Married online abroad: registration in Israel and the Gradual Process
Written by Alon, founder of IsraelVisa · Based on the procedures of the Population and Immigration Authority
Published: 5 November 2026
The short answer
A marriage held by video call, with an officiant in a foreign state such as Utah and the couple at home, produces a certificate of that state. For the Population Registry it is a marriage held abroad: the Supreme Court ruled in March 2023 that the registrar must record it on the basis of a valid certificate, even when the couple were in Israel during the ceremony.
The procedures of the Population and Immigration Authority do not mention online marriages. Procedure 5.2.0008 (edition 16, 20.07.2026) applies to a foreign partner married to an Israeli citizen whose certificate passes the registration check, so the ordinary married track applies.
Registering the marriage in the Population Registry
Registration follows procedure 2.11.0001: a change of personal status is made only on the strength of a public certificate. You attend in person with an identity card and passport, fill in the notice of a change of personal status, and present the original certificate, authenticated and translated into Hebrew by a notary (a certificate in Arabic needs no translation). A partner not registered in the Registry also needs a certificate of previous personal status, or a notarised declaration where that country issues none. Registration is free of charge.
When an Israeli citizen registers a marriage to a foreign partner, the file is marked that the status was updated only on the basis of the certificate, and that the sincerity of the relationship will be examined in an application for status. A registrar who doubts the certificate holds the change back until the matter is clarified.
What the courts ruled
In 2021 the Authority refused to register couples who had married by video under Utah law, reasoning that the ceremony had in fact taken place in Israel. The administrative courts in Lod (Central District, 8.7.2022) and Jerusalem (28.9.2022) ordered registration; the State appealed.
On 7.3.2023 the Supreme Court dismissed both appeals (AAA 7368/22 and 7375/22): the registrar records what a valid public certificate states, and where a video ceremony takes place is a complex legal question that is not for the registrar. The ruling concerns registration only and says nothing about the validity of the marriages under Israeli law.
Which track of the status procedures applies
When you apply for status, the office checks the certificate and the foreign partner's documents under procedure 2.11.0001; once they pass, the Israeli partner is recorded as married and the application continues under 5.2.0008. A certificate found not admissible means refusal at the outset and departure from Israel within 14 days.
The July 2026 editions of 5.2.0008 and 5.2.0009 contain no rule on online, remote or video marriages. The only marriage form treated separately is a marriage in El Salvador: that file is handled under 5.2.0009, on a longer track of two years on a B/1 licence and then four years on A/5; if both partners were physically present at the ceremony abroad, the file goes back to 5.2.0008. A same-sex couple married abroad is also handled under 5.2.0009.
On the ordinary married track, the foreign partner can receive a general B/1 licence for up to six months while the application is checked, not counted in the Gradual Process; after approval comes an A/5 licence for one year, extended for up to two years at a time, and after four years on A/5 you can apply to end the process. The procedure sets no different waiting period for a marriage held online.
The apostille and the Hebrew translation
Israel and the United States are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, so the certificate is authenticated with an apostille. In Utah it is issued by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; the county clerk forwards the request but does not issue the apostille. The apostille must be attached to the certificate itself, as the Authority's authentication procedure 1.3.0001 requires.
The translation is made by a notary in Israel who commands both languages and is bound to the certificate.
Documents for the Gradual Process: how recent, authenticated and translated
Utah law since May 2026
Utah amended its marriage licence law in 2026 (S.B. 257), in force from 6 May 2026. Under section 81-2-302 of the Utah Code, a licence counts as used within the state if the officiant is physically in Utah during the ceremony; when the parties are not in the same place as the officiant, it counts only if the issuing county posts on its website a written warning that an online marriage solemnised in Utah may be invalid in the country where the parties live, and the officiant repeats that warning word for word immediately before the ceremony.
As of November 2026, then, remote ceremonies continue under conditions, and the state itself warns that recognition abroad is not guaranteed. Check the current rules of the issuing state and county before booking.
Before you rely on it: a checklist
- The names on the certificate must match your passports and the Israeli identity card; a name ever changed needs a public certificate of the change (procedure 5.2.0008).
- The foreign partner's certificate of previous personal status must be no older than six months when you file.
- Whether the foreign partner's own country recognises a marriage held online is a question for that country; Israel's registration does not settle it. It matters at the end of the process, when the foreign partner must show an updated status at home or a fresh status certificate.
How IsraelVisa helps
IsraelVisa helps you keep the certificate, the apostille, the translation and the status certificates in one place, with their dates, yourselves and at your own pace. IsraelVisa does not give legal advice; if you wish, you can find independent lawyers through IsraelVisa.
Frequently asked questions
We were both in Israel during the video ceremony. Can the marriage still be registered?
Yes. The Supreme Court ruled on 7.3.2023 that the registrar must register a marriage on the basis of a valid certificate of the issuing state and may not refuse because the couple were in Israel at the time. Registration does not decide the validity of the marriage.
Is there a special track for an online marriage in the Gradual Process?
No. Procedures 5.2.0008 and 5.2.0009 do not mention online or video marriages. The only marriage form with its own rules is a marriage in El Salvador, handled under 5.2.0009 with two years on B/1 before the A/5 licence.
Which apostille do we need for a Utah certificate?
The apostille of the State of Utah, issued by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and attached to the original certificate, plus a notarised Hebrew translation made in Israel.
Did Utah stop online marriages in 2026?
No. Since 6 May 2026 a remote ceremony counts as a use of the licence in Utah only if the county posts a warning that the marriage may be invalid in the couple's country of residence and the officiant repeats it before the ceremony. Check the current county rules before booking.
Related guides
Sources
- Procedure 5.2.0008 - status for a foreign spouse married to an Israeli citizen (edition 16, 20.07.2026), sections C.7, D.2, E.2(5), G.4 and H.1 (Hebrew)
- Procedure 5.2.0009 - applications for status on the basis of a shared life (edition 17, 16.07.2026), sections B, D.2, E.2(5) and G.1 (Hebrew)
- Procedure 2.11.0001 - changes and corrections of personal status: marriage, divorce, widowhood (20.07.2021), sections 1, 3 and 4 (Hebrew)
- Supreme Court, AAA 7368/22 and 7375/22 - registration of marriages held by video under Utah law, judgment of 7.3.2023 (Hebrew)
- Utah Code section 81-2-302 - marriage licences, use within the state (effective 6.5.2026)
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The information in this article is general and does not constitute legal advice. The procedures are updated from time to time; check the current version on the website of the Population and Immigration Authority.