Can one power of attorney cover both my Israeli bank account and my property sale?

A non-resident about to handle an Israeli sale and the linked bank transfer reasons that one strong, all-purpose power of attorney should let their lawyer do everything. It is a fair assumption anywhere with a general POA culture. Israel does not run that way at the counter. The bank and the Land Registry each look for their own document, and a single sweeping page tends to be met with a polite refusal from at least one of them.

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Detailed Explanation

The legal starting point is the Agency Law 1965 (Hok HaShlichut), under which an agent may do whatever the power of attorney authorises. In principle a broad power can cover many things. The difficulty is not the law but the institutions that have to accept the document, and Israeli banks and the Land Registry (Tabu) apply their own, stricter requirements on top of the general law.

Banks are cautious by policy. Most Israeli banks will only act on a power of attorney drawn on, or closely matching, their own form, naming the specific account and the specific operations allowed, and they frequently want it signed before their own officer or notarised and apostilled with anti-money-laundering identification attached. A generic "my attorney may do anything" clause tends to be rejected precisely because it is generic. The bank is managing its own liability for letting a third party move a non-resident's money, and it will not rely on a document that was not written for it.

The Land Registry is stricter in a different way. To sell or transfer real estate, Tabu requires a specific power of attorney that identifies the property by block and parcel (gush and helka) and, for a sale, this is almost always an irrevocable power of attorney (yipui koach blti hozer), because it secures the buyer's ability to complete the registration. That irrevocable, property-specific instrument is the opposite of a broad general power. It is deliberately narrow, tied to one transaction and one property, and it must be notarised and, when signed abroad, apostilled, with a Hebrew translation.

So the two jobs pull in opposite directions: the bank wants its own account-specific form, and the Land Registry wants a transaction-specific irrevocable form. Trying to force both into one page usually fails the acceptance test somewhere. The practical answer for a non-resident is to sign a small set of clean, purpose-built powers at the same sitting, one for the property and one for the bank, in front of a notary, and apostille them together so there is no second trip. Signing them in one appointment keeps the cost and the logistics down even though the documents are separate. Where the powers are executed at an Israeli consulate rather than a local notary, the same specificity rules apply, as explained in our guide to Israeli consular notarization at an embassy abroad.

In Practice: Under the Agency Law 1965 a power of attorney does only what its text authorises, and the Land Registry (Tabu) requires a specific, usually irrevocable, property power identifying the gush and helka for a sale, while banks require their own account-specific form. A notary's fees are fixed by the Notaries Regulations, roughly NIS 200 for the first signature on a document and less for additional copies, plus the apostille. Signing and apostilling a set of powers abroad commonly takes 1 to 3 weeks before they are ready to use in Israel.

Key Considerations

• A power of attorney only does what its wording authorises under the Agency Law 1965.
• Israeli banks generally require their own account-specific power of attorney and often their own form.
• The Land Registry requires a specific, usually irrevocable, power naming the property by block and parcel for a sale.
• A single broad general power is frequently refused by the bank, the Registry, or both.
• Signing separate, purpose-built powers in one notary appointment and apostilling them together avoids a second trip.

When to Consult a Lawyer

This question typically requires professional legal advice when:

• You are handling a property sale and the associated bank transfer of proceeds and want the powers accepted first time.
• A bank has already refused a general power of attorney and you need a compliant, account-specific version.
• The property sale requires an irrevocable power of attorney to secure the buyer's registration and you need it drafted correctly.

A qualified Israeli attorney should draft the specific powers your bank and the Land Registry will actually accept before you sign anything abroad.

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Speak With an Israeli Attorney

We prepare the exact powers of attorney Israeli banks and the Land Registry require, coordinate the notarisation and apostille abroad, and act under them so your Israeli sale and banking are completed without you travelling.

Contact us for a confidential initial consultation.