Israel will be opened only for Russian medical tourists

Israeli authorities have canceled some of the restrictions on the reception of foreign tourists imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, foreigners, including Russians, who travel to the country in order to treat diseases associated with a threat to human life, will receive permission to enter.

Patients will have to undergo two-week quarantine in the chosen hospital during the treatment period. The information was confirmed in the department of the Ministry of Tourism of Israel in the Russian Federation and the CIS. In order to obtain permission to enter, the receiving party, (for example, one of the local hospitals) must send a package of documents, describing the patient’s diagnosis, to the Israeli Ministry of Health. If medical tourist receives a positive response, he may come in the country.

“There is high-quality and high-tech medicine in Israel, and we see interest from foreign tourists. If we talk about Russia, according to the latest data, before the pandemic, 6,3% of travelers came to the country for treatment and combined it with excursion tours along the country. Currently, domestic tourism has already been restored in Israel: beaches and parks, restaurants and museums are opened,” said the representative of the Israeli Ministry of Health.

However, for most foreigners the road to Israel is closed. The entry ban, valid from mid-March, has been extended until August 1 due to the rapidly deteriorating epidemiological situation in the country.

On June 25, the Israeli Airport Authority sent a circular to foreign airlines. “Passengers from all countries who are not Israeli citizens or do not have a residence permit in the country are prohibited from entering Israel, including transit,” the document says.