Driving licences and insurance

Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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I have a Dominican driving licence but many of my friends have been driving on their UK licences for one, two or more years. You should only drive on a UK licence outside of the UK for 3 months and some people say that anyone who goes beyond the 3 months is now driving on an invalid licence and therefore their insurance is invalid and wont pay out in the case of a claim.
I have raised this with two, well respected, insurance offices here in Sosua and they both SAY that the insurance WILL pay out but I was wondering if anyone had any FIRST HAND experience in this area.
If this topic has been raised before perhaps someone could just point me in the direction of the thread!
 
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Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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What about an international drivers license? They are valid for one year.

They are worthless.

Bottom line.

If your going to be here for more than 90 days, you better get insurance, as you might just get a nasty shock in the event of an accident.
 

Black Dog

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Thanks Robert, all of the people I'm talking about have insurance but is the insurance valid? You can't get a Dominican Licence until you have your permanent residency so you're looking at 18 months minimum!
 

alicious

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Good question...
So as a Canadian with a valid license (the International one really doesn't help anything at all????) I can drive for 90 days, but if I purchase a vehicle there...how do I get insurance and/or a temporary license without residency?
I will have a work visa....does that help?
 

Black Dog

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I must admit that I drove here on my UK licence for over 3 years and never had a problem with the police when they wanted to see my licence but it is the insurance issue that is the big worry. I would love to know of anyone that has had to claim under these circumstances!
 

BushBaby

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You both bring up what seems to be a gap in the system. International licenses are useless here. But you cannot get a DR license until you are a resident. What is the way around the 90 day issue?
ONE way is to trade in your country of origin driving licence to a DR driving licence. You can then (hoping the relevent Consular & Embassy officials don't read this :pirate: ;) ) apply for a NEW/replacement licence from your home country saying that the original has been stolen/lost/mislaid!!! ~ Grahame.
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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Re obtaining Dominican driving licence. Residency is required, yes, but temporary is fine, i.e. first year before getting permanent. That is what we did in that we got our first year residency then applied for our driving licences. Those from the UK are fortunate in that the Embassy will confirm the vailidity of the UK licence and therefore, apart from the eye test and blood sample whereby blood group is included on licence, we are able to avoid the test - not that it is difficult, I understand!
 

sicknote

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Jun 9, 2009
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how

but how do i trade it in and where do i go to,,,,,,,,,how much does it cost and how long does it take
 

Black Dog

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If you trade in a UK licence for a DR one, could you hire a car in the UK when you visit on a dominican licence?
 

alicious

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ONE way is to trade in your country of origin driving licence to a DR driving licence. You can then (hoping the relevent Consular & Embassy officials don't read this :pirate: ;) ) apply for a NEW/replacement licence from your home country saying that the original has been stolen/lost/mislaid!!! ~ Grahame.

That sounds like a great idea...does it actually work?

They don't cancel your driver's license with your home country when you "trade" it in??
 

Don Pedro

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Apr 2, 2005
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I must admit that I drove here on my UK licence for over 3 years and never had a problem with the police when they wanted to see my licence
3 years and the country and you did not learn , police doesnot care about your licence, (often they are not able to read a paper), they just make an evaluation of how much money they can take you off when they have your document in their hands.
 

sicknote

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licence

you can get a spare uk licence in the uk online if you say it is lost and it costs ?22 .00,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so i can trade one in and still keep one (i have 2 ),,,,,,,,,,but where and how do i trade it in without a residency,,,,,i appreciate that the police aint interested in your licence but its the insurance that could be the problem
 
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Black Dog

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I've been here 5 years now and have never been asked for a penny by the police when theyv'e stopped me. Every christmas I take a case of beer and a bottle of rum to the AMET for their party though!
 

Lambada

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Most European Embassies will validate your licence from your country of origin, so you can apply for your Dominican driving licence on the basis of that validation and you can do it, as whirleybird said, when you have your temporary residency. It means you still keep your licence from your country of origin. The only Embassy which doesn't vaidate country of origin licences, as far as I'm aware, is the US.

If you trade in a UK licence for a DR one, could you hire a car in the UK when you visit on a dominican licence?

You could, yes, but you wouldn't qualify for 'expat rates' which some UK car hire companies offer ;). But you're not 'giving up' your UK licence when you use it for validation purposes in order to get a Dominican driving licence, so there wouldn't be any reason not to use your UK licence when visiting UK. And no need to get a 'spare' UK licence!

sicknote, you have to have started the process of getting residency & have a cedula number, in order to get a Dominican licence. No legal way around that. And I would NOT recommend the possible illegal ways round it - that would be doomed to disaster, long term scamming etc etc.
 

sicknote

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thanks for that ,,,ive heard about some of the dodgy ones,,,,,,,,dont wanna go down that route,,,,,,,,,i just want to be confident have insurance cover should i need it,,,,,
 

Armina

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I have a US license, live in Puerto Plata part-time, have never gotten a DR license, but do stay in the DR longer than 3 months (not much longer). I have residency and a cedula.
Where do I go to apply for a DR license and what is involved? could someone tell me, is it a big hassle?
 

Lambada

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I have a US license, live in Puerto Plata part-time, have never gotten a DR license, but do stay in the DR longer than 3 months (not much longer). I have residency and a cedula.
Where do I go to apply for a DR license and what is involved? could someone tell me, is it a big hassle?

Transporte Terrestre near baseball stadium (Obras Publicas building). Have a search for previous threads describing documentation required, I know this has been written about before.