Dominican Passport - Anyone get one

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,573
6,328
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I can now get a Dominican Passport and keep my US passport.
Can anyone say what advantages this could bring ?
What countries accept a DR passport without visas ?
Any other reason I should go through the process ?
Can I open a bank account without the same hassle of a US passport holder usually goes through?
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
I can now get a Dominican Passport and keep my US passport.
Can anyone say what advantages this could bring ?
The only one I could think of was Cuba, but that seems to be a non sequitur now.


What countries accept a DR passport without visas ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Dominican_Republic_citizens


Any other reason I should go through the process ?
Not having to go to Santo Domingo ever again to renew residency is reason enough.
Can I open a bank account without the same hassle of a US passport holder usually goes through?

They will still notice you are from the US.. and BOHICA.
 

KateP

Silver
May 28, 2004
2,845
6
38
If you can get a Dominican passport then you have a cedula and therefore you shouldn?t have any hassle opening a bank account.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
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By showing your c?dula, you can pay the much cheaper Dominican prices at many places, mostly government owned tourist attractions and even in some resorts.

You can also buy one way flight tickets with no need for a return ticket. This can help you save money. Sometimes buying a one way DR to US ticket from the DR cost less than buying that same ticket from the USA. Don't ask me why, that is just the way it is. The same flight and the same seat, but from where you buy it changes the price often quite drastically.

The difference in prices is evident even online at several airline's website. If you are in the DR and know someone in the USA, tell them to check any set of flights in Jetblue (to pick and airline) and you do the same from the DR, both of you take printscreens with the prices and notice the difference.
 
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wuarhat

I am a out of touch hippie.
Nov 13, 2006
1,378
89
48
I can now get a Dominican Passport and keep my US passport.
Can anyone say what advantages this could bring ?

If you use your Dominican passport on a cruise ship and it is taken over by terrorists, they might miss you when they round up all the US citizens.

What countries accept a DR passport without visas ?
Any other reason I should go through the process ?
Can I open a bank account without the same hassle of a US passport holder usually goes through?

Not without concealing the fact that you are a US citizen, and that would probably be a crime.

With the exception of windeguy the advantages mentioned here do not require a passport, they are available to residents.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Biggest advantage ??

No residency renewal.

That's it.......... all other benefits are the same as a cedula from what I see
 

msmfgf

New member
Jul 12, 2013
144
0
0
if for some reason the authorities want to confiscate your passport, give them the dominican one
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
if for some reason the authorities want to confiscate your passport, give them the dominican one

I guess that would apply if the authorities said....

Give me one of your passports.

Usually, they ask for a specific passport..... not 'any' passport
 

Expat13

Silver
Jun 7, 2008
3,255
50
48
with a Dominican passport you can bring on 5 oversize bags for carry-on and but in front of other people in lineups.
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
113
By showing your c?dula, you can pay the much cheaper Dominican prices at many places, mostly government owned tourist attractions and even in some resorts.

You can also buy one way flight tickets with no need for a return ticket. This can help you save money. Sometimes buying a one way DR to US ticket from the DR cost less than buying that same ticket from the USA. Don't ask me why, that is just the way it is. The same flight and the same seat, but from where you buy it changes the price often quite drastically.

The difference in prices is evident even online at several airline's website. If you are in the DR and know someone in the USA, tell them to check any set of flights in Jetblue (to pick and airline) and you do the same from the DR, both of you take printscreens with the prices and notice the difference.

You got that reversed. Buying from DR everything is more expensive, airlines, hotels, etc. You cannot even get into JC Penny website, less buy there (and it was possible few years back). Now I have to resort to VPN use. Thanks God Kohls is still fine.

Airlines no longer do point of purchase price differentiation on USA-DR routes. Too competitive market now for that. And if you buy RT from DR to USA, you will actually pay more than if RT originates in USA because you pay DR taxes even on US-DR leg. But if you buy two one ways, you can save the taxes on US-DR leg (by booking two OWs instead of one RT).

Resorts, you pay more for resorts than if you book from abroad. Easily verified by going to most hotel online sites from DR and checking prices, and then clearing browser cookies and cache and going through VPN (preferably Spain, Germany or UK IP address) and checking prices again, the difference will be noticeable (much lower prices).

You only get special DR prices if there is some promotion being run, especially in off-peak times. But usually those promotions are through a special access links, and those links are clickable from anywhere in the world (getting that promotion as well).

It is a known fact that Dominicans pay one of the most expensive rates for resorts of all tourists (because they are close. The farther the tourists come form, the lower the rate they pay). There is a Memories splash promotion on one of the group buy sites (viagrupo, I think, or gustazos). It still costs more with their 57% discount than the rate I get by booking directly via TUI (Germany). Imagine the rate Dominicans pay without a discount. And still yet, my cheaper rate bought through a German TTOO is for premium room while the group buy rate is for run of the house room.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
Just to add, if you go to a Dominican airport and buy a ticket there you will have to pay 18% tax on top of the price. But if
you go online and buy it no tax.
 
Jan 9, 2004
10,898
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You got that reversed. Buying from DR everything is more expensive, airlines, hotels, etc. You cannot even get into JC Penny website, less buy there (and it was possible few years back). Now I have to resort to VPN use. Thanks God Kohls is still fine.

Airlines no longer do point of purchase price differentiation on USA-DR routes. Too competitive market now for that. And if you buy RT from DR to USA, you will actually pay more than if RT originates in USA because you pay DR taxes even on US-DR leg. But if you buy two one ways, you can save the taxes on US-DR leg (by booking two OWs instead of one RT).

Resorts, you pay more for resorts than if you book from abroad. Easily verified by going to most hotel online sites from DR and checking prices, and then clearing browser cookies and cache and going through VPN (preferably Spain, Germany or UK IP address) and checking prices again, the difference will be noticeable (much lower prices).

You only get special DR prices if there is some promotion being run, especially in off-peak times. But usually those promotions are through a special access links, and those links are clickable from anywhere in the world (getting that promotion as well).

It is a known fact that Dominicans pay one of the most expensive rates for resorts of all tourists (because they are close. The farther the tourists come form, the lower the rate they pay). There is a Memories splash promotion on one of the group buy sites (viagrupo, I think, or gustazos). It still costs more with their 57% discount than the rate I get by booking directly via TUI (Germany). Imagine the rate Dominicans pay without a discount. And still yet, my cheaper rate bought through a German TTOO is for premium room while the group buy rate is for run of the house room.

To your point about airline ticket prices;

SDQ to JFK will be more expensive than JFK to SDQ.....and the reason is 18% ITBIS. Flights originating from the DR are charged ITBIS.

Confirming SKY's post above....but, I still have been charged the tax even buying online.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
8,215
37
48
www.
Visas for travel to China are cheaper for Dominicans.

One of the biggest advantage is for professionals and students abroad.

For example, if you are applying for an international organization job, the quota for US citizens may be filled, but there may be openings for Dominicans that are less likely to apply for the job.

Likewise, there may be scholarships or programs open for emerging countries, including the Dominican Republic.
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
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To your point about airline ticket prices;

SDQ to JFK will be more expensive than JFK to SDQ.....and the reason is 18% ITBIS. Flights originating from the DR are charged ITBIS.

Confirming SKY's post above....but, I still have been charged the tax even buying online.

That is correct and confirms what I wrote above, if you start in DR your trip to USA will be cheaper by buying two one ways instead of one round trip, because if you buy RT form DR, the tax (ITBIS) is charged on the whole round trip (because the whole trip originates in the DR), but it will be cheaper if you buy one way DR-US and then another one way US-DR (you can even book them one right after another), but US-DR portion one way will not be charged ITBIS because the trip for that leg originates in USA (even if you previously fly DR-US on another one way ticket).

This works well for airlines that now offer one-way ticket pricing, such as American, Delta, Jetblue, Spirit, Condor, Jetairfly, Wamos, Evelop, Air Canada, Westjet, Air Berlin, Eurowings etc. It will not work on airlines that still do point-of-purchase round trip pricing (where one way is very expensive compared to round trip), such as Copa, Avianca, Lan, Air France, Air Europa etc.

Just an example: Booking Condor as two one ways, I routinely save over US$100 per ticket by booking two one-ways instead of one round trip originating from the DR. Moreover, Condor frequently runs "Europe origination" specials which can be booked originating in Europe only (even on OW) so those special rates are inaccessible if they are part of a round trip originating from outside of Europe. But when you combine them with the DR-tax-free premise on Europe origination, the savings can be substantial and exceed $200 on a single ticket.
 

Lobo Tropical

Silver
Aug 21, 2010
3,515
521
113
I can now get a Dominican Passport and keep my US passport.
Can anyone say what advantages this could bring ?
What countries accept a DR passport without visas ?
Any other reason I should go through the process ?
Can I open a bank account without the same hassle of a US passport holder usually goes through?

Mira Chico!!!!
The multitude of reasons will now compel you to become a Dominican citizen.

In addition don't forget the traditional duty-free allowance for Dominican expats for the Christmas holidays. Returning Dominican expats who have not traveled to the DR in the past six months can do so bringing gifts valued up to US$3,000 for their relatives and friends. The traditional tax-free permit issued by the Department of Customs will begin 1 December and ends on 7 January 2017. The gift items must be transported in the same transport mode selected by the person seeking the tax break.
Also as a Dominican man you can have unlimited NOVIAS outside the house, your wife will expect it of you.
 

Alltimegreat

Member
Nov 16, 2012
604
1
18
Visas for travel to China are cheaper for Dominicans.

One of the biggest advantage is for professionals and students abroad.

For example, if you are applying for an international organization job, the quota for US citizens may be filled, but there may be openings for Dominicans that are less likely to apply for the job.

Likewise, there may be scholarships or programs open for emerging countries, including the Dominican Republic.

Could you provide any examples of the professional quotas you're talking about? I'd like to cash in on my Dominican citizenship too.