Israel will soon be open to international tourists. The Israel Ministry of Tourism has announced that the country will begin welcoming vaccinated groups of international travelers on May 23. This will be done through a phased approach after more than a year of zero tourism.
The series of phases and guidelines will be released shortly. The first phase will include a pilot program, kicking off on May 23, allowing a select number of tour groups to visit Israel. The number of groups will then increase based on the overall health situation and progress/success of the program. Individual travelers will be welcomed in a later phase of reopening, likely in July.
Tourists will be required to undergo a PCR test before boarding their flight to Israel, and a serological test to prove their vaccination upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, about 28 miles from Jerusalem and 12 miles from Tel Aviv. In the meantime, discussions will continue to reach agreements for vaccine-certificate validation, with the goal of canceling the need for the serological test.
