The process for obtaining Dominican nationality for those children of Dominican citizens who were born abroad is called Dominican Nationality by way of Dominican Parents. It is important to differentiate this process from the Provisional Nationality process, which we wrote about last week, which applies only for minor children of Dominican parents. The nationality process described herein applies for those foreigners with Dominican parents who are of legal age, who now have the option of deciding to become Dominican citizens.

Article 18, of our newly revised Constitution, clearly states that Dominicans are: "Those born abroad, with Dominican father or mother, although they have acquired, by place of birth, a nationality different from their parents. After reaching the age of eighteen, they shall express their will, to the competent authority, to assume the dual citizenship or renounce to one of them. In addition, the direct descendents of Dominicans living abroad are considered Dominicans”.

In comparison with other procedures to obtain Dominican Nationality, such as the ordinary process, for example, in which the main requirement is to comply with three years having Dominican residence, is not necessary. For the Dominican Nationality by way of Dominican Parents, the only prior requirement is to have at least one Dominican parent, making the naturalization process quite simple.

All naturalization requests are carried out through the Secretary of Interior and Ministry of Police of the Dominican Republic, where the application file must be submitted with the following documents:

a) Letter signed by the applicant, addressed to the Secretary of the Interior and Ministry of Police;

b) Four (4) recent front side photographs 2x2;

c) Birth Certificate legalized by the Dominican Embassy or consulate in the country where the document was issued or with the Apostille legalization depending on the case. The same must also be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic. In the event that the certificate is in a language other than Spanish, the same must be translated by a judicial translator and legalized before the Attorney General’s Office of the Dominican Republic;

d) Birth Certificate of the Dominican father or mother, legalized at the Central Electoral Board;

e) Receipt of a national newspaper regarding the publication of the Dominican nationality,

f) Copy of the Cedula, Dominican Id card of the Dominican parent(s);

g) Color copy of the first three pages of the applicant’s passport;

h) Four (4) set of copies of all documents mentioned above; and

i) Authentic Act duly notarized in which the applicant declares his desire to obtain Dominican nationality. This document must be legalized by the Attorney General’s Office of the Dominican Republic.

Once all the documents have been filed the applicant must arrange a day to assist to the Secretary of Interior and Ministry of Police a week after the naturalization file has been deposited in order to attend to an interview in Spanish regarding Dominican history and culture. This process generally takes between three to four months counted from the date the documents were filed.

Once the applicant has been naturalized, a decree confirming the same will be published by the President of the Dominican Republic. If the naturalized wishes to obtain his/her Dominican birth certificate, Cedula (Dominican Id card) and passport, he/she must proceed to transcribe their foreign birth certificate. For this process, the Dominican Naturalization Certificate must be presented and the process itself is solicited through the Central Electoral Board and the corresponding Civil Registry Office. With the Dominican certificate, the naturalized will be able to request his/her Dominican Cedula and passport.

Moreover, it is important to mention the Dominican Constitution allows Dominican citizens to maintain dual citizenship, their former nationality or other nationalities acquired from other countries. Article 20 specifies: "It is recognized the right of acquiring a foreign nationality by Dominicans. The acquisition of another nationality does not entail the loss of the Dominican nationality”.

Bibliography:
Constitution of the Dominican Republic from January 26, 2010.
Law No. 1683 about Naturalization from April 16, 1948.
www.seip.gob.do