Does an Israeli will have to be written in Hebrew?

A will covering Israeli assets does not have to be in Hebrew. The Succession Law 1965 lists the four ways a valid will can be made, and not one of them says a word about language. A will you wrote in New York in plain English is, on its face, just as valid in Israel as one drafted in a Tel Aviv lawyer's office. Where language matters is later — at the probate stage, when the document has to be read and acted on by an Israeli authority.

---

Detailed Explanation

The Succession Law recognises four forms of will: a handwritten (holographic) will under Section 19, a will signed before two witnesses under Section 20, a will made before an authority such as a judge or notary under Section 22, and an oral will in narrow deathbed circumstances under Section 23. The validity test for each looks at form — signatures, witnesses, dating — never at the language the testator chose.

So a non-resident who signs an English-language will in front of two witnesses meets Section 20 regardless of the fact that no Hebrew appears on the page. Israeli courts routinely admit foreign-language wills. If you are weighing whether to use your existing home-country will or draft a fresh Israeli one, our guide on the validity of foreign wills in Israel walks through when each approach makes sense.

The practical friction starts when someone dies and the heirs apply for a צו קיום צוואה (will execution order) from the Inheritance Registrar (Rasham HaYerushot). The registrar's staff work in Hebrew. A will in any other language must be accompanied by a translation certified by an Israeli notary, who confirms the translation faithfully reflects the original. Without that translation the file will not move forward.

In Practice: Under Section 39 of the Notaries Law 1976, only a notary fluent in both languages may certify the translation of a will for the Inheritance Registrar. A notarized translation of a typical two-page will runs roughly NIS 350–700 under the regulated notary fee schedule, and the registrar's fee for the will execution order itself is about NIS 521 plus roughly NIS 130 for the mandatory newspaper publication. An uncontested application is usually approved within 3–6 weeks of filing.

There is a subtler point for bilingual testators. If you sign one will that contains both an English text and a Hebrew text, and the two versions diverge, you have handed the heirs a built-in dispute. Pick one governing language, state in the document which version controls, and keep the translation separate from the signed instrument.

Key Considerations

• A foreign-language will is valid in Israel; the language never defeats the will, but a defective translation can delay probate for weeks.
• Use a notary, not a freelance translator — the Inheritance Registrar will reject an uncertified translation.
• If your will is witnessed abroad, the witnesses' details and the signing formalities still have to satisfy Section 20; have an Israeli lawyer review the signing page before you rely on it.
• A separate Israeli-language will limited to your Israeli assets often clears probate faster than translating a complex foreign will, especially if the foreign will is long.
• Keep the original signed will somewhere your heirs can physically retrieve it — a copy is not enough for probate.

When to Consult a Lawyer

This question typically requires professional legal advice when:

• You hold a single worldwide will and are unsure whether translating it or drafting a separate Israeli will is cheaper and faster for your heirs.
• Your will was witnessed abroad and you cannot confirm the signing met Section 20's formalities.
• You want a bilingual document and need a controlling-language clause drafted to prevent conflict.

A qualified Israeli attorney should review your existing will before you assume it will pass probate in Israel without changes.

---

Speak With an Israeli Attorney

We review foreign-language wills for Israeli enforceability, arrange the notarized translations the registrar requires, and draft separate Israeli wills where that is the faster route for heirs abroad.

Contact us for a confidential initial consultation.