[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Israel has opened its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in 20 months, according to reports from Times of Israel and others on the 1st (local time).
According to the reports, Israeli authorities have allowed individual entry for foreign tourists who have been vaccinated starting from that day. This is the first time since March last year, 20 months ago, that Israel has permitted entry for individual foreign tourists.
The entry is allowed for those vaccinated against COVID-19, and even vaccinated individuals can only enter if they meet the conditions set by the authorities. Entry is permitted one week after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, two weeks after the second dose of Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, or Sinopharm vaccines, and entry is not allowed if more than six months have passed since the last vaccination. For Janssen, entry is allowed from 14 days after vaccination up to 180 days.
However, entry is not permitted for travelers coming from countries classified as 'red,' the highest risk level, or countries where sub-variants of the Delta variant are spreading.
Israel allowed foreign tourists to enter this time as part of efforts to revive the tourism industry. The Israeli Ministry of Tourism stated, "We welcome the allowance of individual tourist entry," adding, "Despite the global pandemic, interest in tourism to Israel remains high. We have devised creative ways to ensure tourists can return safely."
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