We recently heard about the new visa requirements for Russian citizens who want to visit the Dominican Republic. For those of you who don't know, the new rules require Russians (and Ukrainians, apparently) to apply at least 21 days in advance, and to pay 250 Euros. Previously, Russians were able to visit here under the same terms as people from most countries: pay the $10 for a tourist card (or whatever that is) when you get to the airport, no visa required.
My wife and daughter are Russian. We've been living in the DR for the last 6 months. We found out about this situation when a friend of ours was planning a trip with her family to the DR. Fortunately she'd bought the tickets in time to just slip under the door, but if she hadn't, she'd be in a real pickle: suddenly looking at an additional 1000 Euros on top of the already expensive plane tickets from Russia to here.
My question is: What's the sense of this? What can the DR possibly be gaining with this ridiculous move? It's not as though Russians were the biggest tourist group already, given the distance and expense, but in my understanding this was a growing market. Looks like the government has successfully nipped that growing market in the bud. Do they somehow imagine they'll make more money on the visa fees than the country would take in with the tourist dollars from these visitors?
I wrote to the Dominican embassy asking what the reasons are, but haven't gotten a response. A Russian guy we know here said that there was some purported concern about Russians illegally immigrating to the US via the DR. But I find this highly unlikely. Everybody goes through the same immigration checkpoint at the airport, regardless of where you're flying in from. And I can't imagine that we're now talking about Russian "boat people" launching out into choppy waters in the middle of the night from some rocky cape in Samana....
My best guess is that this is some condition attached to CAFTA. My understanding is that visa requirements are largely political instruments. Russia, for instance, has totally insane requirements that make it very difficult for a "Westerner" to visit there. The EU has at times tried to persuade Putin to straighten the situation out, but he has always held out, pushing the EU to make concessions that he wants. I would guess that the US-Russia visa situation could certainly be regularized, too, if the countries were willing to make certain other concessions to each other. But currently those requirements are mutually nuts as well. So, I'm guessing that the US is pushing its regional "allies" to replicate US visa requirements as part of its CAFTA package.
But that's just a guess. Anybody know for sure? The decisions that this government makes with respect to visitors and tourism are really baffling. (Just as an aside, I've always found it hilarious that they require payment in dollars at the airport for those tourist cards -- pesos not accepted. Almost makes you think the US is still occupying.... )
My wife and daughter are Russian. We've been living in the DR for the last 6 months. We found out about this situation when a friend of ours was planning a trip with her family to the DR. Fortunately she'd bought the tickets in time to just slip under the door, but if she hadn't, she'd be in a real pickle: suddenly looking at an additional 1000 Euros on top of the already expensive plane tickets from Russia to here.
My question is: What's the sense of this? What can the DR possibly be gaining with this ridiculous move? It's not as though Russians were the biggest tourist group already, given the distance and expense, but in my understanding this was a growing market. Looks like the government has successfully nipped that growing market in the bud. Do they somehow imagine they'll make more money on the visa fees than the country would take in with the tourist dollars from these visitors?
I wrote to the Dominican embassy asking what the reasons are, but haven't gotten a response. A Russian guy we know here said that there was some purported concern about Russians illegally immigrating to the US via the DR. But I find this highly unlikely. Everybody goes through the same immigration checkpoint at the airport, regardless of where you're flying in from. And I can't imagine that we're now talking about Russian "boat people" launching out into choppy waters in the middle of the night from some rocky cape in Samana....
My best guess is that this is some condition attached to CAFTA. My understanding is that visa requirements are largely political instruments. Russia, for instance, has totally insane requirements that make it very difficult for a "Westerner" to visit there. The EU has at times tried to persuade Putin to straighten the situation out, but he has always held out, pushing the EU to make concessions that he wants. I would guess that the US-Russia visa situation could certainly be regularized, too, if the countries were willing to make certain other concessions to each other. But currently those requirements are mutually nuts as well. So, I'm guessing that the US is pushing its regional "allies" to replicate US visa requirements as part of its CAFTA package.
But that's just a guess. Anybody know for sure? The decisions that this government makes with respect to visitors and tourism are really baffling. (Just as an aside, I've always found it hilarious that they require payment in dollars at the airport for those tourist cards -- pesos not accepted. Almost makes you think the US is still occupying.... )