Israel to Reopen to All International Travelers Starting Jan. 9

Starting on Jan. 9, all international travelers will be able to enter and depart Israel freely, as long as they are fully vaccinated or can provide proof of recovery from the virus.

Israel will still require inbound travelers to abide by some pre-trip and post-arrival requirements, including testing—a PCR test is required to be taken 72 hours before an outbound flight and another one is required upon arrival, with travelers forced to quarantine in a hotel until the results return or 24 hours pass.

The country will also continue to require proof of full vaccination with a WHO-approved vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, and more) 14-days before arrival. Those who received their final dose more than 180 days prior to leaving Israel will need to provide proof of a booster shot in order to enter.

Those who are providing proof of recovery will need to present proof of a positive NAAT test at least 11 days prior to arrival or show proof that they have received at least one dose of the WHO-approved vaccines.

“We are thrilled that our incredible country is once again opening its borders to travelers worldwide,” said Eyal Carlin, Tourism Commissioner for North America.

“Israel continues to take countless necessary steps to ensure a COVID-safe experience for both those coming into the country as well as our residents. It’s important for our visitors to feel confident when exploring our country and we’re so excited to welcome everyone back!”

Israel had been curtailing international travel in the last few weeks because of the spread of the Omicron variant—according to Worldometers, the country reported almost 17,000 new cases on Thursday, its largest daily case count since the start of the pandemic. The U.S. had remained on Israel’s Red List of countries prior to this week’s announcement.