Permanent residency renewal alert!

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
If you applied to renew your permanent residency in the last month or two and were given the list of documents to submit, please note that despite what it says on the list, once the system generates the email notification that your online application has been reviewed and you can now submit your original documents, you actually need to provide:

3 copies of your cédula
3 copies of your tarjeta de residencia
3 copies of your passport

You also have to print out the document from the website under application status (Imprimir Hoja de Envío under Estado de la Solicitud). This is not specified in the list or in the email notification.

I went to the Bávaro office in Punta Cana Village with one copy of each as per the instructions on the sheet they'd given me when I started the process only to be told I had to make three of each and print out the Hoja de Envío.

Despite having followed the instructions to the letter I was not allowed to use their photocopier or computer to access the site to print the Hoja de Envío. The explanation I was given was that the requisites had changed since I was given the list less than one month ago. So I had to go home and then back again to the office.

Gringa meltdown ensued - the first time in ages I must add!

The next step is to wait for the system to generate the invoice - but this time it does not send a notification. The applicant has to keep checking the online application status until it appears.

The medical exam is in Higuey and you have to go to Santo Domingo to pick up the tarjeta de residencia.

Despite the office being a five-minute walk from my house it was actually a smoother and more efficient process when the office was in Verón. The whole thing involved two or three visits to the office but the medical test was done in the same mall and you could collect your card from the office too.

I also forgot to apply in advance for the 10-year option. :dead:
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Something is afoot

We are still waiting after my wife's renewal was submitted

Slower acceptance times , it seems
 

KateP

Silver
May 28, 2004
2,845
6
38
Since they don't ask for 3 copies if you deposit in Santo Domingo, I'm guessing it's so they can keep a copy for their files and get one of those copies back from Santo Domingo as "recibido".
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
83
The medical exam is in Higuey and you have to go to Santo Domingo to pick up the tarjeta de residencia.

I renewed in 2017 no medical for RP-1? thinking you have been here as long as I have, am wondering why you had to have a medical. Have had permanent residency since 1995. Since I live in SD not sure I see the advantage of the definitiva other than time spent as the cost is about the same as 4 year renewal.
 

KateP

Silver
May 28, 2004
2,845
6
38
I renewed in 2017 no medical for RP-1? thinking you have been here as long as I have, am wondering why you had to have a medical. Have had permanent residency since 1995. Since I live in SD not sure I see the advantage of the definitiva other than time spent as the cost is about the same as 4 year renewal.

No medical and you don't have go through the gauntlet for another 10 years. Haven't yet seen though how the definitiva is renewed.
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
My girlfriend, Big Red, is in the middle of a bureaucracy nightmare. She's lost somewhere in-between Narnia and Alice in Wonderlands rabbit hole, trying to get her Dominican Citizenship.

She does everything herself, without lawyers, without help from anyone, and Holy Mother, every step of the way, she has been met with another new change, another new rule, another regulation that contradicts a previous regulation.

It's Catch-22 all over again.

Every fu^&&*king month, they change another rule, add another require stamped paper they require. everything requires going back and forth to Santo DOmingo. She's in SD so often that I rented a condo there for this entire, crazy process.

the process is insane. Insane!

Every week, they inform her that she needs another paper from her Russian embassy. She gets that, and then they tell her that she needs another new stamp, because...and get this get this...30-days has passed since the last stamp. They tell her to get this, and then get that, and then when she comes back, they tell her, "Oh, we have a new rule now, so we no longer need that paper, now we need another paper."

Holy f&&*K!


Worse then this, is that she is given only 30-days to get another fu*kin&^ colossal amount of papers that must be stamped by embassies, witches, and warlocks, and then, wait...they tell her that some of the papers are only good for 30-days, so that, she must pay another $4000 pesos for some kind of new police report...as if the previous two police reports were no good because 30-days has passed since the last police report indicating that she has no police record in Russia...which she hasn't lived for over 10-years now.

I am fortunate that i do not have to go through all of this bullsh1t, but not even for 1-million dollars would i go through all of this crap just to have the rules change mid-stream.


No one knows what's going on. New rules requires a series of irrational hoops to jump through. And everytime you jump through a hoop, they say, "Oh, we're sorry, there is a new hoop you must clear."

The system is broken. The system is out of order. The entire immigration process is out of order.

I keep asking her why put yourself through all of this unnecessary bullsh1t. You're already a permanent resident. why punish yourself?

Her reply: "I love challenges!"
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
My girlfriend, Big Red, is in the middle of a bureaucracy nightmare. She's lost somewhere in-between Narnia and Alice in Wonderlands rabbit hole, trying to get her Dominican Citizenship.

She does everything herself, without lawyers, without help from anyone, and Holy Mother, every step of the way, she has been met with another new change, another new rule, another regulation that contradicts a previous regulation.

It's Catch-22 all over again.

Every fu^&&*king month, they change another rule, add another require stamped paper they require. everything requires going back and forth to Santo DOmingo. She's in SD so often that I rented a condo there for this entire, crazy process.

the process is insane. Insane!

Every week, they inform her that she needs another paper from her Russian embassy. She gets that, and then they tell her that she needs another new stamp, because...and get this get this...30-days has passed since the last stamp. They tell her to get this, and then get that, and then when she comes back, they tell her, "Oh, we have a new rule now, so we no longer need that paper, now we need another paper."

Holy f&&*K!


Worse then this, is that she is given only 30-days to get another fu*kin&^ colossal amount of papers that must be stamped by embassies, witches, and warlocks, and then, wait...they tell her that some of the papers are only good for 30-days, so that, she must pay another $4000 pesos for some kind of new police report...as if the previous two police reports were no good because 30-days has passed since the last police report indicating that she has no police record in Russia...which she hasn't lived for over 10-years now.

I am fortunate that i do not have to go through all of this bullsh1t, but not even for 1-million dollars would i go through all of this crap just to have the rules change mid-stream.


No one knows what's going on. New rules requires a series of irrational hoops to jump through. And everytime you jump through a hoop, they say, "Oh, we're sorry, there is a new hoop you must clear."

The system is broken. The system is out of order. The entire immigration process is out of order.

I keep asking her why put yourself through all of this unnecessary bullsh1t. You're already a permanent resident. why punish yourself?

Her reply: "I love challenges!"



Frank, this is PRECISELY why I won’t go through it.  I’ll stay 30 days and leave, if he wants to stay, that’s okay.  

I’m going through aggravation now, and I know it won’t be smooth.  We bought our land in DR in 1978.  It went into Mr AE’s name only, even though we were married two years by then.  Here we are, 40 years later.  Three years ago we began deslinde process. He notified the office in San Cristobal he wanted his wife added to the title, envisioning what I’d go through if he died first.  They asked for my ID, my passport, etc.  AFTER the deslinde was completed, and we were ready to leave DR, they decided they needed our marriage license.  Got home, requested copy from NYC ($35 money order), took three weeks to arrive.  Now it needs apostile for DR, but wait!  First it has to go back to NYC, with a $3 money order, for them to certify that the person who stamped the license is really that person.  Will take 3-4 weeks.  Then, and only then, can I mail it back to NY, this time to Albany, with $10, for the apostile. Them I have to fedex it to a Santo Domingo where BIL will have it translated and deposited in a San Cristobal.  Grrrrrr

How much you wanna bet they need something else when he brings it in?
 
Last edited:

Russell

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2017
1,056
337
83
Dios mio!
I did make the right decision!
No Residency, no Citizenship in RD.
Far too old to go through the hoops.
Besides every time I return to Canada I get the best double hamburger with cheese at the Puerto Plata Airport.
Better than anything in Canada.
Going through all this Horse Buns ; just is not worth loosing a great hamburger... Not kidding!!

By the way the immigration forms to Canada do the same thing as RD. Forms change every three months or so.
They are trying to make it easier for immigrants to come to Canada.

Ya Right!

One month in RD and one month in Canada is no hardship for me.
But going through an unorganized hoola hoop loop is pure hell!

Russell
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
83
No medical and you don't have go through the gauntlet for another 10 years. Haven't yet seen though how the definitiva is renewed.

As said there was no medical required. An the gauntlet only required about 3 hours. so using that as an average then 9 hr over a 12 year period as the RP-1 is good for 4 years. Price is about the same. Live in SD so no overnights and no trips. Still am not convinced in my case that its worth it.
 

pularvik

Active member
Jan 2, 2011
424
38
28
My experience--finished 5 temporary renewals.  So, on to "permanent"!  First a letter to the DMG asking for permission to change status to permanent.  Letter submitted December 28 , 2017.  DMG replies February 8th.  We submit copies of required documents,- many more than once---- like every page of my passport???  On March 14th I am summoned to santo Domingo to present my original documents, pay for this wonderful privilege and be sent to a clinic for a medical.  After 5 hours in the delightful waiting room we finally are called to pay and go for the medical.  Today is June 14th and I still haven't got my card.  The very competent lady handling this matter may be contemplating another profession as I am not the first to run into these delays.  Apparently  the DMG is having some problems????  No kidding!!!
 

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
3,489
1,676
113
We did our third 4 year RP-1 in April and other than some ridiculous wait times it went fairly well. We also started at the office in PC, did the medical in Higuey and then the pick up in STQ. All without lawyers.

What is the "I also forgot to apply in advance for the 10-year option." thing you mentioned. I haven't heard of this before and it will be almost 4 years before we attempt a 10 year residence but I would like to start mentally preparing myself for it now. Even though the rules will change 100 times between now and then.
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
113
Change of category ...permanent to definitive... must apply at the earliest 45 days before your 10 year anniversary with permanent residency.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
Change of category ...permanent to definitive... must apply at the earliest 45 days before your 10 year anniversary with permanent residency.

I applied for permission to change from permanent to definitive TWO MONTHS before the 45 days before expiration of my residencia permanente (RP-1) card.

It took TWO MONTHS to get the approval which then was perfect as it was THEN 45 days before expiration of residencia permanente (RP-1) card.
 

melphis

Living my Dream
Apr 18, 2013
3,489
1,676
113
Change of category ...permanent to definitive... must apply at the earliest 45 days before your 10 year anniversary with permanent residency.

Thanks. Words cannot describe how much I am looking forward to doing this. The good news is that maybe it will get easier in 4 years. The bad news is I'm dreaming and cocktail hour hasn't even begun.
 

botemon

Active member
Jun 28, 2008
223
31
28
OMG! I am SO GLAD we did this all ten years ago. 1 year temp (apply in country), then 1st perm for 2 years, then 2nd perm for 2 years, then 3rd perm for 4 years. This December we will go and get another perm for 10 years. (sorry…I waited too long and spent all my money on rum for citizenship). So….all that said, today my thinking is that in December it should all be easy? HA!!! No medical, No insurance, nothing else but some pesos? I dread it. But sometimes when I am bored, I travel down to immigration and just hang out in the waiting room for a few hours…..just for fun! :nervous:
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Update: I checked the online status first thing Monday and the invoice was there. I printed it out and went to the PCV Migración office and paid RD$16,500. They gave me a receipt and the leaflet for the approved lab in Higuey - so yesterday was medical test day, yeehay!

Once I'd resigned myself to having to go all the way to Higuey to get things done that are available in my own neighbourhood, it was not too bad.

We left home just before 9am. The approved lab is Patria Rivas near the government offices (Beller esq. Colón). Not easy to find a parking space. The waiting room has no fans or aircon, and there were a lot of people including shrieking babies, but thankfully it was over within an hour. The lab technician was very nice and was kind enough to turn around while I produced my urine sample. Then, after about 20 mins waiting in reception which was getting hotter and more humid by the minute another staff member walked me about 3 blocks to Centro Médico La Altagracia for an x-ray. The staff there were also polite and pleasant. Waited maybe 20 mins for the x-ray and then had to wait in reception for medical evaluation. This was probably the longest wait. The doctor finally turned up. He was very abrupt, verging on rude, and asked me questions about my medical history and filled in a form. The receptionist, guachi or cleaner could have done it just as easily so not sure why it had to be a doctor.

We were home before 1pm. Now I just have to keep checking the website until I get notification that the residencia card is ready for collection.
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
113
Is this medical evaluation something new (not urine and xray, but the questions)... ? I remember that when I did my temporary residency, no one in Santo Domingo asked me any questions about my medical history. I definitely know nobody asked anything about my surgery I had 17 years ago.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
In SD, there are 3 approved labs and you are sent to whichever one comes up next on rotation...
no advance indication as to which.

In my case , we needed to drive 1 minutes
Another is right across the street from the main DGM office
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
count your lucky stars, you whiny gringa because at least you have the DGM office right under your nose :laugh:
us north coasters are not so lucky :tired:

i was talking to a fren the other day about our renewal (we both got the perm residency just days apart and we both are going for the definitiva next time around). my conclusion was to chillax for now because we are good for two more years and by then the rules will change several times already. your post showed exactly that. i just wish there were some sort of updates/announcements on DGM page before one embarks on this little bureaucratic adventure...
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
In SD, there are 3 approved labs and you are sent to whichever one comes up next on rotation...
no advance indication as to which.

In my case , we needed to drive 1 minutes
Another is right across the street from the main DGM office

Mistake

that should read 10 minutes

Lo siento