Very short visit to Haiti - practical?

drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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I am thinking of making a very short visit to Haiti, mainly to get a Dominican entry stamp on my passport so that I can drive legally while waiting for my new cedula. The plan would be to get a bus to Dajabon, cross over the border on foot, spend an hour or so there and then return.

Does anyone know if this is a practical idea?
 

CristoRey

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Apr 1, 2014
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How are you in the DR without an entry stamp in your passport? Did they allow enter the country using
your old cedula and therefor not asking to see your passport/ giving you an entry stamp? Just curious.
 

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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I am thinking of making a very short visit to Haiti, mainly to get a Dominican entry stamp on my passport so that I can drive legally while waiting for my new cedula. The plan would be to get a bus to Dajabon, cross over the border on foot, spend an hour or so there and then return.

Does anyone know if this is a practical idea?

Are you really that concerned about driving legally? Don't waste your time and money.
 

drstock

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How are you in the DR without an entry stamp in your passport? Did they allow enter the country using
your old cedula and therefor not asking to see your passport/ giving you an entry stamp? Just curious.

Of course I have an entry stamp on my passport, but you can only drive for a limited period after entry on a foreign licence, so I need a new one.
 

drstock

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Are you really that concerned about driving legally? Don't waste your time and money.

I drove for a long time illegally, but when I started my Residency application in the UK I received a visa for two months, during which time I could drive here legally. I must say it felt much better driving without being concerned about AMET checks and now that this visa has expired and I am waiting for my cedula, I would like to maintain that feel-good factor - if I can do it relatively easily by taking a quick trip to Haiti.
 

drstock

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I have been told that the "exit fee" from Haiti is sixty US dollars. Never checked it out myself so it fits into the same category as most info found on DR1
Der Fish

That's the sort of information I'm looking for (and which others might find useful), especially if anyone can confirm it.
 

SKY

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I will repeat one more time. I have never heard of ANYONE having a problem driving here as a tourist.
 

Eleutheria

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I will repeat one more time. I have never heard of ANYONE having a problem driving here as a tourist.

Tell that to the Oregon man and his wife who are detained here in La Romana for an accident they did not cause.
 

SKY

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Tell that to the Oregon man and his wife who are detained here in La Romana for an accident they did not cause.

This would happen to anyone with any legal license. Has nothing to do with what we are talking about.
 

drstock

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I will repeat one more time. I have never heard of ANYONE having a problem driving here as a tourist.

Well I have been stopped a couple of times for no particular reason and asked to show my passport. They have wanted to see both the main page with photo etc. plus check that the entry stamp is not too old. I tell them I only have a copy of the main page with photo and apologise for the fact that I didn't know it was necessary to have the page with the entry stamp, telling them I have only been here two weeks. So far I have got away with it.

So now you have heard of someone who had a (small, so far) problem.
 

SKY

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Well I have been stopped a couple of times for no particular reason and asked to show my passport. They have wanted to see both the main page with photo etc. plus check that the entry stamp is not too old. I tell them I only have a copy of the main page with photo and apologise for the fact that I didn't know it was necessary to have the page with the entry stamp, telling them I have only been here two weeks. So far I have got away with it.

So now you have heard of someone who had a (small, so far) problem.

I am talking about a real problem. Police looking for propinas is not one of them. And who carries a passport anyway?
 

melphis

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If your passport stamp is over 3 months old, what you are thinking makes sense to me. It resets the clock for another 3 months. As an alternative have you considered a 1 or 2 day return trip to Puerto Rico on the ferry.
Probably a much more enjoyable trip than going to Haiti
 

Cdn_Gringo

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If your residency application has been accepted by Migracion in SD, then your residency application is ostensibly approved and you are en processo. Keep a photocopy of your application certificate of deposit, your main passport page and the copy of the residency visa page and you shouldn't have any problems while your file sits on someone's desk for months.

If you don't have a copy of your certificate of deposit, get one. This is your "I'm legally allowed to be here so stick it" document.

More and more, gringos stopped at any manner of check point will first be asked for their passport or cedula, then their driver's license if in a car. Status is checked first, then the real reason for the stop. At this time, the emphasis is on immigration status and illegal firearm possession and then any vehicle related infractions/tax omissions/paperwork issues.
 

Salsafan

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Using Caribe from Santiago to Cap Haitien the exit fee was 25US$ from DR to Haiti and another 20$ to come back, for normal tourists.
 

Salsafan

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That with Caribe was two years ago. This year the exit fee from Port au Prince to Santo Domingo one way with Coastal Line was only 10US$.
I think if you just walk thru it'll be 10+10$. It'll surely be an experience, especially on market days :)
 
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Beenaway

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May 27, 2013
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I paid $35 exit fee in September to leave Haiti and fly out to Panama.... this was part of the ticket price so maybe Copa were screwing me.

If you are thinking of doing this then while you are there, stay a couple of nights in Cap Haitian or better still 15kms along the coast at Cormiere Plage - the most beautiful and tranquil location on the whole island (IMO) and take in the Citadel at Milot - a truly awe inspiring construction.

Can't recommend this highly enough....


Pedrochemical
 

Salsafan

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If you are thinking of doing this then while you are there, stay a couple of nights in Cap Haitian or better still 15kms along the coast at Cormiere Plage - the most beautiful and tranquil location on the whole island (IMO)
Still better: village of Labadee, there's also a beautiful Hotel.
 

Vinyasa

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Dec 22, 2010
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+1 for this plan to take a little longer and go visit Cap H.
As others have suggested, go with CT and pay (if I remember correctly) 25+20$ to leave and return.

Haiti is a fascinating country. Don't let the DR locals (and even expats) put you off despite the fact that they haven't even been themselves!
 

drstock

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Using Caribe from Santiago to Cap Haitien the exit fee was 25US$ from DR to Haiti and another 20$ to come back, for normal tourists.

I had looked at Caribe Tours website and it appeared that there was no bus from Santiago to Cap Haitien, but only on from Santo Domingo (yes, I know it would have to pass Santiago). This would have made it a long journey as I am starting from Cabarete, which was why I hadn't considered the option. I'll have to make some enquiries.

Thanks for your input, anyway.