blog.cat.money7 min read8/6/2026

Account Seizure Due to Debt in Israel: Which Funds Are Protected and How to Lift the Seizure

The seizure of a current account as part of enforcement proceedings does not mean that any amount deposited into it may be permanently taken. During the first few days, it is important to identify the case number and type of seizure, confirm the source of the funds, and apply to the registrar of the Enforcement and Collection Authority with a specific request to cancel or stay the procedure.

Numbers and facts

•80% of net salary — one of the limits used to calculate the protected portion.
•Code 61 — request to stay a procedure.
•Code 62 — request to cancel a procedure.
•Up to 45 days — the period for issuing a decision on Form 214.
•*35592 — the Enforcement and Collection Authority information line.

First, Determine Exactly What Has Been Seized

The bank acts as a third party holding the debtor’s funds, but the decision to cancel the seizure is not made by a bank employee. Check the enforcement proceedings personal account for the case number, the number of the specific procedure, and whether the order applies to the current account, salary, or both. Ask the bank for the seizure notice and an account statement showing the source, date, and purpose of each deposit. A common mistake is to request cancellation of “all restrictions,” even though seizure of an account is a separate enforcement procedure.

What Portion of Salary Is Protected

A salary cannot automatically be withheld in full: the protected portion is determined by comparing the amount in the prescribed table with 80% of net salary after mandatory deductions. If the amount in the table is lower than 80% of net salary, the employee must be left with the table amount; the excess may be seized. There is no single protected shekel amount for everyone, so it is incorrect to state one without the current table and information about the specific debtor. If the seizure is directed to the employer and simultaneously applies to the bank account, an application to cancel the salary seizure must be filed separately from the application concerning the current account.

Which Other Payments Cannot Be Treated as Ordinary Savings

The list of protected funds separately identifies payments to a debtor who is not a salaried employee, up to the amount of earnings exempt from seizure. The protection also extends to a budgetary pension, including pension payments and disability payments to employees, although the legal treatment depends on the type and source of the funds. The mere fact that funds are held in a bank account does not explain their source to the registrar. Therefore, it is useful to attach statements and documents from the payer to a request for release of the funds, allowing a specific deposit to be linked to a protected payment. The provided materials contain neither a universal list of all National Insurance Institute benefits nor a general protected amount in shekels, so the assertion that “no benefit may ever be touched” is too broad.

How to Submit a Request to Cancel or Limit the Seizure

To cancel the procedure, use an application to cancel a procedure, designated in Form 214 by code 62; code 61 is provided for a temporary stay. When requesting cancellation of the seizure of a current account, the bank details must be entered in section 4ה of the form; when applying in relation to salary, the employer’s name and address must be provided. It is also advisable to specify the number of the previous procedure. The application must state the reasons, be signed, and include documents relevant to the case, including a court decision, if one exists. Through the personal account, the application is submitted under a special code without attaching the form itself; a debtor without a lawyer may also contact the office handling the case by email or fax, send the documents by post, or submit them in person. The debtor is entitled to submit such an application in person at any enforcement proceedings office.

What Happens After Submission

The application is forwarded to the enforcement proceedings registrar, a judicial officer within the enforcement system. The registrar reviews the specific request, its grounds, and the attached documents, so the statement “the account contains essential funds” is weaker than a statement showing the identified source of the deposit. The decision can be tracked through the personal account or the automated line at *35592 or 073-2055000 by providing the identity card number and case number. After the seizure is canceled, confirmation can be generated independently through the personal account without visiting the office; it is then advisable to check whether the bank has received the order and whether access to the account has been restored.

FAQ

Can the bank lift the seizure on its own if only a benefit is deposited into the account?

The bank does not cancel an enforcement procedure at its own discretion. If protected deposits have been blocked, their source should be documented for the registrar, together with a request to cancel or limit the seizure.

Is there a fixed minimum amount in shekels that must be left from salary?

There is no universal amount for all debtors. The calculation depends on the prescribed table and the limit linked to 80% of net salary, so a specific amount cannot safely be stated without current information.

Where should an application to lift the seizure of a bank account be submitted?

It can be submitted through the enforcement proceedings personal account. A debtor without a lawyer may also use the email address or fax number of the office handling the case, send it by post, or submit it in person; for in-person submission, the debtor may apply at any enforcement proceedings office.

Must the salary seizure be canceled separately?

Yes. Salary seizure and seizure of a current bank account are separate procedures. An application concerning salary must include the employer’s details, while an application concerning a bank account must include the details of the specific account.

Will the seizure disappear automatically after payment of the debt or an agreement with the creditor?

Form 214 lists reduction of the principal debt amount and an agreement with the creditor as possible grounds for a cancellation request. They should be stated in the application, proof of the agreement or payment should be attached, and formal cancellation must then be awaited.

What to do next

Immediately save the bank statement, seizure notice, documents showing the source of protected payments, and the case and procedure numbers. Then submit a specific request to cancel or stay the seizure, separately identifying the account or employer, and track the decision through the personal account. This sequence helps prepare the application but does not replace an assessment of the circumstances of the specific case.