Procedure for Clearance of Communication and Photography
Equipment by Foreign Journalists
The purpose of these procedures is to settle the clearance of communication and photography equipment imported by foreign journalists (hereinafter – "the equipment"), in a way which will allow proper supervision.
The equipment may be imported in one of the following ways:
As unaccompanied luggage
As accompanied luggage
By a journalist of an operating news agency registered in Israel.
By a free lance journalist, with no agency in Israel
Using an ATA Carnet
Equipment Imported as Unaccompanied Luggage
listed in the airplane manifest, will be released only according to a conditional exemption import entry, under the importer number of the relevant news agency, and Tariff Heading 6.6500. The agency must add to the entry a detailed list of the equipment, typed on its official stationery, which includes the value of the goods and their serial numbers.
Equipment Which Was Imported for The First Time as Accompanied Luggage by a Journalist of a foreign news agency registered in Israel
At the passenger hall of the Ben Gurion Airport, or at the Land Border Crossing, the journalist must submit a detailed list of the equipment, typed on the official stationery of the agency, that includes the value of the goods and their serial number. The list will be submitted (or photocopied) in triplicate, and will be signed by a customs official. Occasionally, random checks will be conducted to verify that the list and the goods actually imported correspond.
The list will be distributed as follows:
One copy – will be given to the customs official at the passenger hall of the Ben Gurion Airport or at the land border crossing and will be forwarded for continued monitoring.
The second and third copies will be returned to the journalist. One copy of these copies will remain at the news agency for its own follow-up purposes, and the other copy will be forwarded by the agency to their customs agent for handling. The list approved by Customs will allow entrance of the goods into Israel through the passenger hall of the Ben Gurion Airport or the land border crossing.
On the first of each month, the news agency must submit the import entry for all the goods which were imported in the previous month. The entry will be submitted by a customs agent to the customs house through which the goods were imported. The entry will be a conditional exemption entry and will be classified under Heading 6.6500 to the Annex of the Customs Tariff. These entries will be accompanied by copies of the equipment list that were imported through the same customs house, as detailed in Paragraph 1 above.
Equipment imported by a free lancer, with no agency in Israel:
The journalist must release the equipment by depositing a cash or credit card guarantee.
All agencies and journalists may release equipment using an ATA Carnet, in accordance to the accepted practice, or by depositing an appropriate guarantee.
In any case, import of communication equipment is subject to an authorization from the Ministry of Communication, especially wireless or satellite communication equipment.
Export of the Goods
When temporarily exporting the equipment abroad, the journalist must obtain from Customs a temporary export form, in order to smooth the return of the equipment to Israel at a later date.
As proof of final export of the equipment for closing the monitoring of the conditional exemption entries, an export entry will be used, as usual, or the above mentioned list, whereas the exportation is confirmed by a customs official at the passenger hall of the Ben Gurion Airport or the land border crossing.
The passenger hall at the Ben Gurion Airport or the land border crossing will receive a copy of the list at the time of exportation, will confirm that the exportation has taken place and will forward it directly to the Conditional Exemption Unit in Tel Aviv Customs House, which will close the file.
Miscellaneous
Each news agency will administrate, for its own purposes and for Customs, exact supervision and follow-up of the movement of the equipment.
When opening the conditional exemption file at the Tel Aviv Customs House, all news agencies will have to deposit a bank guarantee equal to 10% of the taxes.
For further information or clarifications journalists arriving through the Ben Gurion Customs House may contact Mrs. Tamar Avisar at the following numbers:
