I have a foreign motor bike drivers license is it valid for use here in the DR

B J

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Feb 20, 2013
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I plan on purchasing a motor bike this next visit to the DR
I have a foreign motor bike drivers license..... is recognised/legal to ride a motor bike with a a foreign license

thanks
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Your license is valid while your tourist "Card" is valid. After that, you "takes your chances".

A couple of days ago AMET rounded up dozens of motos between Sosua and Cabarete. Make sure you have legal and proper title and insurance.
 

Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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I agree with Windeguy...don't mess around without legal papers, AMET will take your bike. I will add that you do not need a motorcycle license here in the DR, a regular "vehicle" license is fine.
 

B J

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Feb 20, 2013
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I agree with Windeguy...don't mess around without legal papers, AMET will take your bike. I will add that you do not need a motorcycle license here in the DR, a regular "vehicle" license is fine.

I do not have a foreign vehicle license.
i do not have a tourist card. I have my permanent residencia card
I intend to go to sosua or maybe gaspar hernanaaaaaaaaaaaaaandez to purchase a bike from one of the larger bike sellers.
I have been informed i can get all insurances and registration from the bike dealer. And that this will be done correctly
I intend to take a spanish speaking contact with me.

But again i only have a foreign license for riding a motor bike. If anyone see's a problem with my plan please let me know. Thanks
 

Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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You can show AMET any card with yourpicture on it and say it's your Country's driver's license, they will not know. The problems arise if you get into a car accident and your insurance startsasking questions.

What kind of bike do you want? Insurance is cheap, don't worry about that.
 

B J

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Feb 20, 2013
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You can show AMET any card with yourpicture on it and say it's your Country's driver's license, they will not know. The problems arise if you get into a car accident and your insurance startsasking questions.

What kind of bike do you want? Insurance is cheap, don't worry about that.

for the moment i think ill just get a force cg, i guess

can i get the insurance at the bike sellers???? Will they organise that for me CORRECTLY???
 

Expat13

Silver
Jun 7, 2008
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If you have a permanent residency you can apply for a DR drivers license. From what I see they do not differentiate between the vehicle and moto license here. By the book the easiest way to obtain a DR license is to have your foreign license certified at your Embassy here then take it to the motor vehicle branch in SD and the process was all complete for me in a couple hours or so, was for me anyway. No test just an eye exam (this surprised me as I have seen blind people drive here).
The concern here isn't as much the police if you get pulled over its if you are in an accident, the insurance company will decline if you have out of country license after after a set amount of days. 30-90? not sure!
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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I do not have a foreign vehicle license.
i do not have a tourist card. I have my permanent residencia card
I intend to go to sosua or maybe gaspar hernanaaaaaaaaaaaaaandez to purchase a bike from one of the larger bike sellers.
I have been informed i can get all insurances and registration from the bike dealer. And that this will be done correctly
I intend to take a spanish speaking contact with me.

But again i only have a foreign license for riding a motor bike. If anyone see's a problem with my plan please let me know. Thanks

If you are a permanent resident, just get your Dominican Driver's license in Puerto Plata and be done with it. Simple to do. If you have a US driver's license you have to do it that way. Some foreign licenses can be traded in for a DR license. You can get insurance and title without a license.
 

Omar_NYC

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Mar 22, 2013
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I was able to rent a car in DR with my NY driver license.

I was stopped by PN while driving said car in DR. Passport was sufficient documentation.
 

B J

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Feb 20, 2013
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If you are a permanent resident, just get your Dominican Driver's license in Puerto Plata and be done with it. Simple to do. If you have a US driver's license you have to do it that way. Some foreign licenses can be traded in for a DR license. You can get insurance and title without a license.

Hey windedude
So you are saying i can take my foreign moror bike ( not car) license in Puerto plata ( name of government office location???) and all will be transfered to a DR bike license???
i thought i would have to take a spanish written test???? to get my DR license???
please help
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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here is a link to the location of the office:
www.gob.do - Puerto Plata

Encargado: Porfirio Rodriguez
Direcci?n: Avenida Hermanas Mirabal Edificio Ministerio de Obras P?blicas, Sector Puerto Plata, C?digo Postal 57000, PUERTO PLATA, Provincia PUERTO PLATA
Referencia Detras del Estadio Jos? Brice?o
Horario de servicio Lunes a viernes de 8:00 a.m. a 4:30 p.m.
Tel?fono 809-244-4084
 

Zerophsychotic

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Aug 28, 2013
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Hey windedude
So you are saying i can take my foreign moror bike ( not car) license in Puerto plata ( name of government office location???) and all will be transfered to a DR bike license???
i thought i would have to take a spanish written test???? to get my DR license???
please help

Why a written test? that would indicate Dominican drivers also needed to and that would mean they can read. Id hazzard a guess 25% of drivers here can not read or write.

I am however confused by misinformation I have been fed. I was under the impression that US licenses needed to be changed to Dominican, yet European licenses did not and were valid.

I do sense a slight lack of confidence on this matter, a little hearsay maybe. Maybe we could hear from someone involved in insurance and clear all this up as I feel there must be a hell of a lot of people driving here illegally, or have gone through steps that maybe were not obligatory.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i will hazard a guess that 25% of the car drivers and 75% of moto drivers have no documents whatsoever.

and apparently it's the american license that cannot be exchanged for a dominican one while european can.

the theory test is not in writing, btw. it's a verbal test. short animations are shown and you need to answer spoken question by pressing yes or no. those are the only two words in writing...
 

B J

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Feb 20, 2013
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i will hazard a guess that 25% of the car drivers and 75% of moto drivers have no documents whatsoever.

and apparently it's the american license that cannot be exchanged for a dominican one while european can.

the theory test is not in writing, btw. it's a verbal test. short animations are shown and you need to answer spoken question by pressing yes or no. those are the only two words in writing...

Oh god
im just as confused as i was at the start.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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ha ha, you need to go there personally. laws change. and people are served differently.
 

B J

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Feb 20, 2013
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Given im only coming for 4 weeks this time
i think ill buy my bike after establishing that my license can be used. Ill buy third party insurance so if i hurt anyone ill be protected. Fingers crossed
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Hey windedude
So you are saying i can take my foreign moror bike ( not car) license in Puerto plata ( name of government office location???) and all will be transfered to a DR bike license???
i thought i would have to take a spanish written test???? to get my DR license???
please help

I believe you need to have your foreign license "validated" by your local Embassy. It is best to contact your embassy to see if that is an option. (Cannot be done for USA licenses). Since I am from the USA, I had to just take the tests to get my DR license and that was no big deal.
 

Zerophsychotic

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Aug 28, 2013
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If you are only comming for 4 weeks I would be inclined to just ride your bike and get some form of insurance. People rent motobikes while on holiday, I doubt very much they have been to the embassy to do anything, (validate, swap or legalize). I would not worry about it at all.
 

santa110xyz

Active member
Oct 25, 2005
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Given im only coming for 4 weeks this time
i think ill buy my bike after establishing that my license can be used. Ill buy third party insurance so if i hurt anyone ill be protected. Fingers crossed

your drivers license has validity for 30 days when you enter the country.
Each time you enter these 30 days will start to count new. So for this time you are OK. Next time you might stay longer; make the drivers license in POP. It is easy and fast and for the non-spanish-speaking there is help provided LOL
first pay your taxes at Banco de Reservas for doing drivers license then go to office someone mentioned and for sure you will find a person of help there.

Actually nobody even cares about if your DL is foreign or not, just in the case of an accident it is not so good to be over the 30 days. And you know Murphy' s law ;-)

here a link to study Dominicana On Line
there the process sounds a bit difficult, but when you arrive at the office in POP, just behind the baseball stadium you can ask for the VIP service, everybody will understand what you mean.