Why You Need Power of Attorney
Once you move to Israel, you will still have obligations and interests in your home country — a bank account, perhaps a property, a pension that needs attention, or tax matters that require someone to act on your behalf. Power of attorney (POA) gives a trusted person the legal authority to act for you while you are abroad.
Without it, even minor tasks — receiving a registered letter, signing a document, or closing an account — require you to fly back or navigate expensive notarized international procedures. Setting up POA before you leave is far simpler.
Types of Power of Attorney
There are two types relevant to most olim:
- General POA: Covers a broad range of financial and legal matters. Useful if you want one trusted person to handle anything that comes up.
- Limited POA: Restricted to specific actions — for example, managing one bank account, selling a car, or filing a tax return. Better if you want to limit the authority granted.
For most olim, a limited POA focused on financial accounts, mail handling, and property management is sufficient. Think carefully about who you are appointing and what they should be able to do.
Notarization and Apostille
For your POA to be recognized by home-country institutions from abroad, it typically needs to be notarized. For it to be used in Israel or recognized internationally, it may also need an apostille.
- Notarization: A notary public certifies your signature and identity. This is done in your home country before you leave — do not wait until you are in Israel.
- Apostille: A higher-level certification recognized by all countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention (which includes both Israel and most Western countries). An apostille-stamped document is accepted internationally without further authentication.
Have your POA notarized and then apostilled before departure. Keep the original with your appointed person and take a certified copy with you to Israel.
Setting Up Full Online Access Before You Leave
This is arguably more important than the POA for day-to-day management. Every financial account you intend to keep should be accessible online before departure. Work through this list:
- Bank accounts: Log in, confirm yourחשבון עובר ושב (Cheshbon Over Ve'shav) equivalent is accessible, and update your contact email to one you will actively check from Israel.
- Investment accounts: Ensure you can view balances, make transfers, and update addresses online.
- Pension portals: Many workplace pension portals go dormant. Log in, update your contact details, and download recent statements.
- Tax authority accounts: US: IRS online account. UK: HMRC Personal Tax Account. Log in and download the last five years of records.
- Insurance portals: Confirm you can access policy documents, update beneficiaries if needed.
Two-Factor Authentication: A Critical Detail
Most financial institutions use SMS-based two-factor authentication. Once you cancel your home-country phone number, you lose access to any account that sends codes to that number. Before leaving:
- Switch every account's 2FA from SMS to an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.)
- Save backup codes in a secure place
- Consider keeping your home-country SIM active via a cheap data-only plan for the first few months if your carrier offers one
Last-Minute Financial Tasks (Final 30 Days)
The month before departure, work through these tasks in order:
- Execute and apostille POA documents. Deliver the original to your appointed person.
- Cancel all הוראת קבע (Hora'at Keva) -style direct debits and standing orders for services you will not use in Israel.
- Notify your bank of your change of address and new country of residence. This triggers tax residency paperwork but prevents account freezes.
- Forward your mail to your appointed person or a mail-forwarding service.
- Pay off any outstanding credit card balances. Carrying a balance on a card you cannot easily manage from abroad is an unnecessary risk.
- Check that all עמלה (Amlah) (fees) on your accounts are set to "paperless" — physical statements sent to an old address are a privacy risk.
- Make a written record of all account numbers, custodian contact details, and the name of your POA holder. Store this securely offline.
After You Arrive
In the first month in Israel, send your POA holder a test instruction — a small task like confirming an account balance or requesting a document. Make sure the arrangement works before you actually need it for something important.