Is a return ticket needed when moving to the DR?

CanadianDana

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Jan 6, 2009
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I was recently told that most countries insist on you purchasing a return ticket home when entering that country. Can anyone confirm this for moving to the dominican republic?
(chances are I will have to move there with a tourist's visa, and apply for a work visa once I am hired for a job.)
 

sherri

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Jan 25, 2006
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I was recently told that most countries insist on you purchasing a return ticket home when entering that country. Can anyone confirm this for moving to the dominican republic?
(chances are I will have to move there with a tourist's visa, and apply for a work visa once I am hired for a job.)

I have flow Air Canada, AA, Delta and Westjet...none of which has ever forced me to buy a return,Since im living In D.R. I even contacted the Consulate in Toronto and they told me that its not required. You can apply for the work Visa once your here. Depending on where you work some places never ask you to get a work visa.
 

MikeFisher

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looks like it is different depending from where are you coming in????
if you are not a dominican resident from germany you are only allowed to enter the DR with a valid return ticket.
to the OP:
to get hired for a job and apply for a "working Visa" afterwards would be by law the wrong way, it is the opposite, means to get the proper paperwork done first and then look for a job.
Mike
 

mido

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May 18, 2002
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Most serious companies will assist you with getting your temporary residency when hiring you.
 

kevadair

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Nov 9, 2007
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Doing things backward.

In the DR many things are done backward, so, yes, get the job first.

So many issues. From the States, I have often been asked at airports about a return ticket. With one airline, they had to check with two managers who were present AND make a phone call to a third person, before letting me board after I showed them my residency!

So, if you have none of these documents, I would expect to be asked to buy a return ticket before "moving" here.

OK, so you are moving here...and THEN you are planning to look for a job? Finding a job in the DR is not easy. Plan for all needed expenses and then double it, and have that money ready before moving here.

Visit first on a vacation, find a place to live that you like and can afford, find possible job options and apply for them from your home country. Set up appointments to explore those jobs on your second vacation here. Don't expect to find work here. Jobs are scarce. Tourism is down. Fluent Spanish is a plus.

If you are independently wealthy, and you are only looking to find a job to meet people, or to improve your Spanish, there are plenty of places where you could work without getting paid to do that kind of thing. Lots of people in the Environmental Forum could recommend good organizations here in need of volunteers. I know of plenty of those organizations myself, so feel free to send me a message.

Finally, I had a work visa, and it did me no good. I had to get it in the United States at my local DR Consulate, not in the DR. Lots of time, lots of documents, couldn't do anything differently on visa that I couldn't already do on a tourist visa.

What you need is temporary residency which can be extended into permanent residency. Those are the ways you could actually hold a real job, if you are lucky enough to find one. Lots of stuff posted here about temp. residency. I have experience with that too. I expect to apply for permanent residency next year.

Don't move here and expect to find a job that pays you money.

Kevin
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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If you are flying Air Canada or West Jet just book your return flight for 6 months or a year in advance. That way you have your return ticket if things don't work out. You can change the dates at any time for a small fee.
 

J D Sauser

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When I looked up DR-Consular information for an other thread just about 2 weeks ago, my attention got caught by a remark which, if my memory serves me right, seemed to indicate that if you are entering WITHOUT a visa (as allowed for tourist from certain countries) you are required to have a return ticket.

While this requirement seems logical (for once!) and probably following bi-lateral guidelines, I have never been asked by DR immigration agents to produce such a ticket. But some airlines will ask travelers to follow the guidelines, because if all things go wrong, they are the ones to carry you back.

... J-D.
 

mountainannie

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I once had trouble getting OUT of the US without a return ticket -- had to explain to them that I lived HERE. But for the first few years, I did get a ticket with a return in 11 months. That was the limit I was allowed, and it was a good check. Every time I went back, I got to check - did I really want to come back here to live? And every year, the pull has gotten stronger. Now I make my flight reservations from here - since I know that I will only be There for a limited time... Try particularly Jet Blue and Spirit which regularly sell one way tickets..... The DR immigration never asked me for the return ticket.
 

J D Sauser

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I once had trouble getting OUT of the US without a return ticket -- had to explain to them that I lived HERE. But for the first few years, I did get a ticket with a return in 11 months. That was the limit I was allowed, and it was a good check. Every time I went back, I got to check - did I really want to come back here to live? And every year, the pull has gotten stronger. Now I make my flight reservations from here - since I know that I will only be There for a limited time... Try particularly Jet Blue and Spirit which regularly sell one way tickets..... The DR immigration never asked me for the return ticket.


... yeah, and make sure to indicate the Dominican Republic to be you country of RESIDENCE when placing the reservation.

... J-D.
 

MikeFisher

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When I looked up DR-Consular information for an other thread just about 2 weeks ago, my attention got caught by a remark which, if my memory serves me right, seemed to indicate that if you are entering WITHOUT a visa (as allowed for tourist from certain countries) you are required to have a return ticket.

While this requirement seems logical (for once!) and probably following bi-lateral guidelines, I have never been asked by DR immigration agents to produce such a ticket. But some airlines will ask travelers to follow the guidelines, because if all things go wrong, they are the ones to carry you back.

... J-D.

yes JD,
the airlines have to check that a residency or a return ticket is present, there are punishements if they get caught not to do so, the smallest of 'em is that they have to carry you back on the same plane if caught upon arrival.
and there's a big positive for the 'visitor' to hold a return ticket:
if you come over without much $$$ backup to look for a job and you fail would mean you have at least a paid ticket to go back home. i saw in my 14 years enough guys and gals without such a return ticket in their posession who wished they would have one.
Mike
 

heldengebroed

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Mar 9, 2005
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If the airliner has a charter license they are obliged to issue a 2 way ticket
If the airliner has a regular line license they may issue single flights
But be carefull it might prove cheaper to buy a return ticket on tne same flight

Last year it was 14 ? cheaper to transport my ex from Belgium to the DR and back than it was to transport her son from the DR to belgium on the same plane

Greetings

Johan
 

SKing

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Nov 22, 2007
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I fly to/from DR twice a month and have been doing so since August.
I have only been asked twice if I had a return ticket, both times I did not (because I had not bought my next ticket at that time) but I just said yes, gave them a date and an airline (not theirs) and it was never verified. They just said ok.
SHALENA
 

MikeFisher

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american airlines does not require a return ticket to fly to the dr -

dangerous and wrong advice.
it is not the airline's decision/policy to require a return ticket or not, it is the immigration law which say very clear that a non resident is required to have a valid return ticket with a return date within the time frame of his visas/visitor's visa time frame. by law the airlines are responsible to verify that they do not board any passenger who is not a country's resident without such a valid return ticket. there are clear punishments for the airlines when violating the laws, of course there are some for the ill;egally immigrating passenger, too.
and such is not a Dominican-specific rule or such, those laws are very similar in the western hemisphere.
Mike
 

retiree

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Jan 18, 2008
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For a Canadian, Westjet as of this year, does not require a return ticket. My experience is that American Airlines does require a return ticket - Once I left Canada on AA no problem but at the U.S. transit point I was required to buy a return ticket DR - Canada.

Now that Westjet is flying direct and leaving Toronto at such a convenient time (11am vs 6am AA connecting in Miami) the choice is clear.
 

morlandg

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Feb 20, 2007
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return ticket rubbish

I flew into the DR on oct 27th 2008 with a one-way ticket. This was with Jetairfly.com and I flew from Brussels. 149 Euros.
Because of the hysteria on this site (and others) my wife insisted on us buying a flexible ticket out of the DR. We bought a one-way flexible ticket from POP to NYC with jetblue. This cost us a fortune but as the ticket says it is flexible. Once we arrived in DR with no checks whatsoever on our return flight we cancelled our ticket with jetblue. Received a full refund.
We eventually flew out with Thomas Cook on a return portion of their charter ticket.
 

MikeFisher

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just because you did npot got caught on a illegal activity does not mean that posters on DR1 recommend to everybody to do the same.
it is the same than on the theme to do the residency papers or not, get a dominican drivers license or not.
there is on one side the law and there are of course always people who brake it and some get away with it, but that doesn't mean that we recommend here on the bord to brake the law.
Mike
 

SKing

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Nov 22, 2007
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I flew into the DR on oct 27th 2008 with a one-way ticket. This was with Jetairfly.com and I flew from Brussels. 149 Euros.
Because of the hysteria on this site (and others) my wife insisted on us buying a flexible ticket out of the DR. We bought a one-way flexible ticket from POP to NYC with jetblue. This cost us a fortune but as the ticket says it is flexible. Once we arrived in DR with no checks whatsoever on our return flight we cancelled our ticket with jetblue. Received a full refund.
We eventually flew out with Thomas Cook on a return portion of their charter ticket.
And the day that you don't buy that return ticket will be the day you get caught.
SHALENA
 
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Mason3000

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Aug 2, 2008
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I've been back and forth for over 15 years and have never had an issue getting in with a one way ticket. I've never heard of anyone I know having an issue either.

I've had AA stop me in Chicago or Miami and tell me I needed a return ticket a couple times. I just tell them directly that I haven't decided where I'm going after the DR yet and that if it's a problem when I land in the DR I'll buy my ticket at that time.

Be sure to have enough cash tyo prove you can buy a ticket out in case they ask.