Israel open to medical travellers

Israel is now open to vaccinated and unvaccinated tourists and medical tourists.

Israel has allowed unvaccinated tourists entry for the first time since the pandemic began as infections and deaths caused by the coronavirus decline.

The country was an early trailblazer of a national vaccine rollout and among the first countries to demand a vaccination certificate, which it called the Green Pass, to enter a range of facilities.

Under new rules from March 1, tourists need to take a PCR test before boarding a flight to Israel and a second one upon landing. Israeli citizens will only be required to take the test upon arrival. All entering will be required to quarantine in their hotel until they receive the result of a negative PCR or 24 hours – whichever comes first.

While vaccinated and unvaccinated alike can freely enter Israel, upon filling out the entry statement, only vaccinated individuals will receive a Green Pass allowing entry to local facilities.

Whether medical tourism, which the government and hospitals have increasingly been ambivalent about, will return in numbers is uncertain.

According to the Tourism Ministry 70% of medical tourists are from Russia and other countries in the former Soviet Union including Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. With the ongoing Ukraine invasion and sanctions on Russia, fewer Russians will be able to afford, get the foreign currency to pay for, or find flights to travel as outbound medical tourists.