Search Israel Companies Registrar: Verify Any Israeli Business in 2026

TL;DR. Israel’s official company registry is the Companies Registrar (Rasham HaChavarot), run by the Israel Corporations Authority under the Ministry of Justice. Basic status searches are free online. Certified extract copies cost ILS 17 to ILS 55 (~USD 5 to USD 15). The portal is primarily in Hebrew, with partial English functionality. Foreign buyers can access the system without an Israeli identity document. Israel was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2025.

What is the official Israel business registry?

The official registry for Israeli companies is the Companies Registrar (Rasham HaChavarot), operated by the Israel Corporations Authority (ICA) under the Ministry of Justice. The ICA administers registration, regulation, and dissolution of companies, partnerships, cooperative societies, and foreign companies operating in Israel. The authority’s main government portal is at gov.il/en/departments/israel_corporations_authority.

The legal foundation is the Israeli Companies Law (1999) (Hok HaChavarot), which established the current registry structure. Companies are assigned a unique company number (Mispar Chevra) at registration. All registered companies, including foreign companies registered to operate in Israel, appear in the registry.

The ICA also maintains separate registers for partnerships (Rasham HaShutafuyot), nonprofit associations (Rasham HaAmutot), cooperatives (Rasham HaAgudot HaShtufiyot), and benefit companies (Hevra Le’Toelet HaTzibur). For compliance purposes, the main Companies Registrar is the relevant source for standard commercial entities.

All online services for company search and document ordering are accessible through the gov.il portal. The legacy system at ica.justice.gov.il has been largely migrated to gov.il, though some document ordering workflows may still redirect through the older domain.

What can you search?

Free basic search (no account required):

• Search by company name (Hebrew or English) or company number (Mispar Chevra)
• Returns: company name, company number, legal status (active, in voluntary liquidation, in court-ordered liquidation, dissolved), company type (private, public, foreign), date of registration, and registered address
• Partial name search is supported for Hebrew names; English name matching depends on the registered English trade name

Registered portal search (account required, some paid):

• Full registered details: directors, shareholders (for private companies where not exempted), company secretary, registered office, and memorandum and articles of association
• Annual return filings and financial statement filings (where applicable for public companies)
• Court orders, charges registered against the company, and enforcement notices
• Certified company extract (Teur Chevra or Nesach): the official certified document showing the full current registry record, used for legal and bank purposes

Listed companies:

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) operates its own disclosure system (the Maya platform) for listed company filings, including annual reports, immediate reports, and prospectuses. Maya is separate from the Companies Registrar and is accessible at maya.tase.co.il.

How much does it cost?

Prices are based on the Israel Corporations Authority published fee schedule as of May 2026. ILS/USD conversion used: 3.65 (approximate; verify at point of purchase). Payment for online documents is by credit card through the gov.il payment portal. Prices are subject to annual adjustment by the Ministry of Justice.

Free searches cover status, registration date, and company type, which is sufficient for initial counterparty identification. Paid documents are required for director details, shareholder records, and certified extracts needed for legal or banking purposes.

Do you need a local account or ID?

For free basic status searches, no account is required. The public search on gov.il returns status and basic registration data without registration.

For ordered documents (certified extracts, articles of association, director searches), a registered account on the gov.il platform is required. Account creation requires a valid email address and phone number. An Israeli identity number (Teudat Zehut) is not required from foreign applicants; foreign nationals can create accounts using their passport or non-Israeli contact details.

Foreign companies registered to operate in Israel (Chevra Zara) appear in the same registry and are searchable by the same methods.

Is the website in English?

Partial. The gov.il platform and the ICA department pages are available in both Hebrew and English, and the English interface covers basic navigation and department information. However, the document ordering system and detailed company file searches function primarily in Hebrew. Company names appear in both Hebrew and English where the company has registered an English name, but many private Israeli companies register only a Hebrew name.

Certified company extracts (Nesach) are issued in Hebrew. Foreign buyers requiring English documentation must arrange a certified translation separately.

For compliance workflows where the buyer does not read Hebrew, using a local data supplier (BDI Coface or D&B Israel) is the practical path to usable English documentation.

What’s the turnaround time?

For free online status searches, results are instant.

For online document orders (Nesach and copies of filings), delivery is typically within 1 to 3 business days by email. The ICA processes orders during Israeli business hours (Sunday to Thursday; Friday mornings only). Orders placed before major Jewish holidays or during the Passover and High Holiday periods may take longer.

For posted certified extracts, delivery within Israel takes 3 to 5 business days. International postal delivery adds further time; international buyers typically arrange courier pickup or use a local representative.

Is there an API?

No public API is available from the Israel Corporations Authority for company registry data as of May 2026. Document ordering and company searches are available only through the gov.il web interface.

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Maya system provides an API for listed company filings and disclosures. For private company registry data, there is no official programmatic access.

Local data suppliers (see section below) provide API-based access to Israeli company data for compliance platforms that need programmatic integration.

What you legally cannot do

The Israel Companies Law and the ICA’s terms of use apply the following restrictions:

• Systematic bulk downloading of company records from the registry portal for the purpose of building a competing database is not permitted.
• Certified company extracts (Nesach Musdak) are issued as official documents. Reproducing or altering certified documents is a criminal offense under Israeli law.
• Company data obtained from the registry may not be used for unsolicited commercial solicitation in a manner that violates Israel’s Spam Law (Amendment No. 40 to the Communications Law, 2008).
• Privacy restrictions apply to personal data about individuals appearing in company filings. Israel’s Privacy Protection Law (1981) and its regulations impose obligations on any entity that processes such data commercially.

Compliance buyers conducting CDD, UBO verification, or AML screening using the ICA registry are within the permitted use scope of the public register, provided purpose is documented.

Practical tips for foreign users

• Company number is the reliable identifier. The Mispar Chevra (company number) is a stable identifier that does not change when a company changes its name. Use it as the primary key in any due diligence file. It appears in the free status search result.
• Check status carefully. Israeli company status codes can include: active (Paila), suspended (Muakevet), in voluntary liquidation (Piruk Retroni), in court-ordered liquidation (Piruk Al Pi Beit Mishpat), and dissolved (Murchevet). A suspended company has failed to file its annual return but may still be trading. Confirm active status before transacting.
• Annual returns are filing indicators, not financial statements. Israeli private companies are not required to file public financial statements (unlike listed companies). The annual return confirms that the company has reported its directors and registered address. For financial data on a private company, a commercial credit bureau report is the only practical option.
• Director search is available. The ICA registry allows a paid search by individual director name to find all Israeli companies a person is a director of. This is useful for mapping connected entities in counterparty due diligence.
• Foreign companies registered in Israel. A foreign company that maintains a branch or registered presence in Israel must register as a Chevra Zara with the ICA. These appear in the same registry with a “foreign company” status indicator and list a local Israeli representative.
• Company number prefix. Israeli company numbers issued to private companies typically begin with 51, while public companies typically begin with 52. Foreign companies registered to operate in Israel (Chevra Zara) typically receive numbers beginning with 52 or another series. These prefixes are not strict rules but are a useful pattern for quickly identifying the company type from the number alone.
• Israel and FATF. Israel completed its FATF Mutual Evaluation in 2018 and was placed on a follow-up monitoring track. It was removed from enhanced follow-up and exited the FATF grey list in October 2025 following a series of AML law amendments, including extended reporting obligations to lawyers and accountants. Check fatf-gafi.org for current country standing.
• OECD member since 2010. Israel joined the OECD in 2010 and is a participant in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. It has committed to the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for automatic exchange of tax information.
• Hebrew calendar and business hours. The Israeli business week runs Sunday to Thursday. Friday is a half-day. Jewish holidays (including Passover, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Hanukkah) result in ICA closures of varying length. Plan document orders with this calendar in mind.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

The Hebrew-language interface and the absence of a public API make direct access to the ICA registry challenging for most international compliance buyers. The registry also does not provide financial data on private companies.

• Local data suppliers (see section below): BDI Coface and Dun & Bradstreet Israel both produce packaged company reports in English with registry data, financial indicators, and credit risk scoring.
• TASE Maya platform for listed companies: listed company annual reports and immediate reports are available at maya.tase.co.il, with English-language filings available for companies with international investor bases.

Local data suppliers

If you need a packaged report rather than a raw ICA extract, Israel has a set of established providers:

• BDI Coface (bdicoface.co.il). A joint venture between BDI (Business Data Israel) and Coface, a global trade credit insurance and business intelligence group. Provides company credit reports, payment behavior data, financial analysis, and trade credit insurance for Israeli businesses. Widely used by Israeli and international banks, insurers, and corporate treasury teams for counterparty risk assessment.
• Dun & Bradstreet Israel (dbisrael.co.il). The Israeli affiliate of Dun & Bradstreet, providing D-U-N-S numbered company profiles, credit risk scores (Paydex and DUNS Credit Scores), director and shareholder information, financial benchmarking, and AML compliance screening for Israeli entities. Covers both private and public Israeli companies.

Use the ICA Companies Registrar for the authoritative official filing record. Use BDI Coface or D&B Israel when you need payment behavior, financial data, or credit risk scoring layered on top of the registry information. Both suppliers provide API access for compliance platforms requiring programmatic integration with Israeli company data.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Israel Companies Registrar without an Israeli identity number?

Yes, with limitations. The basic status search on gov.il is fully open and requires no account or Israeli identity number. For ordered documents (certified extracts, director reports), a gov.il account is required, but account creation does not require an Israeli identity number. Foreign nationals can register using non-Israeli contact details and a valid credit card for payment.

What is the company number (Mispar Chevra) and where do I find it?

The Mispar Chevra is a unique identifier assigned at the time of company registration by the Israel Corporations Authority. It does not change when the company changes its name or address. The number appears in the free status search result on gov.il. It is the recommended primary identifier for any due diligence file involving an Israeli company.

Where do I find an Israeli company’s directors and shareholders?

Director information is available in the paid company extract (Nesach) ordered from the ICA. A paid director name search can also identify all companies where an individual holds a directorship. Shareholder information for private Israeli companies is filed with the ICA but is not always freely visible in the public search; a paid Nesach typically includes current shareholder details. For listed companies, shareholder disclosures above threshold levels are filed with the TASE Maya system.

Does Israel have a public beneficial ownership register?

Not yet in a publicly searchable form as of May 2026. Israel’s Anti-Money Laundering Law has been amended to require companies to maintain internal beneficial owner records and report them to the Companies Registrar, but public access to this beneficial ownership data remains restricted. UBO identification in Israel requires combining the ICA company extract, shareholder register inquiry, and, where applicable, local data supplier reports.

How current is the registry data?

The ICA registry is updated when companies file changes, which they are legally required to do within 14 days for most changes (directors, address, company name). The annual return must be filed once per year. A company showing as “suspended” has typically not filed its annual return for one or more years. The Nesach is a certified snapshot as of the date of issue; it reflects the registry state at that moment.

Is Israel on the FATF grey list?

No. Israel was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2025. Israel had been in enhanced follow-up since its 2018 Mutual Evaluation, during which it implemented AML and counter-terrorism financing law amendments including extending reporting obligations to lawyers, accountants, and high-value dealers. FATF confirmed removal after assessing that the outstanding technical recommendations had been addressed. For current status, check fatf-gafi.org.

What types of companies are registered in Israel?

The main company types are: private company (Chevra Pratit, equivalent to a private limited company); public company (Chevra Tzibhurit, whose shares are offered to the public or listed on TASE); foreign company (Chevra Zara, a company incorporated outside Israel that registers to operate locally); benefit company (Hevra Le’Toelet HaTzibur, a hybrid social enterprise); and nonprofit association (Amuta, registered separately with Rasham HaAmutot). The company type is shown in the free status search result.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Israel Corporations Authority, Ministry of Justice (gov.il/en/departments/israel_corporations_authority), Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Maya platform (maya.tase.co.il), FATF (fatf-gafi.org), OECD Global Forum on Transparency (oecd.org).