Logistics and Travel

You will need to take a COVID-19 test before departing to and after arriving in Israel. Below is a summary of all the steps you will need to take to enter Israel. In addition to this summary, we recommend you review the official website of the Israeli Health Ministry for the full, up-to-date procedures for entering Israel, and to check with your particular airline for their policies and procedures, as well.

Before you board an airplane to Israel:

1. Passport: All travelers entering Israel must have a valid passport with an expiration date no less than 6 months after your trip to Israel. Please check your passport; if it expires before December 2022, please renew your passport ASAP.
2. Pre-departure PCR test: Before you can be issued a boarding pass to Israel, you must submit a negative result from a PCR test conducted no more than 72 hours before the scheduled flight departure time. If you are an Israeli citizen or a permanent resident entering Israel on an Israeli passport, you are not required to submit this pre-departure PCR test.
3. Insurance policy with coverage for COVID-19: All foreign residents entering Israel must show proof of health insurance that provides coverage for COVID-19 while in Israel. Ramah will be providing secondary health insurance for all of our participants based on the flight information you provide. In the second week of May, you will receive an email from our insurance company, A.M. Skier, with your proof of coverage to present to your airline. This secondary insurance is included in your ride/hike registration fee for the period of May 12 – May 29, which includes 5 additional days on either end of the trip. Please note that additional days will be covered at the traveler’s expense. If you are an Israeli citizen who is not enrolled in kupat holim, this requirement will still apply to you. 
4. Entry Statement / Online Health Declaration: All travelers arriving in Israel, regardless of their citizenship, must fill out this entry statement within 48 hours prior to departure from your origin city.

Once you land at Ben Gurion International Airport:

• All travelers entering Israel, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, are required to take a PCR test at Ben Gurion Airport upon arrival, and then proceed to a period of isolation at a location of your choice for up to 24 hours, or until you receive your negative test results, whichever comes first. You may prepay for this test, which will save you a few dollars on the cost, or you may pay on the spot. Tests cost 80 ILS when prepaid online. To preorder a test, visit this website only after you have completed the Entry Statement (#4 above). As of May 1, 2022, rapid tests are available for an additional 15 ILS, which guarantee results in 4 hours.

• After collecting luggage at baggage claim, all travelers must proceed to the testing center in the arrivals hall before being able to exit the airport. The testing process is easy to navigate and should not take you more than a few minutes total. 

• After completing your test, you will need to proceed to your isolation location (which you may access by any transportation necessary, including public transportation) until you receive your negative test results via email or text message. If you are arriving in Israel on the morning of May 17, our Ramah bus will take you straight to Merom Golan, where you may complete your isolation in your hotel room. We will arrange for food to be brought to your room and you may complete your registration process once you are released from isolation.

Preparing to leave Israel:

Please check with your airline and destination country for travel requirements upon departing Israel.

• For those departing Israel on Tuesday, May 24, Ramah has arranged for tests to be administered at our final hotel in Hadera on Monday evening, May 23. You may reserve a test via this form. The test will cost approximately $40 and will be the responsibility of each participant to cover. Please fill out one form for each person who will require a test, not one per family.

If you are extending your stay in Israel past Tuesday, May 24, you will need to make private arrangements for a PCR or antigen test. We recommend Check2Fly for their ease and convenience. Results are available in 14 hours, or occasionally sooner for an additional charge.