Can a foreign national living abroad serve as the administrator of an Israeli estate?

An Israeli estate administrator is the person the court or Registrar appoints to gather the assets, settle debts and taxes, and distribute what remains to the heirs. The Succession Law describes the role and its duties but does not limit it to Israeli citizens or residents. When every heir lives abroad, courts regularly appoint one of them, or a trusted professional, even though that person is overseas. The appointment is supervised by the Administrator General (HaApotropos HaKlali), to whom the administrator must file an inventory of the estate and periodic accounts. Because the work involves Israeli banks, the Land Registry, and the Tax Authority, the court weighs whether a non-resident can realistically manage it.

In practice, a foreign administrator almost always grants an Israeli lawyer a notarized and apostilled power of attorney, since local institutions demand in-person or authenticated documentation. The court often sets a guarantee, whose amount tracks the value of the estate, and expects an asset inventory within a defined period after appointment. Distributing property before creditors and taxes are cleared can expose the administrator to personal liability, so timing matters. Foreign heirs who want to appoint an estate administrator in Israel should budget time for apostilles and translations, which frequently set the pace of the whole process.

From the full guide: Israeli Estate Administrator: A Complete Guide for Foreign Heirs

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