Importing Electronics from China to Israel: Approvals and Standards

Does a Wi-Fi tablet need Ministry of Communications approval?

On the regulation text we read, no. The Wireless Telegraph (Exemption from Licensing) Regulations, 2021, which the Ministry of Communications publishes on its legal-information page, list "tablet computer" among the device types to which the licensing provisions do not apply. An ordinary Wi-Fi tablet bought in commercial quantities therefore needs no conformity approval filed by the importer. If a guide tells you that every Wi-Fi device needs approval, check its date: the rules were rewritten in 2021 and amended since.

How does conformity approval work for products that are not exempt?

Wireless products outside the exemption list may be imported commercially only with a conformity approval (אישור התאמה) from the Ministry. The track depends on how many units you import and whether you will repeat the import.

Applications are filed online, with a smart card or through a customs broker holding a power of attorney on the Ministry's form. The service page warns that handling times have lengthened, so treat the stated times as targets.

Once approved, the holder must mark the outer packaging with the approval number (or the importer's company or ID number), a warning against changing the radio properties, and an indoor-only warning where relevant, and keep the invoice or bill of lading of each shipment for three years.

Which documents does the importer need from the Chinese side?

Collect these before you place the order; a factory that cannot produce them now is unlikely to produce them later.

• The manufacturer's technical specification, naming the model and manufacturer and listing every radio frequency band and transmit power.
• An EU declaration of conformity that names the Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU) and the radio standards, for product types the regulations treat as EU-compatible. For one-time commercial imports, a matching specification page from the FCC website is also accepted.
• A test report from a laboratory in Israel or one accredited by an ILAC member body, issued within the last five years, with the lab's accreditation certificate and scope. A Ministry notice of 5 February 2026 says a certificate may carry the ILAC logo or link to the accreditation body's certificate.
• An invoice that names the model, the manufacturer, the importer and the quantity.
• If the factory changed the device for Israel, for example by removing frequency bands: the Ministry's import declaration signed by the manufacturer, a new model name (an IL suffix is common) shown on the product and the invoices, and the radio data as it will operate in Israel.
• Identical manufacturer and model names in every document.

Which Israeli safety and standards rules apply to electronic products?

Radio status is only one gate. The Standards Commissioner at the Ministry of Economy requires imported goods that fall under an official standard to meet it. The Ministry's official-standards search lists SI 62368 part 1, the safety standard for audio/video, information and communication technology equipment (December 2024 edition, in force since 20 January 2025).

Official standards are sorted into four import groups by risk. For SI 62368 part 1 the search shows group 3 for most equipment, group 2 for external power supplies and IT power supplies up to 3,000 W imported separately from the finished product, and group 4 for power supplies above 3,000 W. On that wording a tablet with its own charger in the box looks like group 3 and a charger imported on its own like group 2. Confirm the classification for your customs item with a customs broker.

• Product file per model. The Commissioner's guidelines (edition of 1 January 2025) list the importer's declaration, product details with country of origin and manufacturer contacts, how the goods are distributed, photographs of the product and its label as sold in Israel, the invoice, the bill of lading and the import declaration.
• Test evidence. On the international-standard route, a certificate and report from an ILAC-accredited lab or the Standards Institution. A lab that is not ILAC-accredited can be replaced by a CB Scheme certificate or an EU notified-body certificate.
• Group 3 certificate retention. The Ministry says importers on the Israeli or international-standard route need not keep test certificates for group 3 goods. The rule began as a temporary provision in 2024, and a July 2026 amendment would make it standing. Check its status on the import date; keeping the manufacturer's evidence is sensible either way.

Other rules can sit on top, such as consumer-protection marking orders. Energy rules cover about 20 listed product types: the Ministry of Energy's table lists "computer" (standby-power requirement, no energy approval to present) and "computer monitor" (approval required) but does not name tablets, so ask the Ministry of Energy's standards unit (details on its contact page). The Standards Institution runs a desk for electronics importers (details on the Standards Institution's importers page).

Two reforms are changing the routes: "What is good for Europe" (phased in since 1 January 2025, with a stage on 1 July 2026) and "What is good for the USA" (approved by the Knesset on 17 July 2026). Read the Ministry's importer information before choosing a route.

What do battery rules mean for a tablet shipment?

Israel treats the lithium battery as a product in its own right. The Ministry of Economy's search lists SI 62133 part 2 (safety of portable sealed lithium cells and batteries for portable applications) as an official standard: import group 3 for ordinary portable batteries and group 2 for batteries for e-bikes, scooters and vehicle boosters. Ask the Standards Institution whether a battery built into a tablet needs its own report as well.

Transport is a separate question. IATA's 2026 battery guidance, which is guidance and not a source of compliance, says every lithium cell and battery type must have passed the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria sub-section 38.3 tests. Manufacturers and later distributors must make the test summary available, and a web link or QR code is acceptable. Lithium-ion batteries inside equipment, or packed with it, travel as UN 3481; stand-alone lithium-ion batteries (UN 3480) must be offered at no more than 30% state of charge.

In practice, ask the factory for the UN 38.3 summary for the exact battery, give the forwarder the battery type and watt-hour rating before booking, and ask what paperwork the carrier needs. Sea freight has its own rules, not covered here.

How do customs and VAT work for the importer?

VAT on imported goods has been 18% since 1 January 2025; the Tax Authority's interpretation instruction 01/2025 records the rise from 17%. Customs duty and any other import tax depend on the tariff classification of each item, which your customs broker assigns. We quote no duty rate, because a rate not tied to the exact customs item would mislead.

The importer is responsible for the approvals; the Ministry's procedure for forwarders says responsibility lies with the purchaser and sometimes the forwarder, if it offers the service and holds a power of attorney. The customs broker files the import declaration.

What should you ask a Chinese supplier or sourcing partner?

• What is the exact model name and revision, and do all documents carry exactly that name?
• Which radios are fitted (Wi-Fi bands, Bluetooth, NFC, satellite positioning, cellular) and which are disabled?
• Is there a SIM slot or modem? A SIM turns a tablet into cellular terminal equipment.
• Which accessories have their own radio or induction function?
• Can you supply the EU declaration naming the Radio Equipment Directive and the test reports behind it, with the lab's ILAC accreditation number and scope?
• Will you sign the Ministry's import declaration if the device is changed for Israel, and give that variant its own model name?
• Can you provide the UN 38.3 test summary for this exact battery and the charger's safety report?
• Can I see a sample with the box, charger, label and manual exactly as they will ship?

Which mistakes cost importers time?

• Relying on an old guide: the radio exemptions were rewritten in 2021 and amended since.
• Assuming a SIM-free brochure means a SIM-free unit: confirm the unit has no modem.
• Ordering before classification: the broker's customs item decides the import group.
• Treating one report as covering a sibling model with a different radio or battery.

Frequently asked questions

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