Can I buy without coming to Israel?
A buyer in New York, London or Sydney can sign a contract, get a mortgage, pay and become an owner in Israel without boarding a plane. The procedure exists, it is well oiled, and thousands of purchases are done this way every year. It rests on one document, the power of attorney, and one professional, the lawyer.
The short answer
Yes, entirely. A property purchase in Israel is done remotely through a power of attorney (yipui koach) drafted by your lawyer, signed before a notary public in your country and then apostilled, or signed at an Israeli consulate. The lawyer signs the contract, pays from their trust account, files the purchase tax and registers the property in your name. Viewings are done by video, the mortgage is signed the same way. Extra cost: ₪2,000 to ₪6,000. One trip is still advisable: before choosing the property. No nationality or religion requirement applies (see can an American buy property in Israel).
The figures to remember, November 2026
- Mandatory trips
- 0
- Extra cost, remote
- ₪2,000–6,000
- POA + apostille
- 3–10 days
- Timeline, resale
- 2–6 months
- Remote mortgage
- 4–8 weeks
- Lawyer
- 0.5–1% + VAT
The power of attorney, the key document
In Israel there is no closing attorney, title company or conveyancing solicitor: the real estate lawyer checks, drafts, signs and registers. To act in your place, they need a power of attorney, so everything rests on the choice of that lawyer (criteria in how to choose your real estate lawyer). Two forms exist:
| Type | What it allows | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Specific POA (yipui koach meyuhad) | Sign the contract for an identified property (gush/helka, address, price cap), pay, file the tax, register at the Tabu | The general case: limited powers, limited risk |
| Irrevocable POA (yipui koach bilti hozer) | Required by the bank for the mortgage and by the developer off-plan; allows the mortgage to be registered | With a loan or an off-plan purchase; drafted on the bank’s template |
| General POA | All property transactions | Avoid: too broad, refused by some registries |
The circuit: the lawyer drafts the POA in Hebrew (with an English version for you), you sign it before a local notary public who certifies your signature, then the competent authority adds the apostille (Hague Convention: the Secretary of State in the US, the FCDO in the UK, Global Affairs or a provincial authority in Canada, DFAT in Australia; Israel is a party). Alternative: signing at an Israeli consulate, which counts as Israeli certification and needs no apostille. Count on 3 to 10 days and $150 to $400. The powers to include, and those to exclude, are on the power of attorney page.
Every step of the purchase, remotely
- Search and selection. English-speaking agencies and developers send properties, run video viewings and answer on WhatsApp. For a new build, the floor plans, the technical specifications and the payment schedule are enough to decide.
- The lawyer’s checks. Nesach Tabu (registry extract), mortgages and liens, existing hearat azhara, building permit (heter bniya), zoning plan (taba), arnona and vaad bayit arrears. None of it requires your presence.
- Negotiation and contract. The lawyer negotiates the clauses with the seller’s lawyer, gets your approval by email, then signs the heskem mechira by POA. Deposit of 10 to 20% paid from their trust account, hearat azhara recorded at the Tabu the same day.
- Financing. Pre-approval through a broker, bank account opened remotely, loan documents signed before a notary or at the consulate. See mortgage for a non-resident.
- Payments and tax. Wires according to the schedule, preferably through a currency broker; mas rechisha filed within 30 days and paid within 60, handled by the lawyer.
- Delivery and registration. Walk-through by the lawyer or a proxy, keys handed over, registration at the Tabu (or Minhal / housing company). You receive the extract in your name by email.
The steps, timelines and who does what are detailed in how to buy property in Israel, step by step.
Viewing without being there
The video viewing has become the norm for buyers abroad, but it does not replace two things. First an independent technical inspection (bedek bayit): an engineer or licensed inspector spends half a day in the property, tests damp, electrics, plumbing, windows and the state of the building, and delivers a costed report. In a resale, that is ₪1,500 to ₪3,000 that avoids ₪50,000 surprises. In a new build, the same professional draws up the snag list at delivery.
Then a trusted pair of eyes on the neighbourhood: a relative on the ground, or the agency itself filming the street at different hours, the noise, the parking, the walk to schools and synagogues. For a pure rental investment, the yield and the tenant profile matter more than the feel; for a home, it is the reverse.
When one trip is worth it
Nothing forces you to come. But if you make only one trip, put it before the final choice of property: three or four days to see six to ten apartments, meet the lawyer and open the bank account in one morning. That trip saves two to three weeks on the account opening and the pre-approval, and it avoids the most expensive mistake, the neighbourhood you do not actually like.
Conversely, the contract signing and the key handover are handled perfectly well without you. A buyer making aliyah within the year can also delay some signatures (the loan, in particular) to benefit from resident terms, detailed in mortgage for new olim.
Worked example: the extra cost of a 100% remote purchase
| Notarised POA + apostille (2 signatories) | ≈ ₪1,400 (≈ $390) |
| Certified translations (POA, proof of income) | ≈ ₪1,500 |
| Independent technical inspection | ≈ ₪2,200 |
| Loan documents signed before a notary + apostille + courier | ≈ ₪1,200 |
| Proxy for the walk-through and keys | ₪0 (included by the lawyer) |
| Total “remote” extra cost | ≈ ₪6,300 (≈ $1,750) |
| For comparison: a round trip for two from the US East Coast, 4 nights | ≈ $2,500–4,000 |
| Total cost of the deal, fees and tax included | ≈ ₪3,570,000 (+ 11.6%) |
The cost of distance is marginal at the scale of the deal: 0.2% of the price. What costs is the 8% mas rechisha (₪256,000 here, schedule explained in purchase tax in Israel for foreigners) and the agency fee, identical whether you are there or not. American and British buyers have dedicated pages: buying from the USA and buying from the UK. The full budget is in what buying really costs.
The pitfalls of a remote purchase
- Using the seller’s or the developer’s lawyer “to keep it simple”. They defend the other side. Remotely, your lawyer is your eyes: they must be yours.
- A POA that is too broad or given to an intermediary who is not a lawyer. Limit it to the property, the price and the listed acts.
- Signing a zikaron dvarim over WhatsApp to “hold” a property. Even by message, an agreement on the property, the price and the parties can be ruled binding.
- Ignoring the floor area. Listings give gross area (walls, balcony, share of common areas): 100 m² advertised is 80 to 85 m² usable (about 860-915 sq ft). Ask for the dimensioned plan.
- Wire fraud. An email changing the seller’s or the lawyer’s bank details the day before a payment: always verify by phone, on a known number.
- Forgetting the tax rules back home: FBAR and FATCA reporting for US persons, declaration of foreign income in the UK, Canada or Australia. See Shekel Guide for general tax matters.
The full checklist before you sign is in pitfalls and checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Does the power of attorney have to be signed at an Israeli consulate?
Not necessarily. Two routes are accepted: signing at the Israeli consulate in your country, or signing before a local notary public followed by an apostille (Hague Convention). The second is faster in most US states and in the UK; the first avoids the apostille and the certified translation.
How much more does a remote purchase cost than one in person?
Count on ₪2,000 to ₪6,000 more: notarised power of attorney and apostille ($150 to $400 in the US, £100 to £300 in the UK), certified translations, courier fees, and sometimes an independent technical inspection (₪1,500 to ₪3,000). The lawyer’s fee stays in the usual range of 0.5 to 1% + VAT.
Can I get a mortgage without flying in?
Yes. The pre-approval is requested online or through a broker, the bank account opens remotely at most banks, and the loan documents are signed before a foreign notary with an apostille, at the consulate, or through a specific power of attorney accepted by the bank. Total timeline 4 to 8 weeks.
Who collects the keys if I am not there?
Your lawyer, or a proxy named in the power of attorney (relative, property manager). They do the walk-through, read the meters, check the fixtures promised in the contract and, in a new build, draw up the snag list the developer must fix during the warranty year.
How we work
Every amount, bracket and rate on this page is checked against the official source listed at the bottom and dated. When a schedule or rate changes, the page is updated within days. Our methodology.
Sources
Buy remotely, with a lawyer who does it every week
An English-speaking real estate lawyer, independent of the seller, checks the property, drafts the power of attorney and signs for you. Describe your project in two lines, first call within 48 hours.