Every shipment arriving in Israel undergoes customs clearance.
There are several different customs clearance processes, depending on the value of the shipment, the type of goods, and the weight of the shipment.
The first step in every customs clearance process is to define the product. Upon the arrival of the product in Israel, Customs assigns the product to a customs detail.
The customs detail is a type of international customs code adapted to the laws of each country, defining the taxes applicable to the product and the legal conditions for importing the product.
In the Customs Tariffs Order you can find the tax rates that apply to each customs detail.
Conditions for importing the product, such as certificates required, can be found in the Personal Import Order.
Clearing of a product on which taxes are imposed or that requires a special certificate
Individual/ self-clearance process
In this process, the party that ordered the package (the importer) goes to Customs to clear the package. Clearance of the package involves presenting Customs with documents.
The documents required for individual clearance:
- Bill of lading
- Purchase invoice (it is the responsibility of the sender of the product to furnish the invoice).
- Preference documents granting an exemption or reduced customs duties based on the trade agreement between Israel and the source country (optional) – transfer of the documents is the responsibility of the sender of the package.
- Certificates and licenses (in the event that the law stipulates conditions for importing the product).
Fast/ collective customs clearance process:
In this process, the courier company may clear multiple shipments arriving together. This process is based on the shipment paperwork received and transferred to Customs before the shipment has even arrived in Israel.
This track is meant for shipments up to a value of US$ 1,000 that do not have any import conditions imposed on them.
These shipments incur payment:
- Taxes – the type of tax to be collected and the amount will be defined by Customs according to the customs detail assigned to it.
- Commission of the forwarding company.
- Security fee and customs registration.
Customs Clearance of products that require the “certificate of a standard”
There are certain products, defined by law in Israel, as products that must comply with the requirements of a standard, in order to ensure public safety and health.
If an imported product requires the certificate of a standard, contact a recognized laboratoryto perform this function.
The following documents must be presented to the laboratory:
- Declaration Form from the Israel Tax Authority regarding personal import of goods
- Bill of lading
- Supplier account
- Product identification documents
Based on the documents, the laboratory will check whether the Israel Standard is applicable to the imported product.
If there is no standard that applies, the party that placed the order for the package (the importer) will receive a certificate to the effect that the standard does not apply to the product (Standard does not Apply certificate). With this certificate, the imported shipment can be cleared from customs.
If a standard applies to the product, the product will be sent for testing. The test findings will determine whether the imported product can be cleared from customs or not.
If a flaw is discovered in the product during the test, the party that ordered the package will be called upon to repair it.
If during the test, the product is found not to comply with the requirements of the standard, and that it cannot be made compliant, the party that ordered the package may be asked to destroy the goods or to return the shipment to the supplier abroad.
