Civil, religious or
symbolic?
The three ceremony formats in the Dominican Republic — what makes each legal (or not), what it takes, what it costs, and how couples combine them.
"What kind of ceremony?" is really a legal question wearing a romantic one. Only one of the three formats actually marries you in the eyes of the law — the other two either borrow that validity or skip it entirely. Get the distinction right and the rest of the planning (paperwork, timing, where you can stand) falls into place.
The three, in a sentence
- Civil: the legal act before the State — this is what marries you, officiated by the civil registry (JCE).
- Religious: the ceremony before your faith. A Catholic wedding also marries you legally (via the 1954 concordat); other religions do not.
- Symbolic: a ritual with no legal value — total freedom of officiant, place and script.
Combinations are common. On the Samaná peninsula the two you'll see most are civil + symbolic on the same day (Dominican couples who want legal validity and a beach wedding) and symbolic in the DR + civil at home (foreign destination couples).
| Criterion | Civil | Religious | Symbolic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal validity in the DR | Yes, full. Recognized by the State and abroad. | Catholic: yes, equal to civil. Others: no — needs a separate civil ceremony. | None. A ritual with no legal effect. |
| Who officiates | A civil-registry (JCE) official, at the office or on-site. | Catholic: an authorized priest. Others: a pastor or religious leader. | Anyone — a planner, a friend, a boat captain, a relative. |
| Approx. cost | Two non-resident foreigners: ~US$417 (RD$25,000) in JCE fees since July 2025, plus apostille/translation. | Catholic: an offering of ~US$200–600 + pre-marriage course. Others: variable. | US$0–600 (a friend is free; a professional officiant charges). |
| Paperwork / lead time | Dominicans: 1–2 weeks. Foreigners: 2–4 months with apostille + official translation. | Catholic: 4–6 months (courses required). Others: 1–3 months. | None. Ready whenever you are. |
| Where it can happen | JCE office, or on-site anywhere authorized — villa, hotel, beach. | Catholic: in a church or chapel (not a public beach). Others: variable. | Anywhere — beach, villa, mountain, boat. |
| Recognized abroad | Yes. The marriage certificate is apostilled in the DR and accepted in Hague-convention countries. | Catholic: yes (via the civil effect). Others: no on their own. | Nothing to recognize. |
In depth: the civil wedding
The civil ceremony is the only act that legally marries you in the DR (a Catholic ceremony counts as civil automatically — more on that below). It can happen at the civil-registry office or on-site at a villa, hotel or beach that's been authorized.
For foreign couples, the paperwork is the real work. Both of you must be present — there's no proxy marriage. Each of you needs an apostilled birth certificate and a sworn single-status affidavit, translated into Spanish by an official court translator and legalized. You'll need valid passports and two witnesses (18 or older, not family, with passports). If either of you doesn't speak Spanish, a court interpreter is required at the ceremony. The full chain takes 2–4 months and costs roughly US$300–800 in apostille and translation, on top of the JCE fee (RD$25,000 — about US$417 — for two non-resident foreigners since July 2025). Divorced? You only need the divorce decree, apostilled and translated — there is no waiting period. This is why most foreign couples marry legally at home and celebrate symbolically here.
A couple of country notes: the Hague apostille doesn't apply between the DR and Germany (German documents need consular legalization instead), and for Canada the apostille only took effect in January 2024. Fees and rules change — confirm at jce.gob.do and mirex.gob.do before you plan around them.
In depth: the religious wedding
Catholic ceremonies carry full civil validity automatically, through the 1954 Church–State concordat — sign nothing extra and you're married in law. Expect a baptism certificate, a confirmation certificate, a pre-marriage course certificate and a sworn free-status declaration; the courses are mandatory (4–8 sessions). Budget an offering of about US$200–600 plus US$50–150 for the course. It happens in a church or chapel, not on a public beach — though some private resorts have authorized chapels.
Evangelical, Jewish, Mormon and other religious ceremonies are valid within your community but carry no automatic civil validity — you need a separate civil ceremony. Couples often do both on the same day: the civil in the morning, the religious in the afternoon.
In depth: the symbolic ceremony
A symbolic ceremony has no legal requirements because it's not a legal act — no documents, no witnesses, no restrictions on where or when. It's the most flexible format and the one that dominates the foreign destination segment, since those couples handle the legal marriage at home. It can be led by a professional planner (in English, Spanish or French, US$200–600), a friend or relative (free, but prep it), a boat captain out on Samaná bay (US$150–400), or a professional celebrant from Santo Domingo (US$400–800). The ceremony — welcome, a reading, personal vows, ring exchange, the declaration and the first kiss — runs 20–30 minutes.
Which one fits you
- Dominican couple, both practicing Catholics: a Catholic ceremony — it handles the civil side for you. Traditional and efficient.
- Dominican couple, not religious: a civil ceremony alone. An on-site civil on a beach gives you legal validity and the setting.
- Foreign couple marrying in the DR: symbolic here + civil at home. The DR civil for foreigners means apostille, court translation and 2–4 months — most prefer to marry legally at home.
- Mixed couple (one Dominican, one foreigner): civil in the DR if you live here (you'll apostille the foreign spouse's documents); if you live abroad, weigh where the civil is simpler.
- Religious but not Catholic: civil + your own religious ceremony — the religious one has no standalone legal validity, so pair it with a civil, often the same day.
- You want a public-beach wedding: symbolic on the beach + a separate civil elsewhere. The Catholic church won't marry you on a public beach, and an on-site civil there needs a municipal permit rarely granted on active tourist beaches.
Combining two formats: the formulas that work
- Discreet civil + full symbolic, same day. Sign the legal civil in the morning with your two witnesses and no guests; hold the symbolic ceremony in the afternoon. The peninsula favorite.
- Civil + Catholic. Some Catholic couples sign the civil a few days ahead to clear the paperwork, then celebrate in church.
- Symbolic in the DR + civil at home. The destination-couple favorite — marry legally in your country, celebrate here.
- On-site civil at the villa + symbolic on the beach. Two ceremonies, two audiences: the civil at midday with immediate family, the symbolic at sunset with everyone.
For the full document checklist by country, see our guide to getting married in the Dominican Republic.
Frequently asked questions
What's the exact difference between a civil and a religious wedding in the DR?
A civil wedding is the legal act before the State, officiated by the civil registry (JCE) — it's what actually marries you. A religious wedding is the ceremony before your faith community. The one exception that matters: a Catholic wedding also carries full civil (legal) validity through the 1954 Church–State concordat, so Catholic couples are married legally and religiously in one ceremony. Evangelical, Jewish and other religious ceremonies do not carry civil validity on their own — they need a separate civil ceremony.
Does a symbolic ceremony have any legal value?
None. A symbolic ceremony is a ritual — vows, rings, a celebrant — with no legal effect and no paperwork. It's the most popular choice for foreign destination couples, who hold the symbolic ceremony in the DR and complete the legal marriage back home. Most all-inclusive resort packages are symbolic by default, with a legal civil ceremony as a paid add-on.
Is there a waiting period to remarry after a divorce?
No. There is no legal waiting period to remarry after a divorce in the Dominican Republic — a divorced person only needs their divorce decree (apostilled and translated, if issued abroad). The old "10-month" rule for divorced women was struck down as unconstitutional in 2015 (ruling TC/0070/15); it's still wrongly repeated on many wedding blogs. Ignore it.
What does a foreign couple need to marry legally in the DR?
Both of you must be present (no proxy marriage). You'll need an apostilled birth certificate and a sworn single-status affidavit for each of you, translated into Spanish by an official court translator (intérprete judicial) and legalized, plus valid passports and two witnesses (18+, not family, with passports). If either of you doesn't speak Spanish, a court interpreter is required at the ceremony. Divorced or widowed? Add the divorce decree or death certificate, apostilled and translated. Plan on 2–4 months and arriving 3–5 days early for document review. Because of all this, most foreign couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony here.
Can I marry civilly and symbolically on the same day?
Yes, and it's the most common formula on the peninsula. Couples do a short legal civil ceremony (about 30 minutes, with the two witnesses, often no guests) and then a full symbolic ceremony in the afternoon for everyone. You get legal validity and the beach wedding you pictured.
How much does a civil wedding cost in the DR?
For two non-resident foreigners, the JCE fee rose to RD$25,000 (about US$417) on July 1, 2025, plus roughly US$300–800 for apostille and official translation of your documents. Dominicans and residents pay less. The unified marriage certificate (acta) itself costs about RD$600 (~US$10). Fees change — confirm the current figures at jce.gob.do before you plan around them.
Does the apostille work for every country?
Almost. The DR is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so documents from member countries need only an apostille (no consular legalization). Two things to watch: the convention is not in force between the DR and Germany — German documents need consular legalization instead of an apostille, both directions — and for Canada the apostille only came into force in January 2024, so older guides are out of date.
Can the Catholic church marry us on a public beach?
Generally no — a Catholic ceremony needs a church, chapel or otherwise sacred space, not a public beach. Some private resorts and boutique hotels have chapels with the bishopric's authorization. The usual workaround is a church ceremony in the morning and a private-beach reception in the afternoon.