Israel has announced it will welcome back tourists from next month, provided those visiting for holidays are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Visitors will need to be able to show proof of full Covid vaccination, alongside other requirements such as a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure.
The destination joins a line-up of countries reopening to Brits in 2021, with the new rules coming into force on November 1.
Israel's Ministry of Tourism made the announcement today. A statement from the authority revealed it was "full of hope that the necessary measures that have been introduced will help, and as things improve it will be possible to ease the conditions of entry into Israel".
It added: "We will continue to work to increase the number of tourists who can enter Israel, in order to reignite the travel and tourism economy."
Israel has generally kept its borders closed to tourists during the pandemic, although earlier this year it did ease some restrictions to allow for a small number of pre-approved tours or group holidays to visit.
You can get more information on Israel's entry requirements on the website here as well as further information specifically for Brits in the Foreign Office's latest Israel travel advice.
There are also self-isolation requirements for those who are unvaccinated, or who stayed in a country on Israel's own red list within two weeks before travel. You can find out more on the website here.
Currently the UK allows for non-essential travel to most of Israel, although there are some regions where it advises against non-essential travel for reasons unrelated to Covid. (The Foreign Office advice depends on a whole host of factors).
At the time of writing this includes advice against all travel to:
- Gaza
- the Sheba’a Farms and Ghajjar
- within 500m of the border with Lebanon (the ‘Blue Line’) east of Metula, including the northern edge of the town and east of Route 98 along the Syrian border
The country isn't on the red list meaning you won't need to stay in a quarantine hotel when back in the UK.
However, the rules for your return do depend on your vaccination status.
If you're fully vaccinated, you'll need to take either a PCR or lateral flow test on day two of being back. If you're either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, you'll need to take a pre-departure test, self-isolate for 10 days and take PCR tests on days two and eight.
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- This article has been updated to reflect a change in Foreign Office travel advice.
