Married abroad and applying in Israel

First of all: registering the marriage

The Gradual Process for married couples (procedure 5.2.0008) is for a foreign partner married to an Israeli citizen in a marriage that can be registered. So the first step is registering the marriage in the Population Registry.

To register a marriage held abroad you need the original marriage certificate, authenticated with an apostille if it was issued in a country that is party to the Hague Convention, and translated into Hebrew by a notarised translation (a certificate in Arabic needs no translation). If there is no apostille, ask the Israeli mission in the country that issued the certificate for authentication instructions. Both partners appear together, at an office of the Authority or at an Israeli mission abroad, with their identity documents; the registration itself is free of charge.

Online marriages, for example a Utah marriage

A marriage held online, by video, under the law of the State of Utah is a marriage held abroad for the purpose of registration. The Supreme Court ruled in AAA 7368/22 (March 2024) that the registration clerk must register such a marriage on the basis of a valid public certificate, even when the couple were in Israel during the ceremony, and that the Authority's refusal to register them was unlawful. Registration is a record of personal status; it does not decide whether the marriage is valid, but it is what opens the married-couples track.

Ask the state that held the ceremony for an official marriage certificate with an apostille, and have it translated by a notary. Without the certificate in this form there is no registration, and without registration there is no married-couples track.

Where to file the application: three situations

• Both of you abroad: you apply together at an Israeli mission for entry into Israel, both of you present, even if the foreign partner is from a visa-exempt country. After approval and arrival in Israel you file the online application for status.
• You in Israel and your partner abroad: you file the online application in advance, before the arrival, including a request for an entry visa, even if your partner is from a visa-exempt country. The consulate starts handling your partner only after the application has been filed and in coordination with the office.
• Both of you in Israel: you file an online application on the Authority's service page. Anyone who cannot file online goes to the information desk at the nearest office, where an appointment is set and the list of documents is given.

The foreign partner's legal status on the day of filing matters. Someone staying in Israel unlawfully who applies is invited with their partner to an interview; if the relationship appears sincere, the procedure says departure will not be required until a decision is made, provided the application was filed in full and before enforcement steps were taken. Someone against whom a judgment ordering departure from Israel has been given is in a different situation, and that is a case for a lawyer before filing.

Going abroad to marry? A re-entry visa first

If the foreign partner is staying in Israel lawfully and you plan to go abroad to marry, before you have filed an application for status, the procedure allows the Israeli partner to request a re-entry visa for this purpose. The request is examined under the terms of procedure 5.2.0009, and after an initial check of the sincerity of the relationship a B/2 licence for three months and a re-entry visa can be given.

This rule applies throughout the process: anyone holding a temporary licence (B/2, B/1 or A/5) who leaves Israel without a re-entry visa loses the licence on departure.

The documents for opening the file

• Application form ASH/6; if your partner is abroad, also entry-visa application form ASH/1.
• Two recent passport photographs of each of you.
• The Israeli partner's identity card including the appendix (at a consulate: an Israeli identity document).
• The foreign partner's passport, valid for at least two years.
• The foreign partner's documents from abroad, original, lawfully authenticated and translated under procedure 1.3.0001: a birth certificate, name-change certificates if any, a personal-status certificate issued in the last six months (or a notarised affidavit where the country does not issue such a certificate), the marriage certificate, and a police clearance certificate for every applicant over the age of 14.
• An explanatory letter signed by both of you about the relationship, your shared life and how and for how long you have known each other.
• An affidavit on the truth of the material and on the duty to notify the office of any change in circumstances (page 3 of ASH/6).
• Evidence of the sincerity of the relationship and of a shared centre of life from at least the last year: confirmations from government institutions and the municipality, photographs together, letters and recommendations from family and friends (with a copy of the identity card and contact details of each recommender), and any record that shows the relationship and how long it has lasted.

A personal-status certificate and a police clearance certificate go stale quickly; obtain them close to the filing date. An incomplete file is usually not opened.

The documents guide

And what happens after filing

While the application is reviewed, the foreign partner receives a B/1 stay-and-work licence for up to half a year, which is not counted in the Gradual Process. Once the application is approved, the Gradual Process begins: a temporary residency licence A/5 for one year, then extensions of up to two years, four years in total, and at the end a choice between citizenship and permanent residency. The full stages are in the married-couples guide.

Married couples: the Gradual Process

How IsraelVisa helps

IsraelVisa helps you check which of the situations applies to you, collect the documents by this list, keep track of their validity and keep everything in one place until the day of filing. Most couples file themselves; if you wish, you can find independent lawyers through IsraelVisa.

Frequently asked questions

We married in Utah over Zoom. Does that count as a marriage abroad?

For registration, yes: the Supreme Court ruled in AAA 7368/22 that such a marriage must be registered on the basis of a valid public certificate, even when the couple were in Israel during the ceremony. You need an official certificate with an apostille and a notarised translation.

My partner is already in Israel as a tourist. Can we apply here?

Yes. When both of you are in Israel you file an online application on the Authority's service page; the legal status on the day of filing is checked.

My partner is still abroad. What is the order?

The Israeli partner files the online application in advance, including a request for an entry visa, before the arrival in Israel, even from a visa-exempt country.

How much does registering the marriage cost?

According to the Authority's service page, registering a change of personal status is free of charge. The application fee for the Gradual Process is a separate matter.

Related guides

• Married couples: the Gradual Process
• Documents for the Gradual Process: what to collect, and in what form
• Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Procedure 5.2.0008 - status for a foreign spouse married to an Israeli citizen (edition 16, 20.07.2026), sections C.2-C.8, C.12, C.25, D.2 (Hebrew)
• gov.il - application for status in Israel for the partner of an Israeli citizen or permanent resident (online filing, Hebrew)
• gov.il - change of personal status: registering a marriage held abroad (Hebrew)
• Procedure 1.3.0001 - authentication of public documents (Hebrew)
• Supreme Court, AAA 7368/22 - registration of online (Utah) marriages (Hebrew)