Getting married at the consulate or in the Dominican Republic
There are two different routes and they should not be mixed up: marrying at the consulate, which is a consular marriage with its own requirements, and marrying in the Dominican Republic, which is what most people arriving here are after.
The ceremony at the consulate
The consul acts as a civil registrar and the ceremony takes place at the consular office itself. It is a civil act between two people of Dominican nationality.
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First: the banns
You have to publish the marriage banns and wait for the period to run. For that publication you present a passport or cédula, the birth certificates of both parties and a sworn declaration of single status from each.
If either party is divorced, the divorce ruling is required.
- Passport or cédula for both parties
- Birth certificates for both
- Sworn declaration of single status from each
- Divorce ruling, if either party is divorced
Then: the ceremony
Once the banns period has run, the marriage is celebrated, and the resulting record is entered in the Dominican civil registry.
Marrying on the island
If the wedding is there, the consulate's role changes: it legalizes and translates the American documents you will need, and it can issue the sworn declaration of civil status.
An American marriage certificate, where the wedding already took place here, has to be requested certified by the city clerk. In New York you apply to the marriage bureau and, if an apostille will be needed, in long form.
The certificate afterwards
The Dominican marriage certificate is issued by the Central Electoral Board, not the consulate. The consulate registers the marriage it celebrates; later copies come from the JCE.
Requirements for a foreigner marrying on the island
A non-Dominican marrying in the Dominican Republic normally needs a passport, an apostilled and translated birth certificate, and a sworn declaration of single status, also apostilled. Where there is a previous divorce, the ruling gets the same treatment.
The exact requirements are set by the Dominican civil registry office where the wedding takes place, so ask them before moving any paperwork.
Witnesses
A Dominican civil marriage requires witnesses. How many and under what conditions depends on the matrimonial property regime chosen, which is another detail to confirm with the registry office.
Matrimonial property regime
Dominican law lets you choose the regime, and the choice is made before the ceremony, not after. Changing it later is a court matter.
If either party owns property on the island, it is worth taking Dominican legal advice before the date.
Registering a Dominican marriage here
And the other way round: a marriage celebrated in the Dominican Republic that has to take effect in the United States needs the Central Electoral Board certificate, apostilled by the Foreign Ministry and translated.
The Dominican marriage certificate comes from the JCE, not the consulate.Details verified on 8 September 2026.
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