Residencia

sunshine_79

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Hello all~

For those of you who have been here a long time and know way more than I do, what is your two cents on the isssue of expats getting their residencia?

I have talked about this with several people and am getting mixed responses. Some say it's a must, others say don't bother with it.

I plan on staying here for a couple of years, maybe more if I still feel this positive about living here down the road, and am seriously considering just getting it over with and paying an attorney.

Opinions?

Of course I may have to flee the DR prematurely since my cover has been blown. I found out yesterday that there is a rumor going around amongst the Dominicans that I'm in the CIA. Funny stuff. Of course Carina guessed the correct organization I'm affiliated with - Interpol. Gosh, don't these local guys know anything? ;)

Sometimes I feel as though I've returned to 10th grade because the rumor mill just keeps on going and going.

Okay, sorry for digressing. Back to the original topic - what would you do?

Thanks,

Sunnie
 

HOWMAR

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Jan 28, 2004
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sunshine_79 said:
Hello all~

For those of you who have been here a long time and know way more than I do, what is your two cents on the isssue of expats getting their residencia?

I have talked about this with several people and am getting mixed responses. Some say it's a must, others say don't bother with it.

I plan on staying here for a couple of years, maybe more if I still feel this positive about living here down the road, and am seriously considering just getting it over with and paying an attorney.

Opinions?

Of course I may have to flee the DR prematurely since my cover has been blown. I found out yesterday that there is a rumor going around amongst the Dominicans that I'm in the CIA. Funny stuff. Of course Carina guessed the correct organization I'm affiliated with - Interpol. Gosh, don't these local guys know anything? ;)

Sometimes I feel as though I've returned to 10th grade because the rumor mill just keeps on going and going.

Okay, sorry for digressing. Back to the original topic - what would you do?

Thanks,

Sunnie
I see my only needs for a Residencia are:
  1. If my employer required it. If so, he can pay the costs or lose me as an employee. This of course depends on your value to your employer.
  2. You want a drivers license. I still haven't felt the need for a DR driver's license.
Any penalties you pay for overstaying your tourist visa are much less than the costs involved in securing a Residencia. Of course if you want to eventually become a Dominican Citizen you must apply for Residencia first.
 

sunshine_79

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HOWMAR said:
I see my only needs for a Residencia are:
  1. If my employer required it. If so, he can pay the costs or lose me as an employee. This of course depends on your value to your employer.
  2. You want a drivers license. I still haven't felt the need for a DR driver's license.
Any penalties you pay for overstaying your tourist visa are much less than the costs involved in securing a Residencia. Of course if you want to eventually become a Dominican Citizen you must apply for Residencia first.


I was thinking along those lines as well until a conversation with my good friend Laird who I have affectionately dubbed the Doomsday Prophet. He said something to the effect of - "Lionel is kicking out all the gringos soon so if you don't have a work permit or residencia you're going back to where you came from".

Damn, I still can't find the colon or semicolon in this freakin keyboard. I have tried every possible combination.

Thanks,

Sunnie
 

juanita

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Apr 22, 2004
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I have been here for 11 years and I just went to get it this year! :nervous:
Never had trouble getting a job without it!
 

RHM

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sunshine_79 said:
I was thinking along those lines as well until a conversation with my good friend Laird who I have affectionately dubbed the Doomsday Prophet. He said something to the effect of - "Lionel is kicking out all the gringos soon so if you don't have a work permit or residencia you're going back to where you came from".

Damn, I still can't find the colon or semicolon in this freakin keyboard. I have tried every possible combination.

Thanks,

Sunnie

Your friend Laird is clueless. Why would Leonel kick out people who SPEND money in a poor country. Expats are good for the economy. Period. There is not an immigration problem in the DR, there is a Haitian immigration problem.

EDITED HERE : But they can't make it look as if they are singling them out so they speak in broad trerms. If you're Haitian I would worry. If you're European or American nothing is going to change. Just don't be a criminal.

Scandall
 

HOWMAR

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sunshine_79 said:
I was thinking along those lines as well until a conversation with my good friend Laird who I have affectionately dubbed the Doomsday Prophet. He said something to the effect of - "Lionel is kicking out all the gringos soon so if you don't have a work permit or residencia you're going back to where you came from".

Damn, I still can't find the colon or semicolon in this freakin keyboard. I have tried every possible combination.

Thanks,

Sunnie
Certainly the government is posturing for a crackdown on illegal immigaration due to the Haitian situation. And of course their rhetoric has to include All illegals. But BE REAL, this government can't afford to lose all the dollars the other foreign illegals generate in this economy.
 

sunshine_79

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Scandall said:
Your friend Laird is clueless. Why would Leonel kick out people who SPEND money in a poor country. Expats are good for the economy. Period. There is not an immigration problem in the DR, there is a Haitian immigration problem. But they can't make it look as if they are singling them out.

Scandall


I thought the same thing. But now I am sooo confused because I've heard a lot of chit chat about the government cracking down on illegal foreigners, including North Americans, very soon.

If they kicked out all of the expats who were not legally entitled to be here the economy would tank on the sole factor of the rapid decline in Presidente consumption. ;)
 

Conchman

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If your job is important to you, you should get the residencia. Its just a matter of time until it will be required or foreigners without it staying over the tourist visa will have problems.

The DR right now is very lax about its work permit situation, its basically the only country I know in the Caribbean where you can just go to and work without problems. This will change, its just a matter of when. Then it will be like the Bahamas where a work permit will cost thousands of dollars because some xenophobic politician will get the people all roused up about foreigners 'taking their jobs' etc.

This could be in 6 months, or 6 years, if you plan on staying a while I would go ahead and get it now while its cheap (and automatic).
 

RHM

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sunshine_79 said:
I thought the same thing. But now I am sooo confused because I've heard a lot of chit chat about the government cracking down on illegal foreigners, including North Americans, very soon.

If they kicked out all of the expats who were not legally entitled to be here the economy would tank on the sole factor of the rapid decline in Presidente consumption. ;)


Imagine if all the expats were rounded up and sent off (never gonna happen).

All the real estate that they rent (those who do not own) become instantly vacant.

All of their services are cancelled (phone, gas, electricity etc).

All of their money transactions cease.

The local supermarkets/colmados lose their business.

Why would they do this? Don't believe the rumors. This is not the first time that they have gone around. If you are a criminal or hang out with criminals you could have a problem because you are giving them a reason to get rid of you.

But hey, there is a chart at the airport that lists the fines for overstaying your visas. Those charts are not there for the Haitians.

Scandall
 

Conchman

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People wont get rounded up, but I can guarantee it will be harder and harder to get residencia as time goes on and politicians see this as an income and vote (tax the foreigners!) source.
 

sunshine_79

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Scandall said:
Imagine if all the expats were rounded up and sent off (never gonna happen).

All the real estate that they rent (those who do not own) become instantly vacant.

All of their services are cancelled (phone, gas, electricity etc).

All of their money transactions cease.

The local supermarkets/colmados lose their business.

Why would they do this? Don't believe the rumors. This is not the first time that they have gone around. If you are a criminal or hang out with criminals you could have a problem because you are giving them a reason to get rid of you.

But hey, there is a chart at the airport that lists the fines for overstaying your visas. Those charts are not there for the Haitians.

Scandall

You make good points. I think I'm just a worrier sometimes. I was seriously considering hopping on a bus to Santo Domingo and taking care of everything but if you guys say it's just gossip and nothing of any substance then I will listen ( for once! )

I've noticed that there seem to be a bunch of sh$thouse attorneys in the area but when I heard a lot of people buzzing about this, I got a little paranoid. The paranoia must come from all these years in the CIA ;)
 

RHM

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Conchman said:
People wont get rounded up, but I can guarantee it will be harder and harder to get residencia as time goes on and politicians see this as an income source.

That's probably true. Good thinking.

But remember that Leonel recently proposed an express residencia for retired expats who can prove their pension income.

The bottom line is that it is up to you. Having your Cedula will never hurt you but not having it could potentially bite you in the *** if you get yourself in a bad situation.

Scandall
 

RHM

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sunshine_79 said:
You make good points. I think I'm just a worrier sometimes. I was seriously considering hopping on a bus to Santo Domingo and taking care of everything but if you guys say it's just gossip and nothing of any substance then I will listen ( for once! )

I've noticed that there seem to be a bunch of sh$thouse attorneys in the area but when I heard a lot of people buzzing about this, I got a little paranoid. The paranoia must come from all these years in the CIA ;)


FYI Sunnie: Every gringo in Latin America is in the CIA until they can prove otherwise. Welcome to the party.

Scandall
Agent 006
 

sunshine_79

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Scandall said:
FYI Sunnie: Every gringo in Latin America is in the CIA until they can prove otherwise. Welcome to the party.

Scandall
Agent 006


Hey!!! That's my number. Damn you Scandall, now I am going to have to be 008. :tired:
 

HOWMAR

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windeguy said:
One thing mentioned above is that without residency you cannot get a DR drivers license. Your DR insurance is valid only for a few months if you don't have a DR License. So, if you drive, that could really bite you in the arse if you have an accident.
Correct. The real issue for the insurance is that the car is operated by a licensed driver. A foreign license is valid in the DR for 90 days from entry. So you can own a car in the DR, have it insured in the DR, and operate it legally if you are here 90 days or less at a time. For the person who goes back home often and never stays more than 90 days at a time, he is OK. It is only the person who stays in excess of 90 days that is in need of a DR license.
 

RHM

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HOWMAR said:
Correct. The real issue for the insurance is that the car is operated by a licensed driver. A foreign license is valid in the DR for 90 days from entry. So you can own a car in the DR, have it insured in the DR, and operate it legally if you are here 90 days or less at a time. For the person who goes back home often and never stays more than 90 days at a time, he is OK. It is only the person who stays in excess of 90 days that is in need of a DR license.

Actually the law changed in the last year. A foreign license is only good for 15 days. Same as the tourist visa.

Scandall
 

HOWMAR

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Scandall said:
Actually the law changed in the last year. A foreign license is only good for 15 days. Same as the tourist visa.

Scandall
Good to know. This country is great for changing laws and regulations and not telling the very people they are directed at. I can't imagine how many expats are driving after 15 days and think they have a valid foreign license.
 

RHM

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HOWMAR said:
Good to know. This country is great for changing laws and regulations and not telling the very people they are directed at. I can't imagine how many expats are driving after 15 days and think they have a valid foreign license.

I was just surfing through the requirements, time tables etc. for residencia. I wouldn't worry about it unless your employer really requires it. The process involves a lot of red tape and an immigration lawyer will charge about USD $1,000 or more (some may be cheaper but you get what you pay for). Like HOWMAR said earlier, it's cheaper to pay the exit fees. Unless, of course, you are Haitian.

Scandall
 

Escott

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If you can afford it go for it. No need to be doing things in the wrong way. I had my permanent residency before I was living here full time. If you are going to live here you may as well go mainstream and not live under cover and worry about things. There ARE MANY things that a residency gives you other than making you a legal person.

Don't listen to people that skate by hoping nothing happens. Get it if you can.

Escott