Civil Marriage

IS THERE CIVIL MARRIAGE IN ISRAEL?

Short answer – kind of. As of September 2025, there is no civil marriage option in Israel. But if you can’t or don’t want to get married through the Rabbinute, there are loopholes and alternatives.

Note: It’s very difficult to find hard statistics about the number of non-Rabbinute weddings in Israel. It is clear, however, that marrying outside of the Rabbinute is becoming more commonplace and you’re not alone in choosing this path.

MARRYING ABROAD (VIRTUALLY) AND REGISTERING IN ISRAEL

For couples who can’t or don’t want to get married through the Rabbinute but want to be registered as legally married in Israel, the solution is to go abroad. But that doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to leave the country – let’s explain.

You can get married via Zoom by an officiant in the state of Utah, while still physically present in Israel. That American marriage license can be presented to your local branch of Misrad Hapnim, and you and your spouse will be registered as married – without needing to physically travel outside of Israel.

Couples can also go abroad, get married in another country, return to Israel and present their marriage certificate at Misrad Hapnim, who will then change the status of both parties to “married” and officially register the marriage.

For couples living in Israel who want to be civilly married, the most convenient option is getting married online. If you choose to get married this way, there are a number of resources available to help guide you.

Another common option for couples is going to Cyprus. The island nation is an hour flight away and relatively affordable – for a weekend trip, including flights, hotels, and administrative fees from the local municipality in Cyprus, you can expect to pay around 5000 shekels (depending on the season).

There are Israeli travel agencies specializing in marriage tourism, like Free Wedding, which offer packages with flights and hotels and take care of much of the paperwork for you.

You may also consider getting married in your home country, if you immigrated to Israel. Each country has their own requirements for what documents you must present in order to get married, so it’s up to you to research carefully.

It’s important to note that if you register your marriage at Misrad Hapnim, even though you were not married through the Rabbinute, if you wish to divorce one day you must get divorced through the Rabbinute.

YADUIM B’TZIBOR – ידועים בציבור – COMMON LAW MARRIAGE IN ISRAEL

Roughly translated, this means a couple is “publicly known” – essentially, domestic partners or common law spouses. This option is available to both heterosexual couples and same-sex couples.

This is different than being legally married and while common law couples do receive many of the rights that married couples do, there are some significant differences.

For example, both common law and legally married spouses are entitled to alimony and inheritance rights, but only legally married couples get income tax credits.

It’s critical that you consult with a lawyer about your individual situation in order to understand the implications of each option, and that you can make an educated decision about what’s right for you.

FREESTYLE

Speaking of lawyers, another option is to go with your beloved to an attorney and draw up your own personal financial agreement. It may sound less than romantic, but it’s important that you have clear expectations in the event of a divorce, protect your assets, or conversely, agree on sharing your assets in the future, etc.

WHO WILL OFFICIATE MY NON RABBINUTE WEDDING IN ISRAEL?

For suggestions, please see here.