Need a notary service in Israel? Learn about Israeli notaries and the services they offer here.
What is an Israeli notary?
As with all notaries, an Israeli notary is a person who verifies the authenticity of a document for legal purposes. This includes making sure that all those who sign are indeed who they say they are, and that signatures are not forged. It also entails verifying that all participants are capable of consenting to sign, understand the terms of the contract and are not being coerced into it.
Unlike notaries in some other countries (e.g the United States), notaries in Israel are always qualified lawyers who have had several years’ experience practicing the law. On top of this, they are certified as notaries with the Ministry of Justice. The advantage here is that you can also consult with your notary about what exactly you need to sign and whether you’ll need any extra certifications.
If you need a document verified for Israeli use, you will need an Israeli notary to do this.
What if I need to get a document notarized for use abroad?
Most of the time, a notary will be able to help you with this. However, it will depend on what exactly you need, and whether the country you need notarizing for is part of an agreement called the Hague Apostille Convention. You may also need a notary to validate documents from abroad for Israel.
Often, people require translations of important personal documents such as birth or marriage certificates. A notary is able to help you with this if they are proficient in both languages – they may require you to have the document translated by a third party, in which case they will sign the affidavit, or they may translate the document themselves.
Pricing
Notary fees are kept affordable through the Ministry of Justice’s price list, which advertises the fixed price for all notary activities. Fees are typically done per document or signature, rather than per hour.
Remember that, unlike U.S notaries, Israeli notaries are also lawyers and understand the legal system. They therefore can and may advise you about what you’re signing and whether you might need extra certification. Factor in that if this happens, you will also be required to pay for the additional services.
