Barceló Hotels & Resorts | Dominican Republic

Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort

Punta Cana/Bávaro

Legal Documentation

Your wedding will be one of the most memorable days of your life. So to ensure that your dream wedding runs smoothly, it is important that you have all of the correct legal documentation with you before you can walk down the aisle. Please see below for more information on what you will require.

Civil Weddings:

1. The following applies to Dominican nationals wishing to get married in the Dominican Republic.

• Passports photocopies of the bride, groom & witnesses*
• Legalized Photocopy and legalized translation of birth certificate
• Translation and legalisation of the single status declaration**
• Paperwork should not be more than 90 days old

* Please note that immediate family members cannot be witnesses.
** Legalization can be obtained at the nearest Dominican consulate in your country or through specialized agencies. It will also be necessary for those divorced and/or adoption

2. The following applies to non-Dominican nationals wishing to get married in the Dominican Republic:

Guests who have never been married before need the following documents:

• Birth Certificate (Copy of original, translation into Spanish)
• Notarized Declaration of Single Status
• Name change document, if necessary (Copy of original, translation into Spanish and legalized by the Dominican Embassy or Consulate)
• Copy of Couple’s Passports OR Drivers license
• Copy of Witnesses’ Passports OR Drivers license (Copy of original only)

Guests who have been married before need the following documents:

• Birth Certificate (Copy of original, translation into Spanish)
• Notarized Declaration of Single Status
• Divorce Judgment
• Name change document, if necessary (Copy of original, translation into Spanish and legalized by the Dominican Embassy or Consulate)
• Copy of Couple’s Passports OR Drivers license
• Copy of Witnesses’ Passports OR Drivers license (Copy of original only)

3. The following applies to all Guests who are getting married:

• The couple must bring all original documents.
• All documents have to be translated into Spanish and legalized by the Dominican Consulate or Embassy in their home country, see chart above. (The Consulate or Embassy charges for these services).
• The couple needs to be in the Dominican Republic 72 hours prior to the wedding date.
• The Marriage Certificate will be issued with the name indicated on the Birth Certificate, unless a Name Changed document is provided.
• In case of a prior marriage the divorce process has to be completed 6 months before the remarriage.
• Relatives cannot be witnesses.
• The Marriage Certificate will be sent through UPS to the couple’s mailing address.

Requirements for Matrimony of the Catholic Church:

1. The couple who wishes to get married by the sacrament of matrimony in this parish of "Jesus Maestro" in our Diocese of Altagracia has to get in touch with their own parish priest to begin the preparation for their wedding early enough to be able to send their copies of documents two months before their wedding date. we only perform the ceremony here, we absolutely cannot give the service of pre-cana here.
2. We suggest (it is not an obligation) that the couple be previously married by the law in their own country before getting married by the Catholic Church here in Dominican Republic.
3. The ceremony will be performed in Spanish with instant translation, if the priest who speaks English is not available at that moment (vacations, illness, congress or other). Normally it will be in English.
4. The Catholic Wedding documents we ask for, are the following:
   1. Very good photocopies in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Latin. The other languages as Polish, Russian, Greek, German or other languages unknown to us have to be translated in English or Spanish by any translator who knows well both languages. (We do not accept faxes)
   2. The civil and catholic copies or documents do not need to be legalised by the Dominican consulate for a catholic wedding.
   3. All the civil and catholic documents and their copies have to be processed by the Parish of the couple.
   4. Copy of the Civil Matrimony Certificate or a proof of their Legal Wedding from their country has to be sent. (This is the only exception: It can be sent by E-mail attachment, well identified with date and hotel name, one week before the Catholic Wedding)
   5. Copies of the Birth Certificates of both.
   6. The Affidavit of Single Status document is not necessary.
   7. Copy of the ID page of their passport.
   8. If the couple brings their priest, we need a letter of his Diocese.
   9. Written on only one sheet:
      1. the names and addresses of their parents (maiden name) (no passport needed)
      2. the names (no nicknames), passport numbers and address of only 2 witnesses for the ceremony. (For the Catholic Wedding the witnesses can be relatives)
      3. Occupations of the couple.
      4. The couple's E-mail. (obligatory)
   10. Copy of the Baptism Certificates (catholic or other denomination) with the other sacrament notes (in the case of the lack of the sacrament of Confirmation, a dispensation letter from their parish priest)
   11. Copy of the parish Interview (also called Pre-marital Inquiry) by the priest or his delegate done in their Parish (with the dispensations). (No focus document is needed)
   12. Copy of the Pre-Cana or Course they have done. (Different from the Interview)
   13. Copy of the letter sent by the priest of their Parish giving explicit permission to Rev.José Eusebio, Pastor of "Jesus Maestro Parish" where the ceremony will take place. (this letter is essential for the validity of the matrimony)
   14. Copy of a Nullity Certificate of a previous marriage by the Ecclesiastical Tribunal (as the case may be).
   15. Copy of the Death Certificate of a deceased husband or wife of a previous catholic marriage.
5. all the documents have to be scanned and joined in only one "PDF" document to be sent to me by attachment at the following e-mail or the copies may sent by ups only (the others companies do not give the full service in our region), in the first or second way, two months before the wedding.
6. The ceremony will never take place on the beach, or close to it, or close to a not-so-decent place for the celebration of a Sacrament. it is not allowed by the catholic church of dominican republic. If there is no Chapel on the complex, it can be celebrated in a Hall, in a quiet Garden or a Gazebo (which is not located near the beach or in an non-decent place).
7. The couple has to hand over all the original documents to the celebrant to be seen by him on the day of the Ceremony. It can be done through the Coordinator of the wedding. We need to make sure of the legality of all the copies that were sent to us. All the important original documents will be handed back to the couple on the same day along with a copy of the Certificate of the Church.

All the communications by E-mail or mail have to be well indentified like this example: (Wedding May 8 Name of Hotel 3pm)