Quick Answer: A foreign divorce decree is not automatically effective in Israel for all purposes. Non-Jewish couples can update their marital status at the Ministry of Interior's Population Registry by presenting an apostilled decree and certified Hebrew translation — no court order is needed in most cases. Jewish couples who were married in a Jewish ceremony face an additional layer: the foreign civil divorce must be accompanied by a get (religious divorce) or a Rabbinical Court recognition order, because Israeli law assigns marriage and divorce of Jews to the Rabbinical Courts under the Rabbinical Courts Jurisdiction Law 5713-1953. Without a valid get, a Jewish person divorced only by civil decree abroad cannot remarry in Israel.

Thousands of foreign nationals and Israeli citizens who divorced abroad discover that getting a foreign court order is only the first step. Before they can remarry in Israel, update their teudat zehut, change their surname on official documents, or resolve property and pension disputes under Israeli law, they need the Israeli legal system to recognize that their first marriage is actually over.

The rules are not uniform. They turn on three variables: the religious affiliation of the parties at the time of the marriage, how the original marriage was solemnized (civil or religious), and the country where the divorce was obtained. A couple who married civilly in the UK faces a completely different process than a Jewish couple who married under the Chief Rabbinate and later divorced in the United States.

Both routes are covered below, along with the get refusal problem, which leaves some spouses in genuine legal limbo for years.

1. Israel's Personal Status Framework: Why This Is Complicated

Israel has no civil marriage. Marriage and divorce of Jews in Israel are the exclusive province of the Rabbinical Courts (batei din rabbaniim) under Section 1 of the Rabbinical Courts Jurisdiction (Marriage and Divorce) Law 5713-1953. Christians, Muslims, and members of other recognized religious communities are subject to their own denominational courts. Civil marriage, as it exists in France or the United States, simply does not exist in Israel.

The practical consequence is that when a Jewish Israeli citizen or resident divorces abroad in a civil court, the Israeli state faces a question it cannot easily answer: does that civil decree have any effect on a marriage that, from the Israeli legal system's point of view, was entered into and is governed by religious law?

The answer Israeli law has worked out over decades is nuanced. The civil effects of the foreign divorce — property rights, the right to remarry civilly, the dissolution of financial obligations under the law of the country of divorce — are handled through the general rules on recognition of foreign judgments. But the religious law dimension — the halachic status of the parties as married or divorced, their ability to remarry in a Jewish ceremony — remains within the Rabbinical Court's jurisdiction and cannot be settled by a civil divorce alone.

Most other jurisdictions do not split the question this way, which is why the process catches many foreign nationals off guard and why the two tracks need to be addressed separately.

2. When Recognition Is Actually Needed

Not every person who divorces abroad needs a formal Israeli recognition proceeding. The need depends on what you want to do with the recognized status.

You need to take active steps if you want to:

  • Remarry in Israel — whether in a civil ceremony recognized for cohabiting couples, or in a religious ceremony.
  • Update your status in the Israeli Population Registry from "married" to "divorced." The Registry is managed by the Ministry of Interior (Misrad Hapnim) and feeds into your teudat zehut, passport, and other official documents.
  • Enforce the foreign divorce decree's financial provisions — such as property orders, alimony, or child support — in Israel through the Execution Office (Hotzaa LaPoal).
  • Initiate fresh Israeli proceedings on issues the foreign court did not cover, such as Israeli real estate or Israeli pension funds.
  • Clear your legal status for Israeli national insurance, health insurance enrollment, or tax filing purposes that turn on marital status.

You do not need a formal recognition proceeding merely because you hold a foreign divorce decree and want to use it as evidence in an Israeli proceeding. A certified, apostilled copy of the foreign decree is generally admissible in Israeli courts and administrative proceedings as evidence that the divorce occurred. Recognition as a binding judgment is a separate, stronger legal step.

3. Non-Jewish Couples: The Civil Recognition Route

For couples who were not Jewish when they married, or who married in a civil ceremony abroad, the recognition process is relatively straightforward.

Israel recognizes foreign divorce decrees under the general rules of private international law derived from case law and, for foreign judgments generally, under Section 11 of the Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Law 5718-1958 (Chok Otzar Psakdin Zarim). For personal status matters such as divorce, Israeli courts give considerable weight to the law of the parties' nationality and domicile at the time of the divorce.

In most cases, there is no need to go to court at all. The Ministry of Interior's Population Registry will update your marital status upon presentation of:

  1. The original foreign divorce decree or a certified copy, bearing an Apostille if the issuing country is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention (which includes the US, UK, EU members, Australia, Canada, and most other countries).
  2. A certified Hebrew translation by an accredited translator recognized by Israeli authorities.
  3. Your Israeli identity card or foreign passport.
  4. The original marriage certificate (or a certified copy), also apostilled and translated.

The Registry clerk will compare the decree with the marriage record, verify that the decree appears valid on its face, and update your status. Processing normally takes two to four weeks. Once updated, your teudat zehut will show the status garush (divorced, male) or garushim (divorced, female).

If the Ministry of Interior clerk refuses to update the status — for example because the decree is from a jurisdiction they are unfamiliar with, or because there is a dispute about the parties' identities — you can obtain a declaratory order from the Family Court (Beit Mishpat LeInyenei Mishpacha) confirming that the foreign divorce is valid and must be recognized. The Ministry is bound by such an order.

In Practice: The Ministry of Interior's Population Registry offices in major cities (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be'er Sheva) handle foreign divorce recognition as a routine administrative matter. Bring three sets of copies of all documents because the clerks often keep originals. If your divorce decree was issued in the US, note that apostilles in most US states are issued by the Secretary of State's office, not by a notary; a notarized copy is not the same as an apostille. For UK decrees since Brexit, England and Wales continue to issue apostilles through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Legalisation Office. Processing time at the Registry is typically 14 to 28 days if the file is complete on first submission; incomplete files restart the clock.

4. Jewish Couples and the Get Requirement

Jewish couples who were married in a Jewish ceremony — whether in Israel under the Chief Rabbinate or abroad in a synagogue ceremony recognized by the Israeli Rabbinical Courts — face an entirely separate and more complex process.

Under halacha (Jewish religious law), a marriage can only be dissolved by a get: a bill of divorcement that the husband gives to the wife in the presence of a rabbinical court. A civil divorce, however valid under the law of the country where it was granted, has no halachic standing. A Jewish woman who is civilly divorced but has not received a get is an aguna (a "chained woman"): still married under religious law and forbidden from remarrying in a Jewish ceremony. Any children from a subsequent relationship entered into without a get would be classified as mamzerim under strict halachic interpretation, with serious consequences in observant communities.

The Israeli Rabbinical Courts Jurisdiction Law 5713-1953 grants the Rabbinical Courts exclusive jurisdiction over marriage and divorce of Jews who are Israeli citizens or residents. This means:

  • Even if a Jewish couple divorced in New York or London, and both parties are content with the civil decree, the Israeli Rabbinical Court retains the authority to determine their personal religious status.
  • A foreign civil divorce does not dissolve the religious marriage in the eyes of the Israeli Rabbinical Court or the Population Registry (for the married-in-Jewish-ceremony status dimension).
  • A get given in a foreign rabbinical court is generally recognized by the Israeli Rabbinical Court, but only if it was issued in accordance with halachic requirements and the Israeli Rabbinical Court accepts the foreign beit din's authority and procedure.

The practical path for Jewish couples who already have a foreign civil divorce is to appear before an Israeli Rabbinical Court to either (a) give and receive the get at that point, or (b) request the Rabbinical Court to recognize a get given in a foreign beit din as valid. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel maintains a committee that reviews foreign get documents and either endorses or challenges their validity based on halachic criteria.

In Practice: A Jewish couple who divorced in the US often arranges the get in a US beit din (rabbinical court) — typically an Orthodox rabbinical court that follows the Beth Din of America's protocols — at the same time as the civil divorce proceedings. A get arranged under the Beth Din of America's model prenuptial agreement procedure (the "Halachic Prenup") generates a document package that the Israeli Chief Rabbinate's Foreign Affairs Division (Machon HaGet in Jerusalem) is familiar with and generally recognizes. This division reviews approximately 3,500 to 4,000 foreign get files per year. If the file is complete and the procedure was followed correctly, the process takes four to eight weeks. A contested or procedurally deficient foreign get can take months or years to resolve.

5. Getting a Declaratory Court Order When Administrative Recognition Fails

In some situations, administrative recognition at the Population Registry does not work and a court order is needed. These include:

  • The other party contests the divorce or claims it was not validly obtained.
  • The Ministry of Interior refuses administrative recognition because of doubt about the validity or authenticity of the foreign decree.
  • The parties were domiciled in Israel at the time of the foreign divorce, raising questions about whether the foreign court had proper jurisdiction.
  • The divorce was obtained in a country that is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, requiring full consular legalization rather than a simple apostille.
  • One party is asserting Israeli family law claims (property, maintenance, custody) and the Israeli court needs a definitive finding that the marriage is dissolved before it can proceed.

The application for a declaratory order goes to the Family Court (Beit Mishpat LeInyenei Mishpacha) having territorial jurisdiction. For Israeli residents, this is the court in the district where you live; for non-residents, it is generally the Tel Aviv Family Court.

The application (bakkasha lehakarat psakdin zar) should include:

  1. A verified petition explaining when and where the parties were married, when the foreign divorce was granted, the grounds for the divorce, and what recognition you are seeking.
  2. Certified copies of the marriage certificate and the divorce decree, both apostilled and Hebrew-translated.
  3. Evidence that the foreign court had proper jurisdiction (typically, proof of the parties' domicile or residence in the foreign country at the relevant time).
  4. Proof of service on or notice to the other party.

The court examines the decree on five criteria drawn from Section 11 of the Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Law: (1) the foreign court had proper jurisdiction; (2) the judgment is final and not subject to appeal in the issuing country; (3) it is enforceable in the country of origin; (4) it was obtained after proper notice to the other party; and (5) recognition does not violate Israeli public policy (taknat hatzibur).

If all criteria are met, the court issues a declaratory order and the Ministry of Interior updates the Registry accordingly.

In Practice: At the Tel Aviv Family Court, an uncontested petition for recognition of a foreign divorce decree typically receives a hearing date within four to eight weeks of filing. If the other party does not appear and there are no red flags on the face of the documents, the court often grants a recognition order at the first hearing. The court filing fee under the Courts Fee Regulations 5767-2007 is a modest fixed sum of approximately NIS 800 for a declaratory petition. Attorney fees for an uncontested recognition petition range from NIS 3,500 to 7,000 depending on the complexity of the document package. A contested petition — where the other spouse objects or where jurisdiction is disputed — can take six to eighteen months and cost substantially more.

6. Updating the Israeli Population Registry

Once recognition is secured — either administratively or by court order — the Ministry of Interior's Population Registry (Misrad Hapnim - Rasham Hatoshavim) records the change. The update flows through to every document linked to the Registry: your teudat zehut, the national biometric database, your health fund membership file at one of the four health maintenance organizations (kupot holim), and eventually your National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) records.

Practical steps after recognition:

  • Book an appointment at any Ministry of Interior office to replace your teudat zehut. Bring the original recognition order (or administrative confirmation letter), your existing teudat zehut, and a passport photo. The updated card showing "divorced" status usually takes about 30 minutes.
  • If you want to revert to your pre-marriage surname, request the name change at the same appointment. Under Section 10 of the Names Law 5716-1956, a post-divorce surname reversion does not require a separate court application; just bring the divorce decree and a written request.
  • Your health fund (kupat holim) draws status from the Population Registry and updates automatically within a few weeks. For NII benefits that turn on marital status, contact the relevant NII branch directly with a copy of the recognition order if nothing has updated within 60 days.
  • Israeli banks do not have direct access to the Population Registry. Present the recognition order or updated teudat zehut at each institution where you want your status reflected.
In Practice: Foreign nationals who are not Israeli residents but have accounts in the Israeli Population Registry (for example, because they own property in Israel or hold an Israeli identity number from a prior period of residency) can submit their recognition request by mail or through the Israeli consulate in their country of residence. The relevant office is the Population and Immigration Authority's Central Registration Bureau in Jerusalem (121 Menachem Begin Road). Expect processing times of six to twelve weeks when filing from abroad, longer if the file is incomplete. An Israeli attorney with a power of attorney can submit and track the application on your behalf without you needing to travel to Israel.

7. Grounds on Which Israel Refuses to Recognize a Foreign Divorce

Israeli courts and the Population Registry will not recognize a foreign divorce in the following situations.

Lack of jurisdiction in the foreign court. If neither party was domiciled or habitually resident in the foreign country at the time of the divorce, and neither party was a national of that country, Israeli courts are likely to find that the foreign court lacked jurisdiction. The most common example is a divorce obtained in a third country for convenience, such as a couple who lived in Israel their entire married life and flew to Cyprus for a quick decree. Israeli courts have consistently refused to recognize such divorces.

Procedural invalidity. If the other spouse was not given proper notice of the foreign proceedings and did not appear, and did not subsequently consent to or acquiesce in the divorce, the recognition will be denied. "Proper notice" is assessed by Israeli courts using both the procedural rules of the foreign court and the Israeli standard of natural justice (tzedek tivi). A divorce obtained in absentia after inadequate service on a spouse living in Israel is particularly vulnerable.

Public policy. Recognition of a foreign divorce will be refused if it would produce a result manifestly incompatible with Israeli fundamental principles. Examples include a divorce that discriminates on the basis of religion or sex in a way that Israeli courts find unacceptable, or a divorce that was obtained under duress.

Fraud. If the foreign divorce was obtained by fraudulent misrepresentation to the foreign court — for example, false statements about domicile or about the other party's consent — Israeli courts will deny recognition.

The get problem for Jewish marriages. As noted above, the absence of a valid get is not technically a "refusal to recognize" the civil divorce — the civil effects of the foreign decree may still be recognized — but it means the parties' religious-law status in Israel remains married. This distinction is crucial: a Jewish couple may be civilly divorced and able to enforce the property provisions of their foreign decree in Israel, while simultaneously still being considered married under halacha for purposes of remarriage.

In Practice: The Rabbinical Courts' authority to compel a get uses a graduated sanctions system under the Rabbinical Courts (Enforcement of Divorce Judgments) Law 5755-1995. After a Rabbinical Court issues a pesak din (ruling) requiring one spouse to give or accept the get, the court can impose: (a) financial daily fines of NIS 500 to NIS 5,000; (b) travel bans under the Execution Law preventing the recalcitrant spouse from leaving Israel; (c) restrictions on business registration, bank accounts, and professional licenses under Section 3 of the Divorce Enforcement Law; and (d) imprisonment for up to ten years under Section 7 for a spouse who defies a rabbinical court order to give the get after the court has issued a full compulsion order (kefiyah). In 2024, the Israeli Rabbinical Court system opened approximately 1,200 new get refusal enforcement files. The average time from rabbinical ruling to actual get, in contested cases, is 18 to 36 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

For non-Jewish couples, or couples who were married in a civil ceremony abroad, Israel generally recognizes a valid foreign divorce decree without a separate court proceeding — the Population Registry will update your status upon presentation of a certified, apostilled copy. For Jewish couples married under Jewish law, the foreign civil divorce must also be accompanied by a halachic get; without it, the Rabbinical Court will not record the marriage as dissolved and you cannot remarry in a Jewish ceremony in Israel.
The Rabbinical Courts can compel a recalcitrant spouse to give or accept a get using progressively escalating sanctions: financial penalties, restrictions on business activity, imprisonment of up to ten years under the Rabbinical Courts (Enforcement of Divorce Judgments) Law 5755-1995, and a travel ban under Section 17 of the Enforcement Law. None of these mechanisms compel the get directly — only the spouse can give it — but the pressure they create is substantial. An aguna seeking relief can also petition Israeli civil courts to recognize the get refusal as tortious conduct giving rise to civil damages.
Bring the original foreign divorce decree with an Apostille (for Hague Convention states) or full consular legalization, a certified Hebrew translation by an accredited Israeli translator, your Israeli identity card or passport, and both parties' marriage certificate to a Ministry of Interior Population Registry office. For Jewish couples, you must also present a certified get document or a Rabbinical Court recognition order. Processing typically takes two to four weeks. Once updated, your Israeli identity card will show "divorced" and you may remarry under Israeli law.
Yes. The Family Court will refuse recognition if the divorce was obtained without adequate notice to the other spouse, if neither party was domiciled or habitually resident in the country of divorce, if recognition would violate Israeli public policy, or if the foreign proceedings were obtained by fraud. A divorce obtained in a jurisdiction with a purely administrative procedure and no judicial oversight is also unlikely to be recognized if either party objects.
No. The get requirement applies to marriages that were conducted under Jewish religious law (kiddushin). If both spouses were not Jewish at the time of marriage, the Rabbinical Court does not have jurisdiction over your divorce, and a valid foreign civil divorce decree is sufficient for all Israeli purposes, including remarriage in Israel. Conversion after the marriage does not retroactively bring the earlier marriage within Rabbinical Court jurisdiction.

Related Guides

Divorce in Israel When One Spouse Is Not Jewish Property Division on Divorce in Israel Prenuptial Agreements in Israel for Foreign Nationals Israeli Residency for a Foreign Spouse Child Support in Israel: How Mezonot Works
Adv. Eli Shimony

Adv. Eli Shimony

Licensed Israeli Attorney

Adv. Shimony advises foreign nationals, expats, and diaspora families on Israeli family law, including recognition of foreign divorces, Rabbinical Court proceedings, and cross-border personal status matters.

Request Consultation Firm Website

Navigating Foreign Divorce Recognition in Israel

Whether you need to update your Population Registry status, obtain a get, or enforce a foreign property order in Israel, expert Israeli family law advice from the outset prevents months of delay and costly procedural mistakes.

Get Free Consultation →