Israel Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen announced Thursday (June 10) that the Jewish State will reopen its borders to individual vaccinated tourists beginning July 1.
“It is time for Israel to open up to tourism and take advantage of its status as a vaccinated country for the benefit of its economy,” Farkash-Hacohen said in a tweet.
Up to this point, it has been extremely difficult for anyone to enter the country other than first-degree relatives and in certain instances people who have recovered from having been infected with the COVID-19 virus.
A spokesperson for Farkash-Hacohen told The Jerusalem Post the decision will not require any further approval by the government — nor will there be any restriction on the number of tourists who can enter the country.
Travelers will still be required to present a vaccination certificate before boarding the plane, in addition to the results of a PCR test.
The spokesperson added that the issue of whether travelers will be required to undergo a serological test to prove the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in their blood in order to avoid the quarantine requirement — which is currently mandated for anyone vaccinated abroad — is still under discussion.