How to get Married in the Dominican Republic

I would imagine not.  It is a totally different culture here as you know.  I know of lots of married expats who after a time here start to think with their "little' heads

Bob K

And unfortunately in many cases it is the "little head" that wins in the thinking contest...  

Have seen it happen countless number of times in my travels.

all you have to do is go to an american wxpress office at the end of the month or the beginning & listen to the phone calls, that plus the cell calls.   a bunch of chicas laughing & teasing the caller as they check on the progress of the $$$$.  . I received an e-mail of a very hairy leg in a cast.  it was supposed to be the broken leg of my GF's 10 year old son.   she needed $$ to get him out of the hospital.  needless to say, that ended the relationship.  I wonder how many times that photo was passed around.  I'm not saying all the women are like that, but beware & take your time.  many Oscars shoild be given to  these girls.   have several freinds who have very successful marriages.   unfortunately they are not the norm.  be optimistic & go slowly.    good luck, be happy.

Fascinating info - very thorough.. thank you for sharing !

It says that you would need to show your birth citificate but I was wondering if you can use your passport as id as they allow this in England when apply for marriage?

No you must have the birth certificate.

And it needs to be an original

Bob K

Ohh right hmmm my birth certificate has a different name to my passport

An original marriage certificate and or divorce document should solve that. Or if  you had your name changed legally then those papers will be needed.


Bob K

Exactly, and they need to be translated by an official  translator and aposilized (however you spell that)

Thank you for that 😊

Good luck

Bob K

What about religious marriages? As in Catholics etc.

What about them????

Bob K

YOu still need all the legal requirements regardless of it is the justice of the peace or a church wedding.

to marry with the local people ? haha dont do it...

you have maybe like 10-20 % possibility of success, so you may try it but only if you are lucky....

You are correct...very few make it

Bob K

we were married all three ways here.

Congrats to you.
MOST gringo/Dominican marriages here fail and fail big time.  Especially when huge age differences which is the norm here.

Bob K

that's probably why they fail, I was not interested in younger women like most gringos seem to want.. When I was 39 I could not stand dating 21 to25 year olds in usa

21-25 year old American women have absolutely nothing in common except age with the same age range women in most other non-western countries on the planet. That's anything south of the border, in Asia, Eastern Europe. I never liked American women in that age range even when I was that age range

Statistics don't lie -  marriage is hard enough period.  50% end in divorce in north america -  add in cultural, financial, age (sometimes), language and educational differences and it is really really tough to make it work.

Texas if you are an example of one that works -  EXCELLENT!!!  Thomas is another one, and I know several more. They are few and far between and tend to function best outside of  tourist and expat areas.

Planner, I really like the way you think!  As far as intercultural marriage, been there when I was very young.  And it can be very difficult.  That's how I learned Spanish at the beginning.... My entire social sphere consisted of Colombians... In the US!  I went through culture shock twice, lol.  When we got married then when we divorced, too.  But I acquired another language out of that experience.  Now I feel very differently, being older and understanding the culture much better.  But it is a tough challenge, depending on a lot of things.   

Planner, I really like the way you think!  As far as intercultural marriage, been there when I was very young.  And it can be very difficult.  That's how I learned Spanish at the beginning.... My entire social sphere consisted of Colombians... In the US!  I went through culture shock twice, lol.  When we got married then when we divorced, too.  But I acquired another language out of that experience.  Now I feel very differently, being older and understanding the culture much better.  But it is a tough challenge, depending on a lot of things.   

Sounds like you did all right.  Nothing like maturity

Bob K

Hello Bob and everyone here.

It has been a long time since I responded here. This topic has just been placed on my table. I have met a very nice lady in Santiago who really loves me and want to marry me. She has everything I like in a woman I would marry plus a extra bonus. As you may know I am a US citizen and I have been divorce since December of 2008. She is very shy but smart and has a good career job. Her mother did a very good job or threaten and control her. She has been shelter, so I have to take the lead on everything including buying property. I assume married will make it a lot easier for me to buy or rent property for us in Santiago. I just want to take the right steps and share with her.

Thanks
Isaac

Congrats.  Being married will have no bearing on buying or renting property.  However once married you can get your citizenship a whole lot easier...

Congrats Isaac, what is the age difference? I have also been dating a Dominican young lady for a few years. I must tell you to be very observant of the family needs, because in many occasions even though she might have a good career, there is usually certain expectations that are not brought to light until after you are married. If there is no rush, I suggest you live with her for a bit, since it takes about 2 years for someone to show you their true colors.  I don't know anything about you, but let me suggest the book.....3% man and no more Mr. Nice guy, those 2 books were like taking the little red pill in the movie the Matrix 

Massagewiz is giving you some great information.  What is the age difference??

No different buying homes, condos, rentals.  Just know that if it does not work out she will end up with most if not all of it.

Take it slow,.... very slow

Bob K

Hello. Thanks for the responses. I am older, about 20 years which she said she had no problem with. I agree, to check her out for a year or more being married before. I notice some things I did not agree with my first wife, and I did it anyway. Big mistake. I have notice some things with her that make me have second thoughts and as we agree, string it out a few years. I am happy with the way things are going in my life and really do not have to get married again. She is a very nice lady who would be a good wife. The only problem is her mother has control of what she does. She has not been expose to a lot of things being under her mother wing of control. She is use to being led instead of taking control of her life (mother). She is 31. I told her I would support her in whatever she wants to do in her career. She was happy to here that. If not me, some man will have a good wife.

I don't usually like giving advice to marriage but its really no different then getting married to someone in the USA or any country for that matter..If you have a good one you will know it. Mine was a gift from God jajajajaja

Don't expect that the mothers control will magically disappear when married. It won't change.  When thinking of the steps to marring someone, it is necessary to also know the steps & pitfalls of divorce.  This is not negative thinking, just realistic thinking.   It takes a lot of luck, fortitude & empathy to make a marriage work.  Strength & the will to set the rules of conduct, who else you will have to support (her family) etc. Taking your time is the only way to see the potential future, especially if you are living together before you take that finial step. Yes, a couple of years will make or brake the relationship   what you give now sets a precedence that will prove difficult to change down the road.   Does she or you have any children?  If so, it complicates everything.   Good luck with her.    Just proceed as if you were walking on an icy sidewalk & you'll do fine.

Oh you are in for a very rough time.

Bob K

OMG dead on  Gypsy!  Great  point,  if she is under mom's thumb that is not about to change any time soon.  YOu are marrying mom too!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only mom but sisters brothers, grandmas, aunts, cousins, and any other blood relatives.  You will be supporting them all in one way or another.

Bob K

Hello everyone
Yes, I expect it will be her, mom, little sister and her baby. So, most marriages there are packages deals. Well, I will probably just be friends and remain the lone ranger. I still have my son who is going to the air force and my daughter who is going to Penn State this year to support. I also still enjoy being free. Thanks everyone for your input. My plans are to have a apartment in Santiago next year, so we may be neighbors soon.

Isaac

Sounds like you have done a good job with your kids Isaac, they appear to have a bright future ahead of them, and that say a lot about you as a person.....just like gypsy said, take your time....I was always told that it takes about 2 years for the initial cupid arrow's hit to wear off......right after that is when you will know if she is a keeper or a leave her If you wish to date, then that is cool, but you will need time to observe and talk to her to see where her head is at.  There is a Cuban movie called: Un Rey en Havana( A King in Havana) Netflix or Amazon Videos probably have it for rent.  What the first 20 minutes of the movie and you will see a similar situation as the one you just layed out....The only difference is that the story takes place in Cuba   It is one of my favorite movies since it gives you a glimpse as to how you are viewed when you are an American Gringo.  The movie is subtitled, but worth watching, it is a comedy.  You will many similarities between the Cuban and Dominican culture.  I would also love to provide with a link that has helped me navigate my recent breakup with my Dominicana, I have learned a lot and hope to learn more....Best wishes amigo. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZltMO7yeY7A I will send it in a private message as well

I'm new to the blog here.  I'm curious about something- So in all cases with a Dominican woman you will be expected to support her entire extended family?  What if you tell her you do not want to?  I can see helping her parents out and maybe a sister/brother, but more than that really seems like you are being used and asking too much.

Also- I have had a relationship with a Dominican woman that ended not too long ago.  I did not experience a lot of the things that have been mentioned on this site.  She never really asked me for money and didn't just assume I would pay for everything; and she definitely didn't ask me to pay for stuff for her daughter or family.  Sometimes I voluntarily would pay for small stuff because it was obvious she didn't make that much money and it wasn't that big of a deal for me to do this (Heck I do a lot more of this in the US which is way more expensive than the DR).  I definitely noticed some cultural differences, but in a sort of short time I was introduced to her family and practically treated as one of the family- very friendly to me.  I did notice some cultural differences for sure, but in the end I wasn't interested because she really seemed lazy to me.  She wanted to come the US with me, but she wasn't making hardly any effort to learn English (After a year and half:) and I didn't see how she would really adapt well to life in the US- much faster pace than the DR.  However, I am still pretty interested in looking at potentially developing a long-term relationship with a Dominican woman; I'm just very attracted to them (It's not like its easy at all in the US; believe me I have tried more than you can imagine). 

Also- has anyone found that Dominicans are not concerned about their age being accurate?  I met this other women and she showed me her birth certificate.  I noticed pretty quickly that the birth date on the birth certificate and the one on her drivers license/ID did not match- 4 years difference.  I have met other Dominican women and it doesn't seem too hard to pick out the ones that are only after money and could care less about you.