Tourist card/overstay fees/visa renewal?

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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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In a recent thread, http://www.dr1.com/forums/legal/120638-renewal-tourist-card-2.html
it was suggested that the overstay fee was no longer an option and that people on tourist cards had to renew their visas at Migraci?n for a fee:

Jarachica said:
My attorney gave me a copy of the actual new law itself (in Spanish) and yes indeed, tourist laws have changed. I read it myself. As you come into the country you will have 60 on a tourist visa. You may apply for a one time extension of another 60 along with a medical exam which is performed at the immigration off. The exam, (blood, urine and chest x-rays) costs $4,500 PESOS DOMINICANOS (not dollars!) According to the new law you may not cross over into Haiti, like we used to be able to, but rather, you must enter from your country of ORGIN,which means a trip back to the states for my family every 4 months.

NOT!

So, we went ahead and started our residency. I'm blogging about the experience of residency for the sake of fellow expats!

Just as a side not, the new law supposedly took affect on Jan 2, 2012, but HEY, we live in the DR in the world of manana! So I doubt there is need to panic, we just started residency because I knew we would eventually anyway. Hope this helps|!
Click to expand...

The overstay fee list is still up on the Migraci?n site Direccion General de Migracion

So what is really going on? Is JaraChica's lawyer right, and the law has changed but is not being implemented at the airports, or was the lawyer withholding information for JaraChica and family to believe that their best option was to pay $$$ for the residency process?
 
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Drro

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Mar 22, 2006
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The link doesn't work. When I leave I'll have been here 8 months, what does that mean if I don't have residency?
 
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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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If the link doesn't work, go to migracion.gov.do, select Servicios from the left-hand sidebar and then Tarifas from the drop-down menu.
 
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Drro

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Mar 22, 2006
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Thanks, that worked. The tariffs are still listed for overstay. I hope people will update here if anything changes or if they decide to enforce - and what that will ultimately mean.

Thanks again.
 
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Spicedwine

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Apr 25, 2006
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When we returned to the DR, about a week ago, it was the first time we have been asked if we had a Visa. Or if we planned to stay more than 3 months.... that was in Miami, by American Airlines. So we said Huh????? and the lady told us, that if we planned to stay more than 3 months a Visa would be required.... so of course we are not staying more than 3 months. Not sure what this will mean for future or how it will be enforced, but the question is being asked. Just an FYI
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Spicedwine said:
When we returned to the DR, about a week ago, it was the first time we have been asked if we had a Visa. Or if we planned to stay more than 3 months.... that was in Miami, by American Airlines. So we said Huh????? and the lady told us, that if we planned to stay more than 3 months a Visa would be required.... so of course we are not staying more than 3 months. Not sure what this will mean for future or how it will be enforced, but the question is being asked. Just an FYI
Click to expand...

Regardless of what you told the clerk in Miami, is there any reason you can't actually stay more than 3 months? Are you tied to a ticket with a return date?
 
J

JaraChica

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Nov 9, 2011
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Chirimoya said:
In a recent thread, http://www.dr1.com/forums/legal/120638-renewal-tourist-card-2.html
it was suggested that the overstay fee was no longer an option and that people on tourist cards had to renew their visas at Migraci?n for a fee:



The overstay fee list is still up on the Migraci?n site Direccion General de Migracion

So what is really going on? Is JaraChica's lawyer right, and the law has changed but is not being implemented at the airports, or was the lawyer withholding information for JaraChica and family to believe that their best option was to pay $$$ for the residency process?
Click to expand...

In my personal circumstances, I do not plan on returning to the States anytime soon. I am quite comfortable here and I can see myself and the family happily living here for the next 3-4 years. So, in my case, residency makes sense. I trust my lawyer, she has been my friend since I got here. Her kids and mine hang out together. I trust her advice on the residency issue!
 
C

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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JaraChica said:
In my personal circumstances, I do not plan on returning to the States anytime soon. I am quite comfortable here and I can see myself and the family happily living here for the next 3-4 years. So, in my case, residency makes sense. I trust my lawyer, she has been my friend since I got here. Her kids and mine hang out together. I trust her advice on the residency issue!
Click to expand...
Thanks - I accept that and it's also what I've chosen personally.

The question still remains though: has the overstay option been scrapped? Otherwise it would be misleading to tell people that the only options they have are either periodic visa renewals at RD$4,500 a pop, or residency.
 
L

La Mariposa

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Jun 4, 2004
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JaraChica said:
In my personal circumstances, I do not plan on returning to the States anytime soon. I am quite comfortable here and I can see myself and the family happily living here for the next 3-4 years. So, in my case, residency makes sense. I trust my lawyer, she has been my friend since I got here. Her kids and mine hang out together. I trust her advice on the residency issue!
Click to expand...

I would like to read the new law. If it's not too long, could you post it ?? or at leasy the sections about the tourist card and renewal.

thanks
 
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SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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I just called a good friend of mine that runs Migracion at one of the airports for FAD. He knows nothing of this new policy. It is still business as usual, and he would have to know if it changed.

But in the future, who knows? But as of today it is you pay the overstay fine.
 
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La Mariposa

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Jun 4, 2004
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SKY said:
I just called a good friend of mine that runs Migracion at one of the airports for FAD. He knows nothing of this new policy. It is still business as usual, and he would have to know if it changed.

But in the future, who knows? But as of today it is you pay the overstay fine.
Click to expand...

The problem is in the thread ''Renewal of tourist card'', JaraChica said:

My attorney gave me a copy of the actual new law itself (in Spanish) and yes indeed, tourist laws have changed........According to the new law you may not cross over into Haiti, like we used to be able to, but rather, you must enter from your country of ORGIN,which means a trip back to the states for my family every 4 months.
Click to expand...

I'd like to read the new law myself
 
C

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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SKY said:
I just called a good friend of mine that runs Migracion at one of the airports for FAD. He knows nothing of this new policy. It is still business as usual, and he would have to know if it changed.

But in the future, who knows? But as of today it is you pay the overstay fine.
Click to expand...
Thanks SKY. That is pretty conclusive IMO. But, I think we should watch this space in case it's true that there is a new law which just hasn't been implemented yet.
 
M

melodie

New member
Apr 15, 2011
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I just left the domrep on feb 21 after living here 10 months and i just payed the 2500 pesos overstay tax. The immigration officer told me verbally the amounts i would pay for the various years of overstay in the country. She even told me it was cheaper to pay overstay tax than become resident.
 
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susan77

New member
Jan 19, 2008
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I just left the domrep on feb 21 after living here 10 months and i just payed the 2500 pesos overstay tax.
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Thank you for posting this info-- I'm leaving next week after 4 mths and this gives me a better idea of what I will need to pay!
 
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HumbleHindu

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Jan 14, 2010
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Today i had paid for my friend ' Estadia ' of 4000 pesos for 18 months overstay. Nothing has been changed and it is as usual.
 
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LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
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Hi:

It will take 6-8 months take get a temporary residency, so if you are in the DR for 3-4 months you will not have it done in that time. It is not a big issue when you leave the DR to pay the over stay charges. There is a desk to the right of the customs booths where you pay the fine, they give you the paperwork and you present it along with your passport. No big deal.

LTS
 
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