Insurance and Vaccinations
You need to make sure that your personal insurances (health, accident etc.) and vaccinations are valid during the entire period of your stay at the excavations.
The directorate of the excavations is not liable for any physical harm or material damage caused during the excavations. Every team member is required to be sufficiently insured against any possible incident, e.g., accidents, theft, illness, terrorism and passive war. Talk to your insurance agent about which insurance would be advisable. Be prepared to present your insurance documentation to the senior excavation staff, as this is a prerequisite for participating in the excavation.
Although not directly required, it is advisable to be vaccinated against Polio, Hepatitis A and B. In any case, please consult your physician and ask how best to prepare yourself for a period of physical labor in hot and dry climate. Tetanus vaccination is compulsory.
Israel is a modern, western country with a good public health system that foreigners can fully rely on if needed. Should you have to see a doctor or need treatment in a hospital, please be aware to be charged immediately (bring your health insurance card with you). You can later reclaim the costs for emergency aid from your health insurance (check what is and what is not covered by your insurance). Our excavation is close to the regional hospital at Poriya, doctors and dentists are located in Tiberias.
Security in Israel
Travel to Israel involves risks and increased caution is advised throughout the country. The political situation is tense. Please regularly check our project website and consult with the respective authorities of your home country (e.g., for Switzerland, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, the United States etc.). Excavation staff will continuously monitor the situation and update you on important developments concerning our excavation.
Note that the Tabgha Pilgerhaus is guarded day and night and that the Galilee, where we will work, lies within the internationally recognized borders of Israel and has normally been a quiet region of the country.
We will provide our registered team-members with a letter from the project directorate stating that the purpose of their visit is participation in an archaeological excavation. This letter should be presented at the home airport during security checks and upon arrival in Israel to facilitate entry into the country.
