Israel: Authorities maintain robust COVID-19-related domestic controls and international travel restrictions as of mid-November /update 117

Event

Israeli authorities are continuing to enforce a robust system of COVID-19-related domestic controls and international travel restrictions as of mid-November.

Domestic Restrictions
A Green Pass is required to access many public facilities and gatherings in Israel. To view current Green Pass eligibility and validity details, click here.

The Green Pass is available on the Traffic Light website, the Traffic Light mobile application, at self-service stations across the country, via the Israeli Ministry of Health Hotline, and via an interactive voice response system. To request a Green Pass via the Traffic Light website, click here.

Israeli authorities have recently eased selected Green Pass restrictions. As of mid-November, outdoor gatherings are no longer restricted; in event venues, indoor gatherings are capped at 600 participants. Additionally, a Green Pass is no longer required to access outdoor cultural events, sporting events, and prayer gatherings of up to 1,000 seated people and up to 100 seated individuals indoors. Also, wearing a mask is no longer required at outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

Establishments and gatherings that must still comply with Green Pass guidance include conferences, exhibitions, hotels, gyms, event venues, festivals, restaurants and cafes, museums, libraries, indoor tourist attractions, and institutions of higher education, among others. Access to places subject to Green Pass guidance is generally only provided to individuals presenting a valid pass with identification or a negative result from a recently taken COVID-19 test. Children under the age of three are exempt from Green Pass guidance. For more information on Green Pass requirements and guidance, click here.

The Israeli Ministry of Health also issues COVID Certificates, which serve as a medical or international record of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery. Individuals with foreign passports are eligible to receive a COVID Certificate if they meet necessary criteria. For more information on COVID Certificates, click here.

Israel uses a four-tiered "Traffic Light Model" to apply COVID-19-related guidance in local councils based on local infection rates. For more information on the Traffic Light Model, including COVID-19-related guidance by local council, click here.

International Travel Restrictions for Travelers Arriving in Israel
Israel uses a three-color scale (i.e., red, orange, and yellow) to assign COVID-19-related international travel restrictions by country, including for travelers arriving in Israel from abroad and for those traveling from Israel to another country. To view international travel rules by country or color designation, click here.

All individuals traveling to Israel who have been outside of the country for 72 hours or longer must produce a negative result from a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 and can present a positive result from a PCR test taken at least 11 days and no more than three months before traveling to Israel are exempt from the pre-departure testing requirement. All travelers must present confirmation of having completed an entry statement form within 48 hours before travel both to the airline before departure and to border control upon arrival to enter Israel; to access the entry statement form, click here.

Additionally, individuals traveling to Israel must present a certificate of vaccination, a certificate of recovery, a special entry permit, or an Israeli passport to board their flight. Officials may also require travelers to present these aforementioned documents, including the required test results and entry statement form, upon arrival in Israel. To access the special entry permit, click here.

All incoming international travelers must take another COVID-19 test upon arrival at their own expense. On-arrival tests cost NIS 80 if prepaid and NIS 115 if purchased at the airport. Additionally, non-Israeli citizens entering Israel via air must have medical insurance covering COVID-19 infection during their visit.

International Travel Restrictions for Travelers Departing from Israel
Officials have prohibited Israeli citizens and residents from traveling to red destinations until further notice due to concerns over increased COVID-19 activity. Only individuals who have obtained special permission from the Exceptions Committee can travel to these locations. Israelis can transit through these destinations, provided they remain in the airport transit area for no more than 12 hours.

Travelers planning to leave the country, including Israeli citizens and residents aged 16 and older, must complete and submit an online exit statement form no more than 24 hours before their scheduled departure. Departing travelers must also present a travel clearance permitting departure from Israel that is received after submitting the exit statement form. To access the online exit statement form, click here.

Additionally, all travelers who have stayed in Israel for more than 72 hours must present an Israeli COVID Certificate or a negative result from a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure from Israel. Travelers who receive a positive result from the pre-departure PCR test are barred from boarding their flight and must enter isolation. Travelers departing Israel are subject to the COVID-19-related rules and regulations of their destination.

Quarantine Requirements
Israel enforces mandatory quarantine requirements adjusted by location of travel origin and vaccination or recovery status. In general, international travelers who have not been vaccinated or have never been infected with COVID-19 must enter isolation upon arrival in Israel. Additionally, all travelers arriving from red destinations must also enter isolation.

Arriving travelers from all locations, regardless of vaccination or recovery status, must enter isolation at least until receiving a negative result from the COVID-19 test taken upon arrival or isolate for 24 hours, whichever duration is shorter. Specifically, this isolation scheme is in place for individuals who have valid proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or valid proof of recovery from the disease, have a valid Green Pass issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health, and have only visited yellow or orange destinations in the last 14 days.

For other travelers (e.g., unvaccinated or non-infected travelers, regardless of age or travel origin; all travelers who stayed in a destination on the red list in the last two weeks before arrival), isolation is generally required for a period of 14 days upon arrival. However, these individuals may shorten the isolation period by taking a PCR test on the seventh day of their quarantine period and receiving a negative test result. To view more information about quarantine requirements upon entry to Israel, click here.

Individuals can isolate at home or another accommodation of their choosing provided compliance with home isolation requirements. Individuals required to complete the reduced quarantine period of up to 24 hours are permitted to use public transport to travel to their isolation accommodation. Conversely, individuals required to complete the full 14-day isolation period are generally not allowed to use public transport to travel to their isolation accommodation; however, taxi transport is permitted if both the passenger and driver wear a mask with the vehicle's windows open. Failure to comply with isolation requirements may result in a NIS 5,000 fine and entering isolation in a motel.

Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all business appointments and travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Resources

Ministry of Health Coronavirus Website
El Al Airlines
World Health Organization