How does the 72 hour rule work for PCR testing?
Oct 13, 2021 | 6:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 64
How does the 72 hour rule work for PCR testing?
I understand if I am out of the country for less than 72 hours, I don't need a PCR test to return. How is it measured? Is it from border crossing to border crossing in Israel? Or flight arrival at destination to flight boarding at destination?
Oct 13, 2021 | 6:42 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: LY-PL, A3-*G
Posts: 1,807
- If you stay out of Israel for more than 72 hours, you must take a PCR test no more than 72 hours before the planned crossing time
I understand this as boarder crossing, it is not very clear.
Oct 13, 2021 | 7:16 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Devon, UK
Programs: BA Blue (no decently timed TLV flights) ELAL Silver; Accor Diamond, FB Silver
Posts: 1,475
It seems contradictory:
- Negative test results to a PCR test taken in the 72 hours before travel or sail to Israel
- if you stay out of Israel for more than 72 hours, you must take a PCR test no more than 72 hours before the planned crossing time
Oct 15, 2021 | 11:02 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: JNB, SFO
Programs: UA, DL
Posts: 112
Anyone know whether Israel is sticking to the exact 72 hour prior to departing flight or are accepting negative pcr test results where samples were collected within 3 days or departing flight (as at least the US seems to treat its '72 hour rule')? First-hand experience most valuable of course.
Oct 20, 2021 | 9:56 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 64
Anyone know whether Israel is sticking to the exact 72 hour prior to departing flight or are accepting negative pcr test results where samples were collected within 3 days or departing flight (as at least the US seems to treat its '72 hour rule')? First-hand experience most valuable of course.
Oct 21, 2021 | 12:09 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Devon, UK
Programs: BA Blue (no decently timed TLV flights) ELAL Silver; Accor Diamond, FB Silver
Posts: 1,475
The question asked is when does the clock stop ticking in order to back calculate the time the test needs to be conducted? Do you calculate from the scheduled arrival time in Israel or scheduled departure time from country of origin to Israel. You will see that the two statements of requirement I posted ante raise the trigger of both these instances ( I am not even going to get into calculating the trigger point if one were to sail to Israel)."travel to" and "crossing"are two different concepts.
Last edited by davidcamp6; Oct 21, 2021 at 12:11 am Reason: clarification
Oct 21, 2021 | 2:45 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: JNB, SFO
Programs: UA, DL
Posts: 112
Take for example the US. If you have a 17:00 departure on the 11th on departure ticket that ends in the US (no more than 24 hr layover), every check in desk agent I've encountered so far has said the US will accept a negative pcr or antigen test (with QR code) where the sample was collected anytime on the 8th onwards. So, you could have a sample for antigen test collected up to 89 hrs prior to departure totthr US in that example here. So, again, how does Israel regard its '72 hour rule' atm?
Oct 24, 2021 | 4:55 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 64
Take for example the US. If you have a 17:00 departure on the 11th on departure ticket that ends in the US (no more than 24 hr layover), every check in desk agent I've encountered so far has said the US will accept a negative pcr or antigen test (with QR code) where the sample was collected anytime on the 8th onwards. So, you could have a sample for antigen test collected up to 89 hrs prior to departure totthr US in that example here. So, again, how does Israel regard its '72 hour rule' atm?