Civil Marriage in Greece – The Concise Guide

As you may know, couples can only marry and be officially registered as married within the borders of Israel if both partners are of the same religion. Couples can only marry in Israel through a recognized religious institution – if both are Jewish, then through the Rabbinate, Christians in a church, and so on. There is no valid procedure in Israel for civil marriage or any civil partnership agreement that is not done through the Rabbinate (or the equivalent bodies of other religions). Therefore, the option of civil marriage in Greece or another destination is appealing to many “mixed” religion couples in Israel. However, many avoid this step out of fear of complex bureaucracy and legal challenges. Therefore, it is important for us to explain exactly how the process works, so you can understand if it is a suitable option for you.

The legal experts in the field of immigration at our law firm will be happy to provide you with comprehensive answers regarding citizenship processes and regulating personal status in Israel. Our extensive experience allows us to successfully assist anyone interested in undergoing the marriage process in Greece and aslo during the immigration process and obtaining Israeli citizenship.

Civil Marriage in Greece – Who is it Suitable For?

As mentioned, the State of Israel does not allow marriage between couples of two different religions. This includes Israeli Jews who found a non-Jewish soulmate, so the solution of civil marriage in Greece is primarily suitable for Jewish Israelis who wish to marry a partner who is not Jewish. Of course, citizens and residents who are members of other religions (as an example handled by our office recently, a Muslim Arab who met a Christian American while he was a student in the US) must also marry abroad.

Most often, the couples are Israelis who have found a partner abroad or foreign citizens who have entered into a relationship with an Israeli while they were tourists, foreign workers, or students in Israel.

Of course, it is also a solution for couples who are both Israelis but of different religions, or an Israeli whose Jewish status is questioned by the Rabbinate – a very common situation in cases where one of the partners is a descendant of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, when the Rabbinate sometimes places an arduous burden of Jewish origin on the “Russian” Israeli.

Finally, the option of civil marriage in Greece is suitable when both partners are Jewish (or both of another religion or of no religious affiliation) and are not interested in marrying through the Rabbinate or whatever religious authority recognized in Israel, for various reasons.

Civil Marriage in Greece – Step by Step

Now we will briefly touch on the different stages of civil marriage in Greece – note that there is a division between processes that must be completed in Israel and those that need to be done in Greece.

Stages of the Process in Israel, Before Traveling to Greece:

• Obtaining a Registration Abstract (תמצית רישום) at the Ministry of Interior: At this stage, each partner must obtain a registration abstract from the Ministry, including a certificate of singleness and a birth certificate. This can be done at the Ministry of Interior website.
• Consider the Issue of Inviting the Foreign Partner Back to Israel (if applicable): Unlike Cyprus, going to Greece does not automatically cause border control to suspect that the couple married abroad and are trying to return to Israel without a formal invitation through the Ministry of Interior. In any case, it is recommended to get advice from an expert in the field.
• Apostille Stamp on Original Documents at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: This stamp effectively makes the documents recognized abroad.
• Translation of Documents at the Greek Embassy: This is the first visit to the embassy, where the documents must be translated into Greek. The embassy is located in Tel Aviv, and it is important to schedule an appointment in advance.

Stages of the Process in Greece:

• Registration at the Heraklion Municipality: About two weeks before the wedding, you must register at the Heraklion Municipality along with the signed and translated documents you prepared in advance. The ceremony can also be held on the islands of Crete, but it is important to remember that registration is done exclusively in Heraklion. Please note that the registration involves a nominal fee of 60 euros. For more details, click here.
• The Wedding Ceremony: On the wedding day, you will be required to go to the municipality office. The couples will enter in order, and the deputy mayor will declare you a married couple.
• Receiving a Marriage Certificate from the Greek Ministry of Interior: After the wedding ceremony, you must go with the document you receive to the Greek Ministry of Interior. The following day, you will receive the marriage certificate in seven copies.
• Apostille Stamp at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: From here, you must go to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and obtain an Apostille stamp on the marriage certificates you received.

After Returning to Israel:

• Another Visit to the Greek Embassy: You now have documents in Greek. You must go to the embassy and translate them into Hebrew.
• Final Visit to the Ministry of Interior: You can now go to the Ministry of Interior with the translated documents you received and change your status to married. From here, you actually begin the gradual process to obtain married couple status in the State of Israel.

Now, all that remains for you is to celebrate your new official partnership. You can choose to have a party in Israel or even invite your relatives to the wedding ceremony in Greece and have a big celebration there with friends and family (do not forget to complete the additional procedures upon returning to Israel).

Civil Marriage in Greece – Alone or with Professionals?

As you can already see for yourselves, this is not a particularly complex process and certainly not one whose stages should cause you to shy away from it. At the same time, it is important to say that if it is not done correctly, it can create many obstacles along the way, where in extreme cases the Ministry of Interior is not willing to recognize the marriage.

Therefore, our recommendation in case you are not completely sure how to do it is to seek help from professionals who are knowledgeable in this field. We at the office have the tools and experience to ensure that the process goes smoothly without any bumps along the way and we will be happy to walk with you hand in hand through all stages of the process. For further questions and consultation, you are welcome to contact us and we will be happy to be at your service.

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03-3724722

055-9781688

office@lawoffice.org.il