What to Do When Someone Dies in Israel: A Step-by-Step Guide

When a family member or friend dies in Israel, the administrative clock starts immediately. Burial typically happens within 24 hours, banks freeze accounts on notification, and pension deadlines begin counting from the date of death — not from when you feel ready to deal with them.

This guide covers what needs to happen, in what order, whether the deceased was an Israeli resident, an expat, or a tourist.

The First 24 Hours

If the Death Occurs in a Hospital

The attending physician issues a Notification of Death (Hoda'at Peticah). The hospital's admission and discharge office provides this document directly. Some hospitals automatically transmit the data to the Population and Immigration Authority, but verify this — don't assume it happened.

If the Death Occurs Outside a Hospital

If a licensed physician is present, they complete the Notification of Death. If no physician is present, call Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services immediately. A paramedic will pronounce the death and complete the initial notification.

If police respond to the scene, they must sign a Waiver of Autopsy form before the body can be released to a burial society. Without this waiver, the process stalls.

Securing the Burial Permit

No burial can proceed without a Burial Permit (Rishayon Kevurah) from the local Ministry of Health Bureau. You'll need to present:

• Four copies of the Notification of Death
• The MDA paramedic report
• Any signed police autopsy waivers
• The deceased's photo ID (Israeli identity card or foreign passport)

The burial permit authorises the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) to proceed with the funeral.

The First Week

Contact the Burial Society

In Israel, burials are coordinated by licensed burial societies (Chevra Kadisha) or civil funeral companies — not by commercial funeral homes in the Western sense. Bituach Leumi (National Insurance) covers all basic burial expenses on the day of the funeral, paying the burial society directly.

The family will not be charged for:

• Standard burial plot allocation
• Ritual purification and shroud
• Funeral service coordination
• Body transportation within the burial society's local area
• Refrigeration before the funeral day

Charges apply for closed cemeteries, premium plots, inter-municipal transport, and funeral route detours.

Get the Death Certificate

Download the digitally signed death certificate from the Government Personal Portal at gov.il. First-degree relatives registered in the database can access this directly. Foreign family members will need an Israeli attorney or a registered relative to obtain it.

Notify Your Embassy

If the deceased was a foreign citizen, contact the relevant embassy or consulate immediately:

• US Embassy Jerusalem: handles Consular Reports of Death Abroad (CRODA), which can take four to six months to process
• British Embassy Tel Aviv: assists with death registration and repatriation coordination
• Canadian Embassy: manages death notification and document authentication

The embassy cannot issue Israeli documents or intervene in local legal processes, but they can facilitate document authentication and help coordinate repatriation if the family chooses to ship the body home.

The First Month

Notify the Banks

Present the death certificate to every bank where the deceased held accounts. This triggers an immediate freeze on sole-ownership accounts. Joint accounts are restricted — the surviving holder's access depends on whether a Longevity Clause (Seif Arikhut Yamim) was pre-signed.

File Pension and Benefit Claims

Contact Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) to:

• Stop any ongoing pension payments to the deceased (to avoid accumulating state debt)
• File for survivors' pensions for eligible spouses and dependents
• Check eligibility for the Special Survivors' Benefit if the deceased immigrated to Israel later in life

Critical deadline: pension funds, provident funds, and life insurance policies have a 90-day window for tax-free withdrawal if the deceased was under 75 at death. Miss it, and the profit component faces 25% capital gains tax.

Secure the Property

If the deceased owned real estate, municipal property tax (Arnona) continues accruing. Notify the municipality and request a status hold if possible. Gather the property deed from the Land Registry (Tabu) — you'll need it for the eventual transfer.

The First Year

File for a Probate or Succession Order

Petition the Inheritance Registrar for a Probate Order (if a will exists) or Succession Order (if no will). Uncontested cases take 40 to 50 days. The order is the key that unlocks every frozen asset.

Transfer Property and Vehicle Titles

With the court order in hand:

• Real estate: submit transfer applications to the Land Registry (Tabu) with the order, signed transfer deeds, and municipal tax clearance
• Vehicles: inherited vehicles must be transferred in-person at the Ministry of Transport Licensing Bureau (online transfer is only available between living citizens)

Close Out the Estate

Present the court order to each bank to release frozen funds. Collect life insurance payouts. File final tax returns if needed. Distribute assets according to the will or statutory succession order.

If You're Managing This from Abroad

Every step above can be handled remotely through an Israeli estate attorney with a valid power of attorney — except vehicle transfers, which require an in-person visit by someone with the court order.

The Someone Died in Israel: English Speaker's Emergency Guide provides the complete timeline, every agency contact number, and the exact document sequence — designed specifically for English speakers navigating the Hebrew-language system.

See more Israel guides →