Updated 24.09.2026 · For use abroad
Power of attorney, drafting and notarisation
Alla Flat · Notary #224143 · Bar #49324 · advocate since 2008
A power of attorney lets another person carry out specific acts in your name. If it will be used outside Israel, first ask the bank, court, lawyer, or other office for its requirements or template. An Israeli notary can then draft and certify the document, with a Magistrate Court apostille when required. The fee for drafting the power of attorney is determined individually. The notarial certification is charged according to the official tariff (ק"ת 12158).
01 / 08 · Situations
Common situations
- A property transaction in another country and you cannot travel to the closing. Power of attorney for a property sale →
- 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 / 08 · Ministry of Interior
If this is for the Israeli Ministry of Interior
This page is for banks, courts, property, and foreign authorities. If the power of attorney is for the Israeli Ministry of Interior (משרד הפנים), use the dedicated page.
03 / 08 · 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.
04 / 08 · Principal abroad
When the principal is abroad
Before signing abroad, ask the receiving Israeli authority which notarisation or other certification it requires, whether apostille or another authentication route is needed, and which wording, language and document format it accepts. A foreign apostille does not by itself guarantee acceptance in Israel.
05 / 08 · 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.
For a Russian bank, court or notary, confirm the required wording and identity details before signing. See Israeli documents and powers of attorney for Russia.
06 / 08 · Authentication
Authentication for the intended use
An apostille is not automatically required for use abroad. The requirement depends on applicable law, any exemption, and the requirements for the intended use. Send the instructions or template from the receiving authority before drafting.
An apostille authenticates the notarial signature and official capacity; it does not approve the contents of the document or guarantee acceptance for a particular transaction.
Electronic certification does not permit video signing. Where a signature must be made before the notary, the signer must still appear in person.
If you also need a certified copy of a document, that is a separate notarial act.
Official source: Hague Apostille Convention
07 / 08 · 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.
- Ministry of Justice: electronic notarial certificates and digital apostille
- Ministry of Justice: electronic notarial certificate guidance
- HCCH: electronic apostille recognition
08 / 08 · Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Can the representative be in another country?
- Yes. The document identifies the representative by name and identification number. Ask the office where the POA will be used how the representative must present it.
- Does the destination always require apostille?
- No. The requirement depends on applicable law, any exemption, and the requirements for the intended use. Send the instructions or template from the receiving authority before drafting.
- 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.
- What does a notarised power of attorney cost?
- Under the signature verification tariff: ₪197 for the first signature plus VAT. Drafting is charged separately and agreed in advance. For use abroad an apostille is added only if the receiving authority requires it: the ₪41 state fee and my ₪200 filing service, which is not part of the tariff.
- Do you draft enduring powers of attorney (ייפוי כוח מתמשך)?
- No. An enduring power of attorney under the Legal Capacity and Guardianship Law is drafted by an advocate with a dedicated certification and deposited with the Administrator General. I do not provide this service.
“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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