Marriage Requirements in the Dominican Republic

When getting married, many foreigners choose the Dominican Republic as their destination. Beach settings are the favorite locations. Some resorts even offer marriage packages for couples wishing to tie the knot in a tropical paraside.

There are requirements that must be fulfilled to be able to perform the marriage. Therefore, if you are planning to get married in the Dominican Republic, to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is good idea to have all the points clear prior to traveling. Making a checklist is highly recommended.

First of all, take into consideration that all documents presented must be in Spanish, which is the official language of the Dominican Republic. Therefore, if the document is in a foreign language it must be translated in to Spanish for it to valid.

If the translation is made in the Dominican Republic, it must be translated by a certified translator, whose signature must be legalized at Procuraduria General de la Republic.

If the document is translated overseas, the translation must be legalized at the closest Dominican consulate, otherwise the translation will not be valid. Likewise, foreign documents from a country that is a signatory of La Hague Convention must include La Hague Apostille.

The required documents are the following (all in Spanish or translated into Spanish):

1. The birth certificates of the groom and the bride.


2. Personal IDs of the groom and the bride and a copy thereof.


3. The passport of the foreign groom and/or bride and a copy of the page with the personal information.


4. A notarized Single Status Affidavit of the person who is not Dominican.


5. A divorce certificate, if the groom and/or the bride has or have been married before.


6. Two witnesses with their personal IDs and a copy thereof.

Fees

If the marriage is performed at the Civil Registry Office (Oficialia Civil):

• Foreign groom and bride (non-resident) [Both are foreign and non-resident in the Dominican Republic]: 15,000.00 DOP


• Foreign groom or bride (non-resident) [One is foreign and non-resident]: 7,000.00 DOP


• Foreign groom and bride (both are resident) [Both are foreign and resident]: 2,500.00 DOP

If the marriage is performed outside the Civil Registry Office (Oficialia Civil):

• Foreign groom and bride (non-resident) [Both are foreign and non-resident in the Dominican Republic]: 20,000.00 DOP


• Foreign groom or bride (non-resident) [One is foreign and non-resident]: 10,000.00 DOP


• Foreign groom and bride (both are resident) [Both are foreign and resident]: 6,000.00 DOP