Travellers from Israel may soon be eligible to enter the majority of the European Union and Schengen Area countries restriction-free or at least with minimal restrictions, as sources of the Jerusalem Post claim that the country will join the EU’s Digital Vaccine Certificate Program in the following days.
In a piece published today, September 15, the Jerusalem Post claims that “Israel had been in dialogue about forming bilateral agreements with countries over the past year until multilateral agreements, such as this one, could be in place.”
According to a source of the newspaper, the move represents “ground-breaking progress” and is a “really significant step forward.”
If such a thing happens, Israeli travellers will have it easier to travel throughout the EU, as the Green Passes issued by authorities in Israel to the country’s residents will also be recognized in the EU. Yet, the same will be subject to entry restrictions depending on the destination country’s entry rules as a testing-upon-arrival requirement.
The European COVID-19 travel certificate programme has been ideated and created by the EU in an attempt to restore the freedom of travel, which has been put at a halt for almost two years now.
Through the certificate, the block has achieved its goal to remove travel restrictions as entry bans, quarantine obligation, and testing in the majority of the EU and Schengen Area countries, in particular for those vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who have recovered from the virus in the past 180 days.
So far, all of the 27 EU countries, as well as the four Schengen associated countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – are part of the programme.
On August 20, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that the COVID-19 Vaccination Passport issued by three third countries – North Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine – would be accepted for travel to the EU and Schengen Area countries starting from the same date, after the EU Commission adopted three equivalence decisions for these countries.
Israel also has a similar scheme in place, known as the Green Pass Scheme. The document is issued to all those who:
- Are fully vaccinated – including those who have received three COVID-19 vaccine doses
- Have recovered from COVID-19 within the last six months
- Are aged 12 years and younger with a negative PCR test result taken as part of the Magen Education program – the Green Pass is valid for one full week after the test
According to Israeli authorities, vaccinated children under the age of 18 and those who result negative within the last 72 hours before a trip and who travel with their parents can be included in the latters’ Green Pass.
If Israel joins the EU’s Digital Vaccine Certificate Program, then Israeli travellers will be able to use these Green Passes to travel to all the countries that are already part of the programme.