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Dominican Certificates – Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers on apostilles, delivery times, translations, payments, and how our process works.

Quick answers (all services)

  • Apostille & legalisation: For use abroad, most documents are issued legalised and apostilled.
  • Typical timelines: initial checks/searches can complete in ~1–7 days; standard shipping by certified airmail is ~2–8 weeks; express courier is available.
  • Translations: Certified EN/FR/DE translations available on request.
  • Two-step services: Some items (e.g., marriage certificates) work in two steps: (1) we search and confirm the civil-registry entry; (2) we issue the certificate and ship it with apostille.
Support agent helping with Dominican birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates

Dominican Republic vital certificates: Q&A

San Cristóbal divorce book for 2006
Who is the custodian of the Dominican civil registry?
The Central Electoral Board (Junta Central Electoral, JCE) manages civil records of births, deaths, marriages, adoptions and divorces across the Dominican Republic.
Where are the records stored?
Each event is handwritten twice in identical ledgers. One ledger remains at the local civil registry office; the duplicate has, since 1944, been sent to the Central Archive in Santo Domingo for safekeeping.
Are there other places to check for older records?
Yes. The General Archive of the Nation in Santo Domingo holds extensive historical collections, and parish churches retain older baptismal registers that can help locate pre-civil-registry information.

Searching for Dominican vital records

Can I search Dominican birth, marriage, or death records online?
There is no single public nationwide portal covering all years and offices. Many modern records are indexed electronically, but older entries often exist only in paper ledgers. We perform targeted on-site searches at the relevant offices and archives using your details.
What information helps a search succeed?
Full names (including maiden names), the town/office, and an exact or approximate date (month/year) significantly improve search speed and success—especially for older entries.

Dominican vital records

What condition are the original ledgers in?
Humidity, limited climate control and age mean some books—particularly outside Santo Domingo—are fragile or partially deteriorated. In such cases officials may restrict handling and rely on scans or transcripts when available.
Will a modern certificate exactly match the original record?
Yes. Certificates are typed extracts of the original ledger entry and must reflect the recorded facts. They are issued on security paper with serial numbers and holograms. Typos introduced during computerisation can usually be corrected by checking the ledger; errors written into the original ledger typically require a formal correction procedure.

For specific information about individual certificate types, see our detailed guides for Dominican birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, and death certificates.

Ordering your Dominican certificates from the Dominican Certification Service

Can anyone apply for a Dominican birth, marriage, death, adoption or divorce certificate?
Yes. These Dominican civil registry records are public, and we can apply on your behalf with the details you provide.
There are many certificate "types". Which do you recommend?
We issue long-form certificates that reproduce the complete ledger information. This is the format typically required by government bodies and embassies.
How does your process work?
  1. Search & quotation. We charge a search fee (amount depends on age of record and any missing data) and locate the correct office/ledger.
  2. Draft check. Where possible, staff produce a draft ("consultation sheet") from the database; otherwise we locate the ledger manually and verify details.
  3. Your confirmation. We email the draft for you to confirm spellings and key facts; transcription typos can usually be fixed at this stage.
  4. Issuance & legalisation. We obtain the original long-form certificate, legalise it (bar-coded sticker) and—if requested—secure an apostille from the Foreign Ministry.
  5. Dispatch. We ship using your chosen delivery method.

Ready to get started? Use our online order forms: Order birth certificate | Order marriage certificate | Order divorce certificate | Order death certificate

What details should I provide to get started?
Full names (including maiden names), event type, town/office, and date (exact or month/year). A delivery address helps us quote shipping options.

Errors in Dominican public records

Do Dominican civil records often contain mistakes?
Simple mistakes are common. We encounter them regularly and address them as the process allows.
What kinds of errors are most common?
  1. Original ledger errors (e.g., a given name written incorrectly or nationality entered wrong). These typically require a formal correction process.
  2. Transcription errors introduced during computerisation for printing (e.g., "30 June" entered as "3 June"). These are usually straightforward to correct by verifying the ledger.
How easy is it to correct errors?
If the ledger is correct and the typo occurred in data entry, officials usually correct it after checking the ledger. If the ledger itself is wrong, corrections generally require a formal procedure and can take time.

Mailing your Dominican vital certificates

What delivery options do you offer?
  • Dominican certified mail — typically ~2–8 weeks (sometimes longer).
  • UPS courier — recommended for urgent deliveries to North America, Europe, and worldwide.

Detailed Information & Order Forms:

A Dominican birth certificate and apostille


Dominican Birth Certificates - Most Requested Document
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