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Traveling to Israel to visit a 1st degree relative

  • Traveling to Israel to visit a 1st degree relative

Coronavirus TRAVEL traveling to Israel
to visit a 1st degree relative

UPDATED May 10, 2021
 For a general overview of all travelers, including Israeli citizens and foreign nationals Click Here
For a detailed overview of specific situations and appropriate links Click Here

Current Student Visa Holders: Anybody with a valid student visa that is traveling directly from either the USA or England no longer needs an Entry Permit / Ishur – (ELAL Flights are strongly recommended by the Interior Ministry)

New Students or Current students who are newly married or with new baby: 
Please click here for further details

Apostille: An apostille is no longer required to accompany any proof of relationship documents.

Changes: There are ongoing policy changes happening rapidly and without advance warning, we will keep updating this page as frequently as we can. 

Contact Information:

Email:  [email protected]

If this is urgent and you need immediate assistance,
Phone: 646-517-0222 ext 999
This phone is being monitored 24/7 for life and death emergencies.

The guidelines below are for those who meet both of the following criteria:

1) Have Documentation of either
- Being Vaccinated or
- Proof of Recovery from Covid-19

2) Have a 1st degree relative (parent, child, sibling) living in Israel who is either
- An Israeli Citizen with an Israeli Passport or
- A permanent Resident of Israel with a valid Teudat Zehut

Please see all instructions below, and email [email protected] if you have any questions.
If this is urgent and you need immediate assistance, please call David Kushner,
Amudim’s Director of Government Relations, at 646-517-0222 ext 999, 24 hours a day.

If possible, please merge all the below items as a 1 multi-page pdf file less than 5 mb.

1) Admission Request and Declaration Forms: you will need one form filled out for each passenger. Click here to get the form.

2) Proof of Medical Coverage for all travelers. Click Here for further guidance. 

3) Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination or Proof of Recovery for each traveler. Click here for further guidance.

4) Passenger’s Passport:  A clear image of valid passports for all travelers.

5) Proof of Relationship: you will need to provide proof of relationship between the traveler and the 1st degree Israeli citizen using an official government issued document such as a Birth Certificate, Marriage License etc.

6) If Traveling as a Couple:  Marriage license of the traveling couple.

7) Israeli Passport of your ISRAELI CITIZEN Relative.

Unfortunately due to an overwhelming and rapidly increasing amount of requests, other than for funerals and life threatening medical emergencies, we no longer are able to offer the service of reviewing and submitting requests on your behalf directly to the consulate.

Please review the list of all specific documents needed for your request based upon your category of eligibility – those lists and categories can be found at https://amudim.org/entrance-to-israel-advisory/

Once you believe you have all of the needed documents prepared – please merge them into 1 multipage pdf file no larger than 5 mb – this can be done by using programs such as adobe or ilovepdf.com or other such online resources.

You should then email that file along with your formal request to the Israeli consulate closest to your point of flight departure. The email address for the NY consulate is [email protected] – a list of all other consulates can be found at List of Israeli Consulate Locations along with phone numbers and email addresses – https://www.nbn.org.il/aliyahpedia/aliyah-process/applying-for-aliyah/israeli-embassies-and-consulates-in-north-america-and-the-uk/

You may also have someone submit the request in person with a physical copy of all the documents to an Interior Ministry off in Israel – a list of those offices can be found at List of Interior Ministry – Population and Immigration offices in Israel – https://www.gov.il/he/departments/Bureaus?OfficeId=95b283ad-fc02-40e6-ac6f-8986acac6b86&UnitId=1eddae0b-7d05-4e72-8991-894454c7a20e&limit=10&fbclid=IwAR2-QEIAcYzAB-1yjt8WVUcbd_-f9tRXSCUKbwP15ouoxct5RumNA-vhTN4

Please allow at least 10 days for processing and issuance of each request – Requests should not be submitted more than 2 weeks prior to the scheduled travel date indicated in the request documents.

If this is for an emergency travel request related to a funeral, death, or life threatening medical emergency – please email us [email protected] with the subject line being “EMERGENCY TRAVEL TO ISRAEL” and we will do our best to assist and expedite. Please be respectful of what constitutes a true emergency and please know that official documentation verifying the emergency (hospital records, death certificate, etc….) will be required to treat your request as an emergency by both our offices as well as the government officials who ultimately approve these requests and issue the entry permits.

If you have any specific questions related to eligibility, documentation, or otherwise – feel free to email us at [email protected] with your specific questions and we will do our best to reply as soon as practical.

Respectfully Yours,

Zvi, David, Ushy, and David
Amudim Travel Help Desk Team

1) If you email send an email to [email protected] please make sure to include your phone number.

2) As rules and policies keep changing rapidly, there are no guarantees – but we will try our best. The faster you gather the needed documentation – the more likely the permit will be approved and issued in time.

3) A travel permit is not needed for any passengers that are citizens of Israel and that have a valid Israeli Passport

4) Once everything is confirmed and the travel permit is issued, we will share contact info with you for our colleagues on the ground in Israel who can assist you with any questions, concerns, or logistics from when you arrive in Israel until your departure from Israel.

5) Please note that you are obligated to remain in Israel for the duration of each individual travelers quarantine period.
However, if you are traveling for a funeral, you may enter and exit Israel within less than 24 hours. This exception applies to funerals only.

6) Please note that Ishurim will only be issued for documented 1st-degree relatives of the deceased (spouse, child, parent, sibling). If there are special circumstances, please call 646-517-0222 ext 999, and discuss it with David right away.

7) We must speak to the traveler directly before making any requests if more than one person is traveling; there needs to be only one family member we are communicating with on behalf of all travelers.

If you have any additional questions, please email [email protected]. If this is urgent and you need immediate assistance, please call David Kushner, Amudim’s Director of Government Relations, at 646-517-0222 ext 999, 24 hours a day.

Important Follow up steps for you:

  1. Make sure the spelling of your name and passport # on the permit match exactly the name and passport # on your passport
  2. The ishur /  permit is valid for whatever time period is stated in the permit. If the permit was not used within that time frame, please reapply for a permit with all the necessary documentation and attach the unused permit, reapplying via the same email address you used for your original application.
  3. In order to check-in at the airport, each traveler must show a negative PCR Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the flight departure time.
  4. All travelers (each traveler separately) must complete the following steps on the day of their flight prior to arriving to the airport
  5. Fill out and print the following “traveler entry” declaration for each traveler.
    • Click Here to enter the “traveler entry” deceleration page
  6. Fill out and print the following “self-isolation” declaration for each traveler.
    • Click Here to enter the “self-isolation” declaration page

* These two declarations are different from the declaration you
filled out when applying for an entry permit – the “traveler entry” and “self-isolation” declarations are required for each traveler, regardless of nationality or citizenship

* The two declarations will be required for boarding and when landing. Travelers who don’t have both declarations filled out will be delayed at the airport until completing both declarations!

Latest Update as of 4/8/2021

UPDATED QUARANTINE GUIDANCE:

All persons entering the State of Israel at this time, regardless of citizenship, are obligated to adhere to all of the rules of quarantine, as determined by the Ministry of Health upon your arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
 
Depending on each traveler’s individual circumstances and history, a determination will be made upon arrival (there is no mechanism to make a request until you have already landed in Israel) as to which of the following 4 levels of quarantine each traveler will be obligated to adhere to.
 
Foreigners leaving Israel before the end of the isolation period or found to be in violation of quarantine regulations without special approval from the Israeli authorities, violate the laws of the State of Israel and face a penalty of future denial of entry and up to A 5 YEAR ENTRY BAN INTO iSRAEL
 
Israeli Citizens found to be in violation of quarantine guidelines risk a significant fine from the government (up to 10,000 shekels per person / per violation) and potentially being denied the ability to leave the country until those fines are paid in full.
 
The 4 levels of quarantine are as follows:
 
A) 0 DAYS – NO QUARANTINE REQUIRED – Those who were fully vaccinated in Israel and have an Israeli ministry of health vaccination record, those who previously had covid while in israel and have a ministry of health issued recovery letter (michtav machlim / teudat machlim), or have an israeli government issued green pass – will not be required to quarantine at all
 
B) 2-4 DAYS – Those that have proof of vaccination outside of Israel, Proof of Previous covid diagnosis and recovery from Covid outside of Israel via a formal letter from a doctor or medical Facility, or have a recent positive antibody test from outside of Israel.  Anybody fitting the above category, will be permitted to take a serological antibody test at a Ministry of Health approved Testing site.  If you test positive for antibodies, you can then submit those results to the Ministry of health with a request for quarantine exemption.
The list of testing site can be found at here
 
C) 10 Days – Upon arrival in the Airport in Israel – you can take a pcr covid test and another pcr covid test at any Ministry of Health approved testing site on your 9th day in Israel.  If both of those pcr covid tests are negative, you can submit both results to the ministry of health with a request for exemption/early release from quarantine.
 
D) 14 DAYS – you can choose not to do any testing and remain in isolation for a full 14 days.  You will receive an email from the ministry of health detailing the date and time of your release from quarantine, based upon 14 days from the date and time of your arrival in Israel.
 
If you have any further questions regarding quarantine guidelines and exemption process you may reach the ministry of health from any phone in Israel by dialing *5400 or visiting their website at https://www.gov.il/en/departments/guides/corona-quarantine
 

THE REGULATIONS FOR THIS PROCESS CHANGE FREQUENTLY, THIS IS THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION WE HAVE.

If you have any additional questions, please email [email protected]. If this is urgent and you need immediate assistance, please call David Kushner, Amudim’s Director of Government Relations, at 646-517-0222 ext 999, 24 hours a day.

Eligibility & Requirements - Main Page
Quarantine Guidance
Useful Links
Health Insurance Guidance
Vaccination / Recovery Guidance
Important Notes
Apostille Guidance