Divorce Documents

Divorce Documents for Aliyah: The Civil Decree and the Get

If you're divorced and making aliyah, there's one distinction that quietly shapes your life on the other side of the move — and it's easy to miss because the aliyah file itself doesn't force you to confront it.

Two separate documents end a Jewish marriage: the civil divorce decree from a court, and the get from a recognised beit din. Your aliyah application is satisfied by the civil decree alone. The get isn't required for the move — but it determines whether you can later marry through the Israeli Rabbinate. For most divorced applicants who expect to remarry, the practical answer is to secure both before aliyah.

Download the free guide. The full Olim Advice PDF, Divorce Documentation, covers the five scenarios, the document set, the children workstream and the agunah question in detail. Get the PDF →

Why aren't the two documents interchangeable?

A civil divorce dissolves a marriage in the eyes of the state and is sufficient for the aliyah file. It does not dissolve the marriage under halacha — that needs a get. And a get alone won't satisfy the consulate, which expects the civil decree. They operate in different legal universes.

Crucially, having only the civil decree does not get your aliyah rejected. The file proceeds, citizenship is granted, the move is unaffected. The consequence surfaces later — when you want to marry in Israel and discover the Rabbinate, which holds the monopoly on Jewish marriage for halakhically Jewish couples, requires a get first.

Which beit din does the Israeli Rabbinate recognise?

Generally an Orthodox rabbinical court — the Chief Rabbinate's batei din, the Rabbinical Council of America beit din, the London Beth Din, or major Orthodox batei din in established communities. Conservative/Masorti gittin face uncertain recognition; Reform and private-rabbi arrangements are generally not recognised, since a valid get needs three rabbis and two kosher witnesses. Verify before relying on a non-Orthodox get.

What does the document set look like?

For the civil decree: a certified copy (not a photocopy) of the final decree, all pages including custody, property and name-reversion annexures, with an apostille and a Hebrew translation if it isn't in English.

For the get (where applicable): the original where retained, or the petor (confirmation) from the supervising beit din, the beit din's contact details so the Rabbinate can verify, and the original ketubah where available.

What changes when children are involved?

This is the most documentation-heavy scenario. The file must show you have legal authority to take the children to Israel and that the other biological parent either consents (a notarised letter) or has been bypassed through proper legal process (court order, termination of rights, deceased, or unfindable after diligent search). International child relocation falls under the Hague Convention — an unauthorised move can trigger return proceedings on arrival, so where any complication exists, specialist family-law advice in both jurisdictions is the baseline.

What is the agunah situation?

An agunah ("chained woman") is a woman whose husband hasn't granted a get — through refusal, disappearance, or a marriage that ended without religious dissolution. The civil divorce ends the marriage in civil law; the missing get leaves her bound under halacha, unable to remarry through the Rabbinate. Her immigration is unaffected — citizenship, residence and benefits all proceed. Since 1995 the Israeli rabbinical courts can apply civil sanctions to a refusing husband resident in Israel, which is one reason difficult cases sometimes resolve more readily from inside the country.

When should I sort this out?

Begin six to twelve months before aliyah; batei din can take three to six months end to end. The recommendation that holds across every configuration: don't arrive in Israel and meet the get question for the first time. Either obtain it before — knowing the file is cleaner — or arrive consciously incomplete on the religious side, with a plan to address the gap from inside Israel.

General guidance, not legal or rabbinical advice. Free download: Divorce Documentation — the full Olim Advice guide (PDF). See also the complete documents-required-for-aliyah checklist.