Where can you fly with Israeli passport after the fall lockdown

Ben Gurion Airport is expected to reopen as of today Friday 16 October 2020, which means that it will be possible to buy a ticket and go on to travel outside of Israel.

The government’s plan to re-establish overseas flights is encouraging, but very confusing. Everyone knows that there are countries, arriving from which there is no need to stay 14 days quarantine at home or in a specialized "corona hotel", since our Ministry of Health has defined them as the so-called "green countries". The list of green countries is updated every two weeks. Till here, everything seems to sound pretty simple.

But in fact, there are a lot of confusions because of the different cases between green and red countries. For example, there are green countries that cannot be entered or that require 14 days of mandatory isolation for those people, who want to enter with an Israeli passport (although, upon returning to Israel, you will not have to stay at home).

There are “red countries” that you can visit without any quarantine  or restrictions, and you can feel comfortable going on vacation to them, but when you get back, you have to spend 14 days in isolation.

There is also the worst scenario with two “red countries” on both destinations, when you have to stay isolated upon arrival and upon return, otherwise you will not be able to fly in and out at all.

Ok, Let's try to figure out where we can fly and what countries are ready to receive Israelis without the mandatory 14 days of quarantine?

Green countries do not require isolation in both directions.

Green countries are countries defined by the Israeli Ministry of Health as countries with a low incidence of COVID-19, upon arrival in which isolation is not required (if you have a certificate in English confirming a negative coronavirus test result, which you need to pass no later than 72 hours before departure). Also you do not have to stay quarantined on your returning. There are only three such countries at the moment: Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. To order a car in these or any other countries you would like to travel on the car, you can leave a request by clicking on the following link ...

The list of permitted countries for Israeli citizens may change every two weeks. In the near future it is expected that the list may be increased by the following countries: Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro. The difficulty in signing such kind of agreements lies in the fact that the incidence rate in Israel is still very high, and not many countries want to conclude such kind of mutual agreements. In this regard, it is still not clear when and which new countries will join this list.

Green countries with isolation only upon arrival in Israel.

Green countries (designated by the Israeli Ministry of Health as countries with low incidence), visitors to Israel do not need to be isolated at all. At the same time, these countries do not consider Israel as "green" and therefore do not allow entry or require 14 days of mandatory quarantine for those travellers, who want to come with an Israeli passport.

List of green countries with mandatory isolation for Israelis landing in them: Italy, Estonia, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Hong Kong, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, Rwanda, Uruguay, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Cuba.

This list is updated every two weeks. New countries with low incidence rate can be included in it, and countries where the incidence has increased will be removed from the list.

All other countries that are not on the list of "green countries" are automatically identified as a "red country" upon arrival in Israel, you will have to stay home for 14 days mandatory quarantine.

Red countries - isolation only upon return from there.

There are several red countries (designated by the Israeli Ministry of Health as countries with a high incidence), which, despite their high incidence rates, allow tourists from several countries of the world (including Israel) to enter and travel through them. That is, despite the fact that the number of patients continues to grow, if tourists adhere to the basic rules of distance and wearing masks, there are no obstacles to entry. Of course, tourists who decide to travel to these countries take risks and know that upon their return they will have to stay in isolation for 14 days.

If you want to fly overseas and travel straight from the moment you land, this is the option for you.

Please note: The Ministry of Health does not recommend flying to these countries.

Examples of such countries: Georgia, Croatia, Austria, Ukraine, Turkey, Mexico, USA, Tanzania, Kenya, Brazil, Barbados.

Red countries - mandatory isolation for both sides.

These are countries that Israel has identified as countries with a high incidence, and anyone who arrives from such a country will be required to stay home for 14 days of isolation. In addition, anyone who comes to them from Israel with an Israeli passport will have to go through mandatory isolation after entry (since Israel is also a red state).

Red countries demanding isolation from the Israelis.

Portugal, Japan, France, Malta, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden and Czech Republic.

Countries that simply won't let you inn at all.

Some countries will send you back to Israel as soon as you land on their territory.

Green countries that are generally prohibited from entering.

Seychelle Islands, Thailand, Jordan, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Canada.

Red countries that cannot be entered at all.

Spain, Hungary, Slovenia, Argentina, Chile, India, Panama, China, Laos, Paraguay, Nepal, Philippines, Morocco.

Please note that all the information in this article only applies to the Israeli citizens owned Israeli passport, since each country handles passports from different countries mey be  differently.

* It is highly recommended that you check for updated information and updated rules before purchasing your ticket for each country, as rules can be changed every single day.