Depositing, changing and revoking a will in Israel – what the Succession Law and Regulations provide.

Wills & Succession · October 22, 2026 · 7 min read

The short answer

Under section 21 of the Succession Law, 5725-1965, a person who has made a handwritten will or a will before witnesses may deposit it with the Registrar for Inheritance Matters, and deposit is made by the testator personally. A will before an authority may also be deposited (section 22(e)). A will kept on deposit until the testator’s death is prima facie evidence that the named person made it, no later than the date of deposit. The testator may take the will back at any time. Deposit is made at the Registrar’s offices by prior appointment, or remotely on the Administrator General’s website – in which case the original must be delivered within 45 days (regulation 6B of the Succession Regulations). The fee for 2026 is NIS 126, but a first deposit – and any deposit not preceded by another in the last five years – is exempt. Revoking or changing a will is governed by section 36 of the Law, and deposit does not change those rules.

1. What may be deposited, and by whom

According to the service page of the Administrator General and Official Receiver for Inheritance Matters (Ministry of Justice), deposit is available only to holders of a valid Israeli identity card.

2. The deposit procedure

At the Registrar’s offices. Under regulation 6 of the Succession Regulations, 5758-1998, the testator attends the Registrar’s offices with the original will, is questioned on their identity and hands the will to an authorised staff member. The will is scanned as a backup, placed in a closed, sealed envelope marked with the depositor’s details and the date, and the deposit is entered in the national register. The depositor receives a confirmation. According to the service page, deposit at the offices is by prior appointment.

Remotely. Under regulation 6B, a will may be deposited remotely by sending a scanned colour copy on the Administrator General’s website, with high-assurance identification. The original must be delivered to the Registrar’s offices within 45 days; otherwise the deposit is deleted from the national register. According to the Administrator General’s information page, a notary can carry out a remote deposit, including deposit of a digital notarial will.

3. Fee

Source: items 5 and 5A of the Schedule to the Succession Regulations (Fees of the Registrar for Inheritance Matters), 5758-1998, as set in the notice published in Kovetz HaTakanot 12149 of 25.12.2025, p. 483. Item 5A was added in Kovetz HaTakanot 5785, p. 76; according to the Administrator General’s information page, the exemption has applied since 1 January 2025.

4. Confidentiality

Under regulation 5 of the Succession Regulations, deposited wills and the records relating to them are kept confidential, and no information about them is given while the testator is alive. After death, an interested party may obtain the national-register details concerning the deceased and may apply to the Registrar to inspect the will.

5. Taking the will back

Under section 21(c) of the Succession Law, the testator may take back a deposited will at any time. Under regulation 6(f), this is done on written request: the Registrar verifies the applicant’s identity and hands over the will against their signature, the deposit is deleted from the national register, and the scanned file is permanently deleted. Taking a will back is not among the methods of revocation listed in section 36 of the Law.

6. What happens after death

• Duty to deliver. Under section 75 of the Succession Law, anyone holding a will must deliver it, in the original or a certified copy, to the Registrar for Inheritance Matters as soon as they learn of the testator’s death. Breach is punishable by three months’ imprisonment or a fine.
• Search of the national register. Under regulation 18, when an application for a succession order or a probate order is filed, the Registrar checks the national register for a deposited or delivered will. If a will is found that is not the subject of the application, the Registrar notifies its beneficiaries by registered mail, and they may object within 14 days.
• Where no application is filed. Under section 76 of the Law and regulation 9, if no application to probate a deposited will is filed within three months of the death (for a will delivered under section 75, of its delivery if later), the Registrar opens the will and notifies its beneficiaries.

7. Revoking or changing a will

Under section 36(a) of the Succession Law, a testator may revoke their will by express revocation made in one of the forms for making a will, or by destroying it; if the testator destroyed the will, they are presumed to have intended to revoke it. Under section 36(b), a new will revokes the earlier one to the extent their provisions conflict, unless it merely adds to it. These rules apply even where the earlier will was deposited: deposit creates prima facie evidence that the named person made the will, no later than the date of deposit (section 21(b)), but gives the deposited will no priority over a later will.

Under section 27 of the Law, an undertaking not to change a will has no effect, and a provision restricting the right to change or revoke a will is void. The exception is a mutual will of spouses under section 8A – see the article on mutual wills.

Frequently asked questions

Is a will that was not deposited valid?

Yes. Section 21 of the Succession Law says the testator may deposit their will, and does not make validity depend on it. A will is valid if made in one of the forms in sections 18 to 23 of the Law.

Can a will be deposited through an attorney-in-fact?

Section 21(a) of the Succession Law requires the will to be handed over by the testator personally. Regulation 6B of the Succession Regulations allows remote deposit with identification of the testator or the authority, and regulation 6A allows an authority to deposit a will signed with its electronic signature.

Does a new will revoke the deposited will?

Under section 36 of the Succession Law – if it expressly revokes it, or to the extent its provisions conflict with those of the deposited will. Deposit itself gives the earlier will no priority.

How much does it cost to deposit a will?

Under the notice published in Kovetz HaTakanot on 25.12.2025, the fee for 2026 is NIS 126. A deposit is exempt if no earlier will of the testator was deposited in the five years before it.

The above is general information on Israeli law only, current as of the date of publication, and does not constitute legal advice or a substitute for advice on your specific circumstances. Fee amounts are those published in Reshumot at the date of publication and are updated from time to time. Consult a lawyer before acting.

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