Head of Israel tourism in UK confirms visitors will need full vaccination

The head of the Israeli government’s tourist office in UK has confirmed holidaymakers will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid 19 and to also take a separate antibody test before being allowed entry into the country.

But Sharon Ehrlich Bershadsky said she was “really hopeful” the success of the vaccine roll-out in the UK would lead to a bilateral agreement being reached with Israel which would leave British tourists exempt from the antibody test in the future.

Explaining the additional antibody test, Bershadsky said it was required by Israel to confirm “everything works with the vaccine” because “in some countries it is more challenging to make sure all the permutations are fully approved.”

Speaking on Sky News on Wednesday she added: “We will eliminate this test in the future, hopefully, by a bilateral agreement between two countries.

“For example, if Israel and the UK will have this agreement then the British tourists who come to Israel will not need this antibody test.

“I am really hopeful that with the impressive, advanced case of the vaccinations here in the UK we will get this agreement as soon as possible.”

Bershadsky said Israel required all tourists entering the country to be fully vaccinated which she said meant “two doses”. Tourists entering Israel will also need to provide a negative PCR test.

She spoke ahead of the publication by the UK government on Friday of a ‘green list’ of countries from which it was permissible to travel back from without entering any form of quarantine.

Israel is expected to be amongst at least 10 countries to be on the list published ahead of the end of the ban on international travel on May 17.