Online Wedding in Utah for Israelis
The practice of various online deals and remote legal agreements has now become an everyday occurrence, and doesn’t surprise anyone any more. This phenomenon received a powerful impetus during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period, quarantine measures were rampant throughout the world, and movement between countries was extremely difficult. The restrictions created a lot of inconvenience for many people. Among those who also suffered were those who were in love and wanted to get married but lived in different countries (or even in the same country, but far from each other).
An there it was when in the US state of Utah, the local authorities decided to solve the problem in an original way: by conducting the marriage ceremony via video link. The idea was that the couples could get married online in Utah via a Zoom conference.
Official online wedding in the USA via video link. How it is organized.
The Utah authorities have thought out the remote wedding procedure very well. It should be clarified that weddings via video link were then allowed not only in Utah, but also in several other states. Initially, this decision was considered a temporary and forced measure. But it was in Utah where it turned out to be extremely viable and high-demand both in the US and in many other countries. There were several significant conditions which contributed to this:
- The law allows marriage via the Internet in Utah not only for US residents, but also for citizens of other countries.
- The service in Utah is also available to same-sex couples, who, as is known, are not allowed to make a family in many countries.
- Online marriage in the state of Utah positions itself as secular. In other words, it is suitable for couples of different faiths, which can also be an issue in some countries.
- During an online wedding ceremony in Utah, the bride and groom do not need to be together. Moreover, they can even be in different countries!
During online marriage registration in Utah, complete freedom from physical presence is assumed. Neither the bride and groom, nor their witnesses, nor any representatives are required to be present at the ceremony physically. There is only one condition: the person conducting the marriage ceremony must be physically present in the territory of Utah state at that time.
It is quite likely that at this point the reader may have a reasonable question:
Is an online wedding in the state of Utah legal?
In the US itself, such marriages are officially recognized by all states without exception. (However, even here there are certain caveats when the result of the marriage – making a new family – is used for immigration purposes). Regarding other countries, the issue is more complex and ambiguous. And here’s why.
On the one hand, countries that have signed the 1961 Hague Convention on Human Rights should recognize marriages concluded in other countries. However, there are many legislative nuances, and for newlyweds it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to figure out all of them without the help of experienced specialists.
The main obstacle is that in the modern world, information technology often outpaces existing laws. This fact is acknowledged by lawyers worldwide when it comes to, for example, copyright infringement, or when discussing the protection of intellectual property. Online marriage for foreigners in Utah is from the same category. Each country tries to secure itself from sham marriages and also to preserve its traditional family values. And it is not always possible to reconcile these with the fact of a virtual wedding.
The realities of life are such that in different countries, the authorities’ attitude towards the legal status of a remote marriage in Utah can differ significantly. Many hold on to the domiciliary law (when the marriage is legal not only in the place where it was concluded, but also in the countries where the spouses permanently reside).
Online marriage legalization in Israel
Dry statistics show that currently almost 30% of all virtual wedding ceremonies in Utah are concluded with Israeli citizens! It turns out that Israelis have become the most active users of the online wedding service.
The explanation for this paradox is, as they say, plain to see. Thanks to the legislation system peculiarities, as well as the tough relations with their neighbours, a large number of people have emerged in Israel for whom such a wedding has become a real salvation.
- First, many citizens either cannot or do not want to register their marriage with the rabbinate. This group includes those from LGBT- community, atheists, and those form other confessions.
2. These could be, for example, couples in which one of the newlyweds is banned from travel abroad (such as a serviceperson in the Israeli army), and the other is a foreigner residing in their own country.
Although the state of Utah started solemnizing online marriages for foreigners back in 2020, their recognition in Israel encountered a serious resistance. The country’s Ministry of Interior recognized the first few marriages, but soon revoked its decision and suspended the acceptance of such documents.
The “virtual newlyweds” were not giving up, and kept on filing court appeals. It should be noted that in this case, all the spouses were Israeli citizens. The cases were heard throughout 2022-2023. As a result, the court sided with the plaintiffs and ordered the Ministry of Interior to recognize the marriages as valid. This has been a legal precedent that started in August 2023 and keeps on working well, especially in cases where both spouses are Israeli citizens.
However, if one of them is a foreigner, obtaining the status of “married” in the population registry will be a bit more difficult. But the fact of concluding an online marriage in Utah will be a strong basis for applying for the STUPRO (step-by-step family reunification procedure).
Use professional assistance to conclude an online wedding in Utah and for the subsequent recognition of the marriage in Israel
Despite such significant legislative progress, many influential conservative and religious figures in Israel still strongly criticize the practice of recognizing virtual marriages concluded abroad. They explain their actions by fears for the religious identity preservation and the loss of traditional Jewish moral values.
Therefore, in many cases, newlyweds (especially non-Israelis) should be ready to face long and complex procedures. In this struggle against the Ministry of Interior officials, qualified legal assistance provided by experts from the Ortrans immigration agency is extremely important.
What does expert assistance for an online wedding in the USA consist of?
On the one hand, the entire procedure for the online marriage registration in the state of Utah is extremely simple. Its basic pattern is as follows.
- The future spouses (each individually) submit applications and documents online: passports and birth certificates.
- They pay the state fee.
- Witnesses from both parties must be present (also online, remotely) during the video ceremony.
- The ceremony is conducted by a representative of the state of Utah, in English. Therefore, if the newlyweds do not speak English, a translator is required.
- An electronic marriage certificate is issued within 24 hours after the ceremony.
- Subsequently (after 3-4 weeks), the spouses receive a paper original of the marriage certificate with an apostille, via mail.
Important: For further legalization of the marriage in Israel, the original marriage certificate with an apostille is absolutely necessary!
At the same time, many nuances extremely difficult to foresee without professional support may arise in the course of the process. In fact, they arise already at the stage of the documents submission. After all, even a small typo can later become a serious obstacle to the marriage certificate legalization. Also, for example, the finer details of taking a selfie, which is required for the application, shall also be taken in account. Our expert will tell you about all these things, too!
A good solution would be to include an Ortrans employee in the list of your witnesses who would present at the online ceremony. He will consult with the manager in Utah prior to the ceremony, clarify the details, and organize the process of filling out the application form for the online wedding.
Virtual marriage registration in Utah – a felicitous step towards starting a family life in Israel
After reading this text, it becomes clear that an online wedding in Utah can give a chance for family happiness to many residents of Israel. To those who cannot or do not want to register their marriage here, for some reason or another.
Ortrans is a reliable assistant!
The chances like this are not to be missed and should be utilized in full, and thus one shouldn’t take risks and act on their own. Seek assistance from experts and protect yourself from embarrassing faults and mistakes. Our immigration agency Ortrans has been in immigration services business for already 15 years. We have vast experience in obtaining documents, apostilling them, and providing professional notarized translation. We handle issues of European citizenship for Israelis. The agency’s lawyers are ready to assist in the recognition of online marriages from Utah at all stages: from organizing the ceremony in Utah to legalizing your marital status in Israel.
Consult Ortrans! You can do this both on our website and “the old-fashioned way,” over the phone number in Israel, 058-413-2672, or the same WhatsApp number. You can also write us on our email address: ortrans@gmail.com.
