Updated 15.05.2026 · For use abroad
Power of attorney, drafting and notarisation
Alla Flat · Notary #224143 · Bar #49324 · 18 years of practice
A power of attorney is a document by which you authorise another person to act on your behalf within defined limits. When the receiving authority is outside Israel, the document is usually drafted and certified by an Israeli notary under the Israeli Notaries Law 1976, then apostilled at the Magistrate Court so that the receiving authority can rely on the notary signature.
01 / 06 · Situations
Common situations
- A property transaction in another country and you cannot travel to the closing.
- A bank account or investment account abroad that requires a representative to act on your behalf.
- Court representation in a foreign jurisdiction where a local lawyer needs your formal authorisation.
- Family matters: inheritance procedures abroad, school enrolment, document collection from foreign registries.
02 / 06 · Process
How the document is built
- Discuss the purpose. We discuss which acts the representative is allowed to perform, the geographic and time scope, and any limits.
- Draft the text. The text is drafted in the language required by the destination, with a parallel translation when the destination authority wants both languages on the same instrument.
- Sign before the notary. You sign in the presence of the notary. The notary verifies your identity from a passport or Israeli ID and signs the certification page.
- Bind and stamp. The instrument is bound with the red notarial ribbon and carries the notary certifying stamp.
- Apostille (if required). When required, the bound document is submitted to the Magistrate Court for apostille and returned to you.
03 / 06 · Principal abroad
When the principal is abroad
If you are abroad, sign the power of attorney at a local notary, have it apostilled in the country of signing, and send the original document to Israel. From there it works in Israel the same way as a notarised POA executed here. Check the receiving Israeli authority expected format and language ahead of time, sometimes a parallel Hebrew translation is required.
04 / 06 · Limits
What a notarised POA cannot do
- It cannot grant a power broader than what the receiving jurisdiction law allows.
- It cannot be revoked by a phone call. Revocation is a separate formal act, usually delivered by registered mail to the same parties that received the original.
- It does not waive the law of the country where it is used. Local procedures still apply.
Before drafting we will ask which authority will rely on the POA, because some destination authorities have format requirements that must be reflected in the text.
05 / 06 · Basis
Legal basis
- Israeli Notaries Law 1976, the framework for notarial certification of a power of attorney.
- Hague Apostille Convention 1961, the basis for apostille recognition abroad.
06 / 06 · Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Can the representative be in another country?
- Yes. The representative can be anywhere. The instrument identifies the representative by name and identification number; the receiving authority handles their physical participation.
- Does the destination always require apostille?
- Almost always when the destination is a Hague Convention country, yes. We will tell you the format the destination authority expects.
- Can a POA be limited to a single act?
- Yes. A specific POA is often the right choice for one transaction. Broad general POAs are reserved for situations where the scope is genuinely open-ended.
- What identification do I need?
- A valid passport or Israeli ID. The notary must verify identity at the signing.
- Is a witness required?
- Israeli notarial certification does not require an additional witness; the notary signature replaces the witness role in this jurisdiction.
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“It cannot be revoked by a phone call. Revocation is a separate formal act, usually delivered by registered mail to the same parties that received the original.”
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