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Certified Israeli Name Change Document Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record a change of name in Israel, including the marginal annotations and registry endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Israel makes this remarkably easy
Under the Names Law of 1956 an adult may change their first name or surname by application to the Population and Immigration Authority — no court, no reason required, and the right may be exercised once every seven years.
That is unusually permissive, and it means an Israeli name-change document is an administrative confirmation rather than a judgment. We name the authority and the date, and do not manufacture a legal basis the document does not claim.
Hebraisation, and what older documents show
Israel actively encouraged the Hebraisation of surnames in its early decades, and a great many families changed a European or Arabic surname to a Hebrew one. Older documents therefore show a different surname, and the change was often made decades ago with sparse paperwork.
Where the trail is thin, the population registry extract showing former names is the useful document, and we translate the former-name entries in full.
The teudat zehut, and the sefach
The teudat zehut identity number is nine digits with a check digit and does not change with a name. The card comes with a sefach, an appendix listing family members and address, which is a separate page people forget to include.
A tamtzit rishum — an extract from the population registry — lists previous names and is the document that proves the change.
Hebrew, and transliteration
Hebrew is written right to left and omits most vowels, so one spelling supports several readings: כהן is Cohen, Kohen or Kahn. There is no single accepted transliteration and families romanise as they please.
A difference in Latin spelling across documents is therefore usually not a change of name at all, and we say so. Documents may carry the Hebrew calendar date alongside the Gregorian, and each is converted individually. See our Hebrew page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, so the reader can see that the change was recorded against the original entry rather than written into a fresh document. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a reason to change my name in Israel?
No. Application to the Population and Immigration Authority, once every seven years, without stating a reason.
My family changed its surname in the 1950s.
Common — Hebraisation was actively encouraged. The population registry extract listing former names is the useful document.
Does the teudat zehut number change?
No. Nine digits, unchanged by a change of name.
Cohen or Kohen?
Hebrew omits vowels and there is no single transliteration. Usually not a change of name.
Ready to get started?
Upload the order, the resolution or the annotated certificate and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.