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Everything You Need to Know About Notarized Translation of a Name-Change Certificate

Michael Decker
Michael Decker

Requesting a notarized translation of a name-change certificate is quite common. Tens of thousands of people in Israel and around the world who have changed their names in the past are required to confirm this fact by translating documents in various situations, such as when purchasing real estate and living abroad, being admitted for work overseas, and studying at academic institutions.

Although translating a name-change certificate seems like something technical and routine, it is actually an important procedure that may be decisive in certain situations. Therefore, you must ensure that the notarized translation of your name-change certificate is conducted professionally and meticulously, and that it conveys the meaning of the source at the highest level, no matter what the target language is.

Our law firm has some of the best experts, who will be happy to provide you with a quality notarized translation based on many years of experience. We will also be happy to assist in processes related to immigration or visas that require translating your name-change certificate.

Let us now delve deeper into the issue of notarial translation of name-change certificates and try to further understand its importance.

Translation of a name-change certificate

What Is a Name-Change Certificate?

When a person is born in Israel, the name given to them by their parents (or another guardian, for that matter) is recorded in the Population Registry. From then on, this is the name that will appear on every official certificate, such as a driver’s license, identity card, and passport.

When a person chooses to change their first/given name or last/family name at the Ministry of Interior, they receive a name-change certificate. This certificate serves to prove that previous certificates and information, such as academic degrees, experience in military service, and marriage certificates, still refer to the same person.

Who Can Change Their Name?

By law, anyone over the age of 16 is entitled to change their name once every seven years, except in exceptional cases where a change of name is approved more frequently. Minors may change their given name with parental approval or court approval, and their family name only with court approval. Currently, a name change involves paying a fee of ILS 115.

Issuing a New Name-Change Certificate in Place of a Missing One

People who change their name do not always take care to keep the name-change certificate that they receive. If they don’t encounter situations that require presenting this evidence, then there’s no real problem. However, as stated above, there are situations in which the certificate is needed, whether in its original form or translated. To download a form for requesting a certificate after changing your name or choosing a family name, click here.

If, for one reason or another (especially for those who have changed their name many years ago and/or did so abroad), you are unable to obtain a name-change certificate on your own, we will be happy to help in this matter, too, as part of the services that our firm offers.

When Is a Notarized Translation of a Name-Changed Certificate Needed?

As stated above, there are many different situations in which a notarized translation of a name-change certificate is needed. Here are just a few examples:

  • Studying abroad: When registering for an academic institution abroad, several notarized translations of documents are required. These are usually documents that indicate the applicant’s state of education, such as a matriculation (called “bagrut” in Israel) certificate and a certificate of the number of years of schooling. However, if the applicant has since changed their name, a notarized translation of the name-change certificate will almost always be required.
  • Immigration and relocation: Israelis who wish to move abroad will probably be required to present notarized translations of various documents. In this case, too, if there was a change of name, it will almost always be necessary to translate the name-change certificate.
  • Working abroad: Many workplaces, especially larger companies and corporations, often require candidates in the admissions process and in the screening and placement stages to submit various translated documents. A name-change certificate is almost always required, to verify the candidate’s identity.

Unlike verifications conducted by a notary public – when a notarized translation of a name-change certificate is needed, it is not necessary to verify the identity of the person whose name changed, only to authenticate or confirm the correctness of the certificate’s translation.

Name Changes Are Much More Common Than You Might Think

At this point, many of you are probably wondering if name changes are all that frequent. It turns out that name changes actually are common, and that’s exactly why notarized translation of name-change certificates is required in various situations. In 2008, for example, over 20,000 Israelis officially changed their names, and this number has only grown over the years.

Here are some examples of famous people who changed their names:

  • Elton John, the famous singer and music artist who created dozens of hits, was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight.
  • The Israeli singer Zohar Argov, known in Israel as “The king of Mizrahi music” of all times, was born Zohar Orkabi.
  • Tiger Woods, who is regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, and who was also involved in several scandals, was born Eldrick Tont Woods.
  • The Israeli actor Zachi Noy, known from dozens of lovable movies such as Lemon Popsicle (Eskimo Limon), was born Yitzhak [Zachi] Novogruder.
  • The famous sports broadcaster Yoram Arbel was born with the surname Arbeiter.

These are just a few examples out of many, many more, such as Zvika Hadar, Uri Geller, Cat Stevens, and Angelina Jolie. You may not even know that they changed their names. Clearly, changes of name are very common.

Why Should You Insist On Quality Notarized Translation of Your Name-Change Certificate?

You should be aware that, although a name-change certificate is a relatively short simple document, incorrectly translating it may likely lead to its disqualification and require you to start the whole process over again. This is true when translating the document into English, and much more so when the target language is another foreign language that is not commonly spoken in Israel.

If you, too, need a notarized translation of your name-change certificate, we recommend you to always use the help of a professional experienced law firm. Our law firm works with the best translators in the country who translate into a variety of languages, ​​and we have particular experience in translating name-change certificates. We will gladly help you with various processes related to translating such a certificate and provide you with professional efficient assistance at the most affordable prices, which we offer to all of our customers.

Contact us today and we will be happy to be of service to you.

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