a passport from a non-green country.

Shmooger

Maybe spending two weeks in Hong Kong is better than Croatia. At least theres more action

Shaul

1. Going to England seems to just move 14 day quarantine from one country to another.

2. For students, an outbreak could be much worse, so that might be the logic of keeping the current “pod” system of 6 or fewer, as an extra precaution.

3. It’s worth noting that it’s increasingly difficult to get a PCR test within 48 hours – most places have far longer turnaround, as it only makes sense if the 48 hours is from when the sample was taken, not when the results were received.

Sam

Why is quarantining for American citizens who have permission to enter Israel better in England then in Israel ?are the uk authorities more lax with quarantine restrictions than Israel?

Frum

By students you mean just non married or even married students who quarantine at home and get permits similar to other foreigners

Ariella

I wish I had 2 weeks to spend in Croatia. I doubt my job will allow me to work from there for 2 weeks before going to Israel for 8 days.

Husband

Can the spouse and child of an israeli citizen enter without a Bar Mitzvah/Wedding?

Shmuly

Yes. You need to get permission.

Sarah

if You’re in Schengen already, somehow got stuck here, and you travel to Greece via Schengen supposedly the israel passport is not checked. But then I would need proof that I was in Greece for two weeks I guess also. Would the hotel bill count as proof? I know the alternative is croatia, but now you say I could get into bulgaria with an Israeli passport also? And would I have to quarantine in bulgaria? I have no home anywhere now, as I have been living nonstop many years in hotels and some short term apartments, as currently in Switzerland.

Mendel

Students from “green” countries exempt from quarantine
https://chaimvchessed.com/students-from-green-countries-to-be-exempt-from-quarantine/

My only question is, do students coming from “green” countries still need a permit that the yeshiva must get for them, or being that there is no quarantine requirement, they are just like Israelis and can freely (obviously filling out the form before traveling)?

Yochai

All foreigners need special permission to enter Israel, regardless where they’re coming from.

meny

is canada letting in israelis or americans?
you could go thru canada and to us by plane?

ari

why did Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia allow for Isrelis to enter if their citizens will not be allowed to enter isrel ?

A.G.

So if I fly from EWR-YYZ-TLV I will be exempt from quarantine?

CtownBin

This doesn’t help, because Israel is only exempting people who haven’t been to a red country at all in the previous 14 days, regardless of where your flight comes from. So unless you’re going to stop in Toronto for 14 days first, you’ll still be subject to quarantine in Israel.

Enjoying Croatia

Greetings from Zagreb! For those considering this option, we made it successfully from JFK-WAW-ZAG last week. Safe travels to all those venturing out again…

Yerushalmy

Can anyone explain the Greece mind?
600 people don’t spread the virus, but 601 does?

H

Good for all of those that have permits/entry visas/permission to enter E”Y. Anyone have a lead for those that currently do not have a proper permit/visa/permission? Any and all outlandish ideas welcome.
Thanks!

SM

Take boar to Gaza and then tunnel in.

Join the Brave!

Aliyah!

Go Dan!

Hi,
Im a us citizen and im married (to an israeli) and live in israel but im still in process of making Aliya and im here in israel as a tourist for now.
Need to fly for a brothers wedding in ny, will i have issues returning home to israel? I dont mind quarantining when i return…

Hatzlacha

You shouldn’t have a problem – but need to get permission via misrad hapnim or the embassy by proving that the “center of your life” is in Israel. Chaim v’chessed or NBN might be able to help with this.

ari

if together with your wife they will let you go – but the only small problem is that the airline wont let you

beat the system

If you have dual american CANADIAN citizenship you can drive to Canada and fly from there and there is no way they can know you have not been in Canada for 14 days already because they don’t stamp your passport

chaim

any idea why Australia is not on the list? they have less cases than most of these countries

orrin d

So…..can an American with no special circumstances (wedding, bris, burial) come for Sukkot? Can we quarantine in our private sukka?

Mendy

Can students (with a student visa) come in from green country if they get approval for the inbound clearance application WITHOUT a special entry permit from the school?

Mark n

Good luck finding a direct Croatia tel Aviv flight these days…

FreakwentFlyer

There will for sure be many charters to there and Bulgaria now that’s its so attractive.

Mark n

Sure but given that Croatia is part of EU if you also didnt fly directly there your stamp would be from first port of entry and you would have a very difficult time proving you were indeed in Croatia for 14 days..

Mark n

Imo easiest and best way is going to Greece on a Sunday when you’ll get in. Many more direct flights from USA and to Israel plus Greece is far cheaper for a 14 day stay . While Croatia is stunning 14 days is a long time . Greece it’s just top of the iceberg

Mark n

I’m referring to “americans” with Israeli passports of course.

pete

Now, why in heavens would I quarantine in Croatia if I can do so in the holy land? Spend an extra 2 wks. in Israel? what am I missing please?

united

Read somewhere that the Austrian consulate in Israel announced that starting September, they will allow grandchildren of pre-war Austrian Jews to get an Austrian passport.
This is great for Israelis who are grandchildren of Austrians, as Austrian passport holders do not need an entry visa into the US.
Was wondering if there is any benefit for Americans who are of Austrian descent, if having the passport will gain us entry anywhere (places like Hungary that are not letting in US citizens etc) And would there be any benefit of finding another way around the mandatory quarantine in Israel

ari

you will have much benefits of it

united

can you explain?

Sammy

These ideas are all great. Just need to know what reasonable and reliable travel insurance can be bought to cover Corona. Thanks

Naftali

Are you able to quarantine in Croatia for like 10 days and then do the rest in Isreal?

ShmulikKipod

While I too wish to be in Israel, trying to find ways around quarantining puts the entire country and people of Israel at risk. I find those actions truly selfish. If you care about keeping society, your community, or Israel safe, stay home. Sukkot or not. Or be a decent human being and quarantine if you decide to go to Israel.

Future Israeli

Yes, I have an aliyah visa but that also means I’m entitled to free one way ticket currently on United via Nefesh b Nefesh. Of course the Croatia option does not help with that plus I spent 8 days in Croatia last summer. It would be nice if the US was removed from that list or at a minimum the number of days in quarantine were reduced to a more tolerable amount. Until then I’ve been waiting it out in the USA to avoid the quarantine.

Joseph E

How about going thru Canada?

moshe

The issue is that you get an entry permit that expires exactly two weeks after it is issued. for Israeli citizens, it might help

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