Residency with only tourist card?

robjaztec · Mar 24, 2016

Hello all, I'm in my mid 20s so not retiring anytime soon. I plan to move to the DR soon and have questions about the residency process. I have a friend who is a retiree, so I believe the process was a little different for him, but he applied for residency with just a tourist card. I've been told that I need to have a visa like a business or residency visa first. But if I can skip the visa and just apply for residency that would be a lot easier.
I plan to stay in the DR indefinitely and want the quickest process to get residency. I know I need to apply for temporary residency for a few years and that's fine. So my main question is: can I arrive in the DR without a return ticket, buy a tourist card, then apply for residency there? Can I extend my tourist card if necessary?
Any help would be great!

Tashi Siu's Dad · Mar 24, 2016

To apply legally for Residency in the Dominican Republic, you have to obtain a 60 day Residency Visa from your local Dominican Consulate or Embassy. You have to present this visa to Immigrations in order to start the Residency Process, no matter what category.

KateP · Mar 24, 2016

Easy is not a word in Migraci?n's vocabulary. As TSD already said, you have to start the process in your country. Good luck!

Harleysrock · Mar 24, 2016

Really I would not bother getting residency untill you figure out if you can hack it here...many seem to move back home, it's not for everyone and really residency it is not needed right away anyways.

You have to start in your own country and no one got their residency from a tourist card, 60 day tourist visa is how most start and how I did from Canada.

CristoRey · Mar 24, 2016

robjaztec said:
Hello all, I'm in my mid 20s so not retiring anytime soon. I plan to move to the DR soon and have questions about the residency process. I have a friend who is a retiree, so I believe the process was a little different for him, but he applied for residency with just a tourist card. I've been told that I need to have a visa like a business or residency visa first. But if I can skip the visa and just apply for residency that would be a lot easier.
I plan to stay in the DR indefinitely and want the quickest process to get residency. I know I need to apply for temporary residency for a few years and that's fine. So my main question is: can I arrive in the DR without a return ticket, buy a tourist card, then apply for residency there? Can I extend my tourist card if necessary?
Any help would be great!

Unless you plan on marrying a Dominican, have family down here or have a work contract with a
Dominican company, residency for someone in their mid 20s is going to be very challenging.

DRob · Mar 24, 2016

CristoRey said:
Unless you plan on marrying a Dominican, have family down here or have a work contract with a
Dominican company, residency for someone in their mid 20s is going to be very challenging.

It depends on whether he can show steady income from some passive source (i.e., investments, real estate, trust fund baby, etc.) That would make the process far easier.

That said, OP may just be daydreaming on the internet. It happens:

[video=youtube;BPCjC543llU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPCjC543llU[/video]

drstock · Mar 24, 2016

robjaztec said:
Can I extend my tourist card if necessary?

Easiest way is just to overstay your tourist visa and pay an overstay fine when you leave, until you're sure you want to stay. If you do, go back to your own country and start the Residency process if you will qualify.

Derfish · Mar 24, 2016

drstock said:
Easiest way is just to overstay your tourist visa and pay an overstay fine when you leave, until you're sure you want to stay. If you do, go back to your own country and start the Residency process if you will qualify.

What he said!!!

robjaztec · Mar 24, 2016

Thanks all for your answers. I'm tempted to try the tourist visa extended stay, but I need legal status for my volunteer work. I was told I need a business visa for that. If I get a business visa, do I need a return flight ticket too?

Harleysrock · Mar 24, 2016

robjaztec said:
Thanks all for your answers. I'm tempted to try the tourist visa extended stay, but I need legal status for my volunteer work. I was told I need a business visa for that. If I get a business visa, do I need a return flight ticket too?

What type of volunteer work do you need to have residency here for?

PICHARDO · Mar 24, 2016

This is how you do it:

Come to the DR with a tourist visa or tourist visa waived.

Meet a local chica.

Marry her.

The start the residency/citizenship process.

For you it would be the best way...

Derfish · Mar 24, 2016

robjaztec said:
Thanks all for your answers. I'm tempted to try the tourist visa extended stay, but I need legal status for my volunteer work. I was told I need a business visa for that. If I get a business visa, do I need a return flight ticket too?

Volunteer work does not require a visa, Unless you are making a business out of volunteering, and then it slides out of volunteering.

Derfish · Mar 24, 2016

PICHARDO said:
This is how you do it:

Come to the DR with a tourist visa or tourist visa waived.

Meet a local chica.

Marry her.

The start the residency/citizenship process.

For you it would be the best way...

There are probably only 3 or 4 million chicas available. So hurry!

PICHARDO · Mar 24, 2016

robjaztec said:
Hello all, I'm in my mid 20s so not retiring anytime soon. I plan to move to the DR soon and have questions about the residency process. I have a friend who is a retiree, so I believe the process was a little different for him, but he applied for residency with just a tourist card. I've been told that I need to have a visa like a business or residency visa first. But if I can skip the visa and just apply for residency that would be a lot easier.
I plan to stay in the DR indefinitely and want the quickest process to get residency. I know I need to apply for temporary residency for a few years and that's fine. So my main question is: can I arrive in the DR without a return ticket, buy a tourist card, then apply for residency there? Can I extend my tourist card if necessary?
Any help would be great!

I gave you the quickest and painless way into getting that in the DR.

Apart from being an automatic approval (marriage).

Trust me!

HUG · Mar 24, 2016

Volunteer work with Residency would never get any volunteers, being the nature of volunteers in DR being mainly visitors. There are no brownie points for that piece of plastic. And mid 20's going it long term in DR without ties or prospects..................... doubt it. By the time your residency came through you'll probably have left.
Guzman can jump through hoops and make some of the necessaries go away, but you're still looking at a lengthy very costly experience.
Only big issue with not being legal is you have no rights, and you have few anyway at your age in DR.

USA DOC · Mar 24, 2016

PICHARDO said:
I gave you the quickest and painless way into getting that in the DR.

Apart from being an automatic approval (marriage).

Trust me!

Is marriage to a dominican chica, a automatic residency approval, for a american??

robjaztec · Mar 25, 2016

Harleysrock said:
What type of volunteer work do you need to have residency here for?

Self sustaining missionary work involving the deaf

robjaztec · Mar 25, 2016

This may be an obvious question but I'll ask it anyway...Can a business visa be used to get residency? Or would I have to keep renewing it, and can I even do that?
After visa is obtained will I need to do anything else in the United States?

Do I need medical insurance to reside in the DR?

Does anyone know good Travel insurance?

PICHARDO · Mar 25, 2016

USA DOC said:
Is marriage to a dominican chica, a automatic residency approval, for a american??

Pretty much! Unless your nickname is "El Chapo" in your old job, or Ice-man...

I have yet to hear about the first case of a foreigner married to a Dominican denied residency here...

The paper procedures for the residency are just that, procedures that must be met but not in need of approval (unless a criminal background).

PICHARDO · Mar 25, 2016

robjaztec said:
This may be an obvious question but I'll ask it anyway...Can a business visa be used to get residency? Or would I have to keep renewing it, and can I even do that?
After visa is obtained will I need to do anything else in the United States?

Do I need medical insurance to reside in the DR?

Does anyone know good Travel insurance?

A business VISA is just for that: Business.

It's now required that you file for a residency visa when wanting to carry that out in the DR.

Residency with only tourist card?

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