Clearance of imported products – Ministry of Agriculture – plants and plant products:
Plants and plant products, lawns, wood, agricultural tools and other items are imported in accordance with the “Internal regulations of plant protection (importing plants, plant products, pets and other materials subject to the regulations). These internal regulations apply to commercial imports as well as portable luggage for both personal and commercial use.
When the shipment arrives at the sea port, airport or border crossing point, the quarantine control staff who work throughout the country’s entry ports and land crossings conduct a phytosanitary treatment at the entry port to verify that all the products subject to the internal regulations are free of pests and meet the certification requirements of import in Israel. All imported shipments are subject to monitoring and their clearance from customs is subject to approval by the supervisor.
To avoid delays in the port, the importer must take the following measures:
- Verify, prior to the shipment order from abroad, that the goods are licensed for import in accordance with the plant prevention regulations;
- Obtain an import license when required and verify that the license is valid at the time of shipment clearance;
- Ensure that the shipment meets the requirements set out in the internal regulations and the import license (by explaining the requirements to the supplier in the country of origin);
- Verify that the shipment contains a phytosanitary certificate that meets the import requirements for each imported product, or contains a certificate of origin as prescribed in the internal regulations;
- Provide the quarantine station at the entry port with complete and organized documents that contain details about the contents of the shipment, the supplier’s account information, an original copy of the food hygiene certificate (written only in English) and the import license (if necessary);
- Set a date for meeting inspectors in the port to conduct a visual examination of the shipment.
Required clearance forms:
Plants and plant products clearance application form Ashdod / Haifa port.
Plants and plant products clearance application from the shipment and treatment station of Ben Gurion Airport.
Plants and plant products clearance application form from the Jordan River Crossing
The examination conducted by the supervisor includes the following procedures:
- Checking and verifying the required documents;
- Verifying compatibility between the documents of the shipment and the goods;
- Visual inspection of the shipment and taking samples for laboratory testing (if necessary);
No shipment will be allowed entry the country unless it meets all import requirements.
If it is found that the shipment does not meet the import requirements, the inspector may ask the importer to do one or more of the following, at his own expense:
- Dispose of the shipment by a certain time, as per instructed by the inspector;
- Sterilize the shipment within a specified period of time as per instructed by the inspector;
- Take samples for laboratory testing;
- Move the shipment to the quarantine station, as directed by the inspector. The shipment must be released from quarantine after being checked to ensure it is free of pests;
- Transport the shipment outside the country within a specified period of time and in a manner determined by the inspector.
Passengers who want to bring in plants and plant products from abroad should contact our offices in Beit Dagan to get import licenses before they leave.
Detailed list of national quarantine stations
Special testing laboratories certified by the plant prevention unit:
Currently, there are three laboratories:
- Baktkhem Laboratory Ltd.
Recognized procedures:
- Testing for pesticide residues in fresh agricultural products;
- Testing for prohibited materials in organic products and examining the soil to trace the pesticide residue in the lawns of organic cultivation;
- Defining pesticide charts in the fresh agricultural products.
- Aminolab Laboratory Ltd.
Recognized procedures:
- Testing for pesticide residues in fresh agricultural products;
- Testing prohibited materials in organic products and examining the soil to trace pesticide residues in the lawns of organic cultivation;
- Defining pesticide charts in the fresh agricultural products.
3. Meloda & Megal Laboratory
Recognized procedures:
- Testing for pesticide residues in fresh agricultural products;
- Testing prohibited materials in organic products and examining the soil to trace pesticide residues in the lawns of organic cultivation.
For more information, please contact:
Pauline Gouldschlager - Manager of laboratory residue testing, Tel: 03-9681554, Fax: 03-9681582
Merit Omrani- Senior Manager in the field of standardization and manager of certification and control rehabilitation institutions, Tel: 03-9681526, Fax: 03-9681533
Periods of laboratory testing
Below are the periods necessary to conduct tests in diagnostic laboratories:
Nematode worms – 3 work days
Insects
- Identify the insect’s status (alive/dead) – 3 work days.
- If the insect is alive, identify the situation:
- Mature insect - 7 work days;
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- Caterpillars/ Eggs – depending on the gender of the insect.
* If it is necessary to seek help from an external entity, treatment may take longer.
Snails
7 work days
* If it is necessary to seek help from an external entity, treatment may take longer.
Viruses
7 work days
* If it is necessary to seek help from an external entity, treatment may take longer.
Fungus/ bacteria – 10 work days
* If it is necessary to seek help from an external entity, treatment may take longer.
* If more time is needed to identify the situation, the importer decides if he wants to proceed with the examination or return the shipment to the country of origin.