Visa & Residency

Hi Eveyone

I will be coming to DR soon to live and work(unofficially). What happens when my 90 day tourist card runs out? Do I just get issued another one or do I have to go accross the border to Haiti or something like that?

Also is it true that to prevent trouble with this you are required to leave the country at least every 6 months for a minimum of 1 full week?

Finally, what is the deal with getting residency? I have heard you have to use lawyers and it costs about US$10,000. Is this true or are there other ways to get legal residency? Or does it just not matter and is not worth bothering with?

I am coming from the UK by the way.

Thanks in advance
Stewart

You should pay about a fifth of what you quote to do your residency with a leading law firm. You could also do it by yourself for much less if you had the time.

Your employer might request that you at least start your residency paperwork to become legal. If you have a work contract that is an important step in the right direction.

Migration officers usually give tourists a 60 day stay. After that you need to leave the country (at least for a day) and return to stay legal.

In reality, so far Migration has been lax about enforcing the rules. The new authorities though are urging foreigners to put their papers in order.

Re: 2 year Visa!!

You can go to the Dominican Embassy in NYC or Washington [& perhaps other cities] & obtain immediately w/o hassle, delay, nor confusion a 2 year visa; this entitles you to unlimited entries & exits into the RD for 2 years. You need 3 passport photos; the application is simple; the cost is @ US $ 50 - 75. You receive the visa [actually a stamp type entry in your pasport] the same day! You may be able to so this in Santo Domingo; I don't know. Much easier & more practical than the cedula & residencia formally required. You can probably also work in the RD with it; not legally, but practically. Worth a try!

Hi Stewart,
Where are you thinking of going to in the DR? I live on the North Coast (Puerto Plata) & will gladly advise what we did when we came here from South Bucks. 9 years ago.

Drop me an e-mail stating what you have in mind, where, when & for how long etc & I will reply in full. Where in the UK are you from? Grahame