More than a year after closing its borders and after three aggressive pandemic waves, Israel has achieved herd immunity following massive vaccination and will allow access to the country starting May 23, 2021 for all vaccinated Romanian tourists.
The news was given today, April 13, 2021, in a joint statement of the Minister of Tourism of Israel, Orit Farkash-Hacohen and the Minister of Health, Yuli Edelstein. In the first stage, access to Israel will be allowed only to organized groups.
Israel's tourist reopening will take place gradually, starting with May 23, when the first groups of tourists will have access to the Holy Land. Individual travelers will be allowed to enter Israel in the second stage.
What are the conditions for access to Israel from May 23?
All visitors will be able to enter Israel on the basis of a negative PCR test and will also have to take a serological test to prove the existence of antibodies following vaccination.
The serological test for Romanians can be eliminated by signing a bilateral agreement between the Government of Israel and the Government of Romania, by which Israel will recognize the vaccination certificate issued by the Romanian authorities. In this regard, the Government of Israel has already initiated discussions with the Romanian side and has already sent a proposal to which the official response of the Romanian Government is expected. Such treaties have already been signed by Israel with Greece and Cyprus.
The Jerusalem authorities will provide more information in the coming days about the entire access process to Israel.
Minister of Health Yuli Edelstein: "Israel is the country with the highest percentage of vaccinated people, and the citizens of Israel are the first to enjoy this result. After the opening of the economy, it is time to allow foreign tourists access in a careful and calculated manner. Tourism is one of the areas most affected by the pandemic. We will analyze the pandemic situation and continue to relax the restrictive measures".
Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen: "I am excited to take this important first step in the tourism industry. It is time for Israel's unique advantage as a safe and risk-free country to help us make up for the losses of this pandemic year. Allowing international flights and the green light offered to tourist groups is the first step in reviving the Israeli tourism industry."
Israel is on the list of countries where the vaccine can be traveled anti-covid.