Moving to Israel from the USA
*Updated October 2025
At SDC International Shipping, we’re ready to get you home to Israel—whether you’re making Aliyah, returning after years in the U.S., or relocating on a B/1 work visa. We specialize in door-to-door moves from any U.S. state to every major city in Israel, coordinating packing, ocean or air transport, customs, insurance, and final delivery so your transition is predictable and stress-free.
For more than a decade, our U.S. and Israel teams have moved households of every size—from studio apartments to full family homes—into the Startup Nation. We tailor routing and timing to your visa status and arrival date, and we proactively manage documentation so your shipment clears quickly when it lands. Our goal in 2025 is the same as ever: precise planning, transparent pricing, and reliable delivery windows.
Try out a quote to see options and pricing for your specific lane.
We’re a California-Headquartered International Mover
Moving from California—Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area—or from Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, or anywhere else, SDC delivers a single seamless experience from origin to your new home in Israel. We plan your packing date, secure your container or airfreight, file export paperwork, pre-alert our Israel broker, and schedule destination delivery with elevator, shuttle, and access considerations already in hand. Your coordinator remains your one point of contact from survey through unpacking.
Pack the Right Way for Israel’s Climate and Clearance
Professional export packing matters. Israel’s routes include long sea legs and summer heat. We wrap and pad furniture, moisture-barrier wrap delicate finishes, and crate items like glass tops, marble, fine art, and pianos to ISPM-15 standards. Custom cartons and reinforced corners protect books, collections, and electronics; room-by-room labels and a numbered inventory speed Customs and help us place each box exactly where you want it at delivery.
Eligibility & Duty Relief by Status (2025)
Olim (new immigrants): If you’re recognized as an Oleh by the Israeli authorities, many used household goods qualify for relief from customs duty and purchase tax, subject to timelines, quantity limits, and personal use. Brand-new retail goods are more likely to be taxed. Bring invoices only for items that truly are new.
Returning residents: Returnees who meet the residency and time-abroad thresholds can receive benefits on used personal effects. Requirements vary by length of time abroad and return category, and the benefit window is time-limited. We’ll help you align sailing and arrival to fit your eligibility period.
Foreign workers & diplomats: B/1 workers typically import personal effects under standard rules with duty relief focused on used items for personal use; diplomats follow mission protocols. Either way, advance document review prevents avoidable delays.
What You Can & Can’t Ship in 2025
Good candidates: Used furniture, clothing, books, household electronics in reasonable quantities, kids’ items, bikes, and hobby gear. Clean outdoor gear (no soil) and clearly personal items pass scrutiny more easily. If you own musical instruments or studio gear, we’ll crate and manifest them properly.
Think twice: Multiples of the same item (e.g., several new TVs), high volumes of unopened retail goods, alcohol and tobacco (excisable), large quantities of supplements or cosmetics, drones without compliance paperwork, and certain wireless/communications devices. You’ll still be able to ship many of these, but we’ll advise on documentation and any taxes so you can make informed choices.
Restricted & prohibited: Weapons and ammunition, hazardous materials, pressurized cylinders, and counterfeit products are not admissible. If you’re unsure about a specific item, ask us before packing—we’ll clear it with our Israel broker and provide written guidance.
Moving Household Goods: 2025 Clearance Essentials
Inventory quality is everything. A precise, numbered inventory that matches labels on your boxes saves days at the port. We prepare a valued inventory that separates used personal effects from any new items with invoices, and we pre-flag anything that may need inspection.
Presence & timing. Plan to be in Israel—or legally represented—when your shipment arrives. We’ll target vessel schedules so your container lands within your permitted benefit window and around your actual move-in date. If your home isn’t ready, we can hold at bonded or domestic storage and deliver in stages.
Vehicles: What’s Realistic in 2025
Importing a private vehicle into Israel is tightly regulated and often expensive. Right-hand-drive cars are not permitted; vehicles must be left-hand drive and conform to Israeli standards. Most private imports face substantial taxes (purchase tax that can approach ~83% before “green” offsets, plus 17% VAT and port/handling fees). Some Olim and qualifying returning residents may receive partial relief subject to strict criteria, prior ownership, and timelines.
Because rules and tax formulas change and model-specific restrictions exist (safety tech, emissions, age), talk to us before you decide to ship. In many cases, selling in the U.S. and purchasing locally is more economical. Where a personal import makes sense, we arrange standards checks and pre-clearance to avoid surprises.
Sea vs. Air: Picking the Right Mode
For full homes, ocean is the value leader. Full Container Load (FCL) reduces handling and usually delivers the most predictable schedule from U.S. coasts to Israel. For smaller moves, LCL (shared container) keeps costs down but adds consolidation time. Airfreight is best for essentials and work-critical items; many families send an air “starter” followed by an ocean container. We’ll model both approaches in your quote so you can balance speed and spend.
Where Your Container Lands (and Why It Matters)
Most U.S.–Israel household shipments route to Ashdod and Haifa. Ashdod efficiently serves the center and south (Tel Aviv–Yafo, Rishon LeZion, Ashdod, Beersheba), while Haifa is ideal for the north and Galilee. We’ll select the gateway that minimizes inland trucking and improves release times. After port clearance, we coordinate delivery windows that respect building rules, security desks, lift reservations, and quiet hours common in Israeli buildings.
How Long Shipping Takes in 2025
Door-to-door planning ranges: FCL commonly runs about 6–8 weeks from many U.S. origins; LCL adds roughly a week on each end (about 7–10 weeks). Air consignments typically arrive and clear in 8–14 days. Jewish High Holidays, Passover, port congestion, and weather can extend timelines; we’ll give you a lane-specific ETA when we quote and keep you updated as vessels cut or add calls.
Costs in Plain Language
International pricing reflects shipment size (cubic meters for ocean, chargeable weight for air), service level (door-to-door vs. door-to-port), access at both ends, and government/terminal charges passed through at cost. Lifts, long carries, shuttles, and special handling for fragile items influence the local portion. If you’re comparing quotes, look for a clear breakdown of ocean base rate, origin/destination terminal and handling charges, customs brokerage, and accessorials, plus any storage or demurrage risk windows. We’ll spell out every component so you can decide what to self-handle versus outsource.
Insurance That Matches Real-World Risk
International shipments cross oceans, terminals, and trucks. We recommend all-risk coverage on your declared values to protect against rare but real hazards—from rough seas to incidental water ingress. Our team will explain valuation methods, documentation, and exclusions so your policy mirrors what you actually own. Learn more about international moving insurance.
Timeline Planner: From Survey to Delivery
6–10 weeks before packing: Book your survey, choose sea or air (or hybrid), confirm status documents (Teudat Oleh, returning-resident proofs, B/1 contract). If you’re shipping a vehicle, request standards guidance now. We’ll reserve space on an optimal sailing rather than the next available at any price.
3–5 weeks before packing: Finalize inventory decisions (what to ship vs. buy in Israel), lock in insurance values, and confirm building access and elevator reservations on both ends. We prepare export docs and the destination broker file.
Packing week: Our team completes export packing, creates the numbered inventory, and loads to container or to consolidation for LCL/air. You get a copy of labels, the inventory, and tracking details.
In transit: We send milestone updates (vessel departure, transships, arrival notice) and confirm your landing window lines up with your presence and benefit timing.
Arrival in Israel: We clear Customs, schedule delivery, and execute any shuttles or hoists. We place boxes by room per labels, reassemble standard furniture, and remove packing debris so you can settle in.
After You Land: Practical Setup Tips (2025)
Plan to register residency and health coverage promptly and to open local banking if you’ll be paid in shekels. Many neighborhoods observe quiet hours and have preferred delivery windows; we’ll coordinate with your building committee or management company in Hebrew so your delivery fits local norms. Mobile plans, fiber internet, and utilities can often be scheduled online—share your installation dates, and we’ll adjust your delivery so you’re not juggling technicians and movers on the same day.
A Few Helpful Notes for Americans (Updated 2025)
U.S. citizens visiting Israel generally receive a visa-free stay of up to 90 days on arrival. The standard workweek runs Sunday–Thursday, with Shabbat from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Services and shop hours vary widely by city; Tel Aviv is lively on weekends while many areas observe fuller Shabbat closure. We’ll time your delivery around your key dates so you’re not handling paperwork and movers at once.
Common Destinations We Serve
We regularly deliver to Tel Aviv–Yafo, Jerusalem, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, Ashdod, Netanya, Holon, Petah Tikva, Beersheba, and beyond. No elevator? Narrow streets in Nachlaot or the Old North? We survey access in advance and plan shuttle trucks or hoists where needed.
Move to Israel with SDC
What our customers say: “I hold SDC in high esteem. They did an excellent job packing our stuff and sending it to Israel. The price was very fair.” — Limor M.
“We moved to Rishon LeZion and needed a mover urgently. The packing crew was friendly and professional. Our three-bedroom apartment shipped with no accidents. We are very thankful.” — Jacob K.
Get your custom quote and we’ll confirm the right port, schedule, paperwork, and packing plan for your move to Israel.
