I am a European citizan living in Spain. I married my girlfriend last week and have to apply for her residency in Spain. Someone told me that I have to "compulsar" by notary all the documents which I have to send to the Spanish embassy in the DR. Please can you advise on this. Thanks.
- Thread starter gallego
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Compulsar documentos
The Spanish word compulsar means "legalize", "officially certify", "authenticate". Alternatively you may use or hear the terms authentfiicar por notario, legalizar por notario, certificar por notario, copia notarizada, etc.
compulsar - significado de compulsar diccionario
compulsa - Definici?n - WordReference.com
In other words, compulsar is not a direct translation of the English word "compulsory".
In Spain, notaries authenticate among other things photostatics (photo copies). They compare the copy to the original and certify that it is a truthful copy of the original... with their signature and official seal, similar to notary publics in the US, just that in Spain notary offices are dedicated state certified agencies of the law headed by a reputed lawyer. Similar to some Latin American countries where it can be that notaries issue legal title and act as a title recording agency.
HERE in the DR, it's a little different. Lawfirms can notarize but do not issue title nor double as a recording agency and the "value" of their "authentication" is limited.
The problems occur, when one country expects similar actions from an other country, which works under a different legal system.
At the end of all, it is my guess, that you will probably have to have the Dominican "conseleria" (in Santo Domingo) authenticate all DR born papers and then have the ES consulate in the DR authenticate them too or at least the authoritiy of the DR "conseleria", it's seals and signatures even.
Back in Spain, they may surprise you with requiring for these papers to be again authenticated by the DR consulate.
You are just scratchin the surface of of what is yet to come, as you are dealing with TWO countries prone to bureaucracy and lack of logic. Only lucky draw is, that both use Spanish as their language... well, sort of :cheeky:.
Good luck! ... J-D.