I applied to be a Dominican citizen in November 2014. After a couple of document hiccups (UK birth cert was over 6 months old), then they needed divorce cert from husband No. 1, I was interviewed and passed in March 2015. I was told it would take maximum 6 months to do a DNI, DNCD and Interpol check and then I would be sworn in.
I was told to call every month or so, and always the same answer - waiting for Interpol. Lawyer friends and a translator friend, Olga, went physically to the Ministry of Interior and Police and always the same answer, waiting for Interpol.
Fast forward to April 2017, and the Ministry told friend Olga that if I had a police report from home country and buena conducta from here then that would override the non existent Interpol report. I did as requested and submitted.
Called every 2 weeks - in process. Eventually, mid August, so a week or so ago, Olga made an appointment for me to see a head honcho. In the meantime a lady at the same stage as me, who applied at the same time as me had been sent a list of the requirements she needed after submitting her police report - as her file had been processed and mine was still "in process".
These requirements included: renewing residency (when we both applied women married to Dominicans didn't need residency), redoing all certificates (as all older than 6 months), bank and employment details for both husband and wife, notarized document signed by 3 witnesses to say you live here, copy of every single page of passport, guarantee from husband (notarized) to say will pay for wife's maintenance and deportation if needed (how can you deport a citizen?), Certificate from Immigration to prove movement in and out of the country. There maybe more - I forget.
Before having aheart attack I wrote a paper going through each requirement and then referenced to the various laws to show they were illegal. The paper is in Spanish but if anyone wants it let me have a pm.
I went to the meeting prepared to fight. There was no need. The head honcho said of course I did not need residency, but took my old card to copy, also took my new virgin passport to copy each one of the blank pages. I said I was a writer and gave her my two books - so no need for employment information. As the books were too big for the file (!) she asked me for a writing CV. In addition I was asked for a buena conducta for my husband which I paid for at BanReservas there and Naturalization did it on their computer. I was asked to provide the standard bank letter from my bank, and the notarized document to say I lived here, and if I could promise to supply those within 3 days I could now pay my RD$5,000 pesos fee and I was scheduled to be sworn in on August 31.
They could not have been more helpful and she said they would only ask for the minimum requirements, so it appears the never ending list of new requirements does not need to be totally adhered to. Interestingly the head honcho asked why I had not been personally since my interview some 2.5 years ago and I said that I was always told waiting for Interpol, or in process so no point in going. She made it clear to me that had I gone personally before things would not have taken this long as they like to meet those who are going to be citizens, not just their lawyers or representatives.
So journey almost over, but for those thinking about it, don't panic at the list of requirements as it appears there is significant flexibility.
Matilda
I was told to call every month or so, and always the same answer - waiting for Interpol. Lawyer friends and a translator friend, Olga, went physically to the Ministry of Interior and Police and always the same answer, waiting for Interpol.
Fast forward to April 2017, and the Ministry told friend Olga that if I had a police report from home country and buena conducta from here then that would override the non existent Interpol report. I did as requested and submitted.
Called every 2 weeks - in process. Eventually, mid August, so a week or so ago, Olga made an appointment for me to see a head honcho. In the meantime a lady at the same stage as me, who applied at the same time as me had been sent a list of the requirements she needed after submitting her police report - as her file had been processed and mine was still "in process".
These requirements included: renewing residency (when we both applied women married to Dominicans didn't need residency), redoing all certificates (as all older than 6 months), bank and employment details for both husband and wife, notarized document signed by 3 witnesses to say you live here, copy of every single page of passport, guarantee from husband (notarized) to say will pay for wife's maintenance and deportation if needed (how can you deport a citizen?), Certificate from Immigration to prove movement in and out of the country. There maybe more - I forget.
Before having aheart attack I wrote a paper going through each requirement and then referenced to the various laws to show they were illegal. The paper is in Spanish but if anyone wants it let me have a pm.
I went to the meeting prepared to fight. There was no need. The head honcho said of course I did not need residency, but took my old card to copy, also took my new virgin passport to copy each one of the blank pages. I said I was a writer and gave her my two books - so no need for employment information. As the books were too big for the file (!) she asked me for a writing CV. In addition I was asked for a buena conducta for my husband which I paid for at BanReservas there and Naturalization did it on their computer. I was asked to provide the standard bank letter from my bank, and the notarized document to say I lived here, and if I could promise to supply those within 3 days I could now pay my RD$5,000 pesos fee and I was scheduled to be sworn in on August 31.
They could not have been more helpful and she said they would only ask for the minimum requirements, so it appears the never ending list of new requirements does not need to be totally adhered to. Interestingly the head honcho asked why I had not been personally since my interview some 2.5 years ago and I said that I was always told waiting for Interpol, or in process so no point in going. She made it clear to me that had I gone personally before things would not have taken this long as they like to meet those who are going to be citizens, not just their lawyers or representatives.
So journey almost over, but for those thinking about it, don't panic at the list of requirements as it appears there is significant flexibility.
Matilda