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Dominican Divorce Decrees and Certificates
We obtain official Dominican divorce decrees and registry certificates, fully legalised and apostilled for use abroad
How much will my Dominican divorce documents cost?
In most cases the total fee is US$210*, broken down into:
- US$95* for the search to locate your divorce decree (court judgment)
- US$115 for the certified long-form divorce certificate from the civil registry
This service provides the divorce certificate, fully legalised and apostilled, with delivery by certified airmail (typically 2–5 weeks). Divorce decrees are also available.
*If your divorce took place before 1970, or if you do not know the date or place, the search fee is US$195–US$395 depending on complexity.
Dominican divorces are processed in the following order:
What Dominican divorce documents can you obtain for us? Dominican divorce certificates and more:
Searching for a Dominican divorce decree in Santo Domingo
Most of our Dominican divorce enquiries come from non-Dominicans who got divorced in the 1970s and 1980s under the Dominican Republic's quickie divorce laws.
Common to many enquiries is the fact that now years later, our customers cannot always remember the specific date of their divorce, nor the name of the town where the divorce was decreed.
We search for your old Dominican divorce records by working backwards:
REGISTRY OFFICE – A Dominican divorce is “pronounced” (= finalised) when the registry office registers the court decree in its ledger, and the registrar has signed the record so that a divorce certificate can be issued. It is this divorce certificate which confirms that the marriage ended, and that the divorce is irreversible and final. We start our search at the registry office because:
- The court issues the Dominican divorce decree.
- The decree is then taken to the town hall to be registered.
- The divorce is "pronounced" (= finalised) at the civil registry office which issues the divorce certificate. In the DR it is the divorce certificate which is definitive proof that the marriage ended.
What Dominican divorce documents can you obtain for us? Dominican divorce certificates and more:
| Product | Details | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Your Dominican divorce certificate | The Dominican divorce certificate is definitive proof that the divorce is irreversible and final, and that the marriage ended. For an original long-form divorce certificate with legalisation and apostille. | US$115 |
| Your Dominican divorce decree | From the court, we shall have it certified and apostilled for it to be valid in most countries. | US$295 |
| Your entire divorce file from the Dominican courthouse |
Includes:
|
US$395 |
| Special deluxe Dominican divorce documentation package |
For all of the following:
|
US$595 |
Searching for a Dominican divorce decree in Santo Domingo
Old Dominican divorce records
Searching for old Dominican divorce records is some of the most challenging work we do.Most of our Dominican divorce enquiries come from non-Dominicans who got divorced in the 1970s and 1980s under the Dominican Republic's quickie divorce laws.
Common to many enquiries is the fact that now years later, our customers cannot always remember the specific date of their divorce, nor the name of the town where the divorce was decreed.
We search for your old Dominican divorce records by working backwards:
REGISTRY OFFICE – A Dominican divorce is “pronounced” (= finalised) when the registry office registers the court decree in its ledger, and the registrar has signed the record so that a divorce certificate can be issued. It is this divorce certificate which confirms that the marriage ended, and that the divorce is irreversible and final. We start our search at the registry office because:
- Dominican civil registry-office records for the entire country are in one central database known as PARC. Old court records are not searchable online.
- The divorce record at the registry office usually provides the date and docket number of the Dominican court decree.
TOWN HALL – Before a Dominican court divorce decree may be finalised at the registry office, it must first be registered at the town hall. Town halls generally don’t keep copies of the decrees that they register, but they are sometimes able to provide us with invaluable information, such as the docket number and date of the decree, information which is not always available at the registry office.
COURTHOUSE – Old Dominican divorce decrees have usually not been scanned or indexed so are not easily searchable. When we approach the clerk-of-court to search for an old decree, they usually refer to their index of decrees which are kept in old binders, school exercise books or sometimes unorganised loose sheets, with one line for each decree. The actual divorce files are stored in storage facilities off-site. Dominican divorce files from the courthouse would typically include:
- Your divorce decree, of which we can obtain an original certified copy for you.
- Separation agreement that you and your ex-spouse signed, relating to custody of children, payment of alimony, division of property etc
- Copy of the divorce announcement published in the Dominican newspaper
Frequently Asked Questions About Dominican Republic Divorce Records
I recently re-married but never received a copy of my Dominican divorce certificate from my first marriage. Can you help?
Yes, we can help you obtain a copy of your Dominican divorce certificate. Please complete our form and we'll send you a quotation for our services to retrieve your divorce records.
We got married in the Dominican Republic, but later divorced in Switzerland. Can I register our Swiss divorce decree in the Dominican Republic?
Yes, for your Swiss divorce to be registered with the Dominican authorities: (1) You must obtain a certified copy of your Swiss divorce decree, duly legalized and apostilled by the relevant Swiss authorities. (2) The decree must be translated into Spanish and the translation must also be apostilled. It's advisable that both documents be consularized at the Dominican consulate in Switzerland. (3) Our legal team will present the dossier to a Dominican court for homologation. (4) Once homologated, we'll register it with the Dominican Central registry office in Santo Domingo. (5) Finally, we'll take the dossier to the registry office in San Pedro de Macorís for annotation to the marriage record.
I married a Dominican national in 2001. Is it possible to check if my husband has divorced me without my knowledge?
Yes, we can help you check if a divorce has been filed without your knowledge. Please complete our order form and send us his date of birth and preferably his cédula/ID card number for our search.
How do I know if I am divorced?
We get asked this question by many Dominicans and other Latinos from the USA. Usually spouses are separated, perhaps for many years, and one spouse said they were going to the DR to take care of the divorce only to never be heard from again. The person now wishes to marry again and needs proof of the divorce. We can help verify your divorce status through our record search services.
I am an attorney representing a client who was granted a divorce in the Dominican Republic between 1987-1988, but we're unsure of the exact date and place. Can you help?
Since both parties are non-Dominicans, this search is challenging like finding a needle in a haystack. We can charge for a search of the electronic database, but success isn't guaranteed. The most reliable way to locate the record would be if your client can provide the specific location and date when the divorce was decreed.
My ex-husband and I divorced in the late 1970s outside Santo Domingo, but I cannot find the papers. Can you help locate them?
Without more specific details, this would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, since most old divorce records remain only in the original ledgers and have not yet been entered into the registry offices' electronic database. We would need more specific information about the location and approximate date.
My ex-wife and I divorced in Santo Domingo in 1980. If I give you the approximate date and our full names, can you help find our divorce certificate?
Possibly. Many old records are not in the registry-office database, so if your divorce record hasn't been computerized, we have to search manually. Santo Domingo has 16 registry offices, so to save time and effort, please send us as much information as possible, such as the name of your lawyer or the specific court where the divorce was granted.
I want a copy of my divorce papers but I'm not sure of the year and date, but it was in Tamboril. Can you help?
If you can send us your cédula (Dominican ID card) number, we may be able to track it down. However, unless your divorce record is in the registry-office database, since you don't know an approximate date, it will be difficult for us to conduct an effective search.
My husband went to Haiti for our divorce. Can you help me get copies of those papers?
We only handle cases involving Dominican public records, not those from Haiti. You would need to contact the appropriate authorities in Haiti for records from their jurisdiction.