Lines at Ben Gurion International Airport
Lines at Ben Gurion International AirportAvshalom Sassoni/Flash90

The Knesset's Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee on Thursday approved a new plan to allow tourists who are vaccinated but who have not yet received a booster does to enter Israel.

The new guidelines will now take effect, allowing groups of tourists who had received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine to enter Israel even if more than six months had passed from the time they received their second dose.

The tourists will be admitted to Israel if they meet the following criteria:
- an entry permit was received from the Tourism Ministry ahead of their arrival in Israel;
- all members of the group were vaccinated with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (even if over six months have passed since they received the vaccines);
- members of the group hail from "yellow" and "green" countries, according to Health Ministry classification;
- the group conducts itself as a "capsule" with restrictions on entering areas with increased risk of contracting COVID-19;
- the group includes between 5-40 tourists;
- during the first seven days of their stay in Israel, the tourists who are not protected in the group will always be in possession of proof of a negative PCR test conducted within the past 72 hours, or of a negative antigen test conducted within the past 24 hours;
- the group's leader will report to the Tourism Ministry regarding the performance of the tests as required, and keep a log regarding the group's conduct, contacts, locations, and visiting hours, and give it to the epidemiological investigator if a member of the group is confirmed to have contracted COVID-19.

On November 1, Israel reopened its gates to vaccinated tourists, eliminating the requirement for visitors to receive special approval to visit a first-degree relative in Israel. However, all tourists were required to be vaccinated either within the six months prior to their visit. Those who had received their vaccine prior to that date were required to have received a booster dose in the months since.

Earlier this week, Israel's Coronavirus Cabinet approved in a telephone referendum a proposal to allow tour groups with vaccinated members to enter Israel even if some of the group had not yet received a booster dose. The decision, however, required the approval of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee in order to take effect.