Two years ago, Sara(a pseudonym) immigrated to Israel from Venezuela. Not knowing much Hebrew, Sara was questioned by the clerk in the Interior Ministry as to her marital status but did not comprehend the question. The clerk registered Sara as married.
After Sara learnt a bit more Hebrew she realized that she was registered as married on her ID card and tried to change her status. However the ministry refused and directed her to apply to the Rabbinical Court to receive a certificate stating that she is single. This proved difficult since the court wanted to ascertain that she had never in fact been married, and in Venezuela even living with another person is enough to consider a person married, which was the reason Sara had written her marital status accordingly when she immigrated.
After a long and protracted process the court authorized the Interior Ministry to register Sara as being single.