Middle East
Container Shipping from the UK to Israel
Haifa and Ashdod cover the north and centre, with short inland distances to Tel Aviv and the main commercial belt.
Container shipping from the UK to Israel runs full container load to Haifa (ILHFA) and Ashdod (ILASH). There is no scheduled less than container load service to Israel at present. Sea transit is 14–18 days port to port and air freight 1–2 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Israel are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Israel
Full container load and groupage both go to Haifa and Ashdod. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Haifa or Ashdod
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Felixstowe.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to Israel at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say which option is genuinely cheaper.
Get a price for Israel
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Israel are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £1,380.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £2,180.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £74.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to Israel?
Machinery and precision equipment, medical devices and laboratory instruments, electronics, automotive components and general retail stock move through Haifa and Ashdod.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Israel?
Israel charges VAT at a standard rate of 18%, charged on the customs value plus duty plus other levies. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0% under the UK–Israel trade agreement on qualifying goods, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
The UK–Israel trade continuity agreement preserves preferential access for qualifying UK-origin goods against an origin declaration, so duty is often nil and VAT at 18% is the main cost. Standards are the usual obstacle rather than tariffs: the Standards Institution of Israel requires approval for a defined list of products, and testing on arrival is slower and more expensive than certifying beforehand.
What are the import restrictions in Israel?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Israel?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
Shipping to Israel: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Israel take?
Sea freight runs about 14–18 days port to port, and air freight 1–2 days airport to airport. Haifa is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 14 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Israel?
We move cargo through 2 ports in Israel: Haifa (ILHFA), Ashdod (ILASH). Full container load goes to Haifa and Ashdod. We have no scheduled groupage service to Israel at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Israel?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Israel — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Israel lane?
Both ports are well connected to the centre of the country, so the choice between them rarely changes the door cost much. Availability on a given sailing is usually the deciding factor. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes machinery and precision equipment, electronic and laboratory instruments, chemicals and specialty materials.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Israel — each one works as an origin or a destination.
United Arab Emirates
Import & export · Jebel Ali
LCL from
£78.00
per cubic metre
16+ days
View lane
Saudi Arabia
Import & export · Jeddah Islamic Port
LCL from
£82.00
per cubic metre
18+ days
View lane
Qatar
Import & export · Hamad Port
LCL from
£80.00
per cubic metre
18+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping to Israel? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.