What Is a Power of Attorney (Iyuf Koach) for Israeli Property Transactions?

A Power of Attorney (ייפוי כוח — Iyuf Koach) authorizes your Israeli lawyer to sign documents, transfer funds, and appear at the Land Registry on your behalf. Overseas buyers who can't be physically present in Israel for every signing rely on this document.

If signed outside Israel, it must be executed in front of a notary public in your home country and then authenticated with an Apostille so it's recognized as valid in Israel. If you sign it in front of an Israeli notary or lawyer while in the country, no apostille is needed.

Why it matters for a buyer: without a valid, apostilled Power of Attorney in hand before your purchase closes, you'd need to be physically present in Israel for the purchase agreement, mortgage documents, and Tabu transfer — impractical across a transaction that can span many months.

Source: Notaries Law 5736-1976; Hague Apostille Convention