Quick answer
Many Florida investors hold Dominican property or run rentals through a Florida LLC, and the Dominican side needs to see that company properly. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), as a certified copy of the articles of incorporation or, for an LLC, the articles of organization.
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2009
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Miami; Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Orlando
- Translation
- Dominican offices usually want the Spanish translation to carry its own apostille.
How a Florida articles of incorporation is used in Dominican Republic
Many Florida investors hold Dominican property or run rentals through a Florida LLC, and the Dominican side needs to see that company properly. Registering a foreign company in the DR goes through the Registro Mercantil at the local Cámara de Comercio y Producción, and the company needs a tax ID (RNC) from the Dirección General de Impuestos Internos. Both look at the company's formation documents. Order a certified copy of the articles from the Florida Division of Corporations, apostilled, plus a Spanish translation with its own apostille. A Dominican lawyer will give you the current list.
Getting a articles of incorporation Florida will apostille
An original certified copy issued by the Division of Corporations; not a Sunbiz printout or photocopy, and not a notarized copy, since Florida notaries can't attest copies of public records. Add certified amendments, name changes or conversions if the company's current name or structure differs from the original filing.
Request a certified copy from the Division with the entity name, document number, document type and filing date. The Florida Department of State also accepts a certified-copy request filed together with the apostille request, paid with two separate checks, which we can file for you. The Division's own fee (listed at $8.75 for a corporation and $30 for an LLC at this writing) is not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the articles of incorporation apostille page.
Who receives it in Dominican Republic — and translation
The Dirección General de Migración (DGM) handles residency and minors' exit permits. The Junta Central Electoral runs the civil registry through its Oficialías del Estado Civil and records births, marriages and deaths of Dominicans abroad, usually through the consulates. MESCyT recognizes higher-education degrees, the Dirección General de Impuestos Internos issues tax IDs and handles inheritance tax, and the Registro de Títulos records property transfers. MIREX authenticates Dominican documents, not Florida ones.
Dominican offices usually want the Spanish translation to carry its own apostille. The translator certifies the translation of the original and its apostille, a separate Florida notary notarizes that certification (the translator can't be the notary), and we apostille the notarized translation as a second document, so an original plus translation is our two-document price of $380. Some Dominican offices may instead want the translation made in the Dominican Republic; ask the office that will receive your file.
Minors' exit permits from the DGM are valid for 90 days once approved. For other documents, ask the receiving office how recent they must be; criminal-record certificates are the most time-sensitive, and freshly certified vital records avoid the pre-2014 signature problem.
Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Miami; Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Orlando.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why articles of incorporations get rejected
- Sunbiz printout or photocopy
- Notarized copy of the articles
- Original articles only, with no amendments showing the current name
- Company inactive, so the foreign bank stops the file
What it costs for Dominican Republic
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to Dominican Republic is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).