The Dominican Republic is one of the most beautiful island countries. Visitors enjoy whale-watching expeditions, scuba diving, snorkeling in the clear waters, exploring old settlements, visiting UNESCO sites, and embracing the local cultures. Most evenings feature delicious cuisines, lying on the beaches, and dancing to the bachata. The culmination of these unique attractions has made this country a top choice for people who want to tie the knot. And if this sounds like you, read on for more on how to get married in the Dominican Republic:
How to Get Married in Dominican Republic As a U.S. Citizen?
Marriage in Dominican Republic is sacred, and locals regard such unions with respect. As such, anyone getting married in Dominican Republic starts their union with a strong foundation. But how should you go about it?
- Decide on a marriage option: There are many ways to get married in the Dominican Republic, including civil, religious, and symbolic weddings. Your choice of marriage influences where the wedding can take place, who officiates it, the requirements you must meet, and the charges. As such, this should be your first decision.
- Find a wedding venue: The Dominican Republic has many beautiful wedding venues, most of which are in resorts. It’s always advisable to book one in the early stages once you have conferred with the marriage official regarding the type of permissible venues.
- Find a wedding planner: If you are in the U.S. and will not go to the Dominican Republic until weeks or days before the wedding, planning a wedding can be challenging. Hiring a wedding planner is always advisable as they can take charge of all the critical things, enabling you to focus on wedding documentation.
- Prepare your documents: Each marriage option comes with different requirements. However, the paperwork is essentially the same. It includes a valid passport, copies of previous entry stamps, proof of residence/ tourist card, a birth certificate, and any other necessary document per the civil or religious ceremony.
- Get a sworn declaration: You cannot marry in the Dominican Republic unless you are free to marry, i.e., single. To prove this, you must sign a sworn declaration before a notary public, which states you are eligible for marriage under the Dominican Republic marriage laws. You can do this before a Dominican notary at the nearest Dominican Consulate. If you do it before a U.S. notary, you must have the document apostilled.
- Translate your documents: The official language in the Dominican Republic is Spanish. As such, you cannot present documents in English and must instead have them translated by a certified translator for use in the Dominican Republic. Travel Visa Pro offers translation services to and from Spanish to help you meet this requirement.
- Apostille your documents: Documents issued in the U.S. are legal in the Dominican Republic if they have apostilles. You must have the documents notarized, certified, and apostilled. Depending on the document’s source, the apostille can be done at the state or federal level. For example, your birth certificate must get an apostille from the state that issued it. TVP handles apostilles and can get you an apostille within days.
- Apply for a marriage license: You will present the required documents for a marriage in Dominican Republic to the Civil Registry Office to state your intention to marry. Once the documents have been reviewed, the officer will give you the go-ahead to get married. Luckily, the license has no waiting period if you meet all the requirements. However, while you can choose what day you will marry, the judge decides the time.
- Get married: You can have your wedding at the Civil Registry Office (“Oficialia Civil”), Church, or other venue. The choice depends on the marriage type and your preferences. The officer or priest will sign the marriage license and include the time of the union.
- Register your marriage: Is a marriage in Dominican Republic recognized in the United States? The U.S. will recognize a marriage that is legal in the Dominican Republic. But before you can start enjoying matrimonial benefits, you must get the marriage certificate from the Civil Registry Office and get it legalized at the Central Civil Registry Office before having it apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Dominican Republic. You can then use the certificate to change your name, acquire property, or engage in any activities that necessitate proof of marriage. Since processing the marriage certificate can take months, you can delegate this role to your wedding planner.
See? Getting married in Dominican Republic is a ten-step process you can hack without breaking much of a sweat.
What are the Different Types of Marriage in Dominican Republic?
As you plan how to get married in Dominican Republic as a U.S. citizen, one of the most vital decisions you will make is the type of marriage. Per the Dominican Republic marriage laws, there are two types of legal marriages:
1. Civil Marriages
Per the marriage laws in the Dominican Republic, a civil marriage is a union between a man and a woman who have agreed to marry and meet the legal requirements to do so. Such marriages take place under a registered state registrar and are thus legally binding per the national laws. A U.S. citizen getting married in Dominican Republic can choose this marriage type if they are single and have a sworn statement regarding the same.
However, under court orders, you can get married under this marriage type if the court or government allows it. Such a waiver must be in writing and detail why it was issued. Please note that the lack of a waiver automatically dissolves the second marriage.
In addition to being single, civil marriage participants must disclose any health conditions to their partners, whether mental or physical. If a partner later realizes their spouse omitted such details, they can opt out of the marriage.
Civil marriages can occur in the Civil Registry Office or a venue decided upon by the couple. The government official officiates the ceremony in the presence of the couple and their witnesses. If everything checks out, the official signs the marriage certificate, which should have the names of the spouses, evidence of their consent, and the date and time of the celebration. Following this, the couple will be officially married.
2. Religious Marriages
Most people in the Dominican Republic are Roman Catholics. As such, most religious marriages occur under the Roman Catholic Church, though other denominational marriages are also legal. Those taking place under the Roman Catholic Church are canonical marriages, while the others are religious weddings. Canonical marriages are legally binding, while other denominational marriages require a civil wedding to be legal.
Religious marriages follow the norms of the church that conducts them. For example, canonical marriages require the spouses to have baptismal and confirmation certificates. In such marriages, the priest handles the marriage registration, ensuring the marriage is valid in the country.
Legality of Marriages
While other countries allow same-sex and polygamous unions, is this the case in the Dominican Republic?
- Same-sex Marriages: Same-sex couples cannot marry in the Dominican Republic. Moreover, they cannot legally enter civil unions or cohabit, as the country’s laws do not recognize such unions.
- Polygamous couples: People already married cannot marry in the Dominican Republic. Anyone wishing to marry another person must first annul the previous marriage before marrying again.
Note that polygamous and same-sex unions are illegal and thus punishable crimes in the country.
Symbolic Weddings
Another common wedding type is a symbolic wedding. Under this union, the parties celebrate a wedding but do not need to comply with marriage requirements as these unions are not legally binding. These unions are common for already married people or people who cannot legally marry in the Dominican Republic. So, if you get married in Dominican Republic, is it legal in the U.S.? A symbolic wedding has no legal bearing and will thus not affect your marital status in the U.S.
Marriage Requirements in Dominican Republic for U.S. Citizens
Before the marriage ceremony, the parties must prove that they are free to marry and understand the nature of marriage per the marriage laws. Below are the marriage requirements in Dominican Republic:
- Single Status: All parties must be free to marry and should not be in a current marriage. Moreover, a marriage can only take place between a man and a woman who understand the concept of marriage.
- Age: A marriage is only legal if it takes place between a man and a woman aged at least 18 years. While this is the legal age, boys aged 16 and girls aged 15 can marry with parental consent. Moreover, parental consent is necessary for any woman aged less than 21 and any man under 25.
- Consent: The parties must marry freely and must not be under undue pressure to tie the knot. Any evidence of a forced marriage will nullify the union.
- Residency: Per the Dominican Republic marriage laws, you can only marry if you have been living in the Dominican Republic for at least six months before the wedding. But for foreigners, you can bypass this by presenting a valid tourist card and paying an extra fee.
- Witnesses: All marriages require at least two witnesses for the ceremony. These witnesses should be at least 18 years old and not related to the parties. Luckily, most hotels provide witnesses at no extra cost for couples who do not have witnesses.
- Physical Presence: Marriages by proxy are not legal in the Dominican Republic. The bride and groom must be present for the wedding to take place.
- Translations: Since the Dominican Republic uses Spanish as the national official language, all legal documents presented for marriage must be in Spanish. A certified translator must do the translation to convey the correct meaning.
- Apostilles: All legal documents must have apostilles, which authenticate them for use in the Dominican Republic. You should get this done before leaving the U.S.
Getting married in Dominican Republic for foreigners should be hassle-free if you meet these legal requirements.
What Documents Do I Need to Get Married in Dominican Republic?
Whether you opt for a religious or civil marriage in Dominican Republic, you must present some documents to show your intent and eligibility for marriage. So, what do you need to get married in Dominican Republic?
- A valid passport: You must present a valid passport to get married, which will serve as your identification document. The passport must be valid for your stay in the country, have at least one blank visa page, and be in good condition. You will use the same document to enter and leave the country. If your passport does not meet these requirements, TVP can get you one in days.
- Copies of the passport bio-data page,
- Copies of your last entry stamps into the Dominican Republic,
- Proof of residence: Technically, you should have resided in the Dominican Republic for at least six months before the wedding. If this is not the case, you can use a tourist card and pay an extra fee.
- A sworn declaration of your single status: This declaration must be notarized and apostilled if it was before a U.S. notary. But one before a Dominican notary at the Dominican Consulate will not require this.
- A copy of your birth certificate: This document must have a Spanish translation and an apostille. Moreover, it must have your legal name and parental details.
- A copy of your divorce certificate: If you have previously married and had the marriage annulled, you must present this alongside the single status declaration.
- A copy of your previous partner’s death certificate: If your previous spouse died, you must present evidence of this plus the single status declaration.
Religious ceremonies have additional requirements per the church officiating the ceremony. People getting married under canonical marriages should also present the following:
- A pre-matrimonial certificate,
- A baptismal certificate,
- A certificate of confirmation,
- A church annulment certificate (if applicable), and
- A certificate of civil marriage (for people who have already married).
Moreover, you must present evidence of having attended pre-marital classes. Other churches have differing documentation, which you should consider when preparing your documents.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Married in Dominican Republic?
Couples getting married in the Dominican Republic must understand the nature of marriage. So, how old do you have to be to get married in Dominican Republic? Only people aged at least 18 years can marry. However, the marriage laws allow girls aged 15 and boys aged 16 to marry with parental consent. Moreover, some exceptional circumstances allow girls aged lower than 15 to marry. While people aged 18 can marry, the law requires girls aged lower than 21 and boys aged lower than 25 to get parental consent.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Married in Dominican Republic?
Planning a wedding in the Dominican Republic incurs costs ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. But how much does it cost to get married in Dominican Republic for a U.S. citizen? Your overall cost depends on the following factors:
- Document preparation, e.g., passports, apostilles, and translations: You can get all these done at TVP in expedited timelines,
- The cost of the wedding venue – people having civil weddings must pay extra fees if they have the wedding outside the Civil Registry Office,
- The number of guests, the wedding decor, the accommodation, flights, and other costs,
- The cost of the wedding license, marriage certificate, legalization, and an apostille.
As such, the cost is highly relative as it encompasses many factors that are individual to couples.
How to Choose a City and Wedding Venue in Dominican Republic?
Finding a suitable wedding venue in the Dominican Republic is a cakewalk, as you have many options. But what factors should you consider?
- Accessibility: You want a venue that is easy to access for you and your guests.
- Capacity: The venue should have enough space to host guests without feeling too roomy or cramped. The layout should also be sufficient for entertainment and any other activities.
- Style: Your wedding venue should complement your wedding theme, e.g., a grand wedding hall suits a luxurious wedding.
- Package: Find a wedding venue that offers what you need for the wedding, e.g., decor, food, accommodation, etc.
And finally, the price! The cost of the venue should match your budget.
How to Find a Wedding Planner in Dominican Republic?
Couples have an easier time planning weddings when they have reliable wedding planners. But how do you find one?
- Ask your loved ones for referrals,
- Prioritize planners who have dealt with destination weddings before,
- Consider your style and choose planners who have similar themes,
- Understand how they work and assess this based on your preferences, and
- Choose a planner who can do the things you want to delegate.
Don’t forget the pricing – you can work with a standard rate or commissionable structure.
