Provisional residency through marriage to a dominican citizen

Hello everybody,

recently I've applied for a residency visa by marriage with a Dominican citizen to the Dominican Consulate in Rome, Italy. Currently I am waiting for the approval of my visa and if all goes well, I will join my wife next month.
This forum has been such a tremendous help for everything since I joined and I would like to give back 
I would like to share my experience even if i am aware that requirements may change depending on the applicant's country of origin.

FIRST OF ALL    The Dominican Republic is a member of the La Hague Convention, so have your official documents apostilled by your Secretary of State Office. All documents must be translated and legalized by the Dominican Consulate PRIOR TO arriving in the Dominican Republic.
An apostille is an authentication issued on official documents in order to ensure their international validity.


Here are all the documents you will need to submit  p.s. it's too long I know

1)    Fully completed visa application form (can be filled out on your computer or by hand) – It can be downloaded from http://consuladord.com/

2)    1 Frontal picture (2x2 inches, with a white background) p.s. they asked me one more photo, so better bring two!

3)    Passport valid for the duration of the visa (that is one year)

4)    Photocopy of valid passport and National Identity Card

5)    A copy of the tax identification number

6)    Medical certificate (it does not have to be apostilled)

7)    A copy of my wife's ID card (Cédula de Identidad y Electoral)

8)    A copy of my wife's bank statement (Carta de Banco)

9)    A copy of my wife's employment contract (Carta de trabajo)

10)    Criminal record certificate from your country of residence at the time of application (not required for minors) - (it must bear an Apostille)

11)    Birth certificate (it MUST be apostilled) – it must contain parents' names, place of birth, and a signature from an official (It has to be in-extensa > full-length format)

12)    A recent bank statement (I suggest bring all the possible documents showing financial solvency (Letter of Bank, Letter of employment, titles of property, etc…)

13)    Marriage Certificate - mine was issued by a Dominican Civil Registry Office (Oficialia de Estado Civil) and then legalized at both "Junta Central Electoral" and "Cancilleria"

14)    Letter of Guarantee - Carta de garantía  (It MUST be original, no faxed or emailed copies are accepted) It must be signed by a Dominican or a permanent resident of the DR (in this case my wife) and by two witnesses. It must specify the type of relationship with the beneficiary of the visa. The guarantor shall be responsible to Dominican authorities to cover any costs that the authorities incur on behalf of the visa recipient. Similarly, the warrantor shall be financially responsible in case the visa recipient must be deported for violating Dominican laws. This letter of warranty must be executed before a notary public of the Dominican Republic and legalized by the Office of the Attorney General of the Dominican Republic (Procuraduría General de la República)
My wife sent me the Letter of Guarantee via DHL. I paid 3168 pesos (56 euros) and it took 3 days to receive it

15)    Cadastral certificates – Since I am unemployed, I had also to provide this document (I own an apartment under my name in Italy). If you are employed, they should not ask for it

16)    Visa application letter (it MUST be typed and it has not to be apostilled) signed by the applicant and addressed to the corresponding consular office. This letter should include information regarding the applicant's name, nationality, place of residency, usual occupation, and details regarding which designation he or she plans to use in order to become established in the country (i.e., as a Dominican national, as a Dominican descendant, as the spouse of a Dominican national, as a retired or pensioned individual, or to work in the country under an indefinite work contract).


The applicant must go personally to the Dominican Consulate. In my case, the total cost of consular services (Translation and notarization of documents) was 400 euros. Given that I did not want to go back Rome to collect my passport and documents, they charged me an additional 20 euros for delivery service. I paid the consular fees by cash and they gave me an invoice.

I hope my post helps some of you understanding the application process. Now all I have to do is sit quiet and keep my fingers crossed 

Saludos a todos!!!