Now Everyone Needs a Residency VISA

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watson56

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June 8, 2012 By Dr. Ramon Alburquerque
The New Dominican Immigration Regulation requires for EVERYONE that wants to get a Residency Permit in Dominican Republic to get a Residence Visa. This is for EVERY FOREIGNER, EVEN if you do not require a visa to enter Dominican Republic. From now on YOU ARE NOT able to apply for residency if you are in Dominican Republic with a Tourist Card. So if you want to live here, apply for a Residency Visa in your country at your Nearest Dominican Consulate. If you are already here, you must go back to your country and apply at the Dominican Consulate. Some lawyers might not know what I’ve just explained, but it’s because this part of the New Immigration Regulation has only come into execution last friday. So now you must get a residency visa in your nearst Dominican Consulate, and your lawyer takes care of getting you your residency permit in Dominican Republic. check link for more: June 2012 Archives -http://immigrationexpertsdr.com/2012/06/
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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That is a law that seems to make no sense at all. But then, this is the DR. Can anyone see a motivating reason that the law was changed in this manner?

Here is a list of Dominican Consulates in the US.

Embassy of the Dominican Republic, in the United States

Since I was last in the San Francisco Bay area I would have had to go to Glendale to apply. That is a distance of 351 miles and a 6 hour one way drive on a good day. Then I can only imagine how smoothly things would go at that office.

Stupid is as stupid does.
 

Ken

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Does anyone believe that Dominican lawyers are not going to find some way around this for their clients?
 

windeguy

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Does anyone believe that Dominican lawyers are not going to find some way around this for their clients?

Yes that does go without saying. But someone in the US would not necessarily know of that work around and could be discouraged from starting the process.
 

mido

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May 18, 2002
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And it says also:

"...So apply for your Residence Visa, or you wont be able to get your residency permit, and if you over stay your tourist card period, then it gets a bit complicated, because if you leave DR, you will need a special permit to come back."

So everybody leaving after staying to long will be treated like a deported alien?
 

KateP

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May 28, 2004
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Impossible. This country depends too much on tourism to be so strict. That they need to tighten up on their measures, fine. But to tighten up to the point of taking the risk of losing income from tourism, that just stupid.
 

mido

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Impossible. This country depends too much on tourism to be so strict. That they need to tighten up on their measures, fine. But to tighten up to the point of taking the risk of losing income from tourism, that just stupid.
This is not pointed at tourists, it is aiming at people who want to stay here illegally. Which regular tourist would stay for more than 30 days?
 

KateP

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This is not pointed at tourists, it is aiming at people who want to stay here illegally. Which regular tourist would stay for more than 30 days?

Many snowbirds... and the amount of people staying over the winter is increasing, at least in the east.

Not to mention all those currently living here "illegally"...
 

sylindr

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Half of Costambar over stays their tourist card every season... they pay a penalty when they leave, I can't believe the government will give that up if people want to pay the penalty
 

Zulu

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They have just made matters easier for themselves; like i would want a resident permit without seeing the place i will be residing? Like a wise man once told me, "you got to taste the merchandise before you buy it." That beats the whole purpose as coming to the D.R as a tourist then deciding to stay makes no sense in leaving the country to apply for a residents permit when i could simply do it there. I can't wait to see the application for the new permit since it's a new law it would probably insist that people with property on the Island are eligible to apply while those who are renting should tick the tourist section.
 

windeguy

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This is not pointed at tourists, it is aiming at people who want to stay here illegally. Which regular tourist would stay for more than 30 days?

Trust me, many people stay for more than 30 days on extended vacations.
 

windeguy

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They have just made matters easier for themselves; like i would want a resident permit without seeing the place i will be residing? Like a wise man once told me, "you got to taste the merchandise before you buy it." That beats the whole purpose as coming to the D.R as a tourist then deciding to stay makes no sense in leaving the country to apply for a residents permit when i could simply do it there. I can't wait to see the application for the new permit since it's a new law it would probably insist that people with property on the Island are eligible to apply while those who are renting should tick the tourist section.

I see no reason at all the law should be complicated more by those who own versus renting, staying at a time share or hotel. And I do not expect the law will include those considerations.
 

mido

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Trust me, many people stay for more than 30 days on extended vacations.

I just read the complete regulation in Spanish again, it says that the maximum stay on a tourist card is 60 days now instead of 30 days, you can apply for an extension with the following documents:

a) correctly filled out application form
b) passport valid for another 6 months
c) return ticket
d) address in the DR
e) medical certificate by authorized medic
f) proof of sufficient funds
g) pay (doesn't say how much)

You can only get one extension for another 60 days!
 

InsanelyOne

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Oct 21, 2008
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Okay... so this is interesting to say the least. My elderly parents just moved down here and we were assuming they could do like most others and just pay the fee when they leave and come and go as they want. (They are renting a condo and intend on living here full time). We just figured it didn't make any sense to bother with residency. With the change in law am I to presume this is no longer an option? If I read an earlier post correctly, those who overstay the tourist card will have difficulty in returning? Man... this is all messed up.
 

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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The DR has a lot of laws. Enforcement is another matter entirely. This seems so counter productive that when they see the problems it will engender and the loss of the over stay penalties it may be ignored like many other laws in the DR.
A really dumb idea. Time will tell but I would not be too worried at this point. From what I have seen being married to a Dominican woman means nothing in the eyes of the DR government.
 

mido

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The DR has a lot of laws. Enforcement is another matter entirely. This seems so counter productive that when they see the problems it will engender and the loss of the over stay penalties it may be ignored like many other laws in the DR.
20 years ago we used to say they will never be able to make colmados to pay taxes, now colmados are paying taxes!
 
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hammerdown

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20 years ago we used to say they will never be able to make colmados to pay taxes, now they have to!

Yea and 8 yrs ago they said that EVERYONE will be paying for electricity........

And by the way, this article if from someones blog, not from a govt internet site.....IMO its someone trying to scare up some business for himself......like I said IMO....
 
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