Customs Clearing in Israel

Please get your documents to the Kef office at least one week before the estimated date of arrival of your shipment in Israel.  Earlier is better; shipments can arrive earlier than expected.  If your document file at Customs and at Kef is not complete one week before arrival of your shipment, you may incur storage and container rental charges.  Please review storage and demurrage (rental) charges on containers at the port in Israel to get an idea of the fees for late submission of documents.

If you have a container (FCL), please arrive in Israel 1-2 weeks before it does, so you can get us all required documentation.  

If you have less than a container (LCL) and are using rights, we must have a clear copy of your Teudat Zehut before the shipment arrives at the port, in order to empty out the container and avoid expenses on the whole container.  

In order to clear any shipment, we need all the required documents. 

First:   Click on and print out the following Customs forms.  Sign in Hebrew only where marked (X).  You must sign both pages, and bring originals to our offices in Jerusalem, Ashdod, Ben Gurion, or Haifa.  There is no need to fill them out. There is also a translation--not for signing.  

Customs Form (for download)

Translation (for download)

If you are a Toshav Chozer (Returning Resident), you first: 

register at Misrad HaKlita (the Ministry of Absorption),

then with Misrad HaP’nim (Ministry of the Interior),

then with Customs (see below).

If you are an Oleh or a Katin Chozer (Returning Minor) coming through NBN

You need only register with your local Customs office.  Without NBN, you must first:

get your Teudat Oleh from Misrad Haklita (about 10 days),

then a Teudat Zehut from Misrad HaP’nim (about 2 weeks),

then register with Customs. 

Customs (Meches) for people with rights (tax privileges):

If you have not already cleared a tax-free shipment, or if you need an extension (after army or travel outside of the country for more than 6 months, or study as a full-time student) you must sign in at the local Customs (Meches) office.

Bring both spouses’ passports and Teudot Zehut, your Teudat Oleh (if you have one), and your housing – rental or purchase – contract. Go even if you don’t have a housing contract. 

**NEW**   Under a new program, you may be able to fax your documents to your local Customs office instead of going in person.  You MUST call to confirm the receipt of the documents and that your file has been successfully opened.  For now, Customs is not demanding a copy of your housing contract by fax to open a file.  If you are an Ezrach Oleh, you must still go in person and you may need an yshur from the army. 

Customs Offices, Sun-Thu,  8am-1:30pm:

• Jerusalem: Kanfei Nesharim 66, Givat Shaul;  Yael 02-6545607 / Mazal 02-654-5610 / Alisa 02-654-5602 / Ilana 02-654-5603
  FAX: 02-654-5616

• Tel-Aviv area: Israel Galilee 3a, Rishon LeTzion;  03-942-1703
  FAX: 03-942-1704 

• Haifa: Rechov HaAtzmaut 1; 04-835-4863

• FAX: 04-862-8469

• Ashdod: Rechov Ha'Organim 2 (Forum Building); 08-851-0501
  FAX: 08-852-8856

Bring to Kef or our port agent:

1. Customs forms (download above) signed in Hebrew
2. Statement of rights (obtained from Customs office)
3. Photo page of foreign passport (both spouses)
4. Teudat Zehut (both spouses)
5. Israeli visa page in foreign passport (both spouses)
6. Photo page of Teudat Oleh (or letter/stamp showing status of Toshav/Katin Hozer)
7. Page of Teudat Oleh (if you have one) with the stamp from the Customs office
8. Photo page of Israeli passport (if any, both spouses)
9. First and last pages of a housing contract
10. Invoices of any new items not purchased for you by Kef.

**Information on shipment timing is often inaccurate, and shipments can be early or late. Please take care of this as early as possible.  
If you have any questions regarding anything related to these documents and the customs clearing process, please contact Daniel at the Kef office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call him at the Kef office extension 102.

Customs Inspection

For a spot-check or when documents are not in order, Customs inspects all or part of a shipment. At the airport, such inspections are frequent. At the seaports, the odds are about 1 in 15. Usually new immigrants’ shipments are inspected superficially – a few items are unpacked, checked against your lists, and repacked. Trust our Customs clearer to represent you. He will charge $100-200 for a less-than-container (LCL) shipment, and $450-700 for a full container, depending on its size. A Customs clearer experienced in new immigrant rights is worth every penny. He can anticipate problems before presenting your file to Customs, and his knowledge and finesse can work wonders.

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