Israel to drop Covid vaccination requirements next month

All tourists, regardless of their vaccination status, will be permitted entry to Israel from 1 March, said PM Naftali Bennett. Under the new guidelines, tourists will have to test negative before they depart and on arrival – both tests must be PCR standard.

"We are seeing a consistent decline in morbidity numbers so this is the time to gradually open up," said Bennett.

Sharon Ehrlich Bershadsky, director of the Israel Government Tourism Office in London, said: "This is the news we have been eagerly waiting for since the first wave of the pandemic two years ago. Israel has had a world-leading response to its management of coronavirus, and this decision to open the borders in line with new figures is welcomed."