The following lines contain information about conditions to fulfill in order to receive your VAT refund upon your departure from Israel.

You have to insure that all the following conditions are performed in order to make yourself entitled to the refund.

The VAT refund is given to a non Israeli citizens, which are not holding Israeli passport, and visiting the country as a tourist, with a stamped visa to show for it in the foreign passport. 

If you prefer not to have your passport stamped on your entry to Israel, please keep the form handed to you when entering Israel for inspection at the VAT refund counter.

The Value Added Tax, VAT, is included in the buying prices, and today is summed in 17 percent from the price.

In the city of Eilat the prices are exempt from VAT, except from jewelry and watches shops, where only buying over $200 including VAT can be refunded.

Most of the shopping centers and shops are open from 9 o'clock in the morning until 7 o'clock in the evening, Sunday to Thursday.
In Friday and holidays the shops are closed in the after noon.

The goods you buy should be for export from the state, and it should not be tobacco, drinks or food products.  

The things you buy in Israel should not be in a commercial quantity, which means they should be bought for personal use only.

The Israeli currency is the New Israeli Shekel, but you can buy goods in all currencies.

Another term to get VAT refund is to buy in a store which included in the VAT refund program or store that is listed by the Ministry of Tourism, and the purchase amount in one tax invoice including VAT must exceed $100.
There are three duty-free shops in Israel at Ben Gurion , Eilat and Ovda International Airports.

The V.A.T. refund is depended on a special invoice for this purpose, so be sure to ask for one once you buy the goods.

You will perform the actual request for your VAT refund at the change place counter, with is located at the Terminal 3.  If you arrive to Israel through other border points, you should look for the change place counter in order to handle the VAT refund.

The goods should be presented to the official at the change place counter, when they are packed in a closed bag along with the special invoice for VAT refund. This term is relevant to the goods in your baggage and in your hand luggage. 

When the form of the request for the VAT refund is stamped you can continue in the check in procedure.

There are items that should not be taken out of Israel without a written approval, antiques, which are defined as items that are 1700 years old and more, that were made by man.

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