best documents for 2-3 month annual visit

esl_prof

New member
Dec 6, 2013
40
0
0
I've been married to a Dominican woman for the past twenty years, and we typically visit her family for 3-4 weeks every year. My employment situation is now such that, beginning in 2016, we are looking at spending 2-3 months each year in the DR and hope to gradually increase that to 5-6 months per year by the time we hit retirement (10+ years out).

As my wife is Dominican, she can, of course, come and go as she pleases. My understanding is that for me, however, I am limited to extended visits under one of the following three options:

1. Buy a 30-day tourist card upon entering the country, let it expire, and pay the overstay fees upon departure.

2. Apply for residency via my wife, which must be renewed regularly. This may initially be more expensive than paying overstay fees but, for the long term, is it worth it?

3. Apply for citizenship (following the requisite six-months of residency) via my wife. Again, this costs a bit up front. But once the process is complete, I'd be able to come and go as I please with no further entry/exit fees, correct?

My question is this: Are options 2 or 3 even viable if I'm only spending 2, 3, or even 4 months per year in the DR? Or, in the absence of a "snowbird visa," am I pretty much limited to option #1 which seems to be the simplest--albeit imperfect--way to go.

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
If you wish to be in the country legally then options 2-3 apply. If you don't mind being illegal then option 1 applies. For how long the country allows you entry for months at a time remains to be seen.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
unless overstays tax is eliminated continue to do what you have been doing. If you reach a point in your life that you may start being in the DR for many months consider applying for residency.
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
you are safe to use option 1 for such short overstays.
nobody will bother the spouse of a dominican citizen on a family visit for overstaying short terms of a tourist visa.
an other available option is a Visitor Visa, but at the moment only issued for 2 months periods.
if you plan on a visit for just 2 months, then it would be a good idea, but i would not recommend to overstay such visitor visa, as such would not fall under the overstay fee of a Tourist Card. to let a real Visa/visitor visa expire could have a negative influence on future Visa Applications.
hopefully they will come up soon with a solution for snowbirds, i can imagine that a future snowbird visa will be something like a "extended" visitor visa, available for lengthier stays, let's assume maybe up to 6 months at a time. as such would be for yourself in the future the suitable Visa, i would recommend to not mess with the actual Visitor Visa 2 months option by overstaying that one.
go by the above option #1, a $10.- Tourist Card, hassle free, upon departure pay your low overstay fine.

Mike
 

esl_prof

New member
Dec 6, 2013
40
0
0
If you wish to be in the country legally then options 2-3 apply. If you don't mind being illegal then option 1 applies. For how long the country allows you entry for months at a time remains to be seen.

I do mind being illegal, but probably not enough to motivate me to seriously pursue options 2 or 3. Are those options even viable if I'm only in the D.R. for 2-3 months out of the year? In most countries that would hardly be enough time to call oneself a "resident."
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
and how is that illegally if it is still allowed by "dominican law" ?

robbie,
while i fully agree that the tourist card including its overstay fee is the best way to go in this case,
correctly seen that overstaying is NOT Allowed by Dominican Law.
the overstay fee is a "Fine", a punishment for violating the Law.
if it would be something "allowed" by the Law, then it would have a name like "extention of Tourist Visa/card" and would also be availble to be purchased for extended time frames from the beginning/upon entry into the country.
the overstay fee is a Fine for a violation of the law.
it is a extreme soft and cheap punishment, hence many visitors use it as a Visa "option", and a good option for visitors who plan on 2-3 months stays.
as for the future, it is a punishment and can as such of course change. it could go up from it's actually very cheap yearly price to heftier amounts of a Fee, and such would here in the DR most likely be done retroactive, means a long term overstayer facing today for overstaying many years a maximum of 70.000.- Pesos(i take that number form my memory, sorry if the actual number varies a bit), may in the near future face for the same 10+ years a overstay Fee of let's say $500.- US per year(that's a fake number just as an example).
i did never read nor hear rumors of such changes, i just mention it as to explain that the overstay Fee is not a simple fee for a "purchased service/product/visa extension", it is a punishment and could change in the future from one day to an other, including that the punishment could add restrictions for future travels/visa applications.
as it stand right now, it is a easy and very cheapy way to spend several months ata time in the DR without applying for anything.

Mike
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
I do mind being illegal, but probably not enough to motivate me to seriously pursue options 2 or 3. Are those options even viable if I'm only in the D.R. for 2-3 months out of the year? In most countries that hardly be enough time to call oneself a "resident."

yes, you are correct with that question.
while i never heard that anybody been questioned about it, as fact the permanent Residency requires the Resident to spend most time of the year in the DR, would not be allowed to be more than 180 days of the year outside the DR.
but again, i never heard of any case where such been mentioned to be any trouble point.

Mike
 

ju10prd

On Vacation!
Nov 19, 2014
4,210
0
36
Accountkiller
Your relationship is clearly long lasting and durable.

You never know how the future pans out but maybe the situation arises that you will change plans and spend much more time with your wife in her homeland.

Option 3 seems the best to me. As you point out option 2 is drawn out and you don't get a truly permanent residency for some time.

Option 1 exists for the present as a way around overstayers.....it was for visa extensions. This could change overnight and I would speculate that within the next 5 years will no longer be an option, so don't count on it long term but maybe it is ok short term.
 
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
There could be a third option: stay 29 days, then go to Haiti and return and stay another 29 days.
You have to figure out a cost benefit analysis here. Does the bus fare and travel expense cost more that the overstay fees?
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
There could be a third option: stay 29 days, then go to Haiti and return and stay another 29 days.
You have to figure out a cost benefit analysis here. Does the bus fare and travel expense cost more that the overstay fees?

such is an option, yes, depends on the individual.
for myself, i would not bother myself with a travel to the border(i don't know if you can leave and reenter right away or if there is a minimum time/days you need to be over the border), as the overstay fee for 1 or 2 months over the allowed 30 days tourist card limit costs almost nothing, the overstay fees are not any significant costs, it's dead cheap.

Mike
 

Jaime809

Bronze
Aug 23, 2012
1,152
0
36
There could be a third option: stay 29 days, then go to Haiti and return and stay another 29 days.
You have to figure out a cost benefit analysis here. Does the bus fare and travel expense cost more that the overstay fees?

Or take the cruise to PR, and get stamped in/out that way.
 

robbiee

Bronze
Dec 27, 2014
944
0
0
www.dominicanfun.net
we both know that its rubbish and b..it.
if it would be really illegal, the people would be deported or they would have to pay something like 30 $/ day for overstay....not for few months.
LOL
robbie,
while i fully agree that the tourist card including its overstay fee is the best way to go in this case,
correctly seen that overstaying is NOT Allowed by Dominican Law.
the overstay fee is a "Fine", a punishment for violating the Law.
if it would be something "allowed" by the Law, then it would have a name like "extention of Tourist Visa/card" and would also be availble to be purchased for extended time frames from the beginning/upon entry into the country.
the overstay fee is a Fine for a violation of the law.
it is a extreme soft and cheap punishment, hence many visitors use it as a Visa "option", and a good option for visitors who plan on 2-3 months stays.
as for the future, it is a punishment and can as such of course change. it could go up from it's actually very cheap yearly price to heftier amounts of a Fee, and such would here in the DR most likely be done retroactive, means a long term overstayer facing today for overstaying many years a maximum of 70.000.- Pesos(i take that number form my memory, sorry if the actual number varies a bit), may in the near future face for the same 10+ years a overstay Fee of let's say $500.- US per year(that's a fake number just as an example).
i did never read nor hear rumors of such changes, i just mention it as to explain that the overstay Fee is not a simple fee for a "purchased service/product/visa extension", it is a punishment and could change in the future from one day to an other, including that the punishment could add restrictions for future travels/visa applications.
as it stand right now, it is a easy and very cheapy way to spend several months ata time in the DR without applying for anything.

Mike
 

esl_prof

New member
Dec 6, 2013
40
0
0
Thanks to everyone who has weighed in so far! Your responses basically confirm what I sort of suspected after reading through old threads on this topic last night.

I'll probably just plan to take advantage of the inexpensive overstay fees until either that's no longer an option or something better comes up.

It seems like a snowbird visa would be a great way to bridge the gap between those who need/want to spend more than 30 days at a time in the DR but don't plan to be around long enough to make it worth the trouble to apply for residency. Though, at this point, the DR government seems content with just collecting overstay fees, so that's probably a no go. Another solution might be to simply give folks entering the country the option to purchase a 30, 60, 90, or 120 day tourist card--at tiered rates--thus collecting the "overstay" fees upfront and keeping everything legal. So long as one presents proof of onward passage, the extended stay tourist card shouldn't be a problem.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
all your ideas are good.... and we all think the same way

you are good with driving etc up to 90 days.
if overstaying, try to stay under that to avoid problems.......IMO

good luck
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
The 'way of the world' here in RD seems to allow 90 days before they call you out

don't ask why, just seems that way....

all rules are diffy, MA..... you know that
but we talk here all the time about not going past 90 days on an out of country DL

Haitians may get longer...........or shorter
 

Jaime809

Bronze
Aug 23, 2012
1,152
0
36
all your ideas are good.... and we all think the same way

you are good with driving etc up to 90 days.
if overstaying, try to stay under that to avoid problems.......IMO

good luck

You're good to drive *while legal* up to 90 days. If the visa is only good for 30 days, so is the driving.