סם ואטוריעו"ד ונוטריון

The Public Status of the Notary – A Trust Authority on Behalf of the State

The notary in Israel fulfills a state role with a distinctly public character. His powers are determined by the Notaries Law, 1976, and he is authorized to act in a defined area of authentication, confirmation, and preparation of legally valid documents.

The notary is a private attorney who has received limited governmental authorization from the state, granting his actions official and evidentiary status. His signature and seal constitute conclusive evidence of the document’s authenticity, and are recognized as such both in Israel and in other countries (subject to confirmation by Apostille seal).

The notary’s activity is supervised by the Ministry of Justice, and every notary is registered in the official Notaries Registry. This ensures that every notarial document is based on a uniform standard of reliability, responsibility, and legal precision – and that its validity can be relied upon without the need for additional authentication.

A notary is an attorney with at least ten years of experience, who has been authorized by the Ministry of Justice according to the Notaries Law, 1976, to perform official legal actions that have evidentiary and binding validity.

Regulation of the Profession and Supervision

The Notaries Law and Notaries Regulations regulate the conditions of qualification, manner of appointment, supervision, and service fees.

The notary must adhere to strict ethical rules, maintain an orderly notarial register, and charge only fixed rates.

He must verify that signatories act of their own free will, with full understanding, and with certain identification.

All Notarial Services According to Law

The Notaries Law (Section 7) lists a closed list of actions that a notary is authorized to perform. Below is a detailed list of the main services, in clear and practical language:

Signature Authentication

This confirmation establishes that the person who signed the document was properly identified before the notary and signed of their own free will.

The service is required for real estate transactions, powers of attorney, commercial transactions, documents for banks or authorities in Israel and abroad, and more.

Certification of True Copy

A notary may certify that a copy of a document matches the original, after reviewing both.

The certification is usually required for submitting official documents to public bodies or foreign institutions.

Authentication of Prenuptial Property Agreement

When spouses wish to arrange their property relations before marriage, the law (Section 2 of the Spouses (Property Relations) Law, 1973) stipulates that the agreement can be confirmed before a notary or court.

The difference between notarial confirmation and court confirmation:

Before marriage – Can be done before the Family Court, religious court (Rabbinical or Sharia, etc., according to the couple’s religion), the Marriage Registrar, or a notary – the legal validity of the confirmations is identical.

The notary verifies the parties’ identity, their understanding of the agreement’s content, and their free will. He then grants notarial confirmation that carries binding legal validity.

After marriage – Confirmation must be performed before the Family Court or religious court. Confirmation of an agreement after marriage through a notary constitutes evidence of contractual consent and may be valid within the contractual system between the spouses but will not have legal validity outside the marital system.

Notarial confirmation before marriage is considered simpler, faster, and cheaper, and enjoys the same binding legal validity as long as it is done in accordance with the law.

Notarial Power of Attorney

A notarial power of attorney is required when one representative acts on behalf of another in transactions of legal importance – usually with banking institutions, state authorities, or foreign entities.

The power of attorney can be general or specific, and the notarial confirmation ensures that the document is authentic and the principal’s signature is genuine.

Confirmation of Affidavits

Authentication of signature on affidavits of all types, including preparation of affidavits according to client requirements or only authentication of signature on an existing affidavit.

Notarial Will – Will Before an Authority

The Succession Law, 1965, recognizes four ways to make a will (Section 18 of the Law):

In the testator’s handwriting
Before 2 witnesses
Before an authority
Orally

The Normative Framework

Section 22 of the Succession Law stipulates as follows:

“(a) A will before an authority may be made by the testator by stating his testamentary words orally before the authority or by submitting his testamentary words in writing, all when the authority reads the will’s words before the testator and the testator confirms that this is his will.”

“(b) An authority for the purposes of this section is a judge, court registrar, registrar for inheritance matters, member of a religious court, or notary.”

The notary is defined by law as an “authority” for the purpose of making a will, alongside judicial figures from institutional bodies. His authority is not ancillary or secondary, but equal in value to the status of a judge or registrar for inheritance matters concerning authentication of the testator’s will.

A notarial will is, from a legal perspective, a will before an authority in every respect. It does not require witnesses, does not require judicial proceedings, and enjoys a broad presumption of validity, reliability, and free will.

Advantages of a Will Before a Notary

High reliability – The will was made before an authority authorized by law, and the court tends to recognize it as conclusive evidence of the testator’s will.

Evidentiary stability – The will is recorded in the notarial register and kept by the notary, ensuring tracking and reconstruction if needed.

Without witnesses – The notary serves as an “authority” and sole authenticator, thereby preventing the possibility of pressure, manipulation, or procedural defects.

Confidentiality and legal security – The document is not exposed to external parties until the testator’s death, and the notarial confirmation can help against future claims of forgery or coercion.

Notarial Translation Confirmation

When a document needs to be translated into another language – for example, birth certificate, academic degree, certificate of good conduct, or legal documents or any document – the notary confirms the translation’s accuracy.

When the notary is fluent in both languages – the original document’s language and the translation language – he may translate and confirm himself;

If the notary is not fluent in both languages – he relies on a professional translator and confirms their declaration.

Preparation of Other Notarial Documents According to Law or Custom

A notary may prepare or confirm documents that the law or international law requires to have notarial confirmation.

Certificate of Life

Official confirmation that the person appearing before the notary is alive. Required mainly for foreign social security, pension funds, and international insurance institutions.

Issuance of Certified Copies of Notarial Documents

The notary may issue additional copies of confirmations given by him in the past, with indication of the original signature date.

Apostille and International Documents

Notarial documents can be recognized outside Israel by means of an Apostille seal, in accordance with the Hague Convention (1961).

After receiving notarial confirmation, the document can be stamped with an Apostille at the courts or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The notarial signature is a prerequisite for obtaining the Apostille.

Notary Service Fees

The notary’s fee in Israel is fixed by law and uniform throughout the country, according to the Notaries (Service Fees) Regulations, 1978.

The notary has no discretion in setting the price – thus transparency and equality among all citizens is maintained.

Below is a summary of the main fees (as of 2025):

Type of Service	Details	Notary Fee (₪)
Signature Authentication	First signatory	193
Each additional signatory on the same document	75
Confirmation of authority to sign on behalf of another	75
Additional authentication on a copy of the same document	75
Certification of True Copy	First page	75
Each additional page	13
Notarial Translation Confirmation	First 100 words	245
Each additional 100 words (up to 1,000)	193
Each additional 100 words over 1,000	96
Additional confirmation of the same translation	75
Notarial Will (Will Before Authority)	First signatory	286
Each additional signatory	143
Additional confirmation of the same will	86
Certificate of Life (Affidavit of Life)	One person	193
Affidavit Confirmation	First deponent	195
Each additional deponent	78
Additional confirmation of the same affidavit	75
Authentication of Negotiable Document	Amount up to ₪80,700	1,244
Amount over ₪80,700	2,667
Recording Note on Power of Attorney Cancellation	Receipt of notice and recording note	204
Issuance of copy with cancellation note	72
Authentication of Prenuptial Property Agreement	According to Section 2(c1) of Property Relations Law	435
Additional confirmation of the same agreement	72
Service Outside Office	First hour	630
Each additional half hour	193
Service at Night / Shabbat / Holiday	Addition to regular fee	+50%

The notary is entitled to charge reimbursement of actual expenses for errands, translation, printing, mail delivery, or travel – provided this is detailed to the client in advance.