Late November I travelled with my infant son to DR. I did not have a passport for my son, only his birth certificate. This trip was his second to the DR but on the first occasion the entire family travelled.
Problem began:
When I landed as SDQ, the problem started when I bought the tourist card, now they look like a type of business card and are not fillable. When I got to the immigration official they asked me for his tourist card. I showed them the card, they say I need to get the form to fillout. Anyways they had a blank one and filled it out for me. I guess the the person at the booth forgot to give me the form and because the card thing is new I thought the process has changed, well it just added one extra thing to have.
Problem begins to grow:
Let me just say that on his first trip to the DR, since he did not have a passport a picture was taken at the immigration office of the airport as a requirement. On this trip, the agent did not direct me to take the picture of my son so I thought that the process has changed again as they always do. I didn't pay much attention, big, big mistake. If they forget to direct you to the photo lab, demand it and don't leave before they take the picture of your baby. Also, make sure that they data entry his arrival in the computer. A stamp on his birth certificate is not enough.
Problem begings to walk:
Okay I began to hear rumors about a new requirement that says that no children will be allowed to leave DR without a Passport after 05 December. I called the immigration and they transfer me to the department of Salida. There I was informed that it is a new requirement but that since he entered before the dateline that I should not have a problem doing so.
Problem has fullgrown:
On the way out of the DR, the immigration agent asked me where is the mother. I say she is in New York and that I was the father. He told me that I don't have the authority to take my son out of the country, and directed me to an office where they can check his entries and pictures. Remember that a picture was not taken at entry. The agent checking the information ask me if I have permission from the mother, I said yes I have a notorized letter from her. He asked me if a digital picture of the child was taken at the entry, I told them no. He went on checking if his entry information was entered in the computer. It was not. I told him look his previous entry, a picture was taken then. He searched and could not find his first entry or picture to the DR. I began to sweat. He tells me that the letter from my wife needs to be legalized by the Direccion de Migracion somewhere near la feria before I can take the child out of DR. After a few back and forward conversation, he tells me. Okay, I need to check with my supervisor. We exit his office and meet his supervisor and explains the situation. The Supervisor says outright no, you need to go to La direccion de migracion on Monday, (it was Saturday). I turned pale and I asked him to reconsidered, but still said no. I went back to the agent that was cheking the information and begging him to keep searching the database. In the meantime an Aerodom agent got the hint that I was having problem and came into the office to inquire about my problem. The computer guy and me explained to him the situation and what the Supervisor had said. He asked me to following and we headed to meet with the supervisor again. The Aerodom agent asked if calling my wife at the instant would suffice the supervison said no, and Aerodom agent tried to intervene, I began begging, and explained to him that I was a member of the US Military and that I need to report on Monday. He was still negative saying that if something happened that he cannot say "well I let him go because he told me he was military" I told him, take my military ID and keep it but I need to travel today and cannot leave my son behind. I guess the look of desperation and concerns for my son, somewhat softened him a little. He directed the computer guy to take a second look at the database. In the database office, the guy was able to find my entry but not my sons. He also softened down and told me, okay this is what I am going to do. I will tell my boss that I found the information that shows that you and your son entered on the same day and time. I began to gain color on my face again. We went to meet with the Supervisor again and the agent told him about the database showing me and son entering on the same day. Finally, the Supervisor authorized me to take my son out of DR.
One thing, I really think it was the real thing. At no moment, I got the hint that they were looking for a bribe. I was willing to offer it, but somehow I felt that if I did, it would have been much worse.
Problem began:
When I landed as SDQ, the problem started when I bought the tourist card, now they look like a type of business card and are not fillable. When I got to the immigration official they asked me for his tourist card. I showed them the card, they say I need to get the form to fillout. Anyways they had a blank one and filled it out for me. I guess the the person at the booth forgot to give me the form and because the card thing is new I thought the process has changed, well it just added one extra thing to have.
Problem begins to grow:
Let me just say that on his first trip to the DR, since he did not have a passport a picture was taken at the immigration office of the airport as a requirement. On this trip, the agent did not direct me to take the picture of my son so I thought that the process has changed again as they always do. I didn't pay much attention, big, big mistake. If they forget to direct you to the photo lab, demand it and don't leave before they take the picture of your baby. Also, make sure that they data entry his arrival in the computer. A stamp on his birth certificate is not enough.
Problem begings to walk:
Okay I began to hear rumors about a new requirement that says that no children will be allowed to leave DR without a Passport after 05 December. I called the immigration and they transfer me to the department of Salida. There I was informed that it is a new requirement but that since he entered before the dateline that I should not have a problem doing so.
Problem has fullgrown:
On the way out of the DR, the immigration agent asked me where is the mother. I say she is in New York and that I was the father. He told me that I don't have the authority to take my son out of the country, and directed me to an office where they can check his entries and pictures. Remember that a picture was not taken at entry. The agent checking the information ask me if I have permission from the mother, I said yes I have a notorized letter from her. He asked me if a digital picture of the child was taken at the entry, I told them no. He went on checking if his entry information was entered in the computer. It was not. I told him look his previous entry, a picture was taken then. He searched and could not find his first entry or picture to the DR. I began to sweat. He tells me that the letter from my wife needs to be legalized by the Direccion de Migracion somewhere near la feria before I can take the child out of DR. After a few back and forward conversation, he tells me. Okay, I need to check with my supervisor. We exit his office and meet his supervisor and explains the situation. The Supervisor says outright no, you need to go to La direccion de migracion on Monday, (it was Saturday). I turned pale and I asked him to reconsidered, but still said no. I went back to the agent that was cheking the information and begging him to keep searching the database. In the meantime an Aerodom agent got the hint that I was having problem and came into the office to inquire about my problem. The computer guy and me explained to him the situation and what the Supervisor had said. He asked me to following and we headed to meet with the supervisor again. The Aerodom agent asked if calling my wife at the instant would suffice the supervison said no, and Aerodom agent tried to intervene, I began begging, and explained to him that I was a member of the US Military and that I need to report on Monday. He was still negative saying that if something happened that he cannot say "well I let him go because he told me he was military" I told him, take my military ID and keep it but I need to travel today and cannot leave my son behind. I guess the look of desperation and concerns for my son, somewhat softened him a little. He directed the computer guy to take a second look at the database. In the database office, the guy was able to find my entry but not my sons. He also softened down and told me, okay this is what I am going to do. I will tell my boss that I found the information that shows that you and your son entered on the same day and time. I began to gain color on my face again. We went to meet with the Supervisor again and the agent told him about the database showing me and son entering on the same day. Finally, the Supervisor authorized me to take my son out of DR.
One thing, I really think it was the real thing. At no moment, I got the hint that they were looking for a bribe. I was willing to offer it, but somehow I felt that if I did, it would have been much worse.
