Currently, Israel still applies the regulation of only granting entry permits to people who have been fully vaccinated or have a certificate of recovery from Covid-19.
However, under new regulations from this March, visitors entering Israel will only need to take two antigen tests (PCR), including one before boarding the plane and one upon landing in Israel.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said: "We are seeing a significant reduction in the epidemic situation in the past few days, so now is the time to gradually open up the areas that we were the first to close around the world... We have a grasp of the epidemic situation now and will react quickly if we encounter new strains."
In March 2020, Israel became the first country in the world to close its borders to foreigners. Photo: Reuters
The country has since gradually lifted some of its restrictions, resulting in a slow recovery in tourist numbers that remain well below pre-pandemic levels. In January, Israel welcomed around 46,000 foreign tourists, a high number compared to the 7,800 total for all of 2021, but still well below the 333,000 who visited the country in January 2020 alone, before the pandemic became more severe worldwide.
