Tourists inoculated against COVID-19 with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine will be allowed to enter Israel as of December 1, the Tourism Ministry announced on Monday.
The authorization was initially scheduled to come into force on Monday, November 15.
Travelers who have taken the Russian COVID-19 vaccine will also have to undergo a serological test to prove the presence of antibodies in accordance with the initial resolution.
Israel reopened its gates to vaccinated tourists on November 1, provided they received vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are exempt from presenting a serological test.
The decision to approve Sputnik V vaccine was announced after a meeting last month between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Launched in August 2020 and named after the world's first satellite to symbolize Russia's scientific prowess, the Sputnik V vaccine has been adopted by some 70 countries.
However, the WHO and the European Medicines Agency did not approve the shot, with some experts questioning the lack of transparency regarding clinical trial results on Russia's part.