Israel: Information on whether the government of Israel recognizes secular and inter-faith marriages performed inside or outside Israel as legal and on whether secular marriages performed in the former Soviet Union are also recognized as legal in Israel
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ISR12797 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Israel: Information on whether the government of Israel recognizes secular and inter-faith marriages performed inside or outside Israel as legal and on whether secular marriages performed in the former Soviet Union are also recognized as legal in Israel, 1 January 1993, ISR12797, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aad374.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A representative of the Embassy of Israel in Ottawa provided the following information on the above subjects during a telephone interview on 12 January 1993. The representative stressed that the following information may or may not be accurate since the Embassy represents the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and not the Ministry of Interior, which is in charge of marriages; the latter ministry can provide legal and accurate information on the above-mentioned subjects.
The government of Israel recognizes religious and secular marriages of Israeli nationals as legal. Religious authorities of Israel are allowed to perform religious marriages while the Ministry of Interior of Israel is in charge of secular marriages. Israeli nationals who marry according to secular laws receive certificates of marriage from the Ministry of Interior. Nationals of Israel are also allowed to get married according to secular laws in other countries such as Cyprus; their marriages will be recognized as legal in Israel.
The government of Israel recognizes inter-faith marriages of its nationals as legal. This type of marriage can be performed according to the religious faith of either partner.
With respect to immigrants from the former Soviet Union, the government of Israel studies secular marriages performed in the former USSR on a case-by-case basis. Hence those marriages may or may not be recognized as legal in Israel.
Additional and/or corroborating information on the above subject is currently unavailable to the DIRB.
Reference
Embassy of Israel, Ottawa. 12 January 1992. Telephone Interview with Representative.