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Dominican Certification Service: Official Civil Registry Documents > Vital certificates > Death > Dominican Death Certificate FAQs | Cost, Apostille & Records

Dominican Death Certificate FAQs

Clear answers about costs, searches, apostille legalisation, and worldwide delivery of Dominican death certificates

How much does a Dominican death certificate cost?

In most cases the total fee is US$210*: 1) US$95* for the search, then 2) US$115 for the certificate. This provides an original long-form death certificate, fully legalised and apostilled, including certified airmail shipping (2–5 weeks).

*If the death occurred before 1970, or if the date/place is unknown, the search fee ranges from US$195–US$395 depending on complexity.

Civil registry office holds death records

Questions About Dominican Death Certificates

If you need an official Dominican death certificate for family research, probate, inheritance, pension matters, insurance, consular procedures or another legal purpose, the process usually begins with a search for the original death record in the Dominican civil registry system.

Dominican death records are not always ready to issue immediately. In many cases, the record must first be located, digitised, approved and validated by the civil registry office before an official certificate can be obtained. Dominican Certification Service manages this process for clients who are outside the Dominican Republic or who need help dealing with Dominican registry offices.

For a full overview of our service, please visit our main Dominican death certificates page. You can also return to our vital certificates section for birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates from the Dominican Republic.

Before You Start

Dr Sarita forensics institute in Santo Domingo for death records

To help us search efficiently, please provide as much information as possible about the deceased person. If the deceased was Dominican, the cédula ID card number is especially useful.

  • Full name of the deceased person
  • Dominican cédula number, if available
  • Date and place of death
  • Date and place of birth
  • Names of spouse, parents or close relatives, if known
  • Any old copy, scan, registry reference or related document


For older records, late declarations of death, missing details or cases requiring ratification, the process may take longer.

Our Two-Stage Process

We normally work in two stages. First, we charge a search fee to locate the death record. Once the record has been found and approved for issue, we charge a second fee for the official apostilled death certificate.

  • Stage 1: Search for the death record. Search fees depend on the year of death and whether you already have an old copy.
  • Stage 2: Official apostilled death certificate. Once the record can be issued, we charge US$115 for the certificate, legalisation, apostille and certified airmail shipping.

Dominican Death Certificate FAQs

Below are answers to the most common questions about obtaining an official Dominican death certificate, including search fees, apostille, delivery, old records and late declarations of death.

How do I get a Dominican death certificate?
We first search for the original Dominican death record in the civil registry system. Once the record has been located, the registry office may need to digitise, approve and validate it before an official certificate can be issued. After that, we obtain the official long-form death certificate and can arrange legalisation, apostille and international delivery.
Can I order a Dominican death certificate online?
Yes. You can start the search online through Dominican Certification Service. The certificate itself is issued by the Dominican civil registry authorities, so it is not normally an instant online download. We manage the search, registry follow-up, certificate issue, legalisation, apostille and delivery from within the Dominican Republic.
How much does a Dominican death certificate cost?
We work in two stages. First, we charge a search fee to locate the death record. For records from 1970 to the present day, the search fee is US$95. For records from 1945 to 1969, the search fee is US$195 if you have an old copy of the certificate, or US$295 if you do not. For records from 1900 to 1944, the search fee is US$295 with an old copy, or US$395 without one. Once the record has been located and approved, we charge US$115 for the official apostilled death certificate, including certified airmail shipping.
What is included in the US$115 certificate fee?
The US$115 certificate fee includes the official Dominican death certificate, legalisation, apostille and shipping by certified airmail. Certified airmail normally takes a few weeks to arrive. For an additional fee, we can also arrange certified translations and expedited international shipping.
How long does it take to obtain a Dominican death certificate?
Every case is different because we depend on the civil registry office and, in some cases, other Dominican state institutions. In an average case, it can take up to five working days to locate the record. The registry office must then digitise, approve and validate the record before we can share a draft print-out with you. The official certificate and legalisation usually take another couple of days, so many straightforward cases can be completed in about a week, before postal delivery time.
What information do you need to search for a Dominican death record?
Please provide as much information as possible about the deceased person. If the deceased was Dominican, the most useful detail is usually the cédula ID card number. We also ask for the full name, date and place of death, date and place of birth, names of close relatives if known, and any old copy, scan, registry reference or related document.
What if I do not have the deceased person’s cédula number?
We can still try to search, but the cédula number is very helpful when the deceased was Dominican. Without it, we may need to rely on the full name, date and place of birth, date and place of death, family details and any available supporting documents. Older records or cases with incomplete details may take longer and may require a higher search fee.
Can you obtain old Dominican death records?
Yes, we can search for older Dominican death records, including records from before 1970. Older searches are usually more complex, especially if the record is not fully digitised, the place of death is uncertain, or you do not have an old copy of the certificate. Our search fees are higher for older records because they often require more work with registry offices and historical sources.
What is a late declaration of death?
A late declaration of death means that the death was recorded after the normal legal period. In the past, the family of the deceased usually had to obtain a court judgment authorising the late declaration before the civil registry office could accept it. If we need a certificate for a death that was recorded late, the registry office may require a copy of that court judgment.
What does ratification mean in a Dominican death record?
In this context, ratification refers to the court judgment that authorised a late declaration of death. If the civil registry office asks for the ratification, we may need to obtain or present a copy of the judgment before the death certificate can be issued. This can make the process take longer.
Will the certificate be valid for use abroad?

Start the Search

The Dominican Chancellery's legalisation which issues the apostilles for Dominican death certificates
We find old birth certficates in the Old Cédula Office
Dominican courthouse in Santiago

Updated: June 2026