Israel will no longer require travelers to take PCR tests upon arrival, starting on May 20th.

Ben Gurion airport will allow travelers flying in to take an antigen test before departing Israel, according to confirmation from the Israeli government.

“Any passenger who chooses the antigen option will be required to perform the test in the 24 hours prior to their departure from Israel,” says the Israeli Ministry of Health.

Healthcare professional in protective workwear preparing to do nasal swab testing on Afro-Caribbean man in early 20s at drive-thru site.

Sharon Ehrlich Bershadsky, director of the Israel Government Tourist office in London says, “It was important that we made the entry process as simple as possible for travelers whilst keeping health and safety a top priority.”

The country is relaxing its travel rules due to a decline in COVD-19 cases and deaths. The health ministry shared that cases dropped from 6,000 to less than 2,000 over the past month, which influenced their decision.

On March 1st, Israel dropped its requirement for its citizens to test negative before boarding their flights back home.

Bershadsky also says, “We are hopeful that the easing of on-arrival PCR tests will help encourage tourists to put Israel on their holiday lists this year.”

Currently, the rules require travelers to self-isolate for at least 24 hours or until they receive a negative PCR test result, which usually takes around 12 hours. Travelers pay for PCR tests themselves.

Last month the Israeli government ended the indoor mask mandate.

Israel

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