Dominican Republic Civil Documents · Updated May 2026
Dominican Marriage Certificate (Acta de Matrimonio) for U.S. Immigration: Acta Inextensa and the 2025 Format Change
Get the long-form certificate U.S. immigration accepts, handle prior marriages correctly, and avoid paying for things you do not need.
Summary
You need the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio (the long-form marriage certificate), or any acta issued on or after July 1, 2025 in the new unified format. Never the extracto (short form). No apostille is required for visa purposes. If you or the U.S. petitioner were married before, you also need the divorce decree (Acta Inextensa de Divorcio) for every prior marriage. Order from the Junta Central Electoral (JCE) for RD$600 (about $10 USD).
At a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Document name | Acta de Matrimonio. The long-form is the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio; the short form is the extracto. |
| What U.S. immigration needs | The Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio (long-form), or any acta issued on or after July 1, 2025 in the new unified format. Never the extracto. |
| Issuing authority | Junta Central Electoral (JCE), through the Oficialías del Estado Civil (the local civil registry offices). |
| Cost | RD$600 Dominican pesos for the unified format (about $10 USD) as of July 2025, per JCE notices. Verify before ordering. |
| Prior marriages | If you or the petitioner were ever married before, you also need the divorce decree (Acta Inextensa de Divorcio) or death certificate for every prior marriage. |
| Apostille / legalization | Not required for visa purposes. The State Department confirms Dominican civil documents need no legalization. |
| Translation | Not needed at the Santo Domingo interview, which accepts Spanish-language documents. A certified English translation is required for adjustment of status (AOS) filed with USCIS inside the U.S. |
Which version you need: the Acta Inextensa, not the extracto
For U.S. immigration you need the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio: the long-form certificate that reproduces the full marriage record, including both spouses and any marginal annotations (such as a later divorce). The extracto is a short-form summary the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo does not accept.
The State Department reciprocity page and the embassy state it plainly: bring the original Acta Inextensa, or a certificate issued after July 1, 2025. Showing up with the extracto means rescheduling.
The July 1, 2025 format change: what it means for you
On July 1, 2025, the Junta Central Electoral (JCE) unified all civil documents (birth, recognition, marriage, divorce, and death) into a single standardized format and dropped the “extracto” and “inextensa” labels. New certificates carry a QR code for online verification. Per JCE notices, the unified acta costs RD$600 (about $10 USD); confirm the current fee at the Oficialía before you go.
Acta issued on or after July 1, 2025
It is in the new unified format and is accepted as-is. There is no “inextensa” label to look for anymore, and no legalization is required.
Acta issued before July 1, 2025
It stays valid if it carries a QR code. For U.S. immigration you still need the Inextensa long-form version, not the extracto. If yours is an extracto or has no QR, order a fresh unified acta.
The change came in under JCE Resolución 09-2025 (later modified by Resolución 14-2025). U.S. immigration does not put an expiration date on a marriage certificate, so a valid older Inextensa does not need to be reissued simply because it is a few years old.
Prior marriages: the divorce documents NVC requires
A marriage-based case has to show that both spouses were free to marry. If either of you was married before, the current marriage acta is not enough on its own. The single most common cause of a stalled Dominican case is a missing prior-divorce document, and applicants are often surprised that the U.S. petitioner’s prior divorces count too.
What to gather for every prior marriage
- •Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio for your current marriage (or a post-July-1-2025 unified acta).
- •Acta Inextensa de Divorcio for every prior marriage of the beneficiary that ended in divorce.
- •Divorce decree for every prior marriage of the U.S. petitioner, not just the beneficiary.
- •Death certificate for any prior spouse who has died.
Dominican divorces are annotated directly onto the civil record, so the JCE can issue the Acta Inextensa de Divorcio from the same office that holds the marriage record.
How to order: from the Dominican Republic or from the U.S.
The acta is issued by the JCE through the Oficialías del Estado Civil. How you order depends on where you are.
Step 1: Go to the JCE office that registered the marriage
Request the acta at the Oficialía del Estado Civil (local civil registry office) where the marriage was registered, or at any JCE Service Center (Centro de Servicio). At the office that holds the original record the certified copy is usually issued the same day; another office may need to route the request, which takes longer. Book at citas.jce.gob.do to skip the walk-in line.
Step 2: Bring your cédula and the fee
Bring your Dominican cédula (national ID) and the RD$600 fee (about $10 USD as of July 2025). Ask specifically for the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio if the marriage was registered before the new format, or the unified-format acta if it is more recent.
Step 3: Pull the divorce decree too, if either spouse was married before
If you or the U.S. petitioner had any prior marriage, request the Acta Inextensa de Divorcio (or death certificate) for each one in the same trip. NVC and the embassy require proof that every earlier marriage legally ended, including the petitioner's.
Do you need an apostille or a translation?
Apostille / legalization
Not required. The State Department reciprocity page states legalization of Dominican civil documents is not required for visa purposes. Do not pay for an apostille unless a specific U.S. agency asks for one in writing.
Translation
Depends on your path. At the Santo Domingo interview, none is needed (Spanish documents are accepted). For adjustment of status filed with USCIS inside the U.S., a certified English translation is required.
The translation rule for adjustment of status comes from a U.S. federal regulation (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)): every foreign-language document needs a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy (a short statement from the translator confirming the translation is complete and accurate). The Santo Domingo consulate is the exception because it accepts Spanish-language documents.
What applicants report
Aggregated from r/USCIS green-card-interview threads, the U.S. State Department reciprocity page, and U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo applicant notices (2024–2026). Real applicant reports, not legal advice; your office and case may differ.
Tips from the community
Order the marriage acta and any divorce decrees in one JCE trip
Because NVC wants proof that every earlier marriage ended, pull the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio and an Acta Inextensa de Divorcio for each prior marriage at the same time. Dominican divorces are annotated onto the civil record, so the JCE can issue both from the same office.
U.S. State Department reciprocity page and JCE civil-registry services
The petitioner's prior divorces count too, not just the beneficiary's
Applicants are often surprised that the U.S. citizen or LPR petitioner must document their own prior divorces. If the petitioner was married before, bring the divorce decree for each of those marriages, or the case stalls at NVC.
U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo document requirements, 2024–2026
Bring the certified original to the interview, not just the upload
The interview notice asks for a certified copy of the marriage document issued by the civil authority. r/USCIS interview threads report officers wanting the certified original in hand even when the document was already uploaded with the application. Bring it, plus a spare copy.
r/USCIS green-card interview threads, 2025–2026
The wrong format is the avoidable day-of delay
As with the birth acta, the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo wants the Acta Inextensa (or a post-July-1-2025 unified acta), not the short extracto. Bringing the extracto forces a reschedule.
U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo applicant notices, 2024–2026
In their words
Applicants preparing for the marriage-based interview keep checking the same document line on the notice:
“Our marriage-based green card interview is tomorrow and I'm going through all my documents one last time. I just re-read what we're required to bring and it says 'certified copy of your marriage document issued by the appropriate civil [authority].'”
“I know I need to take my own birth certificate, but do I need to take my U.S. citizen spouse's as well? He was born abroad and doesn't have a copy anymore. He does have his certificate of naturalization and U.S. passport.”
Common problems and fixes
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Brought the extracto (short form) to the interview | Request the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio long-form, or a post-July-1-2025 unified-format acta, from the JCE. |
| No divorce decree for a prior marriage | Order the Acta Inextensa de Divorcio (or death certificate) for every prior marriage of both spouses, including the petitioner's. |
| Paid for an apostille that was not needed | Legalization is not required for visa purposes at Santo Domingo. Skip the apostille unless a specific U.S. agency asks for one. |
| Filed adjustment of status with a Spanish-only acta and no translation | USCIS requires a certified English translation for adjustment of status (AOS) under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). The Santo Domingo consulate does not, because it accepts Spanish-language documents. |
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: Dominican Republic Reciprocity and Civil Documents (verified May 2026)
- U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo: Immigrant Visa Interview Supplement (verified May 2026)
- JCE notice: unified acta format and RD$600 fee in effect July 1, 2025 (Resolución 09-2025) (verified May 2026)
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): certified English translation requirement for foreign-language documents
- r/USCIS green-card interview threads (community), 2025–2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio and the extracto?
The Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio is the long-form Dominican marriage certificate: it reproduces the full marriage record, including both spouses' details and any marginal annotations such as a later divorce. The extracto is a short-form summary. U.S. immigration requires the Acta Inextensa, or a post-July-1-2025 unified acta. The extracto is not accepted at the Santo Domingo interview.
Do I still need to ask for the 'inextensa' after the July 2025 format change?
It depends on when the acta was issued. As of July 1, 2025 the JCE unified all civil documents into one format and dropped the extracto and inextensa labels, so a new acta no longer carries either name and is accepted as-is. If your marriage was registered before July 1, 2025, ask for the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio specifically, because the older short-form extracto is not accepted.
Does a Dominican marriage certificate need an apostille for U.S. immigration?
No. The U.S. State Department reciprocity page states that legalization of Dominican civil documents is not required for visa purposes. The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo accepts the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio (or a post-July-2025 acta) directly, and USCIS does not require an apostille for adjustment of status. Do not pay for an apostille unless a specific U.S. agency asks for one in writing.
We were both married before. What do we need to bring?
You need the current Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio plus proof that every earlier marriage legally ended: an Acta Inextensa de Divorcio (or death certificate) for each prior marriage of the beneficiary, and the divorce decree for each prior marriage of the U.S. petitioner. NVC and the embassy require the petitioner's prior divorces too, not only the beneficiary's. A missing prior-divorce document is a common cause of a stalled case.
Do I need to translate the Dominican marriage certificate into English?
For the immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, no: the embassy accepts Spanish-language Dominican documents and only requires a translation for documents not in English or Spanish. For adjustment of status filed with USCIS inside the United States, yes: under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a U.S. federal regulation, every foreign-language document needs a complete certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy (a short statement from the translator confirming the translation is complete and accurate).
How much does the marriage acta cost and where do I get it?
The unified-format acta costs RD$600 Dominican pesos (about $10 USD) as of July 2025, according to JCE notices. Get it at the Oficialía del Estado Civil where the marriage was registered, or at any JCE Service Center. You can book an appointment at citas.jce.gob.do to skip the walk-in line. Bring your cédula and the fee.
Key takeaways
- ✓
U.S. immigration requires the Acta Inextensa de Matrimonio (long-form), or any acta issued on or after July 1, 2025 in the JCE's unified format. The short-form extracto is not accepted.
- ✓
Since July 1, 2025 the JCE issues one unified civil-document format with a verifiable QR code at RD$600. The extracto and inextensa labels no longer appear on new documents.
- ✓
If you or the U.S. petitioner were married before, you also need the divorce decree (Acta Inextensa de Divorcio) or death certificate for every prior marriage. The petitioner's prior divorces count, not just the beneficiary's.
- ✓
No apostille or legalization is required for Dominican civil documents for visa purposes.
- ✓
Translation is needed only for adjustment of status with USCIS (certified English translation under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). The Santo Domingo consulate works in Spanish and does not require it.
- ✓
From inside the U.S., order through a Dominican consulate, not the JCE website. Start early so the consular round trip does not miss your NVC deadline.
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