Iceland is now open to travelers that have been fully vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech (2 doses at least 19 days apart), Moderna (2 doses at least 28 days apart), AstraZeneca (2 doses at least 28 days apart), or Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (1 dose). Interestingly, they’re not requiring a 2 week waiting period after the final dose, which is what the CDC requires until you are considered fully vaccinated.
You still need to pre-register within 72 hours of departure to Iceland, but being vaccinated waives the requirement to have a negative COVID-19 test results and waives quarantine requirements and entry restrictions.
Andy reports that he flew from Boston to Reykjavik and was able to enter Iceland without a COVID test or quarantine by just presenting his barcode that he got when he pre-registered along with his CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, which is given when you are vaccinated.
That’s great news as I wondered how other countries will treat the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card given that it’s not a secure medium to prove vaccination. There is no way for countries to verify that the card is authentic and there isn’t a signature on the card from a provider. It was never intended to do what other countries would like it to do in order for them to reopen.
But countries like Greece, Ecuador, and more plan on accepting vaccination cards.
The number one question that people ask me these days is when Israel will finally reopen to tourists? The country closed their borders to foreign nationals over a year ago!
Some 50% of Israelis are now fully vaccinated. Testing on younger teens should be done by this summer, but testing on younger kids may not be done until this fall or winter. Lower doses intended for children of different ages will then have to be distributed. Will the country wait until then to fully reopen?
Israel now allows its own citizens to enter and leave the country, though only those who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 can skip quarantine upon return. If you test positive for COVID-19 antibodies in Israel you can also skip quarantine.
Foreign nationals still must apply for entry, though rules for who will receive permission have not yet been published. And they will need to quarantine in Israel unless they test positive for COVID-19 antibodies in Israel.
Will Israel recognize foreign vaccination?
The problem is that while Israel has a verifiable digital vaccine passport, no such creature exists in the US and in many other countries.
Israel has already experienced fraud when it comes to COVID testing, so they’re likely to assume that there will be fraud if they accept the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card in order to enter the country and skip quarantine.
But what other options are there? Remain closed until ~90% of the population is vaccinated, which likely won’t happen this year?
They could “verify” a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card by requiring an antibody test, though Israel would need to ramp up their ability to offer those tests and get back results in a timely manner. While rapid antibody tests can give results in just 15 minutes, those aren’t as reliable as traditional antibody tests. But perhaps that will be considered an acceptable risk when combined with a vaccination card? Otherwise a traditional antibody test would likely take at least 12 hours if not more. How would Israel trust foreign nationals to remain in quarantine until they got back their results?
Israel will hardly be alone in being more conservative than Iceland when it comes to fraud concerns. I’d imagine that we’ll see governments and private companies working to create ways to verify vaccinations, but that will take time to set up and may not be up and running in time to save the summer tourist season.
What do you think countries like Israel will do in order to reopen?
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42 Comments On "Iceland Is Now Open For Fully Vaccinated Travelers, When Will Israel Follow?"
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The other issue of course is kids…
Correct, that’s a monkey wrench now as Israeli adults can now come and go, but if they have kids they’re stuck having to quarantine upon return to Israel.
It will continue being an issue when they reopen and it seems unlikely that kids under 12 will be able to vaccinate this year.
It seems reasonable to say that if kids are travelling with vaccinated parents who pass the antibody test, AND test negative for COVID themselves, then they should be exempt from quarantine. This mitigates most of the risk, especially considering that kids spread COVID less than adults.
Otherwise, the only way for kids to skip quarantine is to get infected, and there will be a huge incentive to get kids infected so that families can travel….
Sounds reasonable, but Israel is taking a hard line on that currently.
Iceland has been very clear that unvaccinated children – even those accompanying vaccinated adults – must do two Covid tests with a 5-day quarantine in between.
So this news basically only applies to adults as of now.
How do you get a colored name?
Hmmmmm, something’s fishy about this
LoL #somethingFishy
You write a few amazing trip notes.
“Moderna (2 doses at least 28 days apart)”
Are you saying the fact I got my Moderna doses 27 days apart (CDC says within 4 days is validated) is going to be an issue for travel?!?
According to Iceland’s published rules, it seems like that may not be accepted. 🙁
It will likely be a YMMV situation, up to the agent that you encounter.
Don’t specifically have Iceland plans but now I’m worried I’ll have this issue for other countries. May turn out to have been a terrible mistake.
Right, remains to be seen what rules other countries will implement, but getting the 2nd dose too early or too late may turn out to be a big mistake indeed.
There are many places that are giving pfizer 18 days after first dose not even giving the option of 21 days such as st Joseph in nj and I’ve heard in many other places
Unfortunate for those people.
Can get a third dose!
Is antibody any good for entering
Entering where?
Israel accepts antibody testing done in Israel if you are Israeli or if you are a foreigner with special permission to enter, but it’s not good enough for permission to enter at this time.
I thought the waiver in Israel was that you have tested positive in Israel, not that you have antibodies. In any event, antibodies seem to be less effective than the vaccine against some of the other variants.
A vaccine gives you antibodies…
Even vaxxed can still spread. Which is why Dr Fauci is saying we all need to keep wearing masks and social distancing until eternity.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-21/pfizer-biontech-shot-stops-covid-s-spread-israeli-study-shows
@Michael he’s just doing it for political theater. He knows good and well that he doesn’t need it
I think it’s more of a “Lo Plug” situation.
It’s tough to enforce mask requirements when there are exemptions. Especially when proof of said exemptions are easily forged.
Lol
What’s the Covid requirement difference between Iceland and Greece?
Greece has not yet published their requirements.
Dan,
Any true update on Israel situation. According to published reports even from your site, technically the ban on foreigners ended today at midnight Israel time. Do you know if it has been extended (like until the Moshiach comes)? Thanx
The NOTAM was extended through 3/28 and I’m sure it will be extended again.
Hopefully by July. We have tickets then but if kids are an issue then I guess we are SOL. If mashiach comes though I think kids will be allowed in (just my 2 cents).
Tough to see the kids issue resolved by then.
If over 80% of Israelis are vaccinated by then, then why would they be afraid of a chance of kids bringing in the virus? It’s not going to go too far.
That’s my thoughts. Worst case is cancel and redeposit.
Every vaccine card has a batch # and type of vaccine and location. Also all the data is uploaded to the NIH as that’s how they keep track of numbers. Also almost all of the vaccinations are being done by licensed providers who also have digital records.
Therefore a digital vaccination card probably can be created if you want to opt in. Or Israel can charge a fee of $100 per foreigner for a health visa and hire people to vet the vaccination or antibody info. Again you would have to give them permission to get your records.
Could it be done, probably.
Will it be done? That’s going to take a massive pair of scissors for all that red tape
This is ultimately going down a dangerous road.
Next year they’ll have to approve all your tweets before allowing entry.
The world already does. Make enough tweets that aren’t woke you’re going to lose your job/friends/etc…
You are now cancelled, and banned from DansDeals for this comment!
they do that already. ask anyone whose skin color isnt 100% white, and who isnt wearing a yarmulka. ive seen it personally.
Unfortunately when some our people fake PCR Test results, that only adds to the Israeli suspicion that the vaccine cards would be faked.
I don’t think you can compare iceland and Israel. Iceland sees 2MM visitors a year while Israel typically sees close to 5MM and is a fifth the size.
Remember in life there is a solution for every problem Israel does not want a solution, they like the problem and want to stay with it.
The difference between Israel and Iceland is, Iceland cares about their economy, and their people, Israel does not.