Rules & Protocols for Tour groups entering Israel

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A limited number of pre-approved groups numbered from 5 – 30 not requiring a quarantine period will be allowed entrance starting from late May 2021 as part of a trial period. This is a projected starting point may yet be delayed.

Pending on the results of this trial period, a larger number of groups will be allowed in as we move into the summer months.

all groups will have to be pre-submitted by their travel Agency in Israel

At this point (this is not final), all visitors will have to produce:

1. A vaccination record
2. A negative PCR test
3. Pass a serological test upon entrance to Israel
4. Possess a valid health insurance policy
5. Provide all their information and contact numbers

Vaccines are presently accepted from the USA and the EU, and discussions are underway with many other nations. Israel presently accepts vaccinations recognized by the USA’s FDA and Europe’s EMA.

All groups will be accompanied by pre-authorized guide and driver, that will  keep a detailed record of their movements, and follow careful guidelines

In the rare possibility of sickness or exposure to a confirmed sick person, quarantine requirements will be applied to the individual or the group, depending on the circumstances.

Conditions for entering Israel

 

1. Conditions:-

 "Vaccinated tourist:" A tourist who was vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the FDA or EMA and performed a serological examination, at the entrance to Israel in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health and come from a country that has been signed agreement with Israel for mutual recognition of the vaccination certificates and vaccination approved by the FDA or . EMA are allowed to enetr israel

 

"Incoming Tourism Agent:" Person, including Corporation, Licensed authorized Dealer License, is subject  of the following conditions:

Appears in the Incoming Tourism Agents Database of the Ministry of Tourism listed in this link:  https://info.goisrael.com/he/incoming_tour_operators

Tourist group: "A group of tourists of 5 to 30 people who have the same citizenship that the Incoming travel agent asks for an approval for their arrival``.

"Application for registration of a tourist group": An application submitted by an incoming travel agent for the approval of a tourist group Subject to the conditions listed in this procedure, which is submitted on the website of the Ministry of Tourism.       The request will include a guest list and additional details as stated in the digital application form published on the Ministry of Tourism website.

 ‘’Guide" Holder of a guide license as stated in the Tourist Services (Guides) Regulations (1967, 1967, provided Whose license is valid.

 

2. Conditions for approving the entry of these tourists groups      into Israel.

 

All members of the group who is  planning to  come to Israel need to be the tourists vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the FDA or EMA and in their hands a negative PCR test, that need to be performed during 72 hours before the departure of the plane on which the group is traveling by to  arrive in Israel.

All members of the group who come to Israel must purchase an insurance policy that covers medical treatment for corona virus disease.

The Travel agent in Israel needs to have the full contact details of the tourists in the group, in Israel and abroad, including phone number, Mobile, email and address of where the tourist live back home. The agent will be allowed to call the tourist after visiting the country for anytime.

 

      It is the agent's responsibility to obtain consent from the group members to provide the required details for the purpose for which it is requested any time the ministry of health needs any information about individuals in the group.

 

The Ministry of Tourism will operate 24/7 to provide a real-time response to issues arising from the operation of this outline.

 

The agent will team up with a certified guide and driver with a certificate of immunization or recovery issued by a Health office or ministry of health, who will accompany the group throughout the visit to Israel, from the moment of landing until takeoff back to their country, Except for accommodation.

The guide and the group driver have to carry a mobile phone with a cellular network connection during each visit the group in Israel.

The size of the group shall not exceed the number allowed for gatherings in an open area, in accordance with the regulations. During the visit in closed places, the group will split according to the number allowed to gather in accordance     Israeli law.

The Travel Agent will maintain an accurate record that includes hours and places of visit for the entire group. The agent will keep this record for a period of 20 days and will provide these details to the Ministry of Health or to anybody authorized by the state to perform Epidemiological investigations if necessary.

The Population Authority will not approve an agent's request to book a tourist group if the agent, the driver, the guide, and previous tourism groups that came to Israel through this Travel agent did not comply with the provisions of the law , procedure, and the conditions while Staying     in Israel.

3. Mechanism of what the Travel Agent have to do

Applying form for approval of a tourist group to the the Ministry of Tourism:

The agent as defined in this procedure, will be entitled to apply for registration of a group of vaccinated tourists for hosting them in Israel on the website of the Ministry of Tourism.

The application must be submitted at least 10 days before the date of the group's arrival in Israel. The application will be submitted in the form dedicated to the    website of the Ministry of Tourism

The Population Authority is the only one who can approve the entrance of the group  after the recommendation of the recommending body in the Ministry of Tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism will only pass the form to the Population Authority for approving tourist groups.

The Ministry of Tourism will not recommend or help for the approval of groups to stay  more than the maximum bi-weekly by which quoted to be determined for this by the Director General of the Ministry of Health or his representative and will not recommend the arrival of a group Tourists from a country where the position of the CEO or his representative has a public health concern at the entrance of a group Tourists from it.

The number of days f or processing the person recommended application will count from the date of submission of all the required document. For processing the application until the receipt of the required approvals and will stand for no more than 5 business days . The Ministry of Tourism will forward the application to the Population and Immigration Authority and after receiving it their answer will be updated by the applicant.

Each request will be submitted individually for only one group.

The Director of ministry of Tourism will examine the application before transferring it to the Population and Immigration Authority and will decide whether to approve the group's entry into Israel. In this context, the director of ministry of tourism will examine the agent's compliance in the provisions of this procedure as well as the conduct of previous groups that came to Israel through this agent and will not recommend the approval of a tourist group of an agent who has not complied with the provisions of this procedure in previous cases.

A negative recommendation will be substantiated and sent to the agent who submitted the application.

An agent whose application has been rejected by the Ministry of Tourism may request a re-examination from the Ministry of Tourism.

The recommending body will consider the request for reconsideration and will respond to the applicant within 3 working days.

The Ministry of Tourism will forward, once a day, the list of passenger details in applications that have received its positive recommendation after investigating about the passengers to the Population and Immigration Authority.

The Population and Immigration Authority will examine the application and if accepted will issue for you permits to Israel for the group and send them to the recommending body at the ministry of Tourism. As part of the entry permit, the conditions of the entry and stay permit will be specified, including the performance of tests and payment for them, and obtaining results as specified in sections

The certificates issued by the Population and Immigration Authority for the group will be forwarded to the agent by an office Tourism.

The agent will pass the permits to the passengers in the group before they arrive in the country.

                                                       

 

4. Conditions for being a tourist in a group in Israel:

The Population and Immigration Authority will check the data’s that they received, based on these information’s that they`ve received the will constitute conditions for the stay of the tourist group members in Israel.

Throughout the visit, the group will be accompanied by one guide and one driver w ith a certificate of immunization or recovery that was Issued by the Ministry of Health. The guide and driver will be with the group throughout the visit in Israel, except for accommodation.

The Tour Guide  will ensure that group members comply with the regulations for the corona Virus( wearing mask , having social distance etc.) according to the  law of the Ministry of health, again its an  obligation to wear a mask.

Throughout the visit the tour guide   must maintain an accurate record that includes hours and places of visit of the whole group. The agent has to keep the registration for a period of 20 days after the end of the group's visit to Israel and provide these details to the Ministry of Health or to anybody authorized by the state to conduct epidemiological investigations if required.

 

Hotel and Bed & Beverage :

The Travel agent will ensure that the group is only accommodated in hotels and / or B & Bs that operate accordingly to the provisions of the regulations.

The Travel agent will ensure that the group performs a check-in  and check-out process dedicated and separate to be allocated by the hotel and / or B&B. The Hotel need  only accommodate group members during the check in and check out process.

If the group eats at the hotel and / or the B&B, a separate and isolated area will be defined from the other guests. The hotel and / or the B&B; The complex can be inside the dining rooms of the hotel and / or the B&B Or in another designated room to be allocated by the hotel and / or B&B for this purpose.

The hotel and / or B&B will assign the group rooms in a defined area / wing, with the group's rooms Clearly separated from the rooms of the other guests in the hotel and / or the B&B.

 

Transportation:

 

The Travel agent will ensure that the group travels on a dedicated bus that will only be used by group members for the entire length of stay in Israel.

The Travel agent must  arrange disinfection alcoholic high gel for all members to be used in the bus  during the period of the stay in Israel.

The Travel agent will  need to ask and ensure that the driver to do a  cleaning for the bus on each single day.

 

Tourist attractions

The Travel agent  will coordinate in advance the group's visiting hours at the var  ious tourist sites, to avoid as much as possible from friction with other visitors. Arrival will be to tourist sites whose operation is allowed in accordance with the provisions of the regulations.

 

Restaurants

The Travel agent must try and work with the restaurant that they assign for the group a separate room, a compound isolated from the rest of the diners inside the restaurant, or an area bounded for a group outside.

The group will eat only in restaurants that comply with the regulations.

 

Shopping

 

The agent will try to coordinate the group's arrival at the store in advance in order to avoid friction with Other visitors.

 

In addition to this, the agent is responsible for ensuring that the tourist group will comply with the provisions  of the regulations for  the instructions of any law related to Corona Virus ( Social Distance , Mask wearing, and hygiene, including:

 

Actions required before arrival in Israel in accordance with the Aviation Regulations:

 

The agent will verify have a right to ask that the tourist is familiar with all the provisions of this procedure and that the tourist is vaccinated.

During 72 hours before departure to Israel, the group members will perform a PCR test, the Negative PCR  Result is a condition for boarding a flight to Israel.

During the 24 hours prior to the flight to Israel, the group members will fill out a health declaration on an office website Health.  By filling and completing the declaration it will be subject and a condition for boarding a flight to Israel.

 

Actions required when entering the country:

 

The members of the group will present the approval of the Population and Immigration Authority upon their entry into the State of Israel.

In accordance with the testing regulations, team members will perform a PCR after landing in Israel and before Departure from Ben Gurion Airport . If one of the passengers forgot to bring or to do the test the Execution and payment of the passenger for the inspection will be a condition for his stay in Israel.

A vaccinated tourist will receive a green card from the Ministry of Health which will be attached to his passport.

 

5. The inbound travel agent responsibilities, who organized the group in case of an infected tour member:

 

The Travel agent will verify that the tourist is familiar with all the provisions of this procedure and that the tourist is vaccinated.  

Ensure entry to the isolation and conditions of stay in the isolation according to the guidelines of the Israeli Ministry of Health.

Need to update the hotels regarding the rooms in which the sick or debtor tourists stay in isolation.

Report to the Ministry of Tourism on any tourist with symptoms or illness, as well as on the chain of events and the results of the event where the group visited.

Responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism:

The Ministry of Tourism will  dedicate a people to address issues that arise from the arrival of tourist groups in Israel in the framework of this procedure. The Ministry of Tourism will monitor compliance with the provisions of this procedure before the group arrives in Israel, And while in Israel.

Will gather the information from  the inbound travel agent who organized the groups.

Shall submit a report in any event of a violation of the law in Israel or a violation of the conditions of entry into Israel in accordance with this procedure, To the Population Authority or the Israel Police, depending on the type of violation. Will also pass on to the recommending body in the Ministry of Tourism Information about agents who have not complied with the provisions of this procedure.

 

Will pass information to the Ministry of Health as part of the epidemiological investigation as required.

 

First scenario - a tourist who received a negative answer on a serological examination.

 

A tourist who received a negative answer in a serological examination will enter the isolation immediately in accordance with what is stated in the isolation order Home.

The agent will arrange to transfer the same person to solitary confinement in a rented apartment or holiday unit and not in the hotel, Until the end of the isolation period. If the insulation takes place in the hotel, the agent will take care of accommodating the insulator in the room At least in the two rooms next to it no guests will be accommodated.

The agent will make sure the hotel staff is aware of this Which must be in isolation is found in the hotel. It should be emphasized; it is a priority to maintain the isolation of the tourist in a rented apartment or unit Holiday and not in a hotel.