You may think that living in Israel means having to give up on international shopping. If you thought that — then, well, you would be wrong.
Israelis are among the world’s most enthusiastic adopters of ecommerce on a per capita basis. In fact, Israelis like ordering online so much that the country’s postal network had to invest in a major new sorting center just to handle the deluge of packages from Asia.
There are Israeli websites to buy from. We’ll cover those in another article. But for now here are some websites that you already be familiar with — if not, you soon may — that offer shipping to Israel.
Don’t forget to check VAT, customs, and any other potentially applicable charges before ordering.
Amazon
Yes, the international ecommerce giant ships to Israel. In fact, for a while Amazon was offering an incredible free shipping deal to Israel.
Most products that ship to Israel can be purchased from Amazon’s American website (Amazon.com). However, there are other Amazon marketplaces that ship some products to Israel, although logistics can vary by season:
- Amazon.co.uk (UK)
- Amazon.it (Italy)
- Amazon.de (Germany)
Ships: Lots of things!
Price: Varies by order.
Book Depository
Amazon-owned Book Depository offers free worldwide shipping including to Israel and has thus carved out a name for itself as the go-to website for English-speakers living in Israel looking to buy books in English.
Book Depository has a wide library of titles available for sale. Shipping times to Israel can be spotty, however, with some orders arriving promptly but others getting caught in the mail for long periods.
Ships: Books
Price: Free international shipping
iHerb
While Israel’s healthcare is generally extremely affordable, ironically over the counter (OTC) and alternative health remedies are often the exception to the rule.
Vitamins, minerals, and supplements can all cost significantly more in Israel than overseas. iHerb has capitalized on Israelis’ interest in wellness and natural remedies by shipping inventory to Israel.
At the time of writing, several shipping methods are running to Israel including BoxIt and DHL.
Ships: Supplements and alternative health products
Cost: Free above certain order values. DHL and BoxIt prices vary.
Aliexpress
If you’re into cheap merchandise from China, then Aliexpress may be your idea of an online shopping paradise.
Aliexpress has an eclectic product selection and a lot of it ships for free to Israel.
Depending on the logistics method used, transit times can be lengthy and untracked.
Ships: Lots of things
Prices: From free (untracked) to paid logistics options
Ebay
If you’re looking for merchandise that ships internationally to Israel, then Aliexpress isn’t the only game in town.
eBay also offers free international shipping on many items that will ship to Israel. Compared to Aliexpress, eBay sellers are located more internationally, although there are also lots of sellers located in Asia on the platform.
Ships: Lots of things
Prices: Variable; depends upon seller
Marks And Spencer
British supermarket, household, and clothing company Marks and Spencer has an online store that will ship products to Israel.
At the time of writing, there were shipping options for standard delivery, free delivery, and free delivery to a collection point on orders above 200 NIS. Note: these options may change and this information may already be outdated by the time you read it.
Asos
Another option if you’re looking to ship footwear and clothing to Israel is ASOS.
ASOS is a British online fashion and cosmetic retailer and ships a variety of clothes and other products to Israel.
Article ID: 793
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Daniel Rosehill is an oleh hadash who moved to Jerusalem from Ireland six years ago. Daniel founded AfterAliyah to host information useful to the post-aliyah community. To contact Daniel,click here.
