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Inheritance & Probate

How does a foreign heir access a deceased relative's safe deposit box at an Israeli bank?

An Israeli bank seals a safe deposit box as soon as it learns the holder has died, and it will not open the box for anyone until an heir produces a succession order or a probate order issued under the Succession Law 5725-1965. Section 1 of that Law passes the estate to the heirs at the moment of death, but the bank still needs the formal document naming them before it releases anything. Where the contents are unknown or the heirs disagree, the Family Court can appoint an estate administrator under Section 78 to open the box, list what is inside, and hold it for the estate. Banks generally open the box in the presence of a bank officer and record a written inventory that all attending heirs sign.

A safe deposit box is a rental arrangement between the bank and the box holder, not a bank account, so nothing inside it belongs to the bank and the bank has no idea what is stored there. That is precisely why banks act cautiously. Once notified of a death, the branch blocks the box and treats its contents as estate property under the Succession Law. The document that unlocks it is the same one that unlocks an inherited Israeli bank account: a succession order where there is no will, or a probate order where there is one, issued by the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs. If any heir files an objection, the file moves to the Family Court and the box stays sealed until that court rules.

Foreign heirs rarely need to travel. An Israeli attorney holding a notarised and apostilled power of attorney can apply for the order, present it to the bank, and attend the opening. The death certificate issued abroad must carry an apostille and a certified Hebrew translation before the Registrar will accept it. Plan for the contents to complicate matters rather than simplify them: old share certificates, foreign currency, jewellery, and title deeds all require separate handling, and gold or foreign cash discovered in a box can raise reporting questions with the Israel Tax Authority. Ask the bank in writing for the rental agreement and the last billing records, since unpaid box rental is deducted before anything is released.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Sections 1, 66 and 78, Succession Law 5725-1965
  • Competent authority: Registrar of Inheritance Affairs (Rasham LeInyanei Yerusha), Ministry of Justice; Family Court (Beit Mishpat LeInyanei Mishpacha) if an objection is filed
  • Fees: succession or probate order application approximately NIS 538 through the Ministry of Justice online portal, plus newspaper publication costs and a bank box-opening charge of roughly NIS 150 to 400 (2026)
  • Timeline: a 14-day objection window runs after publication; uncontested orders commonly issue within 3 to 8 weeks, and banks typically schedule the opening 1 to 3 weeks after the order is presented
  • Documents from abroad: foreign death certificate and any foreign will need an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention plus a certified Hebrew translation
  • Long-dormant boxes: contents of boxes left untouched for many years may be transferred to the Administrator General (Apotropus HaKlali) and claimed from the state register

From the full guide: Inheriting Israeli Bank Accounts: A Complete Guide for Foreign Heirs

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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