I have been told to get the resident card will be free.However I still don't know where in SD you need to go to get this card.
Do you know how long we will be able to stay in SD if we don't have this resident card?
First off, the general consensus is that there is a push by the Govt to change the way visitors are dealt with in the DR. In the past, you arrived, got a tourist card that allowed you to stay legally for a period of time and then you were supposed to go home. Many foreigners choose to stay longer than allowed as a "tourist" and paid the fine when they left. The amount of the fine was usually not a burden or a deterrent for most foreign travellers. So much so that many foreigners rented property, moved in and never left except for the occasional short term trip home and then they returned to their lives in the DR.
I get the feeling that this situation is going to change. The Govt has indicated that they want to crack down on foreigners who overstay their tourist visas. No one really knows what is going on and when any changes will take effect or be enforced.
Basically, if you wish to visit the DR legally, you can come as a tourist and stay for up to 30 days. It may be possible to obtain a legal extension or maybe not. If you wish to stay longer, in effect reside in the DR for periods longer than 30 days, you will be classified as a temporary resident, permanent resident or some other as yet undefined designation. To do this legally, you will need to apply for and receive a resident card or visa.
Currently, the process for foreigners to apply for residency begins in their home country. Contact your local DR embassy for more info. Foreigners who are already living in the DR illegally, can apply for residency without leaving and the Govt may cover the administrative cost of this application but it is far from "free". You still need to supply legalized documents attesting to your good character, marriage certificates, birth certificates, medical exams etc. All of these cost money to get.
You may well be able to come to the DR this year, stay six months, pay the fine when you leave and everything may be just dandy. This may not be the case next year or it may change sometime while you are here. The reality is that overstaying your tourist visa has never been legal. It has in the past been a cheap and consequence free way to spend an extended period of time in the country. At some point in time, "illegals" who are identified may be detained and deported. Once you are deported, you probably wont be allowed to reenter the DR and every immigration officer you encounter at every airport you transit through in the future will know that you are a deportee and this may have an effect on your ability to enter some countries.
The long and the short of it is, conduct yourself in a manner that is consistent with the laws of the country you are visiting, or be prepared to face the consequences, maybe, sometime, but probably not, no one knows for sure right now.
