🇮🇱 Israel · Business Banking
Opening business and personal bank accounts, remote options, required documents, and fees.
Quick answer
Residents open an account with a valid passport or Israeli ID, a tax identification number and proof of address; you almost always apply in person. Non-residents face much tighter rules and many banks decline them — a few institutions (e.g. Bank of Jerusalem) offer dedicated non-resident accounts requiring proof of source of funds. The Bank of Israel supervises banks under strict AML/CTF rules.
Banks are supervised by the Bank of Israel (Banking Supervision Department). A company needs its registration and tax records to open a corporate account.
- The Bank of Israel supervises banks and sets monetary policy.
- Opening a corporate account requires company and tax documentation.
- Banks apply customer-due-diligence and anti-money-laundering checks.
Step-by-step
- 1
Confirm your status (resident vs non-resident)
Non-residents (generally under 183 days/year, no Israeli tax residency) have far fewer options and should target a bank that accepts them.
- 2
Choose a bank
A major bank (Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Discount, Mizrahi-Tefahot); for a non-resident account, an institution such as Bank of Jerusalem that offers them.
- 3
Gather your documents
A valid passport or Israeli ID, a tax identification number, proof of address, and — especially for non-residents — proof of the source of funds.
- 4
Apply in person
Most banks require a branch visit to verify identity and complete AML/CTF due diligence before the account is opened.
- 5
For a company, add corporate documents
A corporate account additionally requires the company registration and tax records, plus ID for owners and authorised signatories.
Checklist
- Valid passport or Israeli ID
- Tax identification number
- Proof of address
- Proof of source of funds (especially non-residents)
- Company registration + tax records — business accounts
Official authorities
- Bank of Israel
Central bank and banking supervisor.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner open a bank account in Israel?
Non-residents face strict rules and many banks decline them; a few institutions offer dedicated non-resident accounts, and you almost always need to apply in person with proof of the source of funds.
Do I need to visit Israel to open an account?
In most cases yes — banks generally require an in-person branch visit to verify your identity and complete anti-money-laundering checks.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.