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Israeli inheritance law can be challenging. In order to inherit an asset or property in Israel, an “interested party” need to submit a probate petition and obtain a Succession, Inheritance, Probate court Order, and then register the property, apartment or land in the TABU – Israel land registry office, which is the Israeli government database for property rights in Israel.

Read more about reclaiming Israeli inheritance property.

Courts in Israel have jurisdiction over inheritance of property in Israel. The main law governing inheritance matters in Israel is the Israeli Inheritance Law (1965) which provides that Israeli courts have jurisdiction over inheritance petitions and disputes, in either one of the following circumstances: The deceased´s domicile at the time of his death was Israel or the inheritance includes property or any asset in Israel.

In order to inherit property in Israel you must submit a probate petition to the Inheritance Registrar in Israel or the religious court in order to get a probate court order, or succession court order in case that there is no will. The Inheritance Registrar in Israel automaticlly transfer the petition to family court and only after you obtain the Succession or Probate Order in the Israeli family court, you will be able to claim the property and register it in the TABU – Israel land registry office

No. the Israeli probate court or the Inheritance Law does not differ between Israeli citizens and foreigners whether as the divisors or as the devises.

If the deceased was domiciled in Israel, Israeli courts are competent to rule on any inheritance conflict, even if the inheritance does not include property in Israel. Moreover, Israeli courts are competent if the inheritance petition includes property in Israel, even if none of the parties involved has any relation to Israel.

No. your legal representative can file the probate petition and  all the necessary documentation including your , affidavit, power of attorney and etc in the Israeli probate court in order to get a probate court order on your name.

Foreign inheritance laws may apply, but not if they grant inheritance rights to those not related to the deceased by blood, marriage, or adoption. If the foreign law of the deceased’s domicile or nationality refers to Israeli law, then the Inheritance Law shall apply in all matters determined by the foreign law; however, the Inheritance Law forbids appliance of a foreign law if such law is discriminating on grounds of race, religion, gender or nationality. In addition, such foreign law is not applicable if it grants any legal inheritance rights (i.e., except by way of a last will) to inheritors who are not related to the deceased by blood, marriage or adoption.

No. in order for a probate or succession court order to be valid in Israel it must be given in the same jurisdiction a probate court in Israel

In Israel the Inheritance Registrar and family court are responsible for Succession Orders or Probate Orders. Complicated cases and cases in which a contest was filed are dealt by the Family Court.

The Inheritance Law determines that in case an estate includes property outside the boundaries of the State of Israel, the applicable law shall be the law of the deceased´s domicile at the time of his death. In inheritance matters, the applicable law is the local law of the country where the property is located without distinguishing between the kind of property.

There is no Estate tax / Inheritance tax in Israel. However, heirs who live abroad are may be subject to tax rules of their country and or capital gain on the Israeli property they inherited. Also, Israeli capital gain on the property may apply

The Israeli Inheritance Register and from there the judgment belongs to family court to sign the court order. They have the authority to issue inheritance orders, probate wills or intestate succession to heirs according to Israeli state law.

The duration of inheritances, probate cases depends on their complexity and the existence of legal matters or disputes between the inheritors. It can last between 4-5 months to a year and half.

A person is entitled to leave property to anyone he/she wishes in a will. In the absence of a will, the Inheritance Law determines that the estate should be distributed between the deceased´s close relatives, depend upon how close their blood relations were with the deceased. Heirs of the first degree inherit first. Potential heirs of the next degree inherit only if there are no heirs on the closer degree.

The surviving spouse is entitled to receive the deceased´s car and movable assets as well as 3/4 of all the property of the deceased, while the other 1/4 remains for the deceased´s children, grandchildren or parents. In case the deceased had brothers and sisters but no children, then the surviving spouse is entitled to 2/3 of the estate. The rest is divided between the deceased´s siblings.

Israeli Inheritance Law encourages the certainty involved in wills, and recognizes the validity of handwritten wills, in front of witnesses, in front of a notary or judge or even oral wills under certain conditions.

Israeli Courts expressed their opinion that as long as a person´s desire and sanity is proven, no technical objections to a will can be accepted. In addition, a will is valid in Israel if it is considered valid by Israeli Law, the local law in the place where it was prepared, the deceased´s domicile law, or the law of the deceased´s citizenship by the time he prepared the will or at the time of his death.

The estate of a deceased is subject to prior established property rights. In the specific case of a married spouse, the estate left by a deceased is subject to the rights acquired by the spouse prior to the deceased´s death. Normally, in the absence of specific exclusions or another agreement, there is a presumption of joint ownership between spouses and therefore, even if the spouse´s name is not written as the owner of a certain asset, the rights of the spouse should first be clarified before determining the assets included in the estate.

In case the heir of a property does not have the legal capacity to inherit, a guardian is appointed for the property for the benefit of the heir. It is possible to appoint the guardian in the will itself, but such appointment is subject to court´s approval and the court can determine of a more appropriate person to serve as the guardian. The natural guardians are the child´s parents, but the entire designation procedure is supervised by court that seeks the heir´s best.

Yes.The will needs to be translated by a certified translator according to the Israeli Succession law

NO. You need to to sign on the contract in Hebrew and your language, Power of Attorney and an Israel Purchase Tax form at any Israeli Consulate in your country of residence and signed all documents in front of a certified translator. Israel is a signatory to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents. You need to retain an Israeli-licensed lawyer to execute all your transactions and business on your behalf.

All you have to do is provide your attorney in Israel with all the original documentation: proof of purchase, the original contractual agreement, or any other documents related to the property. In addition, you should provide an affidavit signed by you and an additional affidavit signed by a person who is not related to you. Your attorney will notify the Israel Registration Authority (TABU) regarding the necessary required changes.

Depends. There are different government agencies that deal with different properties depending on numerous factors. One must know where the property is registered. In Israel there are several authorities that handle the registration of properties. Most of the properties are handled by the Israel Land Administration. Properties that are located in the occupied territories are handled by the Civil Administration. For property that is registered at the Israel Land Registration Office, you can receive information directly from us.

Israeli real estate taxes are complex in nature. We can help you understand the different Israeli taxes pertaining to buying or selling apartment or any other property in Israel.

Important Taxes are, Capital Gain Tax and Appreciation Tax. Capital Gains Tax is paid to the government as opposed to Appreciation Tax that is paid to the municipal authority. Generally speaking, the tax is determined by an appraiser of the municipality, and you have the right to object and present opposing appraisal.

In Israel the law requires buyer to pay a Purchase Tax. The rate of this Purchase Tax is progressive and may range between 3.5% up to 6% it depends the nature of the real estate, land, apartment or other Israeli property.

It depends on many factors. There are a few restrictions relating to foreigners in Israel. Property that is handled by the Israel Land Administration will be able to be purchased, only if you are entitled to become a citizen according to the Law of Return. If the registered owner is private, there are no restrictions.

In order to sell the property in Israel you need to have additional information regarding your registrations. Additional information such as your Passport number or ID number. This may be done by providing affidavit signed by you. In addition, you are required to provide additional supporting documents proving that you are the same person as the one on the records. Many tax forms and a selling contract for beginning.

In order to register this transaction with the local authorities, you will need the following documents:

1. Deed of Transaction signed by the parties and certified by an Israeli lawyer.
2. Certification from the Israeli Tax Authority stating that all debts pertaining to this property were paid in full.
3. Certification from the municipal authority stating that all the debts, including the Improvement Tax, were paid.

In addition, if there is a mortgage registered in favor of the seller’s mortgage bank, it is required to provide a deed of cancellation of the mortgage from the mortgage bank.

Under Israeli tax and real estate laws, any transfer of property – even as a gift – is considered to be a real estate transaction. So all necessary documentation pertaining to any real estate transaction is warranted. You should provide all the required documents for the transaction. You and your child should sign an affidavit stating that the property is given without any consideration, and you should file it with the Israel Tax Authority and municipal authority.

First you should obtain a Inheritance, Succession or Probate court Order from the Israeli family court. After obtaining this order, you should file it to the authority that handles the property. Usually there are no tax certificates or municipal certificates needed.