Just started the process myself and returned only this week from the Dominican Consulate in New Orleans. Had to take a "boat load" of Apostiled documents (Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Proof of no Criminal Record, Income and retirement income information and Financial documents--Bank Statements, etc.) to the Consulate to have translated and emailed to the Immigration Office in Santo Domingo for approval. Once approved, the Vice Consul (a very personable Ms. Martinez) will issue the Visas with our submitted Passports via Fed Ex and then when we arrive in-country, we'll begin the local process through our attorney in Bavaro. You can do it by mail (Fed Ex), but as it turned-out, we didn't need all the documents that we brought with us. If you email your local Consulate, they will return email you a check-list to assemble your documents, etc. Be sure your current passport has enough time left on it for the process to occur. Total cost for the two of us at the Consulate was $600 US including the translations.