Getting Married
Most resort hotels that offer wedding packages will help you to complete the paperwork for a marriage.
Marriage requirements:
The Dominican Republic does not require you to get a marriage license. You need only to register to be married. The Oficialia del Estado Civil charges RD$50 for this. This is the first step prior to getting a marriage certificate.
Submit the following paperwork before the Oficialía del Estado Civil for the preparation of your marriage certificate. Note that you may send photocopies in advance and bring the original with you:
Passport
Birth certificate
Single status affidavit translated by an official translator into Spanish
Divorce certificate translated into Spanish by an official translator, if applicable
(Legal transcripts of the birth certificates, single status affidavit and divorce act need to be prepared at the Dominican consulate in the country where the documents were issued.)
You will also need two witnesses. If they are foreigners, they will need to have passports as identification. If they are Dominicans, "cedulas" are sufficient.
People who have been divorced in the DR under the Special Divorces Law need to wait 24 hours prior to getting married.
II. After the marriage:
You will be given a document that proves the wedding took place. You then need to request a marriage certificate from the “Oficial de Estado Civil” (City Clerk) that married you.
Marriage certificate validity abroad
The document issued by “Oficial de Estado Civil” (City Clerk) is a valid marriage certificate.
Nevertheless, in case you are considering a name change or applying for a visa for one of the spouses, you may consider validating the marriage certificate at your consulate in the DR. If this is your case, ask your hotel if they can help you handle this part as part of the marriage package or for an additional fee. This process needs to be carried out by the corresponding foreign-based authorities or in the DR as follows:
First you will need a legal transcript of the marriage act that is issued in Spanish. This needs to be done by an official legal translator (authorized by the Supreme Court of Justice). Then have the transcript legalized by the Attorney General Office (Procurador General de la Nacion) and by the Legal Department (Legalizaciones) of the Ministry of Foreign Relations (in Santo Domingo). Next step is to take it to the corresponding consulate where they will verify the signature of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, validating the marriage certificate in the foreign language. This procedure could take a month.
Marriage requirements:
The Dominican Republic does not require you to get a marriage license. You need only to register to be married. The Oficialia del Estado Civil charges RD$50 for this. This is the first step prior to getting a marriage certificate.
Submit the following paperwork before the Oficialía del Estado Civil for the preparation of your marriage certificate. Note that you may send photocopies in advance and bring the original with you:
Passport
Birth certificate
Single status affidavit translated by an official translator into Spanish
Divorce certificate translated into Spanish by an official translator, if applicable
(Legal transcripts of the birth certificates, single status affidavit and divorce act need to be prepared at the Dominican consulate in the country where the documents were issued.)
You will also need two witnesses. If they are foreigners, they will need to have passports as identification. If they are Dominicans, "cedulas" are sufficient.
People who have been divorced in the DR under the Special Divorces Law need to wait 24 hours prior to getting married.
II. After the marriage:
You will be given a document that proves the wedding took place. You then need to request a marriage certificate from the “Oficial de Estado Civil” (City Clerk) that married you.
Marriage certificate validity abroad
The document issued by “Oficial de Estado Civil” (City Clerk) is a valid marriage certificate.
Nevertheless, in case you are considering a name change or applying for a visa for one of the spouses, you may consider validating the marriage certificate at your consulate in the DR. If this is your case, ask your hotel if they can help you handle this part as part of the marriage package or for an additional fee. This process needs to be carried out by the corresponding foreign-based authorities or in the DR as follows:
First you will need a legal transcript of the marriage act that is issued in Spanish. This needs to be done by an official legal translator (authorized by the Supreme Court of Justice). Then have the transcript legalized by the Attorney General Office (Procurador General de la Nacion) and by the Legal Department (Legalizaciones) of the Ministry of Foreign Relations (in Santo Domingo). Next step is to take it to the corresponding consulate where they will verify the signature of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, validating the marriage certificate in the foreign language. This procedure could take a month.