A full aliyah lift (door-to-door container shipment) costs $7,500 to $18,000, and new olim pay zero customs duty and zero VAT on household goods across 3 tax-free shipments within 3 years of aliyah. Ocean freight alone runs $1,600 to $5,000 for a 20-foot container from the US East Coast to Ashdod. Israel runs on 220V/50Hz, so a standard North American 110V appliance needs a step-down transformer or a replacement; one of each appliance type ships duty-free. Moving a pet takes 3 to 4 months of lead time, because the rabies titer test alone takes 1 to 3 months to come back from the lab. As of mid-2026, El Al is the only airline flying direct between the US and Israel (American Airlines is canceled through January 6, 2027), and economy transatlantic round trips run ₪3,000 to ₪8,000 and up. Nefesh B’Nefesh olim fly one way free with two 50 lb checked bags.
The hard part of this move is not any single task. It is that you are running four clocks at once: a pet clock that starts 4 months out, a shipper’s calendar that books up 2 to 3 months out, a customs window that runs 3 years, and a flight market with exactly one direct carrier to North America. Get the order wrong and you pay for it in port storage fees, a re-run titer test, or a fridge that hums uselessly at the wrong voltage. This page puts the clocks in order. It sits inside our guide to safety, logistics, and support for senior olim, and the bigger decisions around it live in our top-to-bottom guide to retiring in Israel.
Start with the dog: the four clocks of this move
| When (before your flight) | What has to happen |
|---|---|
| 4 months out | Pet gets an ISO microchip, then the rabies shot, then blood drawn for the titer test. This is the longest clock; it cannot be compressed. |
| 3 months out | Get lift quotes and book your shipper. Book even earlier for a June to August move or before Passover. |
| 1 month out | Last day a rabies vaccine can be given; Israel requires it at least 1 month before arrival. |
| 10 days out | Pet health certificate window opens: signed by a USDA or CFIA vet, endorsed at least 2 Israeli business days before travel. |
| 3 to 4 days out | Fly at least 3 to 4 days before your container’s earliest arrival date, so you can clear it personally. |
Four terms every mover will use
- Lift: the common name for an oleh’s tax-exempt container or consolidated shipment of household goods.
- Teudat Oleh: the immigrant certificate issued on landing; it is what makes your shipments tax-free.
- FAVN titer test: a lab test proving your pet’s rabies vaccine actually produced antibodies.
- Type H plug: Israel’s unique three-pin electrical outlet standard (European two-pin Type C also works).
The lift: three tax-free shipments, and what they cover
Moving belongings to Israel runs on one certificate: the Teudat Oleh. With it, you are entitled to 3 separate shipments, arriving any time within 3 years of your aliyah date, with no customs duty and no VAT on eligible household goods. You still pay every shipping, insurance, and port cost yourself; the exemption is on the tax, not the freight.
What the exemption covers: furniture, clothing, books, linens, kitchenware, and one of each type of home appliance or electronic device for household use. The specific caps: up to 3 computers per family (the first two duty-free, the third taxed), up to 3 televisions duty-free, and air conditioners in proportion to the rooms in your Israeli home. A car is a separate benefit with its own rules, 50% purchase tax plus VAT instead of the standard 83%, covered in our full rundown of oleh benefits for retirees.
Three practical rules that save real money. First, contact shippers 2 to 3 months before moving. Second, never share a lift with another family: it is illegal under both US and Israeli law, and it forfeits the exemption. Third, choose your service tier deliberately: door-to-door (packers come to you, goods arrive at your Israeli address) costs the most and goes wrong the least; warehouse-to-door and warehouse-to-warehouse are cheaper but put the origin logistics on you. At retirement age, door-to-door earns its price.
What a lift actually costs in 2026
Shipping lift costs stack in four layers: ocean freight, packing and service tier, marine insurance, and Israeli port fees. Every serious quote itemizes all four.
| Cost line | 20-foot container (average apartment) | 40-foot container (large house) |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight, US ports to Ashdod | $1,600 to $5,000 | $2,500 to $8,000 (from LA: $7,000 to $8,000) |
| Marine insurance | 2.5 to 3% of declared cargo value | |
| Israeli customs inspection, if selected (under 5% of shipments are) | up to ₪4,500 | up to ₪7,500 |
| Port storage after the contract’s free days | ₪110 to ₪300 per day | |
| All-in door-to-door total | $7,500 to $18,000 depending on volume, origin city, and family size | |
Our estimate of a realistic all-in budget for a retired couple shipping a 20-foot lift from the US East Coast: about $14,100, roughly ₪42,400. Basis: the $12,750 midpoint of the door-to-door range, plus $1,375 marine insurance (2.75% on $50,000 of declared goods), converted at the ₪3.00/USD working rate.
Our estimate of what the oleh tax exemption is worth on that same lift: about ₪27,000 in VAT alone. Basis: 18% VAT on ₪150,000 of goods ($50,000 at ₪3.00/USD), which a non-oleh importer would pay before customs duty is even counted. The exemption is the single largest discount most retirees will ever get from Israeli customs, which is why the 3-year window deserves a note in your calendar.
Appliances: ship the premium ones, buy the rest at 220 volts
Importing appliances is first a voltage question, then a tax question. Israel runs on 220V/50Hz, the European standard. North America runs on 110V/60Hz. A standard American appliance plugged into an Israeli wall without help will not work.
| Ship it from North America | Buy it in Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | Needs a step-down transformer rated 130 to 140% of the appliance’s wattage; transformers are unsuitable for sensitive electronics and should not run around the clock | Built for 220V; plug in and go |
| Tax | One of each appliance type ships duty-free and VAT-free inside the 3-year window | 18% VAT is baked into the sticker price |
| Worth it for | Premium units: Sub-Zero fridges, Wolf cooktops, Miele or Viking ranges, high-end washers and dryers, where Israeli equivalents cost far more | Mid-range everything: 220V Israeli-market appliances are widely available and the practical default |
| Small devices | Dual-voltage items marked “INPUT: 100-240V, 50/60 Hz” (laptops, phone chargers, shavers) work worldwide with only a plug adapter | Buy Type H adapters on arrival for anything dual-voltage you brought |
Two more facts worth knowing. Israel’s outlets are Type H (unique to Israel) and Type C (European two-pin), so pack adapters. And since January 1, 2025, Israel has adopted 43 EU product regulations covering household electrical appliances and consumer electronics, which simplifies compliance for anything you buy in Europe on the way over.
Moving pets to Israel: a 7-step paper chase
Moving pets to Israel takes a minimum of 3 to 4 months from the first vet visit, and the order of the steps is not optional. Dogs and cats must be at least 4 months old on arrival.
- Microchip first. ISO 11784/11785-compliant, 134.2 kHz. It must go in before the rabies shot. Standard US 125 kHz chips do not meet the Israeli requirement.
- Rabies vaccine. Given at least 1 month before arrival and within 1 year of the entry date, even if the vaccine is labeled for 3 years.
- FAVN/RFFIT titer test. Blood drawn after the vaccine; lab results take 1 to 3 months. Once passed, the result is valid for the pet’s lifetime. This is the step that sets your whole moving date, so start it before anything else on this page.
- Health certificate. Completed by a USDA (US) or CFIA (Canada) licensed vet no more than 10 days before the flight, endorsed at least 2 Israeli business days before travel.
- Book the pet’s seat. Up to 2 pets per owner travel as accompanied baggage with no import permit; a third pet needs one. Pets under 9 kg including the carrier can fly in-cabin, and airlines typically allow only 2 pets per cabin per flight, so book early.
- Check the banned-breed list. Israel prohibits importing Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Rottweilers, Argentinian Dogos, and crosses showing similar traits.
- After landing. Register your dog with the municipality (₪100 to ₪200 a year, by city) and keep the rabies vaccination annual in Israel.
Flights to and from Israel: one direct carrier, priced accordingly
Flights to and from Israel in 2026 run through a narrow door. Ben Gurion Airport fully reopened on April 9, 2026, with all international flights through Terminal 3, but the foreign carriers have not all come back. El Al is the only airline flying direct between the US and Israel, and reduced competition has pushed economy transatlantic round trips to ₪3,000 to ₪8,000 and up.
| Carrier | Status, mid-2026 |
|---|---|
| El Al | Flying, 40+ destinations; the only direct US service |
| Arkia, Israir, Air Haifa | Flying full schedules (Europe, Asia, regional) |
| Air France, Austrian, Wizz Air, Etihad, FlyDubai, Aegean, Air India | Flying |
| United Airlines | Canceled through September 7, 2026 |
| Delta, Air Canada | Suspended through September 2026 |
| British Airways | Suspended through about October 2026 |
| American Airlines | Canceled through January 6, 2027 |
The booking rule for 2026: fly Israeli carriers for anything you cannot afford to have canceled. Foreign airlines suspend Israel service abruptly during security escalations, as several did on June 8, 2026, and Israeli carriers keep flying. Your aliyah flight itself can cost nothing: Nefesh B’Nefesh olim receive one free one-way charter flight with two 50 lb checked bags.
Our estimate of the annual airfare budget for a retired couple flying back to North America twice a year: about ₪22,000. Basis: 2 travelers, 2 round trips, at the ₪5,500 midpoint of current economy fares. Build it into your retirement budget honestly; it is the line item olim most often forget, and it argues for keeping a cushion in the accounts covered in our guide to banking and moving money to Israel.
Five things to confirm before you sign or book
- Your shipping quote itemizes Israeli port fees (terminal handling, delivery order, bonded warehouse) as separate lines, not a vague “port costs” placeholder.
- The vet scans and logs the microchip at 134.2 kHz before administering the rabies shot, not after.
- The airline confirms in writing that your pet is booked in-cabin or as accompanied baggage on your specific routing.
- The lift is booked in your name only, with no other family’s goods in it.
- Your ticket is on an Israeli carrier, or you have accepted the suspension risk of a foreign one.
Quick answers
How many tax-free shipments do olim get?
Three, arriving within 3 years of your aliyah date, with no customs duty and no VAT on eligible household goods. Shipping, insurance, and port fees remain yours to pay.
Can two families share one container to split costs?
No. Sharing a lift is illegal under both US and Israeli law.
Will my American refrigerator work in Israel?
Not on its own. Israel is 220V/50Hz and North America is 110V/60Hz, so it needs a step-down transformer rated 130 to 140% of its wattage. Premium appliances are worth that trouble; mid-range ones are cheaper to replace with Israeli 220V models.
How early should pet paperwork start?
3 to 4 months before the flight. The rabies titer test takes 1 to 3 months to process and, once passed, stays valid for the pet’s life.
Is there a nonstop flight from the US to Israel right now?
Only on El Al. United is canceled through September 7, 2026, Delta and Air Canada through September 2026, and American Airlines through January 6, 2027.
Where these numbers come from
- Israel Tax Authority customs rules for new immigrants (gov.il)
- Israel Veterinary Services pet import requirements (gov.il)
- Nefesh B’Nefesh shipping, customs, and flight guidance (nbn.org.il)
- Israel Airports Authority, Ben Gurion operations (iaa.gov.il)
- Ministry of Aliyah and Integration oleh entitlements (gov.il)
Last verified: July 2026. Shekel figures use the working rate of ₪3.00 per US dollar.
Your next step: the lift needs an address
Everything on this page waits on one decision: where the container gets delivered. Olim buying a sole residence pay 0% purchase tax up to ₪1,978,745 and just 0.5% up to ₪6,055,070, a bracket-by-bracket breakdown lives in our purchase tax guide, and the paperwork that has to precede the flight is in our checklist of documents to prepare before aliyah. If you are still choosing the address itself, tell us your budget and target cities and we will shortlist homes your lift can actually be delivered to.
