Don't Fear Dominican Customs/Immigration

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CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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Don't fear entry into the Dominican Republic, apparently the U.S. takes top honors (dishonors) in rude and difficult immigration process.

U.S. is most unfriendly country to visitors: survey - Yahoo! News


"More than half of the travelers surveyed said U.S. immigration officials were rude and two-thirds said they feared they would be detained on arriving in the United States for a simple mistake in their paper work or for saying the wrong thing to an immigration official."
 
R

RHM

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Sep 23, 2002
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CFA123 said:
Don't fear entry into the Dominican Republic, apparently the U.S. takes top honors (dishonors) in rude and difficult immigration process.

U.S. is most unfriendly country to visitors: survey - Yahoo! News


"More than half of the travelers surveyed said U.S. immigration officials were rude and two-thirds said they feared they would be detained on arriving in the United States for a simple mistake in their paper work or for saying the wrong thing to an immigration official."
Click to expand...

How many of them asked for "tips" from the travelers? Ot detained people to try and squeeze money from them?

Exactly.

I don't mind be questioned by any official, even a rude one, but I lose it when they ask for money.

EDITED TO ADD: I am NOT defending the American customs/immigration people. I think they are rude too. I am merely pointing out that the issues people have with the same officials in the DR are ones of corruption and extortion.

Scandall
 
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Onions&carrots

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Mar 21, 2002
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Interesting, I think what would be scarier for a foreigner or a dominican living abroad is when they leave the country and the officials detain that individual for no clear reason. To be detained in a Kafkaesque way should be quite scary. I have seen this happen as I have left the DR. I wonder how those people dealt with that episode and if they ever came back.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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I always figured that Customs/Immigration bureaucrats, in general, want agents to be hard-asses.

They aren't supposed to be the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Wagon.
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

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I've never had a hard time with US customs/immigration, never any rudeness, just professionalism; guess this is unusual. IN FACT THE ONLY DIFFICULTY, I've ever had traveling in any country was American Airlines in the DR. AA in Canada and the States have been great.
 
Z

zak023

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Feb 8, 2006
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The USA was the victim of 9/11 therefore giving them just cause to be hard on people.You are subjuct to the Laws of the American Government..They don't accept tips or bribes..And as Scandall pointed out there is a difference in the DR when it comes to customs/immigration..You can fix a problem with a Tip as they like to call it..If you like it or not thats how it is and why the 2 countrys differ so much.. Personally I'd rather TIP then have to end up paying anyway as you do either through INS form fees or penalties..It is justified because it is their policy..You pay in the long run..It's called the privelidge of being allowed to enter the USA for as most people do .Immigrate there to make money..So they can send it home to the family..Show me a country that has such a low unemployment rate such as the USA..For every job opening in the DR there are 100 people wanting that job..In the US for every job you don't get there are 10 more just like it +you are bound to get work making a more than fair wage sooner or later..I know I'm getting off track here so that's all I wanted to add... my 2 cents.....
 
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El Tigre

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What I don't understand is why is it that in the DR (STI) they have to go through your ENTIRE bag during check-in. It's absurd. Can't they just scan the damn bags like they do in the USA? I'm sure they have the equipment. Is this the same in SDQ? Do they open your bag in the check in line like in Santiago?
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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El Tigre said:
What I don't understand is why is it that in the DR (STI) they have to go through your ENTIRE bag during check-in. It's absurd. Can't they just scan the damn bags like they do in the USA? I'm sure they have the equipment. Is this the same in SDQ? Do they open your bag in the check in line like in Santiago?
Click to expand...
Sometimes. It's never happened to me in SDQ, but I've seen agents go through bags thoroughly there.

Hopefully, they screen by profile better than the PC US does.
 
A

AlaninDR

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Dec 17, 2002
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I'm OK with the thread contents so far as it applies to customs and immigration, just don't mention TSA and professional in the same sentence. What a farce that bunch is.

On a trip to DR last year as I took my two bags to TSA for screening.
TSA agent; you gots any boomubang?
Me; huh?
TSA agent; boomubang, got any?
Me; what?
TSA agent; boomubang, ya got any? (said while slapping the sign which lists items to be excluded from commercial flights)
Me; If you're asking me if I have any weapons or explosives, my answer is no.
TSA agent; yep, dats what'm askin

I've wondered since that incident if he was the person that pinched my liter of Crown Royal.
 
badpiece33

badpiece33

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El Tigre said:
What I don't understand is why is it that in the DR (STI) they have to go through your ENTIRE bag during check-in. It's absurd. Can't they just scan the damn bags like they do in the USA? I'm sure they have the equipment. Is this the same in SDQ? Do they open your bag in the check in line like in Santiago?
Click to expand...

Santiago is by far the worst,If 2 flights land at a similar time you might have to wait an hour and a half to get out of the airport.
 
J

johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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Don't disturb my condoms

Hint for travellers:
A couple of months ago when they said throw your bag up on the table-
I said "OK but don't mess up my condoms" or something close to that. Woman and man inspectors thought that was so funny they just re-zippered the bag without looking and said "Go"

JOHN
 
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El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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badpiece33 said:
Santiago is by far the worst,If 2 flights land at a similar time you might have to wait an hour and a half to get out of the airport.
Click to expand...

Yeah man. That is insane!!!

Back when Delta started in May of 2005 they used to depart at 6:20 a.m. and the first AA flight at 6 a.m. - IT WAS CHAOS!!! I remember waiting 40 minutes for my bags. It was so frustrating. Then what they did was they started to use different belts. The one in the middle was for the AA flight and the one that comes out of the wall was the Delta flight. Even this made it difficult because you had AA people standing on the Delta belt. NUTS I tell you. NUTS!!!
 
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heldengebroed

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Mar 9, 2005
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DR customs never had any problems with. My trick; making sure i'm next to an ignorant dutch couple and i awnser in spanish. Have a laugh about the stupid dutch and of i am. Worked untill now everytime.


Greetings

Johan
 
C

camuman

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Nov 9, 2006
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I stopped going back to DR for many years, every time I arrived, I was arrested, they were looking for this military man since the Trujillo era who had my first and last name, not the middle name and according to the officers looked like me. after 11 years of this I brought the matter to the immigration dept. at my brothers insistance and because he knew someone. it turned out This man was 30 years older and did not look anything like me.The moral of the story, Dont look at the passport upside down, people will know you cant read.
 
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Uzin

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Oct 26, 2005
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So may be can I ask you experienced travellers, how much should TIP for bringing my personal laptop (for my own use of course) through the POP customs (arriving on a charter flight from UK) ?


P.S. I hate these kinds of corruptions/extortions, I follow the rules and if I CAN bring/do something I want to be able to do it without the hassle (prefer rude to corrupt officer any time).
 
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laurapasinifan

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Sep 19, 2005
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Alex. I have gone through STI 15 times in the last 18 months...and I have never had my bag opened...just this last trip , a guy actually asked me to open my bag on a table before the pre screening x rays... and I pointed to the locks on my checked bags and shrugged my shoulders...he said you have the key...I pointed to the rental car my GF was still sitting in at the curb...and shrugged again...he said never mind and let me go.

I think its best to look irritated and not look anyone in the eye.....and they wont hassle you.....I have seen MAYBE one or twice...( i think) someone getting shaken down....but never once has it happened to me.....I move through STI fast...I have very little complaints of that airport.........

this last trp they didnt check my bags against my ticket to make sure they were mine....thats the first time they failed to check......at JFK they NEVER check.....

bob
 
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AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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I travel with my personal laptop almost every 2-3 months in/out of sti. Never a problem with the customs, even with electronic items inside. The last time I was taken in to investigation at the immigration because some immigration lady freaked out seing that I was born in pakistan. I got very offended and gave them a peice of my mind . They told me that american authorities have requested dom immigration to investigate anyone who seems middle eastern. I was let go with appology but I was quite upset. They were surprised to hear that I am never even questioned at JFK so why the USA authorities making a big deal with the domincians passport check points with the middle eastern folks?
Nevermind, I have never been shaken down at sti customs and never had any problems with security checks. If I am spared then chances are you white tourists have little to worry.
AZB
 
C

CFA123

Silver
May 29, 2004
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Uzin said:
So may be can I ask you experienced travellers, how much should TIP for bringing my personal laptop (for my own use of course) through the POP customs (arriving on a charter flight from UK) ?
Click to expand...

Nothing.
There's no need. If you have nothing in your bags to be concerned over, there's no need to 'tip'.
 
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laurapasinifan

Silver
Sep 19, 2005
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Uzin said:
Well, I know that, you know that, but do they know that ?! :pirate:
Click to expand...
if they want the TIP...they want it quietly.... they will look for someone who wont make waves......they dont want it obvious to everyone they are shaking you down......they only get aggressive when they have something on you....if they are only fishing...they back off quick I am sure....

I bet the airport personel and just lookign to get tidbits here and there....not like the custom inspectors for shipped goods...who have you by the family jewels.....because no one sees them shake you down.....

bob
 
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