israeli-aliyah-customs-shipment-planner

name	israeli-aliyah-customs-shipment-planner
description	Plan the 3-shipment customs exemption for new olim (zchuyot olim): classify belongings as exempt or over-limit, flag the 3-TV / 3-computer / 5-phone / 25%-carpet / one-of-each-appliance caps, split inventory across shipment 1/2/3 within the 3-year window, and draft customs declarations. Use when user asks about olim shipping rights, teudat oleh customs benefits, meches olim, lift shipping plan, how many TVs can I bring, or how to split my aliyah shipment. Do NOT use for general aliyah absorption (sal klita, ulpan, Misrad HaKlita) - use israeli-aliyah-navigator instead.
license	MIT
compatibility	Works with Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, OpenCode, Codex, Antigravity, Gemini CLI. Python 3.8+ for the planning script.

Israeli Aliyah Customs Shipment Planner

Problem

New olim (immigrants) to Israel are entitled to three duty-free shipments of household goods within three years of aliyah, but the rules are riddled with per-family caps (TVs, computers, cell phones, appliances, carpeting) and a six-year retention rule that blocks resale. Most olim pack by emotion, then discover at the port that a third computer or a fourth appliance triggers full duty plus VAT plus purchase tax. This skill plans the split across three shipments, flags over-limit items before packing, and drafts a clean declaration per shipment.

Instructions

Step 1: Collect Aliyah Profile

Ask the user for the following before planning anything:

Field	Why it matters
Aliyah date (teudat oleh issue date)	Starts the 3-year exemption window
Immigrant status	Oleh Chadash vs Toshav Chozer - returning residents have limited benefits only
Household size	Caps are per family, not per person
Planned home area in Israel (sqm)	Carpet exemption depends on it AND on whether the oleh owns or rents the home
Does the oleh own or rent the Israeli home?	Owners and renters get different carpet allowances (see Step 2)
Is the spouse a non-oleh?	If so, only the oleh's separate-luggage allowance applies (the per-family caps in Step 2 don't shrink, but the non-oleh spouse can't add to them)
Full-time military service or study abroad?	May extend the 3-year window (see Step 3 for the +1yr study / IDF-pause rules)
Country-specific rights package (Africa, FSU, Western)	Mention only if the user asks; the entitlement "package" concept is documented at Misrad HaAliyah, but the script does not branch on country, so route detail-seekers to the local Misrad HaAliyah branch or a customs broker.

If the user is a Toshav Chozer, route them to Misrad HaKlita Returning Resident desk and note that entitlement is reduced - do not plan their shipment as if they are an Oleh Chadash. One nuance: a Toshav Chozer Vatik (a returning resident who was abroad 6 or more years) may qualify for oleh-like privileges on items such as TVs and computers. Confirm the exact tier at Misrad HaKlita before planning.

Step 2: Classify Every Item

For each item on the user's packing list, tag it as one of:

Tag	Meaning	Action
exempt	Household item within per-family cap	Include in a shipment
over-limit	Item count exceeds cap (e.g., 4th TV, 2nd fridge)	Duty + VAT + purchase tax applies; recommend sell/gift before aliyah
non-household	Office equipment, machinery, commercial goods	Not covered by exemption; clear as ordinary import
restricted	Firearms, plants, certain medications, drones, food	Separate permit path - outside this skill
vehicle	Car, motorcycle, ATV	Separate vehicle benefit (3-year window, Passport-to-Passport or new car) - outside this shipment plan

Per-family caps to enforce during classification. Belong (toshav chozer rights basket + shipping-importation pages) and Nefesh B'Nefesh agree on the headline numbers, so the table below is treated as confirmed. For unusual items or edge cases still consult a licensed customs broker (amil meches) before packing:

Category	Cap per family
Televisions	Up to 3 (Belong + Nefesh B'Nefesh).
Personal computers	Up to 3 (Belong). Earlier broker reporting suggested the 3rd is sometimes taxed; the 2024 Belong guidance confirms 3 as the per-family duty-free count. If a broker on the day pushes back, escalate via Meches.
Cell phones	Nefesh B'Nefesh lists up to 5 per family. "5 phones" is also a Ministry of Communications import-approval threshold, which is a separate concept from a customs duty-free cap. Verify with a broker if the family is bringing >5.
Carpeting	NBN publishes "up to 25% of the area of the Oleh's home in Israel" as the headline cap. Broker practice often quotes a more detailed tenure-aware split (owners get a higher wall-to-wall allowance, renters a flat ~30 sqm), but those finer numbers are not on the NBN page; confirm with a licensed customs broker before relying on them.
Appliances / electronic equipment (fridge, oven, washing machine, dryer, microwave, etc.)	One of each type, for household use only (Belong: "1 item per category" for other appliances and major furniture). Air conditioners, fans, and heaters are allowed relative to the number of rooms in the new home.
Professional hand tools	Total value cap of USD 1,650 (Belong, as of 2024). Must be portable and for the oleh's professional use, not commercial resale.
Business machinery / equipment (on-premises business assets)	Total value cap of USD 36,000 (Belong). The hand-tools USD 1,650 sub-cap counts inside this overall ceiling.
Personal effects (books, clothing, linens, kitchen utensils, decorations)	No fixed cap, but must be genuinely personal-use household items. The boundary against "appliance" matters: anything with a motor or heating element that a customs official would read as an appliance falls under the one-of-each rule, not the unlimited personal-effects rule. When in doubt, classify as an appliance.
Furniture	Household use, "1 item per category" for major furniture pieces (Belong).

The oleh must physically present the teudat oleh (plus teudat zehut with the sefach addendum) with the exemption request form at customs clearance. Customs verifies that oleh benefits are still active before releasing the shipment.

Hand-luggage allowance on the aliyah flight itself. Distinct from the 3-shipment exemption, an oleh entering Israel on the aliyah flight is allowed to bring the following in personal/hand luggage without using a shipment slot:

Category	Per-person cap	Notes
Clothing and toiletries	Under USD 200 value per person	Practical day-to-day items. Excess value routed through the Red Customs lane.
Gifts / items for personal use	Up to USD 200 per entrant	Belong-confirmed sub-cap on top of the general clothing/toiletries allowance.
Perfume	Up to 250 ml (1/4 liter) per person	Belong-confirmed; anything beyond 250 ml goes through Red Customs.
Alcohol (age 18+)	1 litre spirits + 2 litres wine	Combined cap per adult passenger
Tobacco (age 18+)	250 grams OR 200 cigarettes	Either form, not both

These hand-luggage caps are the same as for any incoming traveler and do NOT consume any of the 3 oleh shipment slots. They also do NOT extend the per-family caps in the table above. Anything over the hand-luggage caps must be declared via the Red Customs lane on arrival.

Postal clothing window (separate from the 3 shipments and from hand luggage). Postal shipments of clothing to the oleh's address can be sent within a defined window without consuming a shipment slot: 30 days before entry, on the day of entry as accompanying luggage, or within 3 months after entry. Beyond that window the package counts as part of a regular shipment slot or is duty-billed.

Pet (dog or cat) import sub-process. Bringing a pet on aliyah is a separate Veterinary Services track, NOT a shipment slot. Belong-confirmed requirements: minimum age 4 months at entry, rabies vaccination administered within 12 months before entry AND at least 1 month before entry, and a rabies antibody titer of at least 0.5 IU/ml from an approved laboratory. Approved entry ports for pets are Ben Gurion, Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat. Dangerous-breed lists and quarantine rules apply on top; route the user to the Israeli Veterinary Services page at gov.il for the current breed list and lab list.

Run scripts/plan_shipments.py to do this classification automatically from a JSON inventory.

Step 3: Propose a 3-Shipment Split

Rule of thumb for splitting within the 3-year window:

1. Shipment 1 (arrival): essentials only. Beds, a basic kitchen, enough clothes for a few months, one laptop, one TV. Ship 4-8 weeks before arrival if sea, 1-2 weeks if air.
2. Shipment 2 (3-9 months after aliyah): the bulk lift. Remaining furniture, appliances (one of each), books, kitchenware, second computer/TV if the family needs it.
3. Shipment 3 (reserve, up to 36 months after aliyah): whatever the family realized they need later - extra appliance on the cap, seasonal items, replacement furniture for Israel-sized apartments.

Container math: if shipment 2 does not fit in one 40-foot container it will count as 2 shipments (consuming shipment 3) unless both containers come on the same ship and are cleared together at the same customs appointment. Flag this in the plan.

Extending the 3-year window. The 3-year customs eligibility clock can extend for two named reasons:

• IDF service: the clock pauses during the period of active duty (military service time does not count against the 3 years).
• Full-time study: adds +1 year to the eligibility window from the end of studies. Maximum study period considered for this extension is 5 years (longer for medicine and law).

In practice this means a maximum eligibility ceiling of approximately 5 years from the aliyah date (3 base + study extension). Document the extension grounds in writing and submit to Meches before the original 3-year window expires; verify the current extension procedure with a customs broker.

Step 4: Draft the Per-Shipment Customs Declaration

For each shipment, produce:

• Shipment number (1 / 2 / 3)
• Expected arrival port (Haifa, Ashdod, Ben Gurion air cargo)
• Freight mode (air, sea LCL, sea FCL 20-foot, sea FCL 40-foot)
• Inventory list grouped by category (furniture, appliances, electronics, personal)
• Declared value per line (insurance / customs valuation)
• Flag column: exempt / over-limit / non-household
• Totals: total items, over-limit count, estimated duty exposure on over-limit items

Do NOT fabricate specific NIS amounts for duty or purchase tax on over-limit items - rates are set by Tariff (Taarif HaMeches) and change. Tell the user to get a pre-clearance quote from a licensed customs broker (amil meches) for any over-limit item worth more than a few hundred shekels.

Step 5: Advise on Timing and the 6-Year Hold

Remind the user of the retention rule: anything imported duty-free under aliyah rights must stay in their possession for at least 6 years from the date of import, or depreciated tax must be paid back to Meches. Cars must be kept 4 years. Plan around it:

• Do not import items you plan to resell within 6 years (e.g., "I will flip this fridge when I upgrade in 2 years").
• Do not use the exemption on gifts for relatives who live outside your household.
• Items that were already used abroad do depreciate in the retention formula, but you still owe something if you sell early - escalate to a customs broker for specifics.

Step 6: Write the Checklist Back to the User

Output a clean 3-column table: shipment number, items, flags. Include a short list of next actions: (a) confirm Misrad HaKlita file is open, (b) choose a customs broker (amil meches) or self-clear, (c) get insurance valuations, (d) book freight, (e) pre-inspect anything flagged over-limit.

Examples

Example 1: Single Software Engineer from the US

User: "I'm making aliyah in June, solo, from Boston. One bedroom I'll rent. I have 2 laptops, 1 desktop, 1 TV, no furniture, lots of books, espresso machine. Plan my shipments."

Actions:

1. Profile: Oleh Chadash, household size 1, renting a small home (~40 sqm), aliyah visa issued in the US, sea LCL.
2. Classify: 3 computers total (2 laptops + 1 desktop). Belong (2024) and Nefesh B'Nefesh both confirm 3 per family duty-free, so the desktop clears too. 1 TV is within the cap. Espresso machine is one appliance (OK). Books and clothes are personal effects (OK).
3. Split:
   • Shipment 1 (air, before arrival): 1 laptop, clothes, essentials. (~100 kg)
   • Shipment 2 (sea LCL, 2 months after arrival): other laptop, desktop, TV, espresso machine, books.
   • Shipment 3: reserve.
4. Declaration: 2 shipments used, 1 in reserve. All 3 computers confirmed exempt per Belong + NBN. No item flagged "verify".
5. Timing note: 6-year hold means do not sell the desktop before 2032. Bring the teudat oleh to clearance.

Result: Clean plan, one shipment kept in reserve, all electronics treated as duty-free.

Example 2: Family of 4 from France

User: "Family of 4 from Paris. 3 TVs, 4 computers (2 parents + 2 kids), fridge, 2 washing machines (one for dairy one for meat), full furniture set, renting an 80 sqm apartment in Netanya."

Actions:

1. Profile: Oleh Chadash, household size 4, renting an 80 sqm home, aliyah visa issued in France. Carpet allowance: because they rent, a flat ~30 sqm of carpeting (the 70%-wall-to-wall / 25%-area-rugs split is for owners only).
2. Classify:
   • 3 TVs = at the Belong-confirmed cap of 3. Exempt.
   • 4 computers = over the cap of 3 (Belong, NBN). 3 are duty-free; flag the 4th computer as over-limit.
   • Fridge OK (one of type).
   • 2 washing machines = over the "one of each appliance" cap. Flag the second washer as over-limit.
   • Furniture personal use, OK.
3. Recommend: leave the 4th computer with family in France, buy new in Israel (may be cheaper than paying duty + VAT + purchase tax). For the second washing machine, user may still want to pay duty for halachic reasons - escalate to customs broker for a cost quote.
4. Split:
   • Shipment 1 (air, 200 kg): clothes, bedding, kids' essentials.
   • Shipment 2 (sea FCL 40-foot): all furniture, appliances, kitchen, books, TVs, 3 of 4 computers (all duty-free), first washer. Note: must fit in one container or it becomes 2 shipments.
   • Shipment 3 (reserve, within 36 months): second washer if family decides to import it (pay duty) plus any follow-up items.
5. Declaration: flag over-limit rows clearly. Expected duty exposure: full rates on any item shipped over cap, no fixed number in this plan.

Result: Plan that avoids over-cap charges on the easy ones and forces an explicit decision on the washing machine.

Example 3: Toshav Chozer Returning After 8 Years in London

User: "I left Israel in 2018, lived in London since, now returning. Can I use the 3-shipment rule?"

Actions:

1. Profile: Toshav Chozer status - NOT full Oleh Chadash rights. Entitlement is "limited customs benefits only" per Nefesh B'Nefesh / Misrad HaKlita.
2. Do NOT plan as a full 3-shipment oleh. Instead:
   • Route user to Misrad HaKlita's Returning Resident desk to confirm eligibility and the exact item caps they qualify for (varies by years away and prior residency status).
   • Route user to a licensed customs broker (amil meches) for a goods list review.
3. Output a short advisory note, not a packing plan. Cite Kol-Zchut and Nefesh B'Nefesh rights hub.

Result: User is redirected to the correct authority instead of being handed an incorrect plan.

Bundled Resources

Scripts

• scripts/plan_shipments.py - Takes a JSON inventory (items, counts, category, declared values), family size, aliyah date, and home area. Classifies each item against per-family caps, flags over-limit, proposes a 3-shipment split, and drafts a declaration per shipment. Run: python scripts/plan_shipments.py --help

References

• references/allowed-items-list.md - Detailed list of household items categorized as exempt, over-limit triggers, or non-household. Consult when classifying unusual items.
• references/shipment-planning-strategy.md - How to sequence 3 shipments across 36 months, container math, air vs sea tradeoffs, broker vs self-clear decision.
• references/returning-residents.md - Toshav Chozer rules: how they differ from Oleh Chadash, eligibility tiers, when to route the user away from this planner.

Recommended MCP Servers

MCP Server	Purpose	Status
Kol-Zchut MCP	Look up Israeli rights pages, including the authoritative olim and returning-resident customs rights pages this skill cites	Available. Use it to pull the current Kol-Zchut customs-exemption pages so caps and eligibility tiers stay current.
Customs tariff / duty calculation	Customs tariff lookup, live duty calculation	No MCP server currently wraps the Israeli customs tariff (Taarif HaMeches) or Misrad HaKlita rights APIs. Consult the official sources in Reference Links and a licensed customs broker for duty quotes.

Gotchas

• The 3-year window starts from the date on the teudat oleh (aliyah certificate), not the day the oleh physically lands. Items arriving on day 1,096 after aliyah are already outside the window.
• "One of each appliance" is strict: a second refrigerator, a second oven, or a second washing machine is over-limit even for families with halachic reasons to own two. The exemption does not carve out dairy/meat duplicates.
• Cars are a completely separate benefit with its own 3-year clock and its own 4-year retention rule. Do not count a car against your 3 shipment slots.
• If a sea shipment exceeds one full container, it counts as 2 shipments unless both containers come on the same ship AND are cleared through customs at the same appointment. Losing the second container slot because it arrived a week late is a common and expensive mistake.
• Goods imported under aliyah rights must stay in the oleh's possession for 6 years, or depreciated tax must be paid back to Meches. Selling an "exempt" fridge after 2 years triggers a retroactive duty bill. Vehicles have a 4-year resale restriction (sell within 4 years and you repay the customs discount, see israeli-returning-resident-customs-vehicle for the vehicle-specific procedure).
• Toshav Chozer (returning resident) is a different status with limited benefits. Do NOT apply the full Oleh Chadash 3-shipment plan to a returning resident without confirming eligibility at Misrad HaKlita.
• Mixed households where one spouse is a non-oleh do not get double the per-family allowance. The cap is still "one of each appliance" for the household.

Reference Links

Source	URL	What to Check
Nefesh B'Nefesh - Customs Benefits	https://www.nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/government-services/rights-and-benefits/understanding-customs-benefits/	Current per-family caps, shipment rules, vehicle benefit summary
Nefesh B'Nefesh - Rights Hub	https://www.nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/government-services/rights-and-benefits/	Full rights index including banking, tax, license conversion
Anglo-List - Aliyah Shipping Rights	https://anglo-list.com/aliyah-shipping-rights/	6-year retention rule, practical packing guidance
Misrad HaKlita (Ministry of Aliyah and Integration)	https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_aliyah_and_integration	Teudat oleh issuance, returning resident classification
Israel Tax Authority - Meches	https://www.gov.il/en/departments/israel_tax_authority	Official customs authority, Taarif HaMeches tariff database
Kol-Zchut - All Rights	https://www.kolzchut.org.il	Community-maintained Hebrew and English rights pages
Shivat Zion - Aliyah Customs Benefits	https://shivatzion-support.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/501000348712-aliyah-customs-benefits	Plain-English overview of olim customs caps, hand-luggage allowance, and the 3-shipment window

Troubleshooting

Error: "User does not know their exact aliyah date yet"

Cause: User is planning shipments before making aliyah. Solution: Use the planned aliyah date as a proxy. Note that the 3-year clock only starts when the teudat oleh is issued, not when the plan is made. Pre-aliyah freight quotes are fine; actual exemption paperwork cannot be finalized until the teudat oleh exists.

Error: "Item count is exactly at the cap - is that allowed?"

Cause: Family has 3 TVs, 3 computers, or exactly the cap number. Solution: As of 2024, Belong (https://belong.co.il/living/shipping-importation/) and Nefesh B'Nefesh agree on the headline numbers: 3 TVs and 3 personal computers per family are duty-free. The older customs-broker guidance that flagged the 3rd computer as "verify" is superseded. Items exactly at the cap are treated as confirmed exempt. Only items OVER the cap (4th TV, 4th computer, 2nd fridge) need broker quotes. See the cap table in Step 2.

Error: "User wants to gift an exempt appliance to a relative"

Cause: Retention rule confusion. Solution: The 6-year retention rule applies to the oleh's possession. Gifting an exempt item to a relative who lives in a different household within 6 years triggers depreciated duty. Tell the user to either keep the item 6 years or pay the retroactive duty through Meches.

Error: "Second container of a sea shipment was delayed and arrived separately"

Cause: Same-ship / same-clearance rule broken. Solution: If the two containers are now cleared on different days, they count as 2 shipments, consuming the shipment 3 slot. Work with the customs broker to either hold the first container at the port until the second arrives, or accept the 2-shipment cost.

Error: "Toshav Chozer user is asking for the full 3-shipment plan"

Cause: Wrong status applied. Solution: Do NOT output the standard 3-shipment plan. Route to Misrad HaKlita Returning Resident desk. Use references/returning-residents.md.