If you find yourself needing to notarize a document for United States authorities while living in Israel, you may find yourself – as many people do – looking for a US notary in Israel. In fact, there are no ‘American notaries in Israel’, due to the legal nature of being a notary, which you can read about below. But fortunately, there is a solution for those who need to notarize an American document.
Why is there no such thing as a US notary in Israel?
United States attorneys are permitted to practice only within the physical confines of their state. They are not permitted to practice outside this border, nor may they notarize documents remotely. Therefore, even if a qualified US notary for the relevant state you need came to Israel, they would be of no help to you.
You may have seen some Israeli notaries advertising themselves as US notaries in Israel. This is in order to reach a wider audience, as most of their potential clients do not know about the legal status of notaries and simply look for one qualified to work in the US to solve their problem. In fact, the Israeli notary is equipped to handle foreign notarization – dubbing themselves ‘American notaries’ helps them to advertise this service.
How can an Israeli lawyer help me?
An Israeli lawyer who has passed the notarization course with the Ministry of Justice – that is, who serves as an notary in Israel – can help you with any documents you need notarizing for the United States system.
The lawyer will sign your document and stamp it with an apostille, which verifies that it is valid for use in America. This process can be done quickly – sometimes in as little as a few hours – does not take an extremely long wait time (as services in the American Embassy do), and is regulated in price by the Ministry of Justice, meaning it is reasonably affordable.
How do I pick an Israeli lawyer for help in notarizing my document?
First, remember that all Israeli notaries are also lawyers, not all Israeli lawyers are notaries. In order to become a notary, a lawyer must have several years’ experience and must also have passed the relevant course with the Ministry of Justice.
Once you’ve covered this, make sure your notary has experience covering foreign notarization and is familiar with the apostille process.
