Ministry of Communications Eases Import Rules for Home Appliances
Ministry of Communications expands import exemptions for home appliances with wireless components, cutting bureaucracy and speeding up customs clearance for importers.
Ministry of Communications expands the list of products that can be imported without prior licensing. Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi signed an amendment to the Wireless Telegraph Regulations, allowing commercial and personal import of home appliances including air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, and sound projectors without additional ministry approval.
The amendment adds 13 product categories to the exemption list, including dishwashers, tumble dryers, coffee machines, water bars, induction hobs, range hoods, and air purifiers. The primary condition for the exemption is that the products bear the CE mark, indicating compliance with relevant European standards, including wireless communication standards.
Easing Import Procedures
Until now, electrical products incorporating communication components like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth often required additional approval from the Ministry of Communications, even when meeting European standards. The procedure involved submitting applications, technical specifications, laboratory reports, and sometimes renewing approvals every two years. The amendment allows importers to bypass this process and clear customs without a separate communication approval.
Additional relief applies to the personal import of car multimedia systems and CarPlay screen mirroring devices. Consumers will be able to import up to five units per shipment without licensing or CE marking requirements. However, commercial imports of these items will still require conformity approval from the Ministry of Communications.
Impact on Importers and Consumers
The Ministry of Communications estimates that the facilitations will shorten customs clearance times and reduce costs for official and parallel importers alike, though quantitative estimates on consumer price impacts were not provided at this stage.
This move follows previous reliefs promoted by the ministry over the past two years regarding security cameras, baby monitors, and game consoles. According to ministry data, the number of parcels requiring handling and inspection dropped from approximately 125,000 in 2024 to about 60,000 in 2025, a decrease of about 52%.
