help on visa please......

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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Hi all,
Every year we come to the dr on holuday for a couple of months. My wife is a double national swiss/ dominican. I am british and we have been marrued sincecfeb 2011 in the dr. Last year we stayed for 7 months, year before 5 months...... never had any problems.
This year the airline has sent me a message saying they cant embark me cos I have no visa......
I m leaving monday 14 oct and now I m very nervous.
Anyone had this problem??? Any help or similar experience would be very appriciated. Thanks a bunch.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
What airline is this and from where? They may say you need return tickets, but everyone gets a Visa for the $10 tourist fee when they arrive.
 

Riva_31

Bronze
Apr 1, 2013
2,533
179
63
San Pedro de Macoris
Hi all,
Every year we come to the dr on holuday for a couple of months. My wife is a double national swiss/ dominican. I am british and we have been marrued sincecfeb 2011 in the dr. Last year we stayed for 7 months, year before 5 months...... never had any problems.
This year the airline has sent me a message saying they cant embark me cos I have no visa......
I m leaving monday 14 oct and now I m very nervous.
Anyone had this problem??? Any help or similar experience would be very appriciated. Thanks a bunch.

My sugestion is contact the Dominican Consulate in Switzerland, maybe your name appears in a list, starting sept 1st. 2013 the Dominican inmigration department is starting to use an International Database that start to check the names inmediatly you book a flight, now all airlines, cruise ships has to inform the Dominican goverment who is coming to Dominican Republic.

Make sure in the Dominican Consulate you dont need a visa first, and with that info then contact your airline.

This this the address and number:
L?wenstrasse 65 ? 8001 Z?rich
email : infodom@consuldomzh.ch
Telefon 043 818 93 44 / 45
Telefax 043 818 93 46
 

Franco 66

New member
Aug 1, 2013
41
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0
Hi Malko
I travel to DR all the time with my UK passport,last time was end of Sept 2013.Never needed a visa and only hassled once when i consumed one cerveca too many on the way down.
 
What is this? Funny friday post?

You dont need any visa to enter here. You get a piece of paper on the airport, wright what ever you like on it- Then pay money, stand in line- stamp your passport.

Thats it.

A missing return ticket is another thing, if you are wise you buy a ticket with the possibility to change the return date for a 100euro.
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
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Maybe it has something to do with the fact the OP states he overstayed 7 months last year. That is more than the 90 dyas of the tourist card plus the 90 extension, so I guess there could be a list of overstayers to make sure they get a visa next time. As advised, your best move should be to check with the nearest dominican consulate.
 

davetuna

Bronze
Jun 19, 2012
1,071
0
0
Cabarete, Dominican Republic
which airline are you using? I have been coming here for years buying tickets with extended return dates without issue.

overstays are not a problem, as you have to pay the fee when you leave.

or.....if you are coming from europe, do you have to buy the tourist visa online before travel? check that out.
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
1
0
overstays are not a problem, as you have to pay the fee when you leave.

Well, it's cofusing. The new law as of August 2012 says:

ART?CULO 83.- Para la aplicaci?n del art?culo 41 de la Ley, la D.G.M. recibir? y evaluar? toda solicitud de pr?rroga de permanencia que haga todo Extranjero siguiendo los par?metros establecidos en presente Reglamento.
P?RRAFO I.- El Extranjero admitido como No Residente que manifieste inter?s de prorrogar el plazo de permanencia, debe dirigir su solicitud motivada a la D.G.M. sin que, en ning?n caso, pueda solicitarse m?s de una pr?rroga.
P?RRAFO III.- La solicitud de pr?rroga debe estar acompa?ada de los siguientes documentos:
1. Para los Turistas:
a) Formulario de solicitud debidamente llenado;
b) Pasaporte con vigencia m?nima de seis (6) meses a partir de la prorroga.
c) Boleto a?reo o mar?timo de regreso;
d) Una direcci?n en la Rep?blica Dominicana;
e) Certificado m?dico expedido por un medico autorizado con su debido exequ?tur;
f) Prueba de solvencia econ?mica;
g) El pago de los derechos previstos.
En caso de ser aprobada la pr?rroga, la D.G.M. s?lo podr? conceder una pr?rroga de permanencia por sesenta (60) d?as. En caso de ser rechazada la solicitud, se proceder? conforme a lo que dispone la Ley y el presente Reglamento.

which means you can only extend your "tarjeta de turismo" once, and that for only 60 days. How much they are enforcing this, I don't know.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,967
113
Confusing yes, but the past overstay payment schedule is still working. Just pay as you leave works for most people. I suspect the OP's problem is because he does not have a return ticket listed with the airline. It is the airlines responsibility to check if someone is a legal resident in the DR and if not, they should have a return ticket.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
I do have a return ticket. Departure 14 0ct return 14 may. Dominican embassies in france ( where I live), britan ( my nationality) and switzerland where I am travelling from, all say I do not need visa.
Only british airways says I need visa to board plane. I Have an american airlines ticket but ba carry me from gva to Lhr.
I contacted dr embassie today who sent me an email confirming that I can extend my stay once in dr, but airline wont acknowlege, its mad........

I just want to be sure I dont lose my money as I have already paid aa for the flight.

Thank u all for ure answers
 

drstock

Silver
Oct 29, 2010
4,502
2,086
113
Cabarete
This is very weird and I agree with other posters that I have no knowledge of anyone needing a visa to travel, even if they have overstayed before. Please let us know how you get on.
 

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
16,050
418
83
Is it possible that it's your wife that they won't board? Not sure where gva to Lhr is but maybe she needs a visa for those place and not you to get to the DR. Is this your usual route in the past?

Just trying to help :)
 
I think the problem could be the length of your return ticket. That goes way beyond a tourist visa length.

When I get return tickets i always do it for the amount of time I am actually allowed in the Country then change the ticket later when i get to the DR.

Sounds very strange though since the last time i came from Canada no one gave a crap if I had a return ticket or not.
 
Last edited:

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Is it possible that it's your wife that they won't board? Not sure where gva to Lhr is but maybe she needs a visa for those place and not you to get to the DR. Is this your usual route in the past?

Just trying to help :)

Thats a point -- Geneva to Heathrow.... if she's Dominican, she may have visa issues.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Case in point, my friend was going to spend Xmas in Australia with his son at school there.

Booked the cheapie ticket thru who knows where - online.

At the airport they asked for his visa???
Seems the layover country req'd a visa to land..... No go, JOE.... he didn't have one.

Whole family screwed intil next day and new tickets --- about $3k each time the four of them.

Cheapie ticket not so cheapie no longer.....

Travel agents can be useful........
 

Lobo Tropical

Silver
Aug 21, 2010
3,515
521
113
I do have a return ticket. Departure 14 0ct return 14 may. Dominican embassies in france ( where I live), britan ( my nationality) and switzerland where I am travelling from, all say I do not need visa.
Only british airways says I need visa to board plane. I Have an american airlines ticket but ba carry me from gva to Lhr.
I contacted dr embassie today who sent me an email confirming that I can extend my stay once in dr, but airline wont acknowlege, its mad........

I just want to be sure I dont lose my money as I have already paid aa for the flight.

Thank u all for ure answers

In the future check a different routing.
Condor flys direct GVA-SDQ and other destinations in the DR, of course they also have flights from Germany to DR.
Air Berlin flys from various German airports to POP and PUJ

Condor - Born to fly.
airberlin - Flights to Berlin and Dusseldorf | airberlin.com - airberlin.com

Talk to management at BA to clarify prior to departure.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
Thanks all

No my wife left for the dr last week and had no problem but as she was travelling on a swiss passport they required her dominican assport too!!!!

This is the last time I m trravellimg with aa ( which is the same group as ba). I have preperad print outs of embassies and foreign office and of dr1...... if thea give me more trouble I want my money back and will fly with condor( thanks annac)
My lawyer and wife are at la migracion zona norte in santiago monday 4oo clarify.
Anyway thanks all and I cant wait for next week to be back in dr...,..