1
Mar

The process of apostille of documents in Dominican Republic has become an indispensable thing, not only for our country, but for any citizen of the world.

That being said, because it is such an important topic, in this article we are going to refer in detail some of the most common questions about the process of apostille of documents in Dominican Republic, such as, for example:

• What is an Apostille?
• Why should I Apostille a document?
• How are Dominican documents Apostilled?
• Can I Apostille documents from another country in the Dominican Republic?
• Does the Apostille expire?
• ALL countries must or can Apostille?
• What to do if the country that issues or receives the document does not belong to the Apostille Convention?
• Which or all documents must/can be Apostilled?
• What is the cost of an Apostille?
• How long does it take to have a document Apostilled?
• What types of processes require documents to be Apostilled in the DR?

Answers

• What is an Apostille?

The Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a document to be used abroad, such as, for example: Judgments, Birth, Marriage or Death Certificates, Certificates of No Criminal Record, Power of Attorney, Notarial Declarations, among many others.

It emerged on October 5, 1961 through the International Convention of The Hague, where the 117 countries that are part of this convention, recognize as valid any document that is apostilled.

• Why should I apostille a document?

Apostille allows the receiving country to verify the validity of the document, without the need for extensive routine examinations and supervisory controls.

By means of the Apostille, the State attests to:

• The existence of the institution issuing the document;
• The quality of the signatory; and,
• The originality of the signatures and seals.

Where are Dominican documents apostilled?

In the Dominican Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) is the entity in charge of issuing apostilles. To obtain an apostille, the applicant must present the original document. The document must be in good condition and the signature of the public official must be clearly visible.

The apostille process may take several days, depending on the number of documents to be apostilled and the demand for the service. Once the document has been apostilled, an additional sheet, the apostille, is attached, bearing an official stamp and the signature of the official who performed the apostille.

Procedure:

For the process of apostille of documents in Dominican Republic you must follow the steps written below or in this official guide if you need more help:

1. Obtain the original document or a certified copy: This can be a birth certificate, an university degree, a notarial document, among others.
2. Access the system through the MIREX website: You can do this through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) website and select “Apostille online”.
3. Complete the apostille application form and pay the corresponding fees: You will need to enter your personal information and the details of the document you wish to apostille.
4. Present the document together with your personal identification: This is done at the Dirección de Legalización de Documentos at the Cancillería Headquarters in Santo Domingo, or at one of the authorized regional offices.
5. Wait the indicated time to receive the apostille: Once the document has been apostilled, an additional sheet, the apostille, is attached, which bears an official stamp and the signature of the official who performed the apostille.

• Can I Apostille documents from another country in the Dominican Republic?

No, each country can only Apostille documents that emanate or come from it.

• Does the Apostille expire?

Generally, NO, however, each country has established a validity period to give validity to the document, not of the Apostille, but of the issuance of the document that was Apostilled.

• All countries must or can Apostille?

No, if the country is not subscribed to this agreement, it cannot issue the Apostille, in this case, we can mention some that do not offer this type of legalization:

Cuba.

Canada.

China.

Russia.

Among others.

Apostilles can only be issued for documents issued in a country party to the 1961 Hague Convention or also known as the “Apostille Convention”, which are to be used in another country party to this agreement.

• What to do if the country issuing or receiving the document does not belong to the Apostille Convention?

The document must be legalized by the competent authorities of the issuing country, and then it must be taken to the Embassy or Consulate of the country where it will be used, to legalize the signature of the competent authority of the issuing country, and finally in the Directorate of Legalization of Documents of the receiving country, the quality, signature and seal of the acting consular officer will be authenticated.

It is important to point out that each country may have particular requirements, therefore we recommend that the process be carried out by a lawyer specialized in this matter, in order to carry out this procedure in the proper way and without tedious and unnecessary procedures.

• Which or all documents must be Apostilled?

That varies according to the process that is carried out, in the end, all Public Documents, including Notarized Documents can be Apostilled, examples of them are:

All types of Civil Status Certificates (Births, Marriages, Deaths and Divorces).

All types of Judgments.

Authentic Acts of Notaries.

Acts under Private Signature of Notaries (Declarations, Certifications, Contracts and others).

Certified Copies of Notary or Public Officials (Judges, Bailiffs).

Translations

Among others.

• What is the cost of an Apostille?

Unfortunately, the costs or prices of apostille are not standardized by all countries, but each country has its own costs for the service.

• How long does it take to have a document Apostilled?

It will always depend on each country, in Dominican Republic in 24 to 72 working hours we can have an Apostilled Document.

For example, in the United States it can take up to a month or more to have a document apostilled, such as the American Federal Criminal Record.

• What types of processes require documents to be Apostilled in the Dominican Republic?

In short, it is any type of legal process that you wish to prove a foreign document, such as, for example:

1. Migratory Processes.
2. Judicial Proceedings.
3. Banking Processes.
4. Commercial – Corporate Proceedings (corporate documents, e.g. in proceedings of branches of foreign companies).
5. Civil Marriages (must Apostille, Certificates, Divorces, Declaration of Singleness).
6. Among others.

Determine which particular process must be followed prior to the Apostille, depending on the document in question in the DR.

In summary, the Apostille process is of utmost importance and the difficulty of obtaining it will always depend on the country that must issue it, one is easier than another, as well as with less or more cost.

However, if you plan to do any of the processes referred to above in the DR, you must necessarily bring and/or request your apostille so that they can be valid in the DR.

In our law firm Morillo Suriel Abogados – Attorneys At Law we have the possibility to apostille any document from another country and the Dominican Republic for which, we invite you to contact us and consult us about any type of clarification and information of Apostille that you require in the country and in a term no longer than thirty (30) minutes we will be sending you the required information, consistent in time and cost of what you need to Apostille.