The Civil Registry has resumed normal processing of birth, marriage and death certificates after a new shipment of the security paper used to print them arrived in Dominica, Acting Registrar General Nuraiyah Sebastian has confirmed.
Sebastian told the Ministry of National Security that the delivery ends a period of disruption that had slowed the issuing of certificates to residents and members of the diaspora who depend on the documents for passports, school registration, banking, property transactions and overseas applications.
The shortage of security paper, which carries features designed to prevent forgery, had forced the registry to limit or delay some certificate services. Staff continued to accept applications and record vital events, but could not print the finished documents at the usual pace until the stock was replenished.
With the shipment now in hand, the registry says it is working through the backlog and returning to standard turnaround times. Applicants who had been waiting for certificates are expected to receive them in the coming days and weeks as the office clears the accumulated requests.
The Civil Registry is responsible for registering births, marriages and deaths in the Commonwealth of Dominica and for issuing the certificates that flow from those records. Its documents are routinely required for passports, national identification, school and university enrolment, employment, banking, insurance claims, land matters and applications to live or study abroad.
For Dominicans at home and across the diaspora, any interruption in that service can hold up travel plans, legal proceedings and family business. The delay had been a source of frustration for applicants who had already paid fees and submitted supporting documents, and who were left waiting without a firm date for collection.
Sebastian, who is acting in the post of Registrar General, gave the update to the Ministry of National Security, the ministry with responsibility for the registry. The ministry has not indicated whether any further shipments are scheduled, but the arrival of the current consignment is enough to allow normal printing to continue for now.
The registry has not said how many certificates were affected by the delay or how long the backlog will take to clear. Residents awaiting documents are advised to contact the Civil Registry directly for updates on their individual applications rather than relying on second-hand information.
The resumption of printing is likely to be welcomed by families preparing for travel, students seeking enrolment, and workers who need proof of identity or status for employers and financial institutions. It also restores a key administrative service on which many other public and private processes depend.
The Civil Registry has asked the public to be patient as staff work through the outstanding requests. Normal service is expected to continue as long as security paper stocks remain available.
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