Israel Company Formation

Israeli Limited Company Formation

All companies in Israel must register with The Registrar of Companies (Ministry of Justice) and the Tax Authorities (Ministry of Finance). Whilst Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel, in practice, corporate documents in English will generally be accepted by the Registrar. However the Company Registrar does require that the Articles of Association be translated into Hebrew.

To register a business as a company with the Companies Registrar, the following documents must be submitted:

1. Form No.1 of the Companies Registrar – an application form to register a company.
2. Memorandum of Association, which establishes the corporate identity and principal objectives of the company, shareholders’ responsibility and shares issued.
3. Articles of Association, which set forth rules of conduct for the company. Should a company not submit its own Articles of Association, then the standard articles which are listed in the Companies Ordinance will be in force for this company.
4. The fee for registering a company is currently NIS 2,244.

After registration is complete, the Registrar will issue the company with a Certificate of Incorporation and a company number (of 9 digits). An Israeli lawyer is required to verify the company documents. Usually a lawyer will handle the process for most requests and represent the company at the Companies Registrar’s office as well. Once the company has been registered with the Registrar, it must be registered with the appropriate Tax Authorities.

Registration as a company should be made at the Tax Authority upon commencement of operations. The filing number is usually the same one as the one issued by the Companies Registrar. Registration is made using Form 4436, which includes basic details of the company.

Company Name

An Israeli company must have a unique name which is not similar to any already existing company.

Registered Office

An Israeli company formation requires both a Registered Agent and Registered Office. We will provide this service.

Directors

There are no restrictions on nationality or residency.

Shareholders

Only one shareholder is required to incorporate an Israeli corporation. The shareholder can be the same person as the director. Corporate Shareholders are permitted.

Company Secretary

There is no requirement to appoint a company secretary in Israel but a corporate auditor must be appointed.

Share Capital

There is no minimum share capital.

Timescale

Time to incorporate – around 7 days.

Proof of Identity

As part of our due diligence, we require proof of identity in the form of a passport copy for all directors and shareholders of the company.

Filing Requirements

The Israeli Tax Authority and Company Registrar requires yearly financial records to be presented and submitted. The company must appoint a corporate auditor.

Israel Company Formation Fees

Travel

It is not required to visit Israel to incorporate a company.

Bank Account

Opening a bank account is not required in order to incorporate the company.