Applying for Temp Res Myself

question number one is: do you speak spanish? i do not think you can do it without knowing the lingo...
in any case you will need a lawyer for official translations and such.

no no, it's not that you need to speak spanish for legal reasons. it's that you need to understand what is being said to you: come back on this and that day, provide this and that paper, go to this and that room, what is this...

i think chip did his paperwork himself but he's a man careful with his money and he believes all dominicans are here to make his life easier, happier and better

in any case, you'd need few trips to SD too. apart from those you'd take if you had a lawyer, that is. normally you'd go for medical and then again for residency and cedula pickup. doing it yourself you'd have to go with all the paperwork and possibly again with the things that were missing the first time, and again just to do some pushing because you will not find anything on the phone...

a lawyer is more money but less work. but if you are a man of action by all means you should try the DYI approach and report here in details. some people have all the time in the world but not that much money. your report would be appreciate by many...

I've never used a lawyer getting my residence , but I got both the temp and perm residence before the rule change and I am fluent in Spanish. I used a cheap 'lawyer' to get the necessary legal declarations (1000 pesos per paper). If you prepare yourself well, it's not hard (at least it wasn't). But it helped me that I don't have an office schedule and could do whatever needed when I wanted.

I definitely saved a lot of money and basically in DR lawyers like to maintain that things are complicated and you need them, but I refuse to use lawyer for something you don't need one by obligation.

"My gal" in Santo Domingo has helped dozens of people go through this process. If you want her contact information, please send me a PM.

A word of warning: Yes, you can do it yourself. But unless you are really patient, you will probably end up so P.O.'d at the bureaucracy that you want to move to Colombia or Panam?. Do get a lawyer, if not my gal, someone who knows the ropes...


HB