The lift (shipping container)

The truck often leaves six months before you do. The three-year window starts on the decisive entry date — in practice, the Aliyah date on the Teudat Oleh.

1. 1
   Decide what travels — Furniture and appliances you already own, versus what you will buy in Israel. New goods and business equipment are not the same exemption.
2. 2
   Pick an Aliyah shipper — They usually prepare the packing list, the bill of lading, and file Form 130 on arrival. Ask who talks to customs, and what stays on you.
3. 3
   Have an address in Israel — Customs asks for proof of housing: a lease or a purchase contract. Without it, the container stays stuck.
4. 4
   Clear customs on arrival — Teudat Oleh or passport, ID card, packing list, invoices, Form 130. Budget days, not an afternoon, if an item is challenged.

Olim under the Law of Return (including people who only have printed confirmation of status), returning minors (Katin Chozer) and immigrant citizens (Ezrach Oleh) may import personal effects and household goods without import taxes, in a limited window.

• Three shipments, three yearsUp to three consignments in total, within three years of the decisive entry date. A postal package of household goods can count as one of the three — it is not extra.
• Luggage on the flightWhat you bring on the plane at arrival generally does not count as one of the three consignments. The lift does.
• Personal use for six yearsHousehold goods are for you and your household. Transferring them before six years needs the customs collector’s approval. This is not a Jaffa garage sale the following month.
• Quantity limitsTypically one of each type of appliance. Published family-scale examples: three computers, three televisions, five mobile phones. Air conditioners relative to the number of rooms in the Israeli home. Carpeting up to 25% of the floor area. Beyond that, it is no longer a simple household exemption.
• Tools and a businessHand tools and commercial equipment have other caps and conditions. Do not mix them with the sofa under “personal effects” without asking customs.

This is the document customs reads. A vague line (“miscellaneous boxes”) slows the file. A precise line (what it is, how many, used or new, brand and model for appliances) moves it.

• List everythingFurniture, cartons, appliances, bikes. Values and new vs used are declared. Form 130 asks for them.
• Invoices if you have themEspecially for recent equipment. Missing a receipt does not block a used sofa; it complicates a TV still in the blister pack.
• What not to packFood, plants, animals, weapons, and anything customs bans or puts behind a permit. Ask your shipper for the current list before you tape the box.

• Mixing this up with the $75 thresholdThe lifestyle guide is about everyday parcels (Amazon, family). The lift is a different regime: Oleh exemption, three shipments, three years. The two pages do not replace each other.
• Buying new goods “for the lift”Equipment bought to fill the container is not treated as goods you already used. Expect tax, or a conversation with customs.
• Leaving without a leaseWithout proof of housing in Israel, the container is not released. Sign a roof first, even a temporary one, or pay for storage — it is not free.
• Forgetting the carThe vehicle benefit (reduced purchase tax, one car, three years, four-year keep) is not one of the three household shipments. That is the car guide.

• Everyday parcelsThreshold, VAT, clearance fees on a gift: lifestyle guide.
• The carImport or local purchase with the Oleh benefit: car guide.
• Cash benefitsSal Klita and the rest: benefits guide. This page is the truck.