Any time I have needed to show a birth certificate, I have used my "original" birth certificate that was issued when I was born. It has worked in the US and also in the DR for everything I have needed to do including residency here.
When a Dominican needs to do something requiring a birth certificate, I have found out the following:
1) You will probably need a new birth certificate because the one you have is "too old" and is considered expired.
2) You might need to get it "legalized" which can only be done in the "Cancilleria" in Santo Domingo depending upon what you need to use it for.
3) If you try to get your child into a new school, you will need a special version of the birth certificate for that application. (At least that is what we were told when trying to get my step-daughter into a different school.) Since we couldn't get one quickly, we were not able to change schools as we wished.
4) There is a long form and a short form for birth certificates, so make sure you have the correct one. From experience it seems that the long form is needed most often.
Can anyone explain the logic of this ridiculous system where birth certificates expire, have different forms, or need to be "legalized" in different manners for different uses?
When a Dominican needs to do something requiring a birth certificate, I have found out the following:
1) You will probably need a new birth certificate because the one you have is "too old" and is considered expired.
2) You might need to get it "legalized" which can only be done in the "Cancilleria" in Santo Domingo depending upon what you need to use it for.
3) If you try to get your child into a new school, you will need a special version of the birth certificate for that application. (At least that is what we were told when trying to get my step-daughter into a different school.) Since we couldn't get one quickly, we were not able to change schools as we wished.
4) There is a long form and a short form for birth certificates, so make sure you have the correct one. From experience it seems that the long form is needed most often.
Can anyone explain the logic of this ridiculous system where birth certificates expire, have different forms, or need to be "legalized" in different manners for different uses?