Short answer: if a relative died with possible financial assets in Israel, heirs abroad can use Israel’s official “Money Mountain” search service to identify institutions that may hold dormant bank accounts, deposits, pension savings or life-insurance rights. The search is a starting point, not proof of ownership and not an instruction to release money. Each institution must still verify the asset, the claimant’s authority and the documents required under the particular account, policy and estate.

This distinction matters. Finding the name of a bank or financial institution is often the easiest step. The practical work begins when the institution asks who is legally entitled to information, whether an Israeli probate or succession order is required, and how foreign identity and estate documents can be used in Israel.

What Israel’s “Money Mountain” search can do

The official Israeli search portal, commonly called Har HaKesef (“Money Mountain”), was established to help locate financial rights that may otherwise remain unknown. The Bank of Israel describes the banking component as a system for locating inactive bank accounts and deposits, including accounts whose owners are deceased. Its published guidance also explains that the search helps identify the relevant bank; the institution itself remains responsible for confirming the account and dealing with the claimant.

For an heir living outside Israel, the portal may help answer a preliminary question: which Israeli institution should we contact? It does not ordinarily replace a bank statement, disclose a verified balance, establish that the deceased owned the asset at death, or decide who inherits it.

The portal should be accessed only through the official government address. Similar-looking commercial websites may offer paid tracing or financial services, but they are not the government search system.

A practical process for heirs living abroad

1. Build a reliable identity file for the deceased

Before searching, collect the deceased person’s full legal name, Israeli identity number if available, date of death, last known Israeli address and any historical names. Old correspondence, tax records, pension statements, bank letters and employer documents can help distinguish the correct institution and account later.

Use another person’s identity details only when you are legally entitled to do so and comply with the portal’s terms. A family relationship alone should not be treated as unlimited authority to obtain or use private financial information.

2. Run the official search and preserve the result

Record the date of the search and keep the institution names returned. Do not assume that a result confirms a current balance. Conversely, a result that does not identify an institution should not automatically be treated as proof that no Israeli asset exists: names, identity details, account activity and product type can affect what is found, and some assets may need to be traced through other records.

3. Separate discovery from entitlement

Once an institution is identified, ask for its deceased-customer or estate procedure. The bank, insurer, pension fund or provident fund may require different documents. The claimant may need to show an Israeli probate order when there is a will, or an Israeli succession order when there is no operative will. Israel’s official Registrar of Inheritance pages explain the two application routes: a probate-order petition puts a will into effect, while an inheritance-order application identifies heirs under intestate succession.

Do not assume every pension or insurance right passes through the estate in the same way as a bank deposit. Beneficiary designations, fund rules and the nature of the product may affect who can claim and which documents are needed. The institution should be asked to state its requirements for the specific product.

4. Prepare foreign documents for Israeli use

Heirs abroad are commonly asked for passports, death and civil-status records, the will if one exists, and the relevant Israeli order. Depending on where a document was issued and how it will be used, an apostille, notarized certification or Hebrew translation may be required. Requirements should be confirmed before signatures and certifications are arranged; otherwise a document that is valid at home may still be unusable for the Israeli institution.

If several heirs are involved, the bank may also ask for coordinated instructions, tax or compliance information, and evidence explaining the destination account. Anti-money-laundering and identity checks can continue even after an inheritance or probate order has been issued.

5. Plan the transfer before funds are released

International transfers can require proof of the source of funds, account ownership and the legal basis for the payment. Ask both the Israeli institution and the receiving bank what they will require. Tax treatment can depend on the asset, the deceased, the heir’s residence and events after inheritance; broad statements about “no inheritance tax” do not answer every reporting or tax question in Israel or abroad.

How this differs from an ordinary Israeli bank-estate claim

A known account and an unknown account create different problems. If the family already knows the bank and account, the main task is usually proving authority and satisfying the bank’s estate procedure. If the institution itself is unknown, the search must come first. For the next stage, see Foreign Heirs and Israeli Bank Accounts After a Death.

Where no Israeli order has yet been obtained, the firm’s guide to applying for an Israeli probate or succession order from abroad explains the document and filing sequence. Legal representation for the wider matter is described on the Israeli inheritance and probate service page.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating a search result as a confirmed balance. It is a lead to an institution, not a verified valuation.
• Contacting only one department. Banks and financial groups may route estates, pensions and insurance claims through separate teams.
• Sending original documents too early. Confirm certification, apostille, translation and return requirements first.
• Assuming a foreign probate document automatically controls the Israeli asset. Its effect in Israel must be reviewed in the particular case.
• Ignoring beneficiary designations. Some financial products are governed by their own beneficiary and fund rules.
• Planning the Israeli release but not the receiving-bank process. Cross-border compliance questions can delay the transfer after the legal entitlement is established.

Checklist before contacting the institution

• Official search result and date of search
• Deceased person’s Israeli identity details and death certificate
• Will and information about any foreign estate proceeding
• Names, addresses and identification of the relevant heirs or beneficiaries
• Israeli probate or succession order, if already issued
• Questions about apostille, translation and notarization requirements
• Receiving-bank details and expected source-of-funds documents

FAQ

Does Money Mountain show how much money is held?

It should be treated as an institution-locating tool, not as a verified balance statement. The bank, insurer or fund must confirm whether an asset exists and what information can be disclosed.

Can an heir abroad complete the process without travelling to Israel?

Often substantial parts can be coordinated remotely, but this depends on the institution, the estate documents and the required signatures. Powers of attorney, notarization, apostilles or consular steps may be needed.

Is a foreign probate order enough for an Israeli bank?

Not necessarily. Its Israeli effect and the need for an Israeli probate or succession order should be checked before relying on it.

What if the search identifies a pension fund or life-insurance company?

Ask the institution to identify the product and its claim procedure. Beneficiary rules may differ from the distribution of an ordinary estate asset.

What if the family already knows the bank?

The search may add little. The practical focus should shift to the bank’s estate requirements, the Israeli order and cross-border document preparation.

Request Initial Consultation

If you live outside Israel and need to locate or claim a deceased relative’s Israeli financial assets, email office@aviv-law.co.il with a concise summary of the known institutions, the deceased person’s connection to Israel and the estate documents already available.

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Search results, entitlement, document requirements and transfer procedures depend on the specific institution, product, estate and jurisdictions involved.

Official sources

• Israel Ministry of Finance — Money Mountain search portal
• Bank of Israel — locating inactive accounts and accounts of deceased owners
• Bank of Israel — dormant deposits and deceased persons’ accounts project
• Registrar of Inheritance — petition for a probate order
• Registrar of Inheritance — request an inheritance order