Dominican Birth Certificate fiascos

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windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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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?
 
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JRMirador

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Oct 15, 2008
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windeguy said:
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?
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I like these rhetorical questions, and I can see why you ask then. It's your way of venting frustration. I'm sure you can answer the question yourself, since it's so evident. But first change the term 'logic' for 'reason'.
 
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windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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JRmirador is correct

Yes, indeed, it is a way of venting and at the same time informing others of what they may face in the "world of DR birth certificates".
 
bachata

bachata

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Aug 18, 2007
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You can get different birrth certification in the DR.

1- Declaracion de nacimiento - first one
2- Acta de nacimiento escolar
3- Acta de nacimiento para sacar cedula
4- Acta de nacimiento certificada
5- Acta de nacimiento legalizada
6- Acta de nacimiento inextensa y legalizada

Do you who many birth certification I needed during the process for my green card and how moch money I spend ?

That is crazy......

JJ.
 
MikeFisher

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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yeap,
agreement to all above said.
it is a p.i.t.a$$$$$
and when you ask for any kind of those birth certificates, specially for the long lasting cedula one, make sure they really write your name proper and your birthdate is really YOURS and not the one of the stu secretary over there.
my wife is on her cedula 1 year older than she really is, at least the birthday is the correct dayn and month, her firstname is nearby written correct, nearby, a simple typical dominican first name.
and for this years school inscription of our boy the lady at the new school asked me why we want to put an 8 years old in pre-school,
heck, he's been 5 by that time, he will be 6 next tuesday nov 18th, ha ha ha.
those many different years look like a very complicated thingy to them.
why they expire so you need a new one the next time you wanna do something which requires the presentation of a birthcertificate??
hell, that's logic,
since the last birthcertificate been made you may've been reborn and choosen a different name or birthday, ha ha
Mike
 
M

Marlin Hunter

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May 18, 2002
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You get the legalized birth certificate (Acto de nacimiento) in the government offices of the district where the birth was registered. Stand in line, hurry up and wait type of thing, frustating. My father in law was born in Tamboril, for us to get a legalized copy of his birth certificate, she has to go to Tamboril, but you need a date of registration and book number.
Errors are commonplace. Remember, these are "clerks?" who are given political jobs every time the government changes. The Acto de Nacimiento of my stepson, born in December, 1986 and birth registered in February, 1987, shows he was born in November, 1987, 9 months after his birth was regestered. My wife's birth date is registered 10 days before he was born.
Of course, my U.S. birth certificate says that I was born on the 10th of the month. My mother said that she does not give a damn what the birth certificate says, I was born on the 12th of the month and she knows when I was born because she was there. I celebrate the 12th. (My dominican wife expects presents on both her actual and registered birth dates.)
 
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rubio_higuey

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Feb 7, 2007
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I have long ago find this Dominican birth certificate thingy insane. For everything, including US green card, and reissuing my passport, I have used my old, original birth certificate issued by the old-communist Czechoslovakia. My parents keep a newer (1992) copy of my BC in their house.

The old BC is the one and only I have ever needed and used, home and abroad, even though communists were long gone, the country split, and then became member of the EU. Still using the old one, and still it's valid and will be.
 
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elgordo

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Nov 7, 2008
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Birth certificates

A few years ago a gentleman walked into the census bureau in the "Capital" and told the clerk that he wanted to register the birth of a child. The clerk looked at him, shook his head and said, "I'm tired of telling you country bumpkins that you have to bring the child with you". To which the man replied, "I did, I am the child".

You can safely add five years to most Domican's declared age.
 
J

JRMirador

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Oct 15, 2008
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elgordo said:
A few years ago a gentleman walked into the census bureau in the "Capital" and told the clerk that he wanted to register the birth of a child. The clerk looked at him, shook his head and said, "I'm tired of telling you country bumpkins that you have to bring the child with you". To which the man replied, "I did, I am the child".

You can safely add five years to most Domican's declared age.
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A few years ago? This is an everyday occurance! The son of a recently deceased dear friend, is having a lot of trouble getting his birth certificate. He's twenty-two years old. A currently published statistic indicates that over 30% of underage population in the campo have no birth certificate.
 
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