My Day at POP

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,382
439
83
The day finally arrived. After almost 3 years me and my 9 year old are going to visit family in canada.

Check in with WestJet fine, security fine, at immigration I knew I would have to pay 11,000 pesos exit fee. Go to pay and the girl says 16,000. She couldn't find the stamp for when I arrived July 2 2019 so she went to the previous of march the same year. I looked through my passport and couldn't find the stamp since my head was exploding. I paid.

Now was waiting for my daughters passport to get cleared, she's Dominican with Canadian passport. I have travelled many times with her and never been asked. The man says she needs a permission from the mother. I provide the custody agreement signed and sealed by notary. Nope not good, after the child has been in DR for more than 6 months I need a new permiso de viaje. I guess the custody paper is not even good for toilet paper. My little girl is bawling her eyes out and didn't stop for an hour.

He tells me that WestJet will change the flight in these circumstance. Several hours later after the exploding stopped I did find the correct stamp that the girl could not. So I overpaid by 5000 pesos. I will try and get that back when I give it another try next week. Fat chance on that.

I tried to change the fight but since I didn't buy direct from WestJet It gives no help. I can't get coherent answers from AI. So it will cost me 1050 Canadian to fly next week.

arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggg
 

El Hijo de Manolo

It's outrageous, egregious, preposterous!
Dec 10, 2021
3,935
2,586
113
Dominican Republic
Thank you for this honest post. This shows a few things. Mainly, the embarrassing Dominican system and continued corruption. I assume you paid cash overstay. This incident is a disgrace and a cornerstone example of why there is never any progress, no matter who is president. That's because the system is so much bigger than any one head of state. The corrupt, defunct system.

I wish you luck on your return, please keep us posted, travel safe and enjoy your visit!
 

XTraveller

Well-known member
Aug 21, 2010
601
287
63
The day finally arrived. After almost 3 years me and my 9 year old are going to visit family in canada.

Check in with WestJet fine, security fine, at immigration I knew I would have to pay 11,000 pesos exit fee. Go to pay and the girl says 16,000. She couldn't find the stamp for when I arrived July 2 2019 so she went to the previous of march the same year. I looked through my passport and couldn't find the stamp since my head was exploding. I paid.

Now was waiting for my daughters passport to get cleared, she's Dominican with Canadian passport. I have travelled many times with her and never been asked. The man says she needs a permission from the mother. I provide the custody agreement signed and sealed by notary. Nope not good, after the child has been in DR for more than 6 months I need a new permiso de viaje. I guess the custody paper is not even good for toilet paper. My little girl is bawling her eyes out and didn't stop for an hour.

He tells me that WestJet will change the flight in these circumstance. Several hours later after the exploding stopped I did find the correct stamp that the girl could not. So I overpaid by 5000 pesos. I will try and get that back when I give it another try next week. Fat chance on that.

I tried to change the fight but since I didn't buy direct from WestJet It gives no help. I can't get coherent answers from AI. So it will cost me 1050 Canadian to fly next week.

arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggg
Can you give us more info on "permiso de viaje" you will get? Like where and exactly what it needs.
Thank you.
XTraveller
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,382
439
83
Can you give us more info on "permiso de viaje" you will get? Like where and exactly what it needs.
Thank you.
XTraveller
The guy at the airport told me that since I have the custody papers that I don't need mothers permission, only a permission from the immigration in Puerto plata. I went a lawyer and she checked and looked and called but couldn't find anything without the mothers permission.

So I called the mother in Santiago and she will get the permiso de salida and send it to me. We will see.

It will have the Childs info from passport, mothers info from cedula, fathers info from passport and info refuring to departure and return. And notarized. Any lawyer can do this.
 

XTraveller

Well-known member
Aug 21, 2010
601
287
63
The guy at the airport told me that since I have the custody papers that I don't need mothers permission, only a permission from the immigration in Puerto plata. I went a lawyer and she checked and looked and called but couldn't find anything without the mothers permission.

So I called the mother in Santiago and she will get the permiso de salida and send it to me. We will see.

It will have the Childs info from passport, mothers info from cedula, fathers info from passport and info refuring to departure and return. And notarized. Any lawyer can do this.
Thanks, I understand
 

XTraveller

Well-known member
Aug 21, 2010
601
287
63
Thanks, I understand
Thanks, I understand permiso de viaje from Mother. its the other document from immigration that not clear. Do you need 2 documents?

Is it possible that once you have the notarize "permiso de viaje" from Mother you then need to bring this to immigration for another document.

Thank for your quick reply, please keep up inform as things progress.


This was for Rogerjac
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,382
439
83
Thanks, I understand permiso de viaje from Mother. its the other document from immigration that not clear. Do you need 2 documents?

Is it possible that once you have the notarize "permiso de viaje" from Mother you then need to bring this to immigration for another document.

Thank for your quick reply, please keep up inform as things progress.


This was for Rogerjac
You only need the one document. Permiso de viaje
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,328
113
Thank you for this honest post. This shows a few things. Mainly, the embarrassing Dominican system and continued corruption. I assume you paid cash overstay. This incident is a disgrace and a cornerstone example of why there is never any progress, no matter who is president. That's because the system is so much bigger than any one head of state. The corrupt, defunct system.

I wish you luck on your return, please keep us posted, travel safe and enjoy your visit!
Really Hijo - Corruption!!??

I see none.... stupidity perhaps (x2) but no corruption.
Neither could find a recent entry stamp....it ain't easy on a busy passport.

Who cares !!???
Just pay at the airport when you leave --- never fails!

I don't swallow that mantra
 
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NotLurking

Bronze
Jul 21, 2003
2,447
1,235
113
Sto Dgo Este
The day finally arrived. After almost 3 years me and my 9 year old are going to visit family in canada.

Check in with WestJet fine, security fine, at immigration I knew I would have to pay 11,000 pesos exit fee. Go to pay and the girl says 16,000. She couldn't find the stamp for when I arrived July 2 2019 so she went to the previous of march the same year. I looked through my passport and couldn't find the stamp since my head was exploding. I paid.

Now was waiting for my daughters passport to get cleared, she's Dominican with Canadian passport. I have travelled many times with her and never been asked. The man says she needs a permission from the mother. I provide the custody agreement signed and sealed by notary. Nope not good, after the child has been in DR for more than 6 months I need a new permiso de viaje. I guess the custody paper is not even good for toilet paper. My little girl is bawling her eyes out and didn't stop for an hour.

He tells me that WestJet will change the flight in these circumstance. Several hours later after the exploding stopped I did find the correct stamp that the girl could not. So I overpaid by 5000 pesos. I will try and get that back when I give it another try next week. Fat chance on that.

I tried to change the fight but since I didn't buy direct from WestJet It gives no help. I can't get coherent answers from AI. So it will cost me 1050 Canadian to fly next week.

arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggg
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience travelling with your baby girl but this has been the law for quite some time now.
Ley 136-03 Código para la protección de los derechos de los niños, niñas y adolescentes

The procedure is detailed in the link below. The cost for one minor is RD$2000 and RD$1500 for each additional minor on the same document.

Fourteen years ago when my wife went to visit her sister in New Jersey with our 4 year old son, I had to get one of these documents authorizing her to travel with him after being denied exit from DR with our son. Quite disheartening. I'm sorry your had to live through this experience. BTW this happened in SDQ.
 

Auryn

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2012
1,551
1,121
113
I have travelled with my kids through PUJ unaccompanied by their father. I have had the Canadian recommended letter for this when we’ve travelled without him. I’ve never been asked for it.

My husband has Canadian citizenship. I’m wondering if we’ll have problems returning through POP traveling without him. I will have the Canadian letter with a copy of his Canadian Passport and copies their birth certificates with his name on it.

I bet I would still need the Permiso de Viaje but would only be able to email it to him in Canada to sign.
 

NotLurking

Bronze
Jul 21, 2003
2,447
1,235
113
Sto Dgo Este
I have travelled with my kids through PUJ unaccompanied by their father. I have had the Canadian recommended letter for this when we’ve travelled without him. I’ve never been asked for it.

My husband has Canadian citizenship. I’m wondering if we’ll have problems returning through POP traveling without him. I will have the Canadian letter with a copy of his Canadian Passport and copies their birth certificates with his name on it.

I bet I would still need the Permiso de Viaje but would only be able to email it to him in Canada to sign.
You should not have any problems. If you entered with your kids from Canada and are returning to Canada with them within a reasonable amount of time (under a few months) you should not have any issues. If you are planning on an extended stay (close to half a year or more) with your children then yes you'll need an authorization (prermiso) from the father. Try to avoid this process if the father resided anywhere but the DR. It is tedious at best and a nightmare at worst. It happened to our sister-in-law and her daughter; our nice. If you have any further concerns after arriving in DR I suggest you call Punto Gobierno at *gob (*462) and ask. They usually do a good job providing proper and accurate information.
 
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Kricke87

Well-known member
Feb 16, 2021
542
430
63
Sosúa
This is a bit "weird", what 6+ months stay and you need to get a permit from the other parent even if you have the custody papers? My wife has a son from another relationship before me, and she got custody, father, Dominican supposedly lives in Germany, don't know for sure as we have not seen or heard anything from him during the past 7-8 years. She has custody as the father has never had a relationship with the boy, and when we go abroad she just has to get the one and only permiso de viaje from migrations that yes you have to fix just before traveling and costs like 1000 pesos, but that paper we even have to get for our son that we have together. Never has she ever had to get any other paper with any permission from the father, she has the custody.
 
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Drak

Member
Jul 7, 2015
185
23
18
Really Hijo - Corruption!!??

I see none.... stupidity perhaps (x2) but no corruption.
Neither could find a recent entry stamp....it ain't easy on a busy passport.

Who cares !!???
Just pay at the airport when you leave --- never fails!

I don't swallow that mantra
And yet not a peep about how it is in the system, and if they had scanned it, they would have known?

Aren't you the one who brings often how your traffic violation from years gone by was swiftly identified and rectified!?
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,328
113
Yes..... my ticket was identified in the new traffic system
Rectified ???
I had to pay the fine

The POP issue predates the new QR code system.
Had it been in place it would be automatic
 
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Drak

Member
Jul 7, 2015
185
23
18
Yes..... my ticket was identified in the new traffic system
Rectified ???
I had to pay the fine

The POP issue predates the new QR code system.
Had it been in place it would be automatic

Not referring to the QR code system.

Referring to the passport scanning and exit fine.
 

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,382
439
83
Not referring to the QR code system.

Referring to the passport scanning and exit fine.
Good point, if their system is so good and simply scanning the passport didnt get my date of entry, what the hell happened. Their should be no need to look for stamps.
 

cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
9,503
4,023
113
Cabarete
Not referring to the QR code system.

Referring to the passport scanning and exit fine.
I've seen posters saying their passport was never scanned and the overstay fee went right into the inspector's [pocket. Maybe that was the case here?
 

Kricke87

Well-known member
Feb 16, 2021
542
430
63
Sosúa
I've seen posters saying their passport was never scanned and the overstay fee went right into the inspector's [pocket. Maybe that was the case here?
Or maybe as the OP stated that the stamp was from March/July 2019, and at least to my understanding, if they even have such a system in place in POP it's fairly new. So in that case it was probably not even implemented 3 years ago. I'm thankful that I've never had to worry about that, as I've always been legal here and now a citizen. 😃