living in the DR

in order to live in the DR, you need to have some form of visa right?... is it called a tourist visa or something like that? and don't they issue them from anywhere between one year and ten years?..... as you can tell i am completely clueless.... could yal help a sista out?!

If you want to become a legal resident, you need to apply at the Ministry of Foreign Relations for a residence visa, then at the Department of Migration for a provisional residence and then finally the permanent residence. Process could take about two years.

The Dominican government has traditionally been lax about migration issues, and foreigners have been known to live for years here without regularizing their status. You just need to pay a small penalty once your tourist card expires in order to leave the country.