OT, but where in The Netherlands are you from. I came to DR from there 6.5 years ago.
- Thread starter Caw
- Start date
Calling all UK citizens fellow Brit looking for advice.
OT, but where in The Netherlands are you from. I came to DR from there 6.5 years ago.
Ah, well I know he was/is an instructor too. That's what he did in Bavaro for many years. In JD he was going to do instruction, they gave him a jeepeta to travel back and forth between there and BC, but the salary was pitiful. He and Mr. AE are both like fish in the water - the brother has also done quite a bit of commercial diving doing construction/repairs/etc. underwater.
Hi Caw,
I am a Brit and have just moved to Las Terrenas (I arrived on Saturday!).
I moved here with my wife who is Serbian and our 2 large dogs.
We have come on tourist visas and will deal with residency later.
Like you, I work online, but also planning on setting up a couple of businesses here in due course.
As others have pointed out, the DR embassy in London has been closed for a while with no indication that it will re-open anytime soon. I've tried reaching out to them numerous times via phone, email, etc. but all to no avail...so far.
Don't worry too much about the residency for now. Come and check out the lifestyle on your tourist visa and once you've worked out if this country and life is for you, then go back to the UK (or whichever country is dealing with residency for Brits) and start the process then.
The overstay fees are not exorbitant - do a quick search on here and you will find posts with the latest fees listed.
Feel free to reach out to me directly anytime. I'd be more than happy to help out if and where I can.
All the best and look forward to perhaps meeting you in person in due course.
Rob
Guarantors can no longer be lawyers...Immigration requires each person seeking Residency or Renewing an existing Residency purchase an "insurance policy" that will pay for any re-patriation costs for the person making the application. Gone are the days when an attorney (good or bad) could agree the guarantee your character.
Hi all,
Thank you for the advice and info - I really appreciate it.
I wish I had found this website sooner.
To answer a few of the questions/rebut points.
You guys have not been had, I really am moving to the DR this Friday. I am currently in the U.S but my esta is running out so booked a flight to the DR. I chose the Dominican Republic for two reasons, One - I want to stay this side of the globe for a while, but would also like to stay in one place for now - I did the back packing thing a couple of years ago. All the research that I have done (about 5 hours a day for the past week) all shun a light on the DR as the easiest place to spend a year or two in the /Central/South American/Caribbean area for a UK citizen, With the following info on the DR Embassy website itself, Notice the word "must":
"Residence permits must be applied for in person in the Dominican Republic after entering the country with a Tourist Card or Tourist Visa.
For a list of required documents, please visit the General Directorate for Migration. You may find their address at [removed migration URL for post]
Please note you will need to take to the Dominican Republic from the United Kingdom an original full birth certificate, legalised by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) This birth certificate must be translated into Spanish. If married, the marriage certificate must also be legalised and translated before departing the United Kingdom."
You can see how I was led to believe it was an easy process.
It's actually a small little town near Samana city called Las Pascualas where I'll be staying. I want to get away from everything for a month or so and enjoy some piece and quiet which is why I chose it - I really want to strip life back to the bare basics for a while, there's too much clutter in modern life. I'd like to reconnect with myself and re charge. The stay in this town is only meant to be temporary, once I feel like moving to a more happening place I will. Does anyone have advice on which towns are relaxed enough but still with a passing of travelers around my age (24)?
Second Reason: I am traveling with my shadow of a pooch and the DR had one of the easiest procedures out of the countries I was leaning toward as, he already has all the necessary jabs. Has anyone imported their dog into the DR who could share some wisdom?
I'm entering on a Tourist Card like the seemingly incorrect info on the DR UK Embassy suggests. I guess it looks like I'm going to have to suck up a RD$5000 fine (thanks AnnaC for the chart) as I intend to stay for a year give or take.
Getting work isn't a necessity, but I would like to just to have something interesting to do & to interact with other humans from as many different places as possible. I would do a dive masters job simply for free dives, the money isn't important.
On average how much do you guys spend monthly? I'm looking forward to stripping life back to the basics, my rent is $250USD for the month for a small studio by the beach, it has internet, a bed, a shower and small gas cooker, and for the first month or two plan to cook simple meals of rice, beans, occasional chicken or fish and fruit.
Again, thank you guys for the feedback, really appreciated.
If anyone has points they'd like to raise about living or staying for an extended period of time please share.
Thank you for the advice and info - I really appreciate it.
I wish I had found this website sooner.
To answer a few of the questions/rebut points.
You guys have not been had, I really am moving to the DR this Friday. I am currently in the U.S but my esta is running out so booked a flight to the DR. I chose the Dominican Republic for two reasons, One - I want to stay this side of the globe for a while, but would also like to stay in one place for now - I did the back packing thing a couple of years ago. All the research that I have done (about 5 hours a day for the past week) all shun a light on the DR as the easiest place to spend a year or two in the /Central/South American/Caribbean area for a UK citizen, With the following info on the DR Embassy website itself, Notice the word "must":
"Residence permits must be applied for in person in the Dominican Republic after entering the country with a Tourist Card or Tourist Visa.
For a list of required documents, please visit the General Directorate for Migration. You may find their address at [removed migration URL for post]
Please note you will need to take to the Dominican Republic from the United Kingdom an original full birth certificate, legalised by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) This birth certificate must be translated into Spanish. If married, the marriage certificate must also be legalised and translated before departing the United Kingdom."
You can see how I was led to believe it was an easy process.
It's actually a small little town near Samana city called Las Pascualas where I'll be staying. I want to get away from everything for a month or so and enjoy some piece and quiet which is why I chose it - I really want to strip life back to the bare basics for a while, there's too much clutter in modern life. I'd like to reconnect with myself and re charge. The stay in this town is only meant to be temporary, once I feel like moving to a more happening place I will. Does anyone have advice on which towns are relaxed enough but still with a passing of travelers around my age (24)?
Second Reason: I am traveling with my shadow of a pooch and the DR had one of the easiest procedures out of the countries I was leaning toward as, he already has all the necessary jabs. Has anyone imported their dog into the DR who could share some wisdom?
I'm entering on a Tourist Card like the seemingly incorrect info on the DR UK Embassy suggests. I guess it looks like I'm going to have to suck up a RD$5000 fine (thanks AnnaC for the chart) as I intend to stay for a year give or take.
Getting work isn't a necessity, but I would like to just to have something interesting to do & to interact with other humans from as many different places as possible. I would do a dive masters job simply for free dives, the money isn't important.
On average how much do you guys spend monthly? I'm looking forward to stripping life back to the basics, my rent is $250USD for the month for a small studio by the beach, it has internet, a bed, a shower and small gas cooker, and for the first month or two plan to cook simple meals of rice, beans, occasional chicken or fish and fruit.
Again, thank you guys for the feedback, really appreciated.
If anyone has points they'd like to raise about living or staying for an extended period of time please share.
As I mentioned above, I'm in a similar..ish position to you in that I am a Brit, have moved to Las Terrenas (not a million miles from Las Pascualas) on a tourist visa and with TWO LARGE dogs in tow.
I tried to do the dogs thing myself, but it got overly complicated with each airline giving me contradictory advice so in the end I went with a specialist agent who handled pretty much everything, but it did cost around ?1000 per dog.
That said, if your dog is small, then there is a high chance you can take him with you as carry-on luggage thereby side-stepping all the hoops I had to jump through to travel with them as cargo.
WORD OF WARNING - If you do have to bring your dogs through customs, be aware that they will try to rip you off with made up fees. Don't fall for this (as I did - cost me $350!!).
In terms of rental, I am going a little more upmarket than you with a 4 bed modern villa, pool, large garden, etc. but still only paying $1200/month.
I will be setting up a couple of business projects (to do with tech, tourism, adventure acitivities, etc.) here in Las Terrenas, so would be happy to have a chat about possible job opps for you.
Hope that helps, and feel free to get in touch with me directly if you want.
All the best,
Rob
I tried to do the dogs thing myself, but it got overly complicated with each airline giving me contradictory advice so in the end I went with a specialist agent who handled pretty much everything, but it did cost around ?1000 per dog.
That said, if your dog is small, then there is a high chance you can take him with you as carry-on luggage thereby side-stepping all the hoops I had to jump through to travel with them as cargo.
WORD OF WARNING - If you do have to bring your dogs through customs, be aware that they will try to rip you off with made up fees. Don't fall for this (as I did - cost me $350!!).
In terms of rental, I am going a little more upmarket than you with a 4 bed modern villa, pool, large garden, etc. but still only paying $1200/month.
I will be setting up a couple of business projects (to do with tech, tourism, adventure acitivities, etc.) here in Las Terrenas, so would be happy to have a chat about possible job opps for you.
Hope that helps, and feel free to get in touch with me directly if you want.
All the best,
Rob