Dominican Citizenship

Is this any help

Becoming A Resident of the Dominican Republic

I had a quick look through this IluvDR & could not see timescales & costings for Citizenship mentioned in the DR1 article. ........ So I moved on & I found the John Schroeder/EscapeArtists article!!! There is a bit of history involved around this so I am NOT going down that road - just to mention that again I did not see costs or timescales for obtaining Citizenship mentioned!

How long has your lawyer been working on this citizenship application for you? My understanding from lawyers I have spoken to in the past, is that you can not start the process until you obtain your Residencia Definitivo. From that date I have been given timescales of 2 years through to 5 years (I believe it is officially 5 years) - the better the lawyer & the more contacts he/she has at Migracion, the quicker Citizenship is acquired! Prices I have been quoted (again, in the past) range from US 3,500 - US $5,000 per person.

With regard to your own lawyer, let me advise NOT falling out with him/her! Lawyers are nasty enemies to have & who knows when you might need them as friends!! Might I suggest you find a way to help him/her by relieving him/her of this unpleasant burden (it is obviously VERY difficult & time consuming) as you now have found a friend in Migracion who will process it for you within the next two years (blah, blah blah!!!!). Make sure you get the application number from your lawyer though because IF he/she has lodged your application & papers, these will be retrievable at Migracion by presenting that application number - then you do not have to start all over again!

Hope this helps your thought process - doubtless Fabio will be in to correct any misinterpretations I might have given here! ~ Grahame.

Why would you spend so much money to get it done quickly instead of just waiting? Just curious!

iluvdr said:

I already have my permanent residence and want to apply for my citizenship.
Can someone tell me how much I should expect to pay and how long will it take before I become a full citizen. I have already invested close to US$2000.00 with the same lawyer who help me get my residency. Unfortunately he seems to be stalling with the citizenship. It's been almost 1 year now and I don't think he as done much... We are no longer in great terms because of this and he suggested that if I was not happy, to take my business somewhere else. That's what I plan to do, except that now I need to start the process from zero since I have no idea of where things are at...
Need info on accurate time required for this process.

Thanks DR1

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Forget the lawyer and go to the immigration office like I did! If your Spanish is decent you won't have any problem understanding the process. I talked with a young lady lawyer there and she gave me all the info. The office in Santiago is at Texas and 27. Also, I also know a decent lawyer who charges Dom prices to gringos but why not just give it a shot and try it yourself?

Carlos de Leon Castillo
Suite B-348
3rd Nivel de Plaza Central, SD
809-683-1010 Ext.222 Cel 809-756-4456

I took six months, but this was long ago. I don't know now how long and how much. You will have to call him to find out.

My sister just finished the process for her husband citizenship. The Lawyer charged them $30,000.00 pesos, for the procedures at Interior y Polic?a and it took him like 8 months. They also got desperate thinking that this lawyer was taking too long, and last December claimed the documents from the lawyer, to complete themselves the process.

The only process they had to do and cover the cost, was the transcription of the birth certificate, with this they went to la Junta Central Electoral to obtain the Dominican c?dula, her husband had the one for foreigner, and by the way, they keep the same number. The plastic is not issued for about 45 days because JCE do some investigation, but they gave him a stamped paper with all the details of the C?dula, and this paper is good and valid to obtain a Dominican passport (they also had to cover these costs). Passport was issued within two days.

I spoke to my sister and she said that this lawyer has now a job with the government and that is why she took away the papers and had to finish the process. This job demands to much time from him, and he has no time to dedicate to any other matters. Also he does not have a formal office, and sometimes he was not answering her calls at his cellular phone. She told me that he was claiming at the end that he did not earn any profit from her case. She says that he is a very serious lawyer, and it was recommended by a mutual friend who was also doing the papers for his girlfriend. They both got thier citizenship within 8 months, but due to his actual situation, and lack of time to dedicate to his profession, she will not recommend him.

I can give you the names of a lawyer that I know is very serious and he worked at Russin, Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti, but I don?t know how much he will charge you or how long it will take him. His names is Fernando Ciccone, his office specializes in that matter, and they prepare the documents for executives of large firms, such as banks, etc. His associate V?ctor G?mez, is also a contact at that firm for these procedures. Good luck.

Ciccone & Asociados

Resp. Seminario 18
Santo Domingo
(809) 508-6933
racigo@codetel.net.do

About USD3000 and 4 to 6 month

I just had my first interview at the Secretaia de estado de interior y policia about 1 and 1/2 month after I gave my lawyer all my papers, the lawyer is a referal from friend of mind had his citizenship done. The price is about USD3000 and the 4 to 6 month to get your citizenship.

Taiwan

Obtaining citizenship should not cost more than $2000 to $2500 US + service tax and the time frame should be 5 months to a year. I'm assuming the applicant has met the residency requirements applicable.

Question

Is it possible for some who has lived in the DR for more than 20 years without residence and who have been married 12 years to a Dominican Woman and has two children with this woman, to become a Dominican citizen without first optaining residency?

No, it is not. You need 6 months of legal residence.

Fabio J. Guzman said:

No, it is not. You need 6 months of legal residence.

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Just to clarify timescales in my own mind Fabio, does Residencia Provisional equate to 'Legal Residency' or does the person applying have to wait 6 months after receiving Residencia Definitivo?? I was under the impression it was the latter. ~ Grahame.