G/LIC/N/3/ISR/7  
 
2 October  2023 
(23-6608) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES1 
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 7.3 OF THE AGREEMENT  
ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES (2023) 
ISRAEL 
The following communication, dated 28 September  2023, is being  circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Israel.  
 
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Outline of System  
 
1. The import licensing  system is regulated primarily by:  
 
­ Free Import Order of 2014 (replacing Free Import Order of 2012) and its amendments and 
Personal Import Order of 2019 and its amendments, for purposes of public security, health 
and safety, and consumer welfare.  
­ Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions and Tax  Order of 2017, Schedules 3­10 and 13; For 
purposes of MFN tariff quota management , under the GATT and the Free Trade Area 
Agreements (FTAs).  
 
These Orders establish the list of goods subject to import licensing. The first two Orders are 
administered by th e Israeli  Ministry of Economy and Industry. The third Order is administered by the 
Israeli Tax Authority at the Israeli Ministry of Finance, except allocation of quotas which is 
administered by the Ministry of Economy and Industry.  
Purposes  and coverage of  licensing  
 
2. Schedules 1 and 2 of the Free Import Order of 2014 and schedul es 1 and 2 of the Personal Import 
Order of 2019 list products subject to non -automatic licensing.  
 
Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions and Purchase Tax on Goods Order of 2017, Schedules 3­10 
and 13, regulates the non­automatic licensing of GATT and FTA MFN tariff quotas.  
 
3. The systems mentioned above apply to goods originating in and coming from all WTO Member 
countries and FTA partners.  
 
4. Free Import Order of 2014 and Perso nal Import Order 2019: Import licenses are required for 
reasons of safety, health, protection of the environment, and security, or to comply with international 
(non-WTO) commitments.  
 
Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions and Tax Order of 2017, Schedules 3­10 and 13: Import 
licenses are required for imports of agricultural products and fresh food for quotas management 
purposes.  
 
 
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire.  G/LIC/N/3/ISR/7  
 
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  5. The licensing system is based on official regulations (secondary legislation) promulgated under 
The Import and Export Ordinance [New Version], 1979.  
 
Regarding the Free Import Order of 2014, Schedules 1­2 list the tariff items and the products that 
require a license or a permit. Regarding the Personal Import Order of 2019, Schedules 1­2 list the 
tariff items and the produ cts that require a license or a permit. Under special circumstances, there 
exists the possibility of granting an exemption from these requirements, based on several reasons 
such as self -use and small quantities. The government may not abolish the system wi thout legislative 
approval.  
 
Regarding the Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions and Tax Order of 2017, Schedules 3­10 and 
13, no administrative discretion (exemption) is allowed for the government in order to abolish the 
system without legislative approva l. 
 
Procedures  
 
6.I. According to Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions and Purchase Tax on Goods Order of 2017, 
Schedules 3­10 and 13, for products under restriction, the quota system is administered by 
the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Economy and Industry. The methods 
used for allocating quotas, as well as ongoing announcements related to quota  licenses  
allocation, are published on the websites of both Ministries, on a regular basis. Both Ministries 
announce the opening of the quota  licenses  on their websites and in a daily newspaper. The 
announcement usually includes information on source countries, HS codes, and quota 
volumes.  
 
II. In one type of  quota licenses allocation  (for licenses that are  allocated on a first come  first 
serve basis  which are mentioned in Article 14 below) , the licenses are open during the year 
until the point they are fully allocated. In the other  type of quota licenses allocation, there  are 
two periods in which quota licenses are allocated ; at the  beginning of the year , or a month or 
two before,  and the middle of the year (June -July). Licenses are granted for up to 12 months, 
from 1 January to 31 December. However, during the year, the extent to which the quota is 
utilized by each importer  is exami ned. The  responsible Ministries  reserve the right to recall 
licenses of importers who have not utilized  the quota.  
 
III. Licenses are allocated to importers regardless of whether they are producers of like products. 
Guidelines determine that , in some cases , importers that do not utilize the licenses issued to 
them cannot submit requests for licenses for these products in the second part of the year or  
in the following year. Unutilized allocations are not added to quotas for the next year. The list 
of importers to whom licenses have been allocated is published on the website of the relevant 
Ministries.  
 
IV. In the first  type of quota licenses allocation , from the time of announcing the opening of 
quotas, an average period of two weeks is allowed for the submission of applications for 
licenses.  In the second  type of quota licenses allocation,  the licenses are open during the year 
until the point they are fully allocated . 
 
V. Applications for licenses under preferential and WTO quotas are normally processed within 
two to six weeks.  Some applications are processed within a shorter time frame.  
 
VI. Import licenses are granted on the date of opening of the period of importation. I f necessary, 
the licenses are  usually  extended for another period of time.  
 
VII. In most cases, licenses applications are considered by one administrative organ. The specific 
organs which must be approached, relevant to the product, are specified in Schedu les 1 and 
2 of the Free Import Order of 2014 and Personal Import Order of 2019.  
 
VIII.  Allocation is generally determined according to demand and size of quotas. Specific methods 
of allocation are determined according to size of the quotas and number of a pplicants. 
The methods used include mainly past performance and FCFS. For a very small number of 
highly demanded products, a competitive tender (auction) method is used in which the bidders 
compete on the price for the consumer and the bidder s that propose d the lowest price s are G/LIC/N/3/ISR/7  
 
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  granted the license to import under the quota. In addition, the lottery system still exists but 
is rarely used.   
 
IX.  There are no such arrangements.  
 
X.  Non applicable.  
 
XI.  There are no such arrangements.  
 
7.(a) There is no requirement for a certain period of time between the application for a license and 
the importation of the goods. Licenses can be obtained for goods arriving at the port without 
a license.   
(b) Under certa in circumstances, a license can be granted immediately on request.  
(c) There are no limitations as to the period of the year during which application for license and/or 
importation may be made.  
(d) In most cases, licenses applications are considered by on e administrative organ. The specific 
organs which must be approached, relevant to the product, are specified in Schedules 1 and 
2 of the Free Import Order of 2014 and in the Schedules of Personal Import Order of 2019.   
 
8. None. The reasons for any refusal  are given to the applicant in writing. In the event of refusal to 
issue a license, in some cases the applicant may first apply to the relevant authority which issues 
the license  and in later stage has a right of appeal by petitioning to an administrative court.   
 
Eligibility of importers to apply for license  
 
9. For quota licenses allocation  any local firm is eligible to apply for licenses , and for other types of 
import licenses, any person or firm are eligible to apply for licenses . In some specific areas, there is 
a registration fee and there are published lists of authorized importers.  
 
Documentation and other requirements for application for license  
 
10. Two sample application forms are attached, one for an Import License under the Free Im port 
Order of 2014, and another for an Import license under the Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions 
and Tax Order of 2017, Schedules 3 -10 and 13 for quotas management purposes. There are no 
standard documents that apply for all products.  
 
11. Upon actual importation, an importer is required to submit the import license.  
 
12. For most goods there are only standardization tests  that in some cases may incur an 
administrative charge . In addition , there is a licensing fee or administrative charge in some  other  
specific areas, the amount of the various fees relies on the nature of the goods.  
 
13. No. 
 
Conditions of licensing  
 
14. For import licenses under the Free Import Order of 2014: The validity of the licenses  usually 
varies  between one-five years according to the nature of the goods. The extension of a license may 
be considered if the applicant so requests.  
 
For import licenses under the Israeli Customs Tariff and Exemptions and Tax Order of 2017, 
Schedules 3­10 and 13 for quotas management purposes: there are two periods in which licenses 
are issued; at the beginning of the year (January) and the middle of the year (June -July). For the 
vast majority of the goods, licenses are granted for up to 12 months, from 1  January to 
31 December.  
There is a group of products under the quota system that is characterized by low demand. For  that 
group the licenses are allocated on a first come first serve basis throughout the year  and for a period 
of three months . For these licenses the validity may be exte nded, upon request by the importer.  
 G/LIC/N/3/ISR/7  
 
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  15. There is no  penalty for the non­utilization of a license or a portion of it. Nevertheless, for licenses 
for the purpose of quota allocations, usually  an importer who did not utilize a license may not apply 
for the reserves nor for the following year.  
 
16. Licenses are not transferable between importers, unless otherwise stated in the license.  
 
17. In some products there is an additional requirement for compliance with other conditions, usually 
for reasons of protecting human lives and health, and safety.  
 
Other procedural requirements  
 
18. There  are no other administrative procedures, apart from import licensing, required prior to 
importation.  
 
19. There are no foreign exchange limitations in Israel.  
 
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