Moving to Sosua with many questions

be scared of our mentoring

there are few ongoing, recent topics on subjects that interest you. just use search bar on the top right. or, better still, google: "banking sosua dr1 forums" for better results.

in terms of immigration: it is required that all foreigners are legalized, that is, have corresponding visas or residency. the process starts in your home country and is continued here. basic info can be found here, for example: Embassy of the Dominican Republic, in the United States
ps, there are many illegal gringos here so if you choose not to apply for residency you will have company. some just don't want to do it.

shopping: in sosua you have two big shops, playero and pola. check both of them to find what you like. in nearby POP there is large la sirena and lots of warehouses, furniture shops and so on. best shopping - for anything, really - is done in santiago or SD. some folks from the north coast travel there occasionally and use the opportunity to shop.

Welcome Dan. You are going to love it here. Sosua is very gringo friendly, shopping is easy with super markets close by and plenty of banks although with the banks do not expect much. They are slow, have no idea of service and in general are a pain in the ass. They also tack on service charges for everything. Be cautious about new friends, everyone will want to help you. I would advise against using outside bank teller machines. Go inside the bank if possible. Lots of fraud and problems with the automatic tellers. This site is a plethora of good information, lots of good advice and ideas that many of the members learned the hard way over the years.

No Fast Track Summary

dmartin29 said:

My wife and I are retiring to Sosua. Head out this Saturday (July 4). (...) We have purchased a condo...

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Too late for my advice. :cheeky:
I wish, you now have time to read all the information that you could have read since you joined the forum in 2011.
A 5-minute summary is not available.

donP

Just to add to what DV8 said about immigration, many people don't legalise their status here although they are tightening up on it now but you can't get a Dominican driving licence without your cedula card which shows you have legal residency. You can drive on your foreign licence for the duration of your tourist visa after that you're taking a chance.

You have probably left it too late to start the residency process, which you have to do in the DR embassy in your own country, so you may have to return to do that. You may have time to get a letter of recommendation from your bank in your own country which will help with opening an account here.

Other than that, I would recommend that you take some Spanish lessons.

I don't live in Sosua but I know it fairly well as I live in Cabarete down the road, so if you have any specific questions or need help you can contact me via private message here.

You MUST get in contact with "KEN".
He has lived in Sosua for years.
HE KNOWS THAT THE "good" OUTWEIGHS the "Bad", and how to be happy there.
He "may" be out of the country right now, not sure.
When you have 10 DR1 posts you can "PM" him, if he sees this post he might contact you first.
I have lived here in "SD" for 20 years.
THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING RETIRED, ESPECIALLY HERE IS,.....
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO, AND ALL DAY TO DO IT"!!!!
THAT SAID, MY SURVIVAL TACTIC HERE IS ONLY TRY TO ACCOMPLISH ONE THING A DAY!
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.

Just ask about what you want to know.

Dan,

First, welcome to DR1!

One of the best forums on the internet for getting a solid sense of what you're getting into can be found here: http://dr1.com/forums/living/112283-living-costs-dominican-republic-151.html

I'd suggest reading, and then asking more specific questions. "Coast vs. city?" questions won't get you the best answers, whereas "we're thinking about renting in one of these developments near Sosua, our housing budget is x, which do you prefer and why" will be much more fruitful.

There are several members living on the north coast, frank12, William Webster, Harleysrock, Ken, the Gorgon, and the incomparable dv8 are just a few of the many good people I'd encourage you to reach out to. They know what they're talking about.

Good luck!

Just DOUBLE what you are now planning to spend and you'll be fine!!!!!
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Too Late Now.

DRob said:

One of the best forums on the internet for getting a solid sense of what you're getting into can be found here: http://dr1.com/forums/living/112283-living-costs-dominican-republic-151.html
I'd suggest reading, and then asking more specific questions. "Coast vs. city?" questions won't get you the best answers, whereas "we're thinking about renting in one of these developments near Sosua, our housing budget is x, which do you prefer and why" will be much more fruitful.

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Too late.
They'll arrive this Saturday.
Then it is what it is.

donP

For some reason, some of this advice is almost correct.
The Sosua haters have stayed away.

I moved here out of total boredom with Cabarete which could be anywhere with a beach and a wind and as I am no longer someone who can strut the beach and do a flying flip, was not for me.The new regime which has taken over Sosua has produced a sort of pre-nascent hybrid which is neither fish nor fowl but is probably more boring than Cabarete.

I'm not a chicachaser or 'monger' as they like to say on this site, but Sosua did have a certain energy and bohemian 'laissez-faire' which suited me fine but the new Sosua is generally a great place for geriatrics and missionaries now.

This, according to the powers in power, is a Good Thing.

Rich, fecund families will now rush here and increase the value of my real estate by margins unthinkable and cruise ships will overburden us with financial blessings beyond our wildest dreams whilst great plans for scenic walks and 'family-friendy' enterprises will bloom like morning mushrooms.
There is an expression the says 'Only throw away the dirty water when you have the clean' but this ,unfortunately does not play in politics.
Despite what our redeeming saviours say, crime has vastly increased since the new policy of intolerance has been implemented.

I wait with worms on my tongue, or 'baited breath' if you will, the renaissance of Sosua. "The New Moustique". "DR has it All","The Karibik Destination of Choice" and all the other Obamaspeak soundbites.

Reality?
I still love it.
Bring enough money to live, then double it. 'cos you'll need it before you know the ropes.
Accept what you have and not what you want.
Learn enough Spanish to know who to trust.
Be aware that you are rich and therefore a suitable target.
Disbelieve initially anything someone says until proved true.(Unlikely)
Disregard anything on this forum.

Otherwise.
Welcome....

Sosewer

wrecksum said:

Rich, fecund families will now rush here and increase the value of my real estate by margins unthinkable and cruise ships will overburden us with financial blessings beyond our wildest dreams whilst great plans for scenic walks and 'family-friendy' enterprises will bloom like morning mushrooms.

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wrecksum said:

Disregard anything on this forum.

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Indeed.

donP

"Sosewer" donP? Seems the Sosua haters have not stayed away, after all.

Note that although wrecksum's post is ironic, he says that the reality is that he still loves it.

dmartin29 said:

My wife and I are retiring to Sosua. We have purchased a condo, have a friendly cab driver who speaks some English (we speak some Spanish) and make himself available any time.
Dan Martin

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Folks,
I think we're gonna need more popcorn.

I bet that,..."friendly taxi driver" is overjoyed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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ROLLOUT said:

Folks,
I think we're gonna need more popcorn.

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Why, they've been here for extended stays. It's not like they're fresh off the boat.

Burgeoning Culture

ctrob said:

Why, they've been here for extended stays. It's not like they're fresh off the boat.

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Quite right.
However, the awesome culture of this land only unfolds fully when living here...

donP

I tell people that you can visit the DR 100 TIMES, but UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY live here, you will never know!!!!!!!

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Criss Colon said:

I tell people that you can visit the DR 100 TIMES, but UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY live here, you will never know!!!!!!!

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you cannot help but admire the guys and dolls who come here for a ten day vacation, and cannot wait to get back home to sell the farm in Johnson City so they can move to the DR, because they just love the CULTURE.