Requirements for a Wedding in the Dominican Republic

There’s nothing more romantic than a wedding in Punta Cana as the sun goes down on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. Saying “Yes, I Do” to your partner as you listen to the murmur of the sea with the gentle breeze in the background is an unforgettable experience. This setting is highly sought-after by more and more people who dream of getting married in Punta Cana.

But to make this a reality, you need to know what requirements exist for getting married in Punta Cana, since there are a number of procedures to carry out before and after the ceremony from a legal point of view.

Requirements for getting married in Punta Cana

What do you need for a civil or religious wedding in the Dominican Republic? This country offers all citizens from any part of the world the ability to celebrate their wedding according to the laws of the Dominican Republic. It is managed through the “Oficialías del Estado Civil”, equivalent to the Civil Registry Office in other countries.

It’s important to know that the nationality of the future bride and groom is not a relevant factor. That is, it’s possible for a foreigner to marry a Dominican, or for two foreigners to get married, without the need for residence permits or any other more complex procedures.

Required documentation and procedures to get married in Punta Cana

Let’s see what documentation you’ll have to request and submit prior to your trip to the Dominican Republic. First off, you’ll need to choose a Civil Registry Office. There is usually one for each municipality. To do so, it’s important for you to have already chosen the   based on your needs, in order to know the area where you’ll be getting married and which municipality is most convenient. Here you need to ask about their requirements and indicate the date of the event so that a Civil Judge can officiate the marriage.

Once that’s done, you must prepare all the required documentation, which we will outline below:

• Birth Certificate of the bride and groom. If this document is foreign, it must be duly translated, with a certificate of apostille or legalised, if the document’s country of origin is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention.
• Sworn declaration of being single and eligible to marry, also with the apostille.
• Photocopy of the valid
• Photocopy of the National Identity Document.

It’s important to know that all documents must be translated and certified by the Dominican Consulate before arrival in the Dominican Republic, except passports. For its part, the Dominican Consulate has the obligation to certify the documents in a period of less than three months, using the date of the wedding as a reference. You will also have to pay the applicable fees to the Civil Registry Office.

Other things to consider for a wedding in Punta Cana

Before processing the required documentation, there are other factors that must be taken into account when getting married in the Dominican Republic.

First, it’s an exclusive requirement that the bride and groom comply with the minimum age established by Dominican law. If the bride or groom are not of age, they must provide a duly notarised authorisation from their parents or legal guardians with the apostille certification in order to get married.

If the bride or groom is divorced, they will need to provide another document called the Divorce Certificate. Just like with the other documents, it must have the apostille or be legalised if the country of origin is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention.

If you wish to have judicial division of assets during marriage, you must inform the judge and hand in the Division of Assets Certificate or another document regarding the limitation of the distribution of assets, duly signed and apostilled. Failure to submit this document or inform the judge will mean that, by default, the marriage will be declared to have a joint ownership arrangement.

Another factor to consider is that the laws in the Dominican Republic do not provide for same-sex marriage.

As for the ceremony, you will need two witnesses and two godparents to attend, both with a National Identity Document. Once the marriage act is finished, the Civil Registry Office will give the couple a Marriage Certificate. In this regard, it is very important to know that in order for this document to be valid abroad, it must be apostilled in the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Civil Judge can travel to the place to celebrate a wedding in Punta Cana that the bride and groom choose. Hence, the dream of celebrating a wedding on the paradisiacal beaches of the Caribbean Sea will become a dream come true for the couple.

Once these requirements are met, you can celebrate your wedding in the Dominican Republic without any issues. After you’ve taken these legal steps, you can focus on the details of the ceremony. Follow these tips for an unforgettable wedding in Punta Cana and turn your wedding into a truly memorable moment.