Affidavits in Israel

What is an affidavit?

An affidavit is a written statement made voluntarily by a person (the affiant), who swears or affirms that the information is true, in front of someone legally authorized to confirm the declaration (such as a lawyer or notary).

Affidavits can be either written freely as a list of statements (following a format) or incorporated into official forms, where you only have to fill in the missing details (for example, form AS6). All affidavits will have a bottom section that is dedicated to their validation – the approval of getting the declaration. This section is to be filled by the validating authority (usually, a lawyer).

Affidavits are legal documents, and signing one is a legal action. In Israel, what gives an affidavit its legal standing is that it is signed in front of an authorized official (such as a lawyer), who verifies the identity of the affiant and warns them that they are declaring the truth, and that providing false information is punishable by law.

In the gradual process, affidavits are typically used to confirm facts that cannot be verified through official documents – for example, when the foreign partner’s country of origin does not issue a specific type of certificate. Click here to read more about affidavits in the partner visa process.

Who can validate my affidavit in Israel?

These are the authorities that can validate an affidavit in Israel:

1. An Israeli lawyer
2. An Israeli notary – only notaries can create a notarial affidavit. If you were asked to submit a notarial affidavit, you must do it with a notary.
3. The Magistrate’s court – either with a “lawyer on duty” or at the court’s secretariat (chief secretary or deputy chief secretary) – check the link for a list of magistrate’s courts in Israel and opening hours. No appointment is needed.

Note! In the partner visa process, PIBA also accepts consular affidavits made either before a foreign consul in Israel or an Israeli consul abroad. Notarial affidavits made abroad are also allowed, as long as they are accompanied by apostille (or another of of authentication, as applies).

How to make an affidavit in Israel?

Note! An affiant must understand the contents of their affidavit. If you don’t speak the language in which the document is written, make sure the content is translated for you in advance.

Do not sign the affidavit when you’re on your own!

1. Write or fill in the details of your affidavit, but leave the signature line empty.
2. Find an authority to validate your affidavit – it can be any licensed Israeli lawyer or the magistrate’s court secretariat. No appointment is needed for the services of the Magistrate’s court, you can just walk in during opening hours.
3. Once you are in front of the necessary authority, you will have to verify your identity with an identification document, such as an Israeli ID (Teudat Zehut) or passport.
4. The authority will warn you that you have to state the truth and that failing to do so is punishable by law. They may ask you to read the declaration or confirm that you are aware of its contents.
5. After confirming that, you will be asked to sign the affidavit in front of the authority.
6. After signing, the relevant authority will fill in their details in the validation format that is at the bottom of the page, sign it and stamp it with a stamp.

Your affidavit is ready!

How much does it cost to make an affidavit?

The cost depends on the authority validating the affidavit:

• If you find a lawyer who agrees to do it for free – that’s great!
• The court secretariat and duty lawyers at the Magistrate’s Court charge a fixed fee of 55 NIS per signature [2025 rates].
• Private lawyers typically charge between 100 to 250 NIS, plus VAT.
• Notarial affidavits cost 195 NIS for the first affiant and 78 NIS for each additional affiant, plus VAT [2025 rates].

Note: The listed fees cover only signature validation. Extra charges may apply if you need drafting, wording, document preparation, or other legal services.