Update: 9 December 2022
The current pre-arrival Covid-19 requirements for foreigners are listed below. Travelers are no longer required to submit the Online Entry Form.
✓ Proof of health insurance coverage for Covid-19 is required to enter Israel
✓ A Covid-19 test may be required before the departure flight to the traveler’s destination after the program
Update: 20 May 2022
Beginning May 20, 2022 at midnight, Israel is lifting their pre-arrival Covid-19 testing requirements for all foreigners (non-Israeli citizens). These most recent updates are listed below:
X Travelers are not required to present a negative Covid-19 test before boarding a flight to Israel
X Travelers are not required to receive a PCR test upon arrival at an airport
X Travelers are not required to isolate up to 24 hours upon arrival
The requirements that remain effective for foreigners are listed below:
✓ An Online Entry Statement must be completed within 48 hours of the scheduled departure flight to Israel
✓ Proof of health insurance coverage for Covid-19 is required to enter Israel
✓ A Covid-19 test may be required before the departure flight to the traveler’s destination after the program
✓ Masks are required only in places with high infection potential, including international flights
Update: 12 May 2022
On 20 May 2022, Israel will no longer be requiring international travelers to take a Covid-19 test upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport.
This week, Israel also updated their policy regarding pre-arrival flight Covid-19 testing for foreigners (non-Israeli citizens). The protocol remains in effect that an official Covid-19 test (no at-home tests) must be taken before a scheduled departure flight to Israel. However, the policy update allows either a PCR test taken within 72 hours, or a rapid (antigen) test taken within 24 hours of the departure flight.
In the case of layovers, the test should fall within 72 hours (PCR) or 24 hours (antigen) of the initial flight. For a layover of 24 hours or more, the test must fall within 72 hours (PCR) or within 24 hours (antigen) of the last leg of the flight (the flight that goes directly to Israel). Before boarding a departure flight, passengers will be asked to present official proof of a negative PCR/rapid (antigen) test along with their passport. This policy has taken affect for all students and faculty of our upcoming Short-Term programs. All other visa holders (A/1, A/2, A/3, A/4, A/5, B/1, B/3, B/4), including our Long-Term students, are exempt from these pre-flight Covid-19 tests.
Update: 24 April 2022
As of 23 April 2022, Israel’s Ministry of Health is no longer requiring masks to be worn indoors. However, it is recommended that all students attending a Long-Term or Short-Term program bring masks in the event they are needed. Masks will still be required in places with high infection potential, such as airplanes and medical facilities. Individuals in quarantine must also wear masks.
Update: 9 March 2022
On 1 March 2022, Israel opened its borders to unvaccinated tourists. Under the new guidelines, both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are permitted to enter Israel, so long as they obtain a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure. The former policy that permitted travelers to receive a negative rapid (antigen) test 24 hours prior to departure in place of a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to departure no longer applies to foreigners (non-Israeli citizens).
A policy remains in effect that all travelers must fill out an online entry statement and receive a PCR test upon entering the country. Incoming travelers are still required to isolate at their accommodations until they have received their negative PCR test results or until 24 hours have passed.
Beginning 8 March, all foreign travelers, vaccinated or not, are required to present proof of health insurance that covers treatment of Covid-19 in order to enter Israel. The document must include the name(s) of the insured, dates of coverage, and a statement of specific coverage for Covid-19.
In light of the new guidelines, the JUC Administration is pleased to relay that students of all short-term and long-term programs are no longer mandated to have a Covid-19 vaccine to participate in JUC programs. However, please be aware that if an unvaccinated foreigner (non-Israeli citizen) is exposed to someone with Covid-19 while in Israel, they must enter isolation for 5 days.
The JUC Administration will continue to keep a close eye on the policies in Israel as we continue to align our program protocols with those policies mandated by Israel.
Update: 24 January 2022
As of 7 January 2022, the red (highest risk) classification, which forced travelers to complete the full 14-day isolation period upon entering Israel, was removed from all nations, enabling us to proceed as planned with our in-residence Spring 2022 semester. We look forward to welcoming 41 long-term students to our Jerusalem campus this week.
We are also thrilled to report that on 9 January, Israel reopened their borders to foreigners, allowing individuals to enter the country on a tourist visa. This is tremendous news for JUC, as it permits us to run our short-term programs once again. We will begin to welcome short-term students back to our Jerusalem campus this March. They will be the first in 26 months!
According to Israel’s current guidelines, all incoming travelers must be vaccinated and obtain a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure or a negative rapid (antigen) test 24 hours prior to their departure. This negative test should specify the traveler’s passport number and be presented to airline officials at check-in. All travelers must fill out an online entry statement and plan to receive a PCR test upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport. Incoming travelers are required to isolate at their accommodations until they have received their negative PCR test results from Ben Gurion Airport or until 24 hours have passed.
The JUC Administration is encouraged by these new guidelines and the opportunities they offer regarding our short-term and long-term programs. In recognition of the ever-changing nature of COVID-19 and our desire to provide a safe environment for students, we are continuing to track all developments on the ground and will relay them accordingly.
Update: 1 September 2021
On 28 August, we were thrilled to welcome our in-residence Fall 2021 semester students to our Jerusalem campus. After two semesters of minimal student activity within our walls and grounds, we are grateful for the opportunity to reopen our in-residence long-term programs to a total of 49 students, the largest JUC semester in nearly a decade.
The first week of classes is already underway, and due to the current COVID protocols in Israel, our students are temporarily quarantining and beginning their courses online. After the quarantine period is complete, students will resume classes live, in person.
The JUC Administration continues to take steps to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff as they reside in Jerusalem. Our priority is always to provide a safe and engaging environment in which each student can learn.
Israel has yet to open their borders to those entering on individual tourist visas, which has prevented JUC from running our short-term programs. We continue to closely monitor the changing COVID regulations within Israel and are planning to host all scheduled short-term programs starting January 2022. Please note that JUC continues to require proof of vaccination for participation in all long-term and short-term academic programs.
Update: 25 May 2021
In efforts to ensure the safety of JUC’s campus community which is made up of students, staff, faculty, and visitors, all applicants for our long and short-term programs must receive a COVID vaccine in order to participate. Proof of vaccination must be submitted with applications for academic programs effective immediately.
JUC has had to cancel the remainder of the summer short-term study programs due to Israel’s continued border closures. We are working and planning to host fall short-term programs should Israel open to tourists before then.
We are also actively thinking ahead to our fall semester programs. While Israel has fully opened their economy to vaccinated residents, it is not yet clear when they will allow foreign institutions like JUC to obtain new visas so that our semester and M.A. students can enter the country. Nevertheless, we are both hoping and planning to hold in-person classes in the fall.
Our staff in Jerusalem continues to track all developments on the ground, and we will issue further updates as soon as we have new information.
Independent of the status of the fall semester, JUC is happy to continue to offer online courses! This fall semester, we will offer four courses to our online audience for credit or audit. Registration is open to all. You may view course details and apply here.
Update: 2 November 2020
Despite an improvement in the infection rate in Israel, the situation here remains largely unchanged. The border remains closed to tourists, and we are still unable to apply for student visas at the Ministry of Interior. Therefore, we have decided that our 2021 spring semester courses will take place in a live online format, as have the courses this fall. Should Israel decide to allow JUC to apply for student visas, our students would have the opportunity to join us on campus in Jerusalem during the online spring semester.
While we had hoped for a return to our normal programs in person on Mount Zion, this situation again gives us a unique opportunity to offer our courses more widely. During the fall semester, we opened enrollment to all JUC alumni. In the coming spring semester, we have decided to open enrollment to everyone, whether or not they have taken courses at JUC previously. Please see the JUC online page for details about course offerings and enrollment.
Because the border remains closed to tourists, our short-term programs through February have been cancelled. Israel has not yet given any indication of when the borders will open, and we continue to monitor the situation on the ground for any changes. We plan to resume our short-term programs as soon as we are able to do so, and our short-term programs from March 2021 remain scheduled as usual.
Update: 3 August 2020
We have tracked the changes in Israel throughout the summer in the hopes that we could resume our regular semester programs in early September. However, because Israel is not yet issuing new student visas or allowing non-Israelis to enter the country, we have decided to move our fall semester classes online.
While we are disappointed not to be able to hold our programs in person, we are excited to to offer online courses to our current students. Additionally, we are taking the opportunity to open enrollment into online classes to alumni of our long-and short-term programs. These classes will be taught in real time and capped between 20-25 students each. For enrollment details, please click here.
While Israel is not issuing new student visas, they are allowing students who currently hold valid student visas to return to Israel to finish their studies. A handful of students will return to Jerusalem, quarantine on campus, and join the students who have remained in Jerusalem through the summer. Our current students who will be in Jerusalem this fall will enjoy access to our library and the resources of the city. The Old City, select museums, hiking trails, and national parks remain open to them as well. It is our hope that new students may be able to join those in Jerusalem in the coming months, should Israel begin issuing new student visas.
In the meantime, we continue to plan for upcoming programs, both the short-term groups in November and January, as well as our 2021 spring semester. We plan to hold all these programs in person, assuming that Israel reopens their border to non-Israelis. JUC's administration continues to follow updates related to COVID-19 and international travel very closely, and we will issue future updates as new information becomes available.
Update: 13 May 2020
Last week, our spring semester came to a close, and the students who stayed in Jerusalem have begun to return home. Although we had to temporarily shift most of our program online, we are glad that these students were able to complete the semester. At this point in the year, we are usually gearing up for summer short-term programs, most of which we have regrettably been forced to cancel.
Israel has reached a stable point in new infections, and they have relaxed most of their internal restrictions. However, they are not yet allowing non-Israelis to enter from abroad. Discussions related to how Israel can re-open to tourism are underway. We are hoping for the restrictions on international travel to be lifted yet this summer and are looking forward to the fall semester.
A Message From The President: 12 April 2020
I am writing you to provide an update on the Jerusalem University College community, our campus, and our commitment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As challenges stem from this global virus, we remain focused on our vision to see students transformed by the realities of the Bible.
Community: Everyone on campus—both students and staff—is healthy and safe. We are adjusting to a new normal as we enter the last month of our spring semester, diligent to follow all the restrictions on movement that have been issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health. Though a few of our semester students have returned to their homes in the U.S., everyone remains connected to the JUC community through the aid of collaborative technologies and online course delivery. All of our field studies are necessarily cancelled for the time being, but everyone is hopeful we might be able to do some day trips before the semester ends in May.
Campus: We started two ambitious campus renovation projects in February. Both are looking very good but only half finished due to restrictions on movement. We look forward to the day when our skilled workers (tektons!) can re-enter Jerusalem from Bethlehem to complete their work.
The streets surrounding campus are nearly quiet, empty of visitors and nearly empty of people who live and work in the city. What should be the busiest time of each day sounds like an early Shabbat morning. And in that quiet, what we hear instead is the springtime growth in our gardens. The rains have been especially plentiful this winter, but now “behold, the winter is past, the rain is [nearly] over and gone; the flowers have appeared . . . the vines in blossom have given forth fragrance . . . and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2). Our campus is beautiful. Our spirits are reflective and hopeful, yet cautious.
Commitment: We remain committed to the students who are with us, and to the ones who plan to come in the months ahead. In the meantime, the COVID pandemic has caused cancellations for all our spring short-term programs since the beginning of March, along with many of our summer programs. Because the remaining summer programs are doubtful, the impact on our budget is significant. We are committed to continuing full programs as soon as health and travel conditions allow. In the meantime, we are in the process of temporarily downsizing aspects of our operations in responsible ways, while remaining committed to students and groups who will be with us in the future.
Like you, we are trusting God as we wait for the resumption of normal life. In the meantime, we are able to reflect actively on the experiences of how He has already encountered us in life-altering ways. And you are a part of these stories.
We know that you care about the life of Jerusalem University College. We value your support as we position ourselves to continue offering study programs in the lands of the Bible. That commitment is unchanged.
With thanks and Easter blessings,
Paul Wright
President
Jerusalem University College
Update: 20 March 2020
We continue to monitor the mandates of the Israeli Ministry of Health, and we are in communication with our students about them in order to be sure that our students are adhering to the mandates while they are in Israel. We are also monitoring travel advisories from the U.S. State Department, including their travel advisory alert issued last night which pertains largely to Americans who are doing short-term international travel. We have reminded our students that they have the option to return home and finish the semester via distance ed should they choose. All our students remain in good health, and we are continuing our classes via distance ed, as are other educational institutions in Israel.
Update: 18 March 2020
We are continuing to monitor the situation in Israel as it develops, and we are complying with all the mandates of the Ministry of Health. We are committed to continuing the spring semester program on our Mt. Zion campus, with both in-class sessions and online learning formats as appropriate. Everyone’s spirits, and health, are excellent. At the same time, we continue to look forward to our summer programs and fall semester.
A Message From The President: 13 March 2020
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, it is imperative that we respond to the crisis in ways that are healthy and responsible. I want to assure you that the team at Jerusalem University College is doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff. At the same time, we are committed to continuing our academic programs without interruption.
No one in the JUC campus community shows any signs or symptoms of the coronavirus. For this, we are most thankful. We are taking all due precautions as outlined by the directives of the CDC and the Israeli Ministry of Health. Ours is a small, strong, careful and largely self-contained community. It is a supportive, caring, and safe place to be.
Many schools and educational institutions in Israel, the US, and around the world are suspending classes and/or switching to online learning formats. We are committed to continuing the spring semester program on our Mt. Zion campus, with in-class sessions as scheduled. Please be assured that while we are able to convert classes to online formats, it is not necessary to do so at this time.
We will assess our two Jordan field studies (one is April 17-20 for the Physical Settings course and the other in May 9-14 for Cultural Backgrounds) in the upcoming weeks, making appropriate adjustments as necessary.
While some of our spring and summer short-term groups have cancelled, others have not, and our May, June and July programs are largely on-track.
Enrollment for our fall 2020 semester remains strong, without any indication of cancellations, and we anticipate running our regular fall program without restrictions.
We can sense what the prophets meant when they spoke of mountains crumbling in their midst, taking their reality as a metaphor. But I am drawn more to one sentence in the book of Isaiah, 40:26, in which the prophet likens the vastness of the starry host to a flock of sheep. The language is shepherding language, leading, protecting and calling by name. Our God takes the unknowable, complex—and scary—vastness of the universe, places us who are as helpless as sheep in it, and guides both the known and the unknowable so that “not one of [us] is missing.”
Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number.
He calls them all by name.
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing.
Please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Rev. Dr. Paul Wright,
President
Jerusalem University College