Israeli documents for use in the United States and Canada
Living in North America and need an Israeli birth, marriage or death certificate? Whether you need an apostille depends on who will receive the document. Here is how to tell, and how we get the originals to you.
Both countries accept apostilles
The United States and Canada are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. Canada joined most recently, with the Convention in force there since 11 January 2024. An Israeli document with an apostille no longer needs consular legalization for either country.
Not every authority asks for an apostille, though. Always check what the receiving office actually requires before ordering.
US immigration: usually a certified translation
For filings with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), federal regulations require that any document in a foreign language come with a full English translation, certified by the translator as complete and accurate. USCIS does not generally require an apostille.
If your document is going to USCIS, tell us. We prepare the English translation with the certification wording the filing needs.
When an apostille or a paper original matters
- Courts, probate and estate proceedings, for example for a relative who died in Israel.
- State or provincial agencies, schools and financial institutions that ask for authenticated documents.
- Applications for a third country's citizenship made from North America, such as a Romanian citizenship file submitted through a consulate in the US or Canada, which needs paper originals with a physical apostille.
- Any authority that asks for the original certificate rather than a copy.
Your power of attorney: three ways to sign
To collect documents on your behalf we need your power of attorney. Choose the route that fits you:
Online, in minutes
Israeli citizens and residents aged 18 or over with an active Israeli national digital ID (GovID) can grant us a power of attorney online through the Population and Immigration Authority. No notary and no mail.
At an Israeli embassy or consulate
Israeli citizens abroad can sign the power of attorney directly before the Israeli consul, without a notary.
Before a local notary
Anyone else signs before a notary in their country of residence. The notarized power of attorney must then be authenticated with an apostille. We send you the exact wording.
For the embassy and notary routes we need the original signed document, sent to our office by courier.
Who handles your request: Every request is reviewed by Adv. Yehonatan Pudim, an Israeli attorney and notary (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2006), with offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Rated 5.0 by clients on Google and LawReviews.
Reviewed by Adv. Yehonatan Pudim, Attorney & Notary · Updated November 2026
Frequently asked questions
No. If you have an active Israeli digital ID (GovID), you can sign a power of attorney online in minutes. Otherwise you can sign at an Israeli consulate.
International courier delivery usually takes a few business days after the documents are ready. We send you the tracking number.
We currently provide notarized translations into English only.
Government fees are listed separately in the quote, so you see exactly what goes to the authorities and what is our service fee.
Usually one to two weeks from receiving your power of attorney, any document you must supply and payment. An Israeli police certificate usually takes three to four weeks. Courier delivery is additional.
Related pages: Birth certificate · Death certificate · Apostille and notarized translation · Apostille guide
Official sources
Requirements and fees change from time to time. These are the official pages behind the information here.
Ready to start?
Send us your request. Adv. Pudim reviews every request personally and replies with a written quote.
The information on this site is general and does not constitute legal advice. Government requirements and fees change from time to time; we confirm the current requirements when we review each request.