Changing Your Name After Marriage in Israel: Options and Steps

After the wedding come the paperwork questions, and one of the most common is how to change your name after marriage in Israel. Should you take your partner’s surname? Combine both names? Keep everything as it is? And what happens if you married abroad, or had only a Reform chuppah?

I am a rabbi and an attorney. In this article I have gathered what the official service pages of the Population and Immigration Authority say. This is general information, not legal advice, and it is always worth checking the current page before you apply.

When can you choose a new surname?

The Authority’s service is called “choosing a surname for a person who married”, and it is meant for people who married and are registered as married. The procedure linked from the page is titled “procedure for choosing a surname following marriage, and at any time”, which suggests that the choice does not have to be made right after the wedding.

If you married through the Rabbinate, according to the Authority’s page your personal status is updated in the registry automatically. If you married abroad, you first need to register the marriage and only then choose a name. I explain the registration steps in detail in how to register your marriage in Israel.

The six options the law allows

According to the service page, under the amendment to the Names Law, spouses may choose a surname in one of these ways:

• Keep your previous surname.
• Take your spouse’s surname.
• Take your spouse’s surname and add your previous surname to it.
• Add your spouse’s surname to your own surname.
• Choose a new surname shared by both of you.
• Add a new shared surname in addition to each partner’s existing surname.

The official form (form MR6) notes that under section 2(b) of the Names Law a person may carry up to two surnames. It also notes that for the shared name options, both spouses must appear.

How do you apply in practice?

According to the service page, the application is not submitted online. You download the form, print it, fill it in by hand and submit it at an Authority office. The page states clearly that personal attendance of the applicants is mandatory. People living abroad can submit the documents at the Israeli mission closest to where they live.

What to bring

• Your Israeli ID card.
• The original marriage certificate.
• Your spouse’s ID appendix.
• The Israeli passports of both spouses.

Source (in Hebrew): gov.il: choosing a surname for a married person.

Your ID card and passport will be replaced

This is the part many couples do not expect. According to the service page, after a surname change your ID card and passport are replaced, so you need to book an appointment in advance. If you hold a biometric ID or passport, you will be asked to enroll again, meaning a new photo and fingerprints. Form MR6 also states that choosing a name cancels your existing travel documents.

A practical tip: if you have a flight coming up, for example your honeymoon, check the order of things. Your plane ticket must match the name in the passport you travel with.

What if you married abroad?

If your marriage certificate was issued abroad, the service page asks for an original, authenticated certificate. In a country that is party to the Hague Convention, authentication is done with an apostille. If there is no apostille, contact the Israeli mission in the country that issued the certificate for instructions. The certificate needs a notarized Hebrew translation, but according to the page, a certificate in Arabic or English does not need to be translated.

There is a separate article on authentication: apostille for a marriage certificate. For the civil marriage options themselves, see the page on civil marriage for Israelis.

And a Reform chuppah?

I want to be honest here. A chuppah I officiate is a Reform Jewish ceremony, and it is not registered as a marriage by the Interior Ministry. So it does not create a marriage certificate you can submit to the “choosing a surname for a person who married” service. Couples who also want to be registered as married combine the chuppah with a civil marriage, and after registration they can choose a name. I explain the legal background on the page about the legal status of marriage in Israel.

There is also a general surname change service that is not related to marriage. It also requires personal attendance, and its page contains an important rule: a person who has changed their name may not change it again until seven years have passed from the date of the change. So think carefully before taking that route. Source (in Hebrew): gov.il: changing a surname. If your situation is not simple, consult a lawyer before you apply.

A question of identity, not just a form

In my preparation meetings with couples, I see that a surname is more than a line in the registry. For some, a shared name is a symbol of the new home. For others, their name is part of their family story or their profession. The six options give room to every approach. There is no single right answer, only what fits you.

General information, not legal advice. Service pages are updated from time to time, and according to the pages themselves, the law prevails in case of any conflict.

Want to talk about the wedding itself?

If you are still before the chuppah and wondering how to combine a personal ceremony with civil registration, I would be glad to help you see the full picture. You are welcome to get in touch for an introductory call.