Israel Clarifies Travel Restrictions, Doubles Down On Tourist Ban
Israel’s Government Press Office (GPO) on Monday morning clarified the new entry guidelines Israel has enacted in order to stop the spread of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant.
In a statement, GPO said, “Due to the outbreak of Omicron variant, Israel has tightened its borders once again. The entry of foreign visitors from all countries is banned until 13 December, unless they obtain a special permit.”
“Only Israelis and fully vaccinated B1 visa holders are allowed entry to Israel without the need to obtain an entry clearance. However their family members with B2 visas do require an entry permit in accordance to the previous regulation, via the GPO.
“The entry to Israel of all foreign nationals is conditioned on presenting a vaccination certificate or an EU (only!) recovery certificate, which are less than six months old.
“The types of vaccines that are recognized are the WHO approved: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J (Janssen, single shot), Sinovac, Sinopharm, the Serum Institute of India and Sputnik V. At least 14 days must have passed from vaccination day to the day of arrival in Israel.”
GPO added: “Please note that entry by foreign nationals to Israel from ‘red’ countries is prohibited. The list currently includes all African countries, including island nations, except those in North Africa (Mediterranean states are not banned). Israelis and fully vaccinated B1 visa holders arriving from a country on the red list will be transferred to a designated hotel for quarantine after taking a PCR test at the airport. If the result is negative and if the result of an additional PCR test to be taken on the third day is negative, they will be allowed to complete their week of quarantine at home.”
