Prenup for Olim - Protecting Assets When You Make Aliyah

You Made Aliyah - What Happens to the Assets You Left Behind?

Many olim arrive in Israel with entire lives built elsewhere: an apartment in Brooklyn, a pension fund in France, a bank account in London, or an active business in Johannesburg. The moment you marry in Israel - or even if you married abroad and established your life center here - Israeli law governs what happens to all of those assets.

This is exactly where a prenuptial agreement becomes critical.

Israel's Property Relations Law Applies - Even If You Married Abroad

Israel's Property Relations Law of 1973 sets a clear rule: without a prenup, all assets accumulated during marriage are split 50-50. This rule applies to every couple whose life center is in Israel - even if the wedding took place in New York, Paris, or Buenos Aires.

What does this mean in practice? An apartment you bought in the US before making aliyah, but continued paying the mortgage from your Israeli salary? A court could classify it as joint property. A pension you accumulated over 15 years abroad? It could be subject to equal division. Without an agreement - you have no control.

Assets in Multiple Countries - The Bureaucratic Nightmare

When a couple holds assets in more than one country, things get complicated fast:

• Dual jurisdiction: Who decides - an Israeli court or a foreign one? Sometimes both try to claim authority.
• Conflicting legal systems: Israel defaults to 50-50 division. Other countries (like some US states) follow "community property" or "equitable distribution" - entirely different frameworks.
• Foreign pension accounts: An American 401(k), a British ISA, or a French Livret A - all could enter the division pool.
• Currencies and exchange rates: An asset purchased in dollars, pounds, or euros - when do you calculate the value?

A prenup resolves this complexity. You decide in advance: what stays mine, what stays yours, and what is shared - regardless of which country the asset sits in. The agreement can even specify which legal system governs the division of a specific asset.

Mixed Couples - Israeli + Oleh/Olah

One of the most common scenarios: an Israeli marrying a new immigrant (or the other way around). In this situation, the gaps are striking:

• Legal knowledge gap: The Israeli partner has at least heard of the Property Relations Law. The oleh? Usually not.
• Economic gap: The oleh brings assets accumulated abroad over many years. The Israeli has an apartment their parents helped buy. Without a prenup - everything goes into one pot.
• Pension disparity: The oleh accumulated 20 years of pension abroad. The Israeli has 5 years. Without a prenup - it all splits 50-50.

A prenup lets each partner protect what they brought into the marriage, while creating a fair framework for what you build together.

Tax Implications for Olim - The Prenup Connection

New immigrants enjoy significant tax benefits, especially reduced purchase tax. But here is the crucial point:

• Purchase tax on an apartment: If one partner already owns property (say, abroad), buying an apartment in Israel could be classified as a "second property" - with much higher purchase tax.
• Property separation: A prenup with a property separation clause can separate the assets, so the foreign property remains private and the Israeli purchase qualifies as a "sole property" - with reduced tax.
• Savings of hundreds of thousands of shekels: On a ₪2.5 million apartment, the difference between sole-property tax and second-property tax can reach ₪150,000 or more.

Important: This benefit is especially relevant for olim bringing real estate from abroad. Without a prenup, the tax authority treats all assets of both spouses as joint.

Three Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: New Oleh Marrying an Israeli

Example: Sophie, an olah from France, is marrying Yossi from Ramat Gan. Sophie has an apartment in Paris and a French pension. Yossi has an apartment his parents helped him buy.

Recommended prenup: Each keeps what they brought. The apartments remain private. Future inheritances - private. What they accumulate together - shared.

Scenario 2: Two Olim Marrying in Israel

Example: David from London and Maria from Moscow met in Israel. Each has assets in their country of origin.

Recommended prenup: Clear definition of what belongs to whom by country. A mechanism for valuing foreign assets. A shared account for life in Israel.

Scenario 3: New Oleh with an Active Business Abroad

Example: Michael made aliyah from the US and has an active LLC in New York. He is marrying Dana from Tel Aviv.

Recommended prenup: The LLC stays in Michael's ownership. Protecting a business in a prenup is critical when dealing with a foreign business entity that an Israeli court may struggle to evaluate.

Why Noberu Is Especially Right for Olim

• Bilingual digital process: The platform works in Hebrew and English - no need to struggle through Hebrew-only bureaucracy.
• Tailored questionnaire: Specific questions about foreign assets, dual citizenship, and international arrangements.
• Lawyers who understand: Our attorneys are experienced with agreements involving international elements.
• Transparent pricing: ₪990 per couple - no surprises. Compared to ₪5,000-15,000 the traditional way.
• From home: No need to take half a day off to drive to a lawyer's office. Everything is online.

The Bottom Line

Making aliyah is a brave and exciting step. But with two lives - one abroad and one in Israel - your legal protection needs to cover both. A prenup is not a sign of distrust. It is a sign that you understand the legal reality, and that you want to protect what you have built - before and after aliyah.

Start your agreement - in Hebrew and English →