CiviqPass

Documents from the Dominican Republic for a Spanish nationality file: criminal record, birth certificate, apostille and validity

Where each document comes from, who issues the apostille, how long each one stays valid and what Spain's own texts say about legalisation and translation, with a source under every line. Free.

Validity clock: your dates, worked out

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Sources (1)
Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingEn el caso de certificados de antecedentes penales en los que no conste plazo de validez, se entenderá que tienen una vigencia de seis meses a contar desde su expedición.
Sources (1)
sede.mjusticia.gob.es, página del trámiteOfficial wordingDispone de dos meses desde la fecha de creación para completar su solicitud, si pasado ese plazo no ha firmado y presentado su solicitud, se borrará de manera automática.
How we count

Months and years end on the same day number, or on the last day of the month if there is no such day; they start the day after the date you give. A deadline that ends on a weekend moves to the next working day. Document validity is not moved: the date shown is the last day it stays valid, even on a weekend. Days are working days unless a law says otherwise.

Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingéstos se computarán a partir del día siguiente a aquel en que tenga lugar la notificación o publicación del acto de que se trate
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingo desde el siguiente a aquel en que se produzca la estimación o desestimación por silencio administrativo.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.2Official wordingSiempre que por Ley o en el Derecho de la Unión Europea no se exprese otro cómputo, cuando los plazos se señalen por días, se entiende que éstos son hábiles
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.2Official wordingexcluyéndose del cómputo los sábados, los domingos y los declarados festivos.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingEl plazo concluirá el mismo día en que se produjo la notificación, publicación o silencio administrativo en el mes o el año de vencimiento.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingSi en el mes de vencimiento no hubiera día equivalente a aquel en que comienza el cómputo, se entenderá que el plazo expira el último día del mes.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.5Official wordingCuando el último día del plazo sea inhábil, se entenderá prorrogado al primer día hábil siguiente.

Where is my file? With your application number, follow it on the Ministry's website: Ministry of Justice: nationality by residence

The File Pack: your file in one workspace

Your documents with their dates, the order to ask for them, every deadline in one calendar file, two letters already drafted and twenty-five checks before you file. It uses the same sourced rules as this page, organised for your own file.

  • A tracker for each document, with a check of whether it will still count on your filing day
  • The order to ask for each document, with the dates that can already be worked out
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In short

  • Criminal record: The Procuraduría General (PGR) offers the Certificación de Buena Conducta online or in person; we found no page saying whether the online service works from abroad, nor any Dominican validity period (Spain's order counts a certificate with none as valid six months).
  • Birth and marriage: The JCE says an automated birth record can be requested at any oficialía, otherwise at the oficialía where the birth was declared; its offices in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia are listed without saying which actas they issue, and we found no Dominican validity period.
  • Apostille: MIREX offers the apostille entirely online, with a stated response time of 24 working hours, but a prior legalisation may apply depending on the document (two MIREX texts word it differently); the HCCH page records no objection from Spain.
  • Translation: We found no official text on whether a Spanish-language document needs translation; Spain's Ministry of Justice names consulates or a sworn translator-interpreter for translations.
  • Order: Our arithmetic, not an official rule: request first the documents that need an apostille and a sworn translation, the criminal record only when you can still finish both while it is valid; it has no stated validity, so the clock below uses six months.

Each line sums up a section below. The sources are in that section.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Check the official page: sede.mjusticia.gob.es.

CiviqPass is an independent service.

1. Criminal record certificate

The Dominican government's service portal lists the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR, the Attorney General's Office) as the body that offers the Certificación de Buena Conducta.[1] It says the document certifies that the applicant has no judicial record, and that it is addressed to all citizens, Dominican or foreign.[2][3]

Criminal record certificate from the Dominican Republic: who issues it and how long it stays valid

Sources (3)
  1. gob.do, Institución oferente del servicioOfficial wordingInstitución oferente del servicio Procuraduría General de la República (PGR)
  2. gob.do, Sobre el servicioOfficial wordingDocumento a través del cual se certifica que el solicitante no posee antecedentes judiciales
  3. gob.do, ¿A quién va dirigido?Official wordingDirigido a Todos los ciudadanos y ciudadanas, nacionales o extranjeros.

2. Birth certificate, and marriage certificate if you are married

The Junta Central Electoral (JCE) says a birth certificate (acta de nacimiento) can be requested at any oficialía del estado civil or at the centres that issue actas and ID cards, and gives a cost of RD$600.[1]

A JCE help article says that if the birth record is automated (it has an event number) it can be requested at any oficialía or at any of the 7 service centres of the Oficina Central del Estado Civil.[2] If it is not automated, you go to the oficialía where the birth was declared.[3]

The JCE's price list for its Oficinas de Servicios en el Exterior (OSE) is headed "TASAS EN USD/EUR/CHF".[4] It lists "Expedición de acta" at 25.00 and "Envío por correo certificado" at 20.00, with no currency beside the figures (the heading names USD, EUR and CHF).[5] The JCE's page on its offices abroad lists offices in Madrid and Barcelona[6] and also in Valencia.[7] The list does not say which kinds of acta these offices issue or how long it takes: ask the office.

Spain asks for the birth certificate of the country of origin, legalised and translated where needed.[8] We found no official Spanish text saying whether an extract or a full copy is needed: ask the registry.

If you are married, Spain also asks for the marriage certificate of the country where the marriage took place.[9] We found no official Dominican page on how to obtain a marriage acta from abroad: ask the JCE office or the consulate.

Validity. We found no Dominican official page that states a validity period for a birth certificate. Spain's order says all documents must be in force when you apply, and that for certificates the validity written on the document counts.[10][11]

Sources (11)
  1. jce.gob.do, Solicitud de acta de nacimientoOfficial wordingPuede realizar solicitud de expedición de acta en cualquier oficialía del estado civil o centros de expedición de actas y cédula. Costo de expedición del acta RD$ 600 pesos
  2. ayuda.jce.gob.do, ¿Dónde puedo solicitar mi acta de nacimiento?Official wordingSi el acta de nacimiento se encuentra automatizada (tiene # de evento) puede solicitarla en cualquier Oficialía del Estado Civil o en cualquiera de los 7 Centros de Servicio de la Oficina Central del Estado Civil.
  3. ayuda.jce.gob.do, ¿Dónde puedo solicitar mi acta de nacimiento?Official wordingEn caso de que su acta no esté automatizada debe acudir a la Oficialía del Estado Civil donde fue hecha su declaración de nacimiento.
  4. jce.gob.do, Tasas OSE, títuloOfficial wordingOficinas de Servicios en el Exterior (OSE) TASAS EN USD/EUR/CHF
  5. jce.gob.do, Servicios Dirección Nacional del Registro CivilOfficial wordingServicios Dirección Nacional del Registro Civil 24 Correcciones de actas por vía administrativa 0.00 25 Expedición de acta 25.00 26 Envío por correo certificado 20.00
  6. jce.gob.do, Oficinas de serviciosOfficial wordingMadrid, España Avenida Brasil No. 6, 28020 Madrid +34 91 593 6385 Madrid@jce.do Barcelona, España Calle París 211, 2º Piso, 08008 Barcelona
  7. jce.gob.do, Oficinas de serviciosOfficial wordingValencia, España Calle San Vicente Mártir No. 100, 2do, Pta. 2, 46007 Valencia
  8. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingCertificado de nacimiento del país de origen debidamente legalizado y traducido en su caso, conforme los Convenios Internacionales.
  9. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingEn el caso de personas casadas certificado de matrimonio del país de celebración, debidamente traducido y legalizado en su caso.
  10. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingTodos los documentos deberán estar en vigor en el momento de la solicitud.
  11. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingPara determinar la validez en el caso de los certificados se atenderá al plazo de vigencia que conste en el propio documento.

3. Apostille and legalisation

The HCCH status table lists the Dominican Republic with 12 December 2008 (accession) and 30 August 2009 (entry into force) for the Hague Apostille Convention.[1] The HCCH notifications page for the Dominican Republic records objections by Austria[2], Belgium[3], Germany[4] and the Netherlands[5]. Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands later withdrew theirs: the Convention then entered into force between each of them and the Dominican Republic on 30 January 2023 (Austria)[6], 8 March 2019 (Belgium)[7] and 3 November 2017 (the Netherlands)[8]. The page shows no withdrawal by Germany. That page records no objection from Spain.

The HCCH page names the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX), through its Dirección de Legalización de Documentos, as the competent authority.[9]

The MIREX service page says its Dirección de Legalización offers the legalisation or apostille of public documents entirely online, to Dominicans and foreigners.[10] You open the online services portal at servicios.mirex.gob.do[11], fill in the electronic form[12], wait for the approval or rejection sent to your email, and pay if it is approved.[13]

The page says the documents sent must be images of the original containing only the document, with no leftover space or surrounding images (receipts must not be added).[14] It gives a tax of RD$620.00 and a response time of 24 working hours.[15] The HCCH competent-authority page for MIREX lists a tax fee of RD$620.00, a VIP fee of RD$1,120.00 and RD$720.00 for consular documents.[16]

A step before the apostille. The MIREX page asks for a prior legalisation "cuando aplique" (where applicable), according to a table it says covers the most frequent cases.[17] In that table, "sin antecedentes penales" appears under the Departamento de Legalización de Firmas of the PGR.[18] A MIREX norm lists "certificados de buena conducta" under the PGR's Centros de Atención al Ciudadano.[19] For civil-status acts the web table shows "actas con nuevo formato y código QR"[20], while the norm shows the JCE's legalisation centres.[21] The two texts word this step differently and the norm carries no date: ask MIREX or the JCE what applies to your document.

The MIREX norm says the Convention does not apply to documents issued by diplomatic or consular agents.[22] The MIREX page says legalisation applies to documents produced by Dominican consular officials abroad.[23] We found no official page saying how this applies to a certificate issued by a Dominican consulate in Spain and then used in a Spanish file: ask the consulate or MIREX.

The Spanish Ministry of Justice describes the Hague Convention as a step that simplifies legalisation, with a single stamp and signature on the document.[24] Its warning calls the legalisation of foreign documents an essential requirement.[25]

Sources (25)
  1. hcch.net, Status table, Convention 12Official wordingDominican Republic 12-XII-2008 A** 30-VIII-2009
  2. hcch.net, Objection, AustriaOfficial wordingthe Republic of Austria raises an objection to the accession of the Dominican Republic to the said Convention.
  3. hcch.net, Objection, BelgiumOfficial wordingIn 2009 Belgium raised an objection to the accession of the Dominican Republic in accordance with article 12, paragraph 2, of the Convention.
  4. hcch.net, Objection, GermanyOfficial wordingThe Federal Republic of Germany raises an objection to the accession of the Dominican Republic with reference to Article 12, second paragraph, of the Convention.
  5. hcch.net, Objection, NetherlandsOfficial wordingthe Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Kingdom in Europe, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba) raises an objection to the accession of the Dominican Republic to the Convention
  6. hcch.net, Withdrawal, AustriaOfficial wordingTherefore, the Convention entered into force between the Republic of Austria and the Dominican Republic on 30 January 2023.
  7. hcch.net, Withdrawal, BelgiumOfficial wordingTherefore, the Convention entered into force between Belgium and the Dominican Republic on 8 March 2019.
  8. hcch.net, Withdrawal, NetherlandsOfficial wordingTherefore, the Convention will take effect between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic as of 3 November 2017.
  9. hcch.net, Competent Authority (Art. 6)Official wordingMinisterio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República Dominicana (MIREX) Dirección de Legalización de Documentos de la Sede Central de la Cancillería
  10. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, DescripciónOfficial wordingofrece a usuarios dominicanos y extranjeros el servicio de Legalización o Apostilla de Documentos Públicos de manera totalmente en línea
  11. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Procedimiento para obtener el servicioOfficial wordingUSUARIO Accede directamente al Portal de servicios en línea, del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República Dominicana, a través del siguiente enlace web: https://servicios.mirex.gob.do/
  12. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Procedimiento para obtener el servicioOfficial wordingUSUARIO Inicia un proceso de solicitud en línea del servicio de Apostilla-Legalización a través del módulo de Solicitud de Apostilla-Legalización de Documentos, llenando el formulario electrónico
  13. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Procedimiento para obtener el servicioOfficial wordingUSUARIO Espera respuesta de aprobación o rechazo de su solicitud al correo suministrado en el paso anterior. USUARIO Procede a pagar en caso de aprobación de la solicitud
  14. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Requisitos para la solicitudOfficial wordingLos documentos públicos remitidos deben ser imágenes del original que solo contengan la imagen del documento, sin sobrantes ni imágenes del alrededor (no agregar los recibos).
  15. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Costo y tiempoOfficial wordingCOSTO DEL SERVICIO La Tarifa a pagar de Impuestos es de RD$620.00. TIEMPO DE RESPUESTA 24 horas laborables.
  16. hcch.net, Competent Authority (Art. 6), priceOfficial wordingTax fee: RD$620.00 VIP fee: RD$1,120.00 Consular documents: RD$720.00
  17. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Requisitos, tabla de legalización previaOfficial wordingLegalización previa, cuando aplique, acorde con la siguiente tabla, que contiene los casos más frecuentes
  18. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Requisitos, tabla de legalización previaOfficial wording2) Documentos (Jurídicos) Judiciales Departamento de Legalización de Firmas de la Procuraduría General de la República. • Sentencias. • Notarios. • Intérpretes Judiciales. • Sin antecedentes penales.
  19. servicios.mirex.gob.do, 1.5, tabla por tipo de documentosOfficial wordingTraducciones Certificados de buena conducta Documentos de compañía Otros. Los Centros de Atención al Ciudadano (CAC) de la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana:
  20. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, Requisitos, tabla de legalización previaOfficial wording1) Actos de Estado Civil Actas con nuevo formato y código QR a. Actas de Nacimiento. b. Matrimonio.
  21. servicios.mirex.gob.do, 1.5, tabla por tipo de documentosOfficial wordingActa de nacimiento Acta de Matrimonio Acta de Divorcio Acta de Defunción Actos de Adopción Centros de Legalizaciones de la Junta Central Electoral -JCE.
  22. servicios.mirex.gob.do, 1.1 b)Official wordingel Convenio no se aplica ni a documentos expedidos por agentes diplomáticos o consulares
  23. servicios360.mirex.gob.do, LegalizaciónOfficial wordingLa legalización procede para: a) los documentos producidos por los funcionarios consulares dominicanos acreditados en el exterior
  24. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertencia, punto 2Official wordingEl Convenio de La Haya es un trámite que simplifica la legalización de documentos públicos. Consiste en la estampación de un solo sello y firma en el documento.
  25. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertenciaOfficial wordingLa legalización de los documentos extranjeros aportados a la solicitud de nacionalidad española por residencia constituye un requisito esencial para la aceptación de dicha documentación

4. Translation into Spanish

A MIREX norm says the Constitution makes Spanish the official language of the Dominican Republic.[1] We found no official page saying which language each certificate is issued in.

Spain's order asks for the birth certificate "traducido en su caso" (translated where needed).[2] We found no official text on whether a document in Spanish needs a translation: ask the registry.

The Spanish Ministry of Justice warning says translation is done or checked at Spanish consulates abroad, or at the consulates in Spain of the document's country of origin, or can be done by a sworn translator-interpreter named by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the documents must then be legalised.[3][4]

Sources (4)
  1. servicios.mirex.gob.do, 1.3 Sobre el idiomaOfficial wordingen su artículo 29, establece que el idioma oficial de la República Dominicana es el español.
  2. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingCertificado de nacimiento del país de origen debidamente legalizado y traducido en su caso, conforme los Convenios Internacionales.
  3. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertenciaOfficial wordingha de realizarse o cotejarse en las Oficinas Consulares de España en el extranjero o en las del país de origen del documento en España y posteriormente deben legalizarse
  4. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertenciaOfficial wordingExiste la posibilidad de que la traducción o cotejo de esta la lleve a cabo un intérprete-traductor jurado nombrado por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores

5. Consulates in Spain

The website of the Dominican embassy in Spain lists consulates general in Barcelona and Madrid[1], in Santa Cruz de Tenerife[2], and in Sevilla and Valencia.[3] We found no official page saying which consulate serves which Spanish province: ask the consulate.

Sources (3)
  1. esp.mirex.gob.do, ConsuladosOfficial wordingBarcelona Consulado General Carrer París 211, 7mo. piso 08008, Barcelona 93 237 92 13 conbarcelona@mirex.gob.do Ir al portal Madrid Consulado General Paseo de la Castellana #128
  2. esp.mirex.gob.do, ConsuladosOfficial wordingSanta Cruz de Tenerife, Islas Canarias Consulado General C./ Villalba Hervás 9.
  3. esp.mirex.gob.do, ConsuladosOfficial wordingSevilla Consulado General Av. República Argentina 8, 2ºA 41011, Sevilla, España 954 274 241 | 954 270 034 consevilla@mirex.gob.do Ir al portal Valencia Consulado General Calle de San Vicente Mártir # 100

6. Order of requests and validity

Spain's order says that all documents must be in force when you apply.[1] For certificates, the validity stated on the certificate itself counts,[2] and a criminal record certificate with no stated validity counts for six months from the day it was issued.[3]

Legalisation does not make a document last longer. Spain's Foreign Ministry says legalisation has no expiry date but that, if the document has a validity period, legalisation does not extend it.[4]

When you create the online application you have two months to complete and file it, or it is deleted.[5]

Our arithmetic, not an official rule. The sources above fix how long a document stays valid, not the order in which you request things. If the validity counts from the day of issue, and the apostille and a sworn translation take time afterwards, the request date matters most for the documents with the shortest validity. Type a date in the clock below to see when your criminal record certificate stops being valid, then count back the time the apostille and the translation take in your case.

  1. Find out what validity, if any, each issuer prints on its certificate (the sections above say what we found).
  2. Request first the documents that need an apostille and a sworn translation, since those steps come after issue.
  3. Request the criminal record certificate when you can still finish its apostille and translation inside its validity.
  4. Type its issue date in the clock below and file before the "valid until" date it shows.
  5. Create the online application only when you are close to filing: from creation you have two months.
Sources (5)
  1. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingTodos los documentos deberán estar en vigor en el momento de la solicitud.
  2. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingPara determinar la validez en el caso de los certificados se atenderá al plazo de vigencia que conste en el propio documento.
  3. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingEn el caso de certificados de antecedentes penales en los que no conste plazo de validez, se entenderá que tienen una vigencia de seis meses a contar desde su expedición.
  4. exteriores.gob.es, Legalización diplomática - 5. Práctica de la legalizaciónOfficial wordingLa legalización carece de fecha de caducidad. No obstante, si el documento tiene un plazo de validez, la legalización no implica su extensión.
  5. sede.mjusticia.gob.es, página del trámiteOfficial wordingDispone de dos meses desde la fecha de creación para completar su solicitud, si pasado ese plazo no ha firmado y presentado su solicitud, se borrará de manera automática.

Next steps

When to see a lawyer

  • A document is refused and you do not know why.
  • Your names are spelled differently in your documents.
  • A required document cannot be obtained.
  • You are near a deadline.

These are general triggers, not an assessment of your case. A lawyer should confirm what applies to you. CiviqPass does not name or recommend a lawyer.

The nationality file, step by step

Your file silent after a year

Years to Spanish nationality by country

Criminal record certificate from the Dominican Republic: who issues it and how long it stays valid

Where is my Spanish nationality file? The official ways to check it

The Spanish nationality oath (jura): what to bring and where to do it

Years, exams and fee for Spanish nationality by country of origin: open data

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What is inside

Explanation written with AI from the official source cited on this page.

CiviqPass is an independent service. Built from the texts linked beside each line; procedures change, so confirm on the official pages.