Getting a Cedula

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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After all these years, since we're going to be retiring to DR at least half-time, I've decided to get my cedula. I understand that because I'm married to a Dominican man it's rather straightforward.

Today I called the Dominican Embassy in NY [talk about a total fiasco] to find out exactly what papers I should bring to SD. No one spoke English. [Okay, it's the Dominican Embassy, the Italian Embassy wasn't much better when I called them] So I explained that when I go to SD I'm going to apply for a cedula/residency, and all I wanted to know is EXACTLY what I need to bring with me from the US. "Oh, just go there together when you get there."

So, if there is a woman on DR1 who is married to a Dominican man and has recently gone through this process... what documents do I need to bring, and do they need apostiles? Did you use a lawyer, or is it straightforward enough that you did it yourself?

Sr. Guzman, is there a ley that you can quote here to help me?

AE
 

Major448

Silver
Sep 8, 2010
2,645
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You may also want to check into this (from DR1) while doing your research:

As for those inquiring about Dominican citizenship, you are entitled to citizenship by being the child of a Dominican citizen or through marriage. A foreign woman who marries a Dominican has the right to Dominican citizenship, though this does not work in reverse. A foreign man who marries a Dominican woman does not have an automatic right to Dominican citizenship.

Hope it helps.
 

Bolin

New member
Sep 22, 2010
15
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0
I did it without paying a lawyer and it was time consuming but rather easy if you follow all the instructions. Being married to a Dominican makes your application "Matrimonio Mujer". Interior y Policia has a website that has all the information and instructions (in Spanish) but it is basically a matter of certifying and translating both your birth certificate and your marriage license, paying appropriate "stamps", submitting same to Interior y Policia with an application and cover letter, paying another fee and then waiting to hear from them. You must be interviewed (questions regarding a little of the history and civics of the DR - not hard), you must have Interpol clearance, which Interior y Policia does and you must pay application and processing fees. Once all is done, you will be given a date to appear for your naturalization swearing in. All this information is on the website so I suggest you read that first. Once all that is done, you will given information to take to Junta Central's main office so that the issuance of your cedula can be processed. Good luck!
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
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South Coast
I did it without paying a lawyer and it was time consuming but rather easy if you follow all the instructions. Being married to a Dominican makes your application "Matrimonio Mujer". Interior y Policia has a website that has all the information and instructions (in Spanish) but it is basically a matter of certifying and translating both your birth certificate and your marriage license, paying appropriate "stamps", submitting same to Interior y Policia with an application and cover letter, paying another fee and then waiting to hear from them. You must be interviewed (questions regarding a little of the history and civics of the DR - not hard), you must have Interpol clearance, which Interior y Policia does and you must pay application and processing fees. Once all is done, you will be given a date to appear for your naturalization swearing in. All this information is on the website so I suggest you read that first. Once all that is done, you will given information to take to Junta Central's main office so that the issuance of your cedula can be processed. Good luck!

Ah, thank you! I googled those words and found a PDF file with all the legal requirements. Glad I'm starting now, looks like I need apostiles on my birth and marriage certificates, and I don't live in NY anymore so it all has to be done by mail. For anyone else who needs this info:

REPUBLICA DOMINICANA
Ministerio de Interior y Polic?a
CONSULTORIA JURIDICA

REQUISITOS EXIGIDOS PARA REGURALIZAR LA NACIONALIDAD DOMINICANA POR MATRIMONIO DE CONFORMIDAD CON ART. 18 NUMERAL 5 DE LA CONSTITUCION DE
LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA.

1. Instancia (Carta) Solicitud dirigida al Ministro de Interior y Polic?a, por el esposo solicitando la nacionalidad por matrimonio a favor de su esposa, la cual debe estar firmada por ambos esposos.
2. Cuatro (4) Fotograf?as 2x2 de frente reciente de la interesada.
3. Acta de Nacimiento (ORIGINAL) debidamente Apostillada conforme a lo establecido en la Convenci?n de la Haya d/f 05/10/1961. En caso de que el pa?s de origen de la interesada no sea signatario de dicho convenio, el acta debe ser Legalizada en el Consulado o Embajada Dominicana acreditada en el pa?s de origen de la interesada y en la Secretaria de Estado de Relaciones Exteriores de la Rep?blica Dominicana. En el caso en que el acta este en otro idioma diferente al espa?ol debe
hacerla traducir por un Traductor Judicial y Legalizar esta traducci?n en la Procuradur?a General de la Rep?blica.
4. Acta de Matrimonio de los esposos solicitantes, en el caso de que hayan contra?do matrimonio fuera de la Republica Dominicana, esta acta debe ser debidamente Apostillada conforme a lo establecido en la Convenci?n de la Haya d/f 05/10/1961. En caso de que el pa?s donde se realizo el
matrimonio no sea signatario de dicho convenio, el acta debe ser Legalizada en el Consulado o Embajada Dominicana acreditada en el pa?s donde se realizo el matrimonio y en la Secretaria de
Estado de Relaciones Exteriores de la Rep?blica Dominicana. En el caso en que el acta este en otro idioma diferente al espa?ol debe hacerla traducir por un Traductor Judicial y Legalizar esta
traducci?n en la Procuradur?a General de la Rep?blica.
5. Acta de Nacimiento del Esposo Dominicano, Legalizada en la Oficina Central del Estado Civil.
6. Una Factura de un Peri?dico de Circulaci?n Nacional por concepto de derecho a publicaci?n de Aviso de Nacionalidad Dominicana.
7. Copia a color de la C?dula de identidad y electoral del esposo.
Un recibo de solicitud de naturalizaci?n por valor de Mil Quinientos Pesos (RD$1,500).
8. Cuando la interesada vaya a tomar Juramento como Naturalizada Dominicana deber? pagar un Impuesto por el derecho a juramentaci?n de extranjeros por valor de Cinco Mil Pesos (RD$5,000).
9. Copia a color de las tres primeras paginas del Pasaporte del solicitante.
10. Cuatro (4) Juegos de Copia de Todos los Documentos anteriormente se?alados.
11. En caso de que el esposo sea naturalizado dominicano debe anexar una Certificaci?n de Nacionalidad (ORIGINAL) del esposo.
13. En el caso en que la esposa solicitante haya obtenido otra nacionalidad distinta a la de origen debe
anexar un historial sumario de la misma.

NOTA: LA INTERESADA DEBE VENIR A UNA ENTREVISTA UNA SEMANA DESPU?S DE HABER
DEPOSITADO TODOS LOS REQUISITOS ANTERIORES, LOS CUALES DEBEN ESTAR DEBIDAMENTE
LEGALIZADOS, ORGANIZADOS TAL CUAL Y DEBE TRAER PASAPORTE AL MOMENTO DE LA
ENTREVISTA, PARA INFORMACION LLAMAR AL TELEFONO (809) 686-6251 EXT. 2055, 2057 Y 2058 O
ACCEDER A NUESTRA P?GINA EN INTERNET Ministerio de Interior y Polic?a

AE
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
There are three different things here. Residency, cedula and citizenship and they should not be confused. To have a cedula you need either residency or citizenship. If you have a cedula related to residency you cannot vote, with citizenship you can.

Being married to a Dominican only gives you a right to citizenship not to residency. The quickest and cheapest route is to apply for residency and then cedula rather than going the citizenship route. Remember if you are a dominican citizen, when you are here you would have no recourse to any assistance from the American embassy,

So, to apply for residency and then your cedula will take around 6 months and cost in the region of 1000 US$. You will need birth and marriage certs, passport, letter of buena conducta and a sponsor here. To be honest it is easiest to find a lawyer to do it all for you. Once you have your residency you can then get your cedula - on the same day, although in different offices. Remember your first residency and cedula only last a year and then must be renewed, for the same price as the first time. Then the residency lasts for 2 years, and the cedula for 7 I think. After 10 years of residency you can renew for 10 years.

I have no idea if getting citizenship will be cheaper or quicker, but I doubt it. I was quoted 300,000 RD$, but no idea if that was accurate.

Matilda
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
So, the plot thickens. I was confused. I do not want Dominican citizenship, just a residency/cedula. (Right?? Sounds like no benefit to carrying a RD Passport, and big loss of US Embassy help in the unlikely event I need it)

So, married to a Dominican means nothing as far as residency... and here I thought it was going to be easier. Phooey.

Why am I surprised? Nothing is easy.....

AE
 
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Ladybird

Bronze
Dec 15, 2003
1,768
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That info is out of date.

It now takes around a year to obtain residency, sometimes longer, and you need a certificate of good character from the Police CRO where you live. This can take a couple of months depending on your Police Authority, so it causes further delays. This is an addition to the checks performed by Interpol
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
83
That info is out of date.

It now takes around a year to obtain residency, sometimes longer, and you need a certificate of good character from the Police CRO where you live. This can take a couple of months depending on your Police Authority, so it causes further delays. This is an addition to the checks performed by Interpol

Live in small town USA go to the police station tell them what you need, they fix it up right then and there. 30min max.
 

Bolin

New member
Sep 22, 2010
15
0
0
You become a dual citizen - you do not lose your US citizenship. You have the right to vote should you choose - in both the US and the DR. As I recall, I paid around $12,000 RD total to pay all the fees and stamps, the translation and the fee to the Dominican Embassy in NY. Of course, that amount doesn't include my time and mileage.
 
Mar 1, 2009
941
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if you want to have help from the US embassy can't you just renounce your Dominican one on the spot and then get it back later?
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
AE

The hardest things to take care of will be the birth and marriage certificates, ie will Migracion take them as they are or will you have to do it like the old way by getting them translated and certified at a Dom Embassy in the States.

BTW, I'm currently renewing my residency and have a great contact at the Migracion office. Send me a pm if interested.
 

z90242

New member
Aug 3, 2009
14
2
3
After all these years, since we're going to be retiring to DR at least half-time, I've decided to get my cedula. I understand that because I'm married to a Dominican man it's rather straightforward.

Today I called the Dominican Embassy in NY [talk about a total fiasco] to find out exactly what papers I should bring to SD. No one spoke English. [Okay, it's the Dominican Embassy, the Italian Embassy wasn't much better when I called them] So I explained that when I go to SD I'm going to apply for a cedula/residency, and all I wanted to know is EXACTLY what I need to bring with me from the US. "Oh, just go there together when you get there."

So, if there is a woman on DR1 who is married to a Dominican man and has recently gone through this process... what documents do I need to bring, and do they need apostiles? Did you use a lawyer, or is it straightforward enough that you did it yourself?

Sr. Guzman, is there a ley that you can quote here to help me?

AE
You will need "Apostilles" for both Birth Certificate and Police Certification. Both documents will have to be notarized locally and then sent to the Secretary of States office for the "Apostilles". This "Apostille" thing is a new requirement and it authenticates the documents as being legitimate.
 

JeNLeB

New member
Jan 31, 2011
10
0
0
Ah, thank you! I googled those words and found a PDF file with all the legal requirements. Glad I'm starting now, looks like I need apostiles on my birth and marriage certificates, and I don't live in NY anymore so it all has to be done by mail. For anyone else who needs this info:

REPUBLICA DOMINICANA
Ministerio de Interior y Polic?a
CONSULTORIA JURIDICA

REQUISITOS EXIGIDOS PARA REGURALIZAR LA NACIONALIDAD DOMINICANA POR MATRIMONIO DE CONFORMIDAD CON ART. 18 NUMERAL 5 DE LA CONSTITUCION DE
LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA.

1. Instancia (Carta) Solicitud dirigida al Ministro de Interior y Polic?a, por el esposo solicitando la nacionalidad por matrimonio a favor de su esposa, la cual debe estar firmada por ambos esposos.
2. Cuatro (4) Fotograf?as 2x2 de frente reciente de la interesada.
3. Acta de Nacimiento (ORIGINAL) debidamente Apostillada conforme a lo establecido en la Convenci?n de la Haya d/f 05/10/1961. En caso de que el pa?s de origen de la interesada no sea signatario de dicho convenio, el acta debe ser Legalizada en el Consulado o Embajada Dominicana acreditada en el pa?s de origen de la interesada y en la Secretaria de Estado de Relaciones Exteriores de la Rep?blica Dominicana. En el caso en que el acta este en otro idioma diferente al espa?ol debe
hacerla traducir por un Traductor Judicial y Legalizar esta traducci?n en la Procuradur?a General de la Rep?blica.
4. Acta de Matrimonio de los esposos solicitantes, en el caso de que hayan contra?do matrimonio fuera de la Republica Dominicana, esta acta debe ser debidamente Apostillada conforme a lo establecido en la Convenci?n de la Haya d/f 05/10/1961. En caso de que el pa?s donde se realizo el
matrimonio no sea signatario de dicho convenio, el acta debe ser Legalizada en el Consulado o Embajada Dominicana acreditada en el pa?s donde se realizo el matrimonio y en la Secretaria de
Estado de Relaciones Exteriores de la Rep?blica Dominicana. En el caso en que el acta este en otro idioma diferente al espa?ol debe hacerla traducir por un Traductor Judicial y Legalizar esta
traducci?n en la Procuradur?a General de la Rep?blica.
5. Acta de Nacimiento del Esposo Dominicano, Legalizada en la Oficina Central del Estado Civil.
6. Una Factura de un Peri?dico de Circulaci?n Nacional por concepto de derecho a publicaci?n de Aviso de Nacionalidad Dominicana.
7. Copia a color de la C?dula de identidad y electoral del esposo.
Un recibo de solicitud de naturalizaci?n por valor de Mil Quinientos Pesos (RD$1,500).
8. Cuando la interesada vaya a tomar Juramento como Naturalizada Dominicana deber? pagar un Impuesto por el derecho a juramentaci?n de extranjeros por valor de Cinco Mil Pesos (RD$5,000).
9. Copia a color de las tres primeras paginas del Pasaporte del solicitante.
10. Cuatro (4) Juegos de Copia de Todos los Documentos anteriormente se?alados.
11. En caso de que el esposo sea naturalizado dominicano debe anexar una Certificaci?n de Nacionalidad (ORIGINAL) del esposo.
13. En el caso en que la esposa solicitante haya obtenido otra nacionalidad distinta a la de origen debe
anexar un historial sumario de la misma.

NOTA: LA INTERESADA DEBE VENIR A UNA ENTREVISTA UNA SEMANA DESPU?S DE HABER
DEPOSITADO TODOS LOS REQUISITOS ANTERIORES, LOS CUALES DEBEN ESTAR DEBIDAMENTE
LEGALIZADOS, ORGANIZADOS TAL CUAL Y DEBE TRAER PASAPORTE AL MOMENTO DE LA
ENTREVISTA, PARA INFORMACION LLAMAR AL TELEFONO (809) 686-6251 EXT. 2055, 2057 Y 2058 O
ACCEDER A NUESTRA P?GINA EN INTERNET Ministerio de Interior y Polic?a

AE

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this information! I have been looking all over the internet trying to find the necessary documents to obtain my cedula (through marriage to a Dominican man), so I really appreciate you posting this for people like me who are clueless to the whole process!