Kid with double nationality: how do we get her out?

This rings a bell. :cheeky:

See the endless saga of 'el ilegal' and the update.

What most dual nationals do is to leave the country on their other (in this case EU) passport, and enter with their DR passport.

However, as Piblet was born in the DR, and it should state this on her Danish passport, she does not have to enter the country as a tourist, even if she doesn't have a DR passport. I travelled to Haiti with a Dominican colleague who holds a EU passport, and when we arrived back in the DR he didn't bother showing his DR passport, he showed the EU one. The immigration chappy said 'tourist card?' and he said, overdoing the Dominican accent - 'soy dominicano, hombre, que vaina?' and showed him the bit where it said - 'Place of birth: Santo Domingo'. Maybe you need to train La Piblette in something on these lines.

But the best and easiest thing would be to get her a DR passport - we're finally getting one for Chirimoyito after years of tourist cards/penalty payments. Last year it was RD$2,000 for 9 months. This year with the DR passport it will be RD$0. In your case it will be straightforward because she was born here. We had to go through a more complicated legal process because he was born outside the DR to a Dominican father in a place where there was no DR embassy to register him in the requisite 6 month period.

Based on what I've been told by Fabio and others here, a minor cannot have residency anyway.

Pib said:

If we get her a Dominican passport, she would then need a visa to enter the EU, stupid as that sounds since she is a Danish-EU citizen.

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Why is that? Wouldn't she use her EU passport to enter the EU and her Dominican passport to enter the DR?

Our son is Dominican (by birth) and also has American/Canadian citizenship through his father and me. He has all the passports he needs and we just pull out the one that is appropriate for the situation as we are entering/exiting. It was a hassle to get them all but it makes traveling around much easier.

In regards to a minor getting legal status, our daughter has had her card same as us since we moved here nine years ago - she is 10 now.

OK, so where does one go to obtain the dominican passport for a native born dual citizenship toddler?

In the passport office, which is in the Migracion building on the Malecon in La Feria. You'd need to show the birth certificate, her parents' ID and possibly their marriage certificate, but call first and check to be sure.

And I was hoping, after going through with my resdency I would never have to return to that building. Oh well.

It's supposed to be a relatively swift process. There is a fast track option (VIP) for an extra fee. We haven't done Chirimoyito's yet, but will need to do so in the next three months as we're due to travel in late June.

As far as I know the DR doesn't care and I haven't really checked into it since we are leaving here and moving to another country (in the middle east) so I doubt if we ever renew his DR passport unless we move back here at some later date. Although it might be better to travel on Dominican passports verus American in that part of the world

He gets the American citizenship through me and the Canadian through his father - it is my understanding that with the current laws (Canadian) he will have to "pick" when he is 18. I'm not sure and to be honest since he is only 7 I'm not that worried about it right now since the laws can change. We will really look into it more when he and our daughter are closer to legal adult age.

Pib said:

We are travelling with our kid for the first time in the next couple of months. She has a Danish EU passport and, as she was born here, a Dominican birth certificate. Here comes the dilemma:...

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Pib, there is no dilemma - at lease there should not be! Our 2 1/2 year old son is a dual citizen: Dominican and American (US). Traveling is a piece of cake! When he exits AND enters the DR, he does so with his American passport. The immigration officer 'usually' reads the 'Place of birth' category on his passport and immediately know our child is a Dominican citizen. Once this is done by the official, there should not be an issue of any kind - all is good then!

However, you should carry with you during ALL travels a birth certificate of 'little Pibness' (better if 'en extensa' ) - just in case you are not attended by a knowledgeable DR migration official. All in all, traveling with your dual citizen bundle of love and joy is as smooth as silk. Most DR migration officials are accustomed to dealing with this situations quite competently...wish I could say the same for other Dominican things....

A child with an Italian grandfather, born in the Dominican Republic of an American father or grandfather could have three passports.

so Notlurking, you are implying that a Dominican passport is pretty much irrelevant, as there is no need ever to flash it. Maybe I am saved that trip to Migracion after all.

macocael said:

so Notlurking, you are implying that a Dominican passport is pretty much irrelevant, as there is no need ever to flash it. Maybe I am saved that trip to Migracion after all.

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Nope I'm not implying it - I am directly SAYING (rather typing) it. I have first hand experience with the situation with my child and myself! I am a Dominican born American citizen, just like my son, and have never had ANY problems traveling to or from the DR after DR adopted the policy of recognizing (and accepting) DR citizens that have acquired a second citizenship - either by choice or other means.

A few years ago (before 1998 I think) it was an issue for Dominican citizens to acquire a second citizenship without losing the right to claim their Dominican one as well! The Dominican republic did not legally recognize (acknowledged) as a Dominican citizen any Dominican citizen that had obtained a second citizenship either by choice or serendipity (having one Dominican parent and a foreign parent that has Jus Sanguinus rights - almost all nationals of all countries). After 1998(?) the law changed and Dominicans were allowed to retain their rights as Dominican citizens ever if they acquired a second citizenship. DR readily recognizes dual citizenships and migration official are well informed in this respect.

Finally, I'll add that a Dominican passport is only really useful for a Dominican citizen that has just ONE citizenship or to a naturalized Dominican citizen. The only way a naturalized Dominican citizen can prove his/her citizenship with ease to a DR migration official is with a Dominican passport! A Dominican resident CAN NOT obtain a DR passport legally if he/she is not a DR citizen hence there isn't any questions as to DR citizenship status when a DR passport is presented. On the other hand, a Cedula is near useless because Dominican citizens AND residents alike are issued Cedulas. The tell all on DR citizenship is a DR birth certificate (better if 'en extensa') when presented to a migration official accompanied by official 'picture' identifying documents (ie foreign passport) any questions of DR citizenship are usually answered.

Please note that the only way a foreign passport can list your place of place of birth as Dominican Repuplic is if a DR birth certificate was presented to the proper authorities BEFORE the passport is issued. Hence flagging the owner of the passport as a Dominican citizen by birth.

NotLurking

I am sure what NotLurking says is true but one of the benefits of our work contract here is that each member of the family is provided with the needed Dominican residencia/cedula so we went ahead and got one since the lawyer took care of everything and all I had to do was go with him one day to sign for the passport. He loves being able to say "Yo soy Dominicano" and then to flash his passport to prove it. Many people humor him until they see it,.... well with light blonde hair and green eyes he isn't exactly tipico.

Gotcha Not Lurking, I was just being a little funny. This is good to know.

But expatsooner I am confused, a cedula is not a passport. A passport is only available to citizens. I fyou have residency here all you have is a cedula, not a passport.

macocael said:

Gotcha Not Lurking, I was just being a little funny. This is good to know.

But expatsooner I am confused, a cedula is not a passport. A passport is only available to citizens. I fyou have residency here all you have is a cedula, not a passport.

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You are right, as part of our contract the three of us non-Dominicans had our cedula provided so instead of getting our son, who is a Dominican by birth, a cedula they paid for his passport instead.

But minors don't have cedulas, so your children would not get them anyway. What does your other child, the one who isn't Dominican-born, have in terms of DR residency status?

Chirimoya said:

But minors don't have cedulas, so your children would not get them anyway. What does your other child, the one who isn't Dominican-born, have in terms of DR residency status?

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She has her residencia.

I am bound and determined to call you by the end of next week about getting the kids together to play. It is funny how busy life can get sometimes but I am going to start making myself slow down.

Give me a call!
That means we had the option of residencia for Chirimoyito. I never knew that.