< Back

Signing an Israeli Property Deal From Abroad

Q: Can I sign by video call instead?

Rules on remote authentication have changed in recent years, and the Land Registry and the ILA have their own acceptance rules. Ask your lawyer what is currently accepted for registration rather than relying on a remote session.

Q: Does the power of attorney expire?

An ordinary power of attorney can be limited in time and can be revoked. An irrevocable power of attorney given to secure a transaction stays in force until the transaction is completed. The registry may ask for a recent confirmation that the power is still valid.

Q: Must the seller also sign in a special way?

Yes. The seller's signature on the transfer deed must be verified by a lawyer, and the seller typically gives an irrevocable power of attorney to the buyer's lawyer to complete registration. If the seller is abroad too, the same notarisation and apostille rules apply to them.

Passport, pen and notarised document on a desk

A buyer outside Israel usually signs through a power of attorney (yipui koach) given to an Israeli lawyer, and the whole chain, from the sale contract to the caveat, the tax declaration and the final registration, can be completed without a visit. The catch is that each body in that chain, the Land Registry, the Israel Land Authority, the tax authority and the banks, has its own rules about how a signature made abroad is proved. Getting the form right at the start avoids weeks of delay later.

What a power of attorney must cover

Your Israeli lawyer drafts the power of attorney in Hebrew, sometimes with an English translation attached, naming the attorney, the property and the acts allowed. Two forms are common:

A general or specific power of attorney for signing the contract, the tax declarations and ancillary documents.
An irrevocable power of attorney (yipui koach bilti chozer), which the Land Registry and the ILA expect for the act of transfer itself and which is usually also given by the seller in the buyer's favour so that the transfer can be completed even if the seller is unavailable.

Under the Land Law 5729-1969 and the registry's practice, a document signed by an attorney is accepted for registration only when the power of attorney was properly authenticated. The lawyer who holds your power of attorney must also be able to identify you, so expect to provide a certified copy of your passport.

Who can authenticate your signature abroad

An Israeli notary, if you are in Israel at any point, which is the simplest route.
An Israeli consul at an embassy or consulate in your country. Consular authentication is accepted in Israel without further legalisation. Appointments may take time, so book early.
A local notary in your country. Then the notary's signature must be legalised for use in Israel.

Apostille and the Hague Convention

Israel is a party to the Hague Convention of 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents. If your country is also a party, a document notarised locally is legalised by an apostille certificate issued by the competent authority in that country, often a foreign ministry, a court or a secretary of state. The apostille confirms the notary's authority; it does not check the content. If your country is not a party, the document goes through consular legalisation instead. Your Israeli lawyer will tell you which applies and may ask for a Hebrew translation of the notarial certificate, sometimes itself certified by a notary.

The practical sequence

Agree the contract wording with your lawyer by email and video call; nothing is signed yet.
Sign the power of attorney before a notary or consul, obtain the apostille if needed, and courier the original to Israel. Scans are not enough for registration.
Your lawyer signs the contract under the power of attorney and registers a caveat the same day.
Payments go from your account to the seller or the seller's lender, with the bank's compliance questions answered in advance.
Tax declarations are filed under the Real Estate Taxation Law 5723-1963 using the power of attorney.
After the final payment, the irrevocable powers of attorney and the registration documents are lodged at the registry.

Developer purchases

When buying from a developer under the Sale (Apartments) Law 5733-1973, the developer's office will have its own forms, and the bank financing the project will issue payment vouchers in your name. The same power of attorney covers signing the contract and the specification, receiving the bank guarantee under the Sale (Apartments) (Assurance of Investments of Purchasers) Law 5735-1974, and later signing the delivery protocol. Make sure the power of attorney is wide enough to include these acts.

Common mistakes

Signing a power of attorney drafted abroad in a foreign form that the Israeli registry rejects.
Sending scanned documents and discovering the registry needs originals.
Forgetting the apostille, or obtaining one on a photocopy.
Giving a power of attorney to a relative who is not a lawyer and not insured, for acts that need professional care.
Leaving the power of attorney too narrow, so a second trip to the notary is needed for the tax forms or delivery.

FAQ

Can I sign by video call instead?