Renewel of permanent residencia

Tor

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Jan 1, 2002
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My permanent residencia has expiered, and I have to renew.
I got an offer from a lawyer, that he could do it for me without me having
to go to Santo Domingo. I could just give him my expiered residencia card,
and I would get the new one in a couple of days.
This would cost me 450 $.
My question is, can it be done legaly this way ? Any experiences ?
 

Adrian Bye

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Jul 7, 2002
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don't use a lawyer.

just go yourself, pay the expedited renewal and it takes maybe 2 hours max. if you get there early you can get it even faster. this is one part of the dominican system which works well right now.
 

Tor

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Jan 1, 2002
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Yes, I know it's pretty easy to do myself, but it would be kind of convinient for me
to save the trip to Santo Domingo now, and I understand that the cost is arond 8000 pesos even if I do it myself.
So I' just wonder if it can be done legaly and properly without myself going to Santo Domingo ?
 

Adrian Bye

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Jul 7, 2002
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my understanding is that you have to go personally due to some requirements of photos, etc. if you do it with the lawyer he may be bypassing some step in the system which could lead to problems later.

you might be better to investigate renewal options in santiago or POP; i think there may be at least a santiago office now
 

Tor

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Jan 1, 2002
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Ok. Thanks.
I definitely don't go there with a lawyer. If I'm going to Santo Domingo, I fix it myself.
The offer I got from the lawyer was that he could fix it for me without me having to go there at all.
So the question is if somebody knows if it can be done legaly this way ?
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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So the question is if somebody knows if it can be done legaly this way ?

Yes it can be done but whether legal I'm not sure. I've never done it, I always go myself, but I have 2 long term expat friends who do this every 2 years. I started looking into it because, as I get older, the long day from PP to SD and back becomes less appealing. Have a look also for posts by Mike Fisher or PM him - I think he might have used his lawyer in this way.

Last rate I heard quoted was RD$12,000 about a year ago. The expat concerned commented that the lawyer had put her rates up considerably - she charged a lot less in the past. Renewal uses the same photo as on previous card - it's just like if you use a buddy who works in Migracion & let them have your card - they too will use previous photo.

So.........it can be done but as to legality see Dr. Guzman's post here
http://www.dr1.com/forums/legal/98119-renewing-permanent-residency-card.html#post810452

I still have to make the conceptual leap of handing my card to someone I don't know & letting it go out of my possession. I've only been here 17 years so my trust level needs...........developing :cheeky:.
 

Tor

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Jan 1, 2002
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re Lambada
Yes, I saw Dr. Guzmans post. In fact I used the Guzman office to get my residency. On my last trip for getting the Permanent residency, we wasn't at the immigration office at all. I just got the new residency card at the St. Domingo Guzman office, and then we went to the other office, where i got my new cedula.
So I think it's possible to do this legaly without personaly go to the immigration office, but I just want be sure.
 

billyidol

Banned
Feb 9, 2004
334
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My permanent residencia has expiered, and I have to renew.
I got an offer from a lawyer, that he could do it for me without me having
to go to Santo Domingo. I could just give him my expiered residencia card,
and I would get the new one in a couple of days.
This would cost me 450 $.
My question is, can it be done legaly this way ? Any experiences ?

having done alot of business in the DR with Lawyers, builders, and government officials my golden rule is this

'ALWAYS BE SUSPICIOUS OF THE QUICK AND EASY DEAL' OR THE 'JUST LEAVE IT WITH ME AND ILL TALK TO MY FRIEND... HE'' GET IT DONE FOR CHEAP' ROUTINE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BE CAREFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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If someone told you that they can do it for 450 RD (the original poster didn't say what the currency was), I would be suspicious that it would be legal.

Also, something new is that foreigners that have had legal residency in the DR for more than 10 years are now able to renew for 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 years and pay the applicable amount.

I think Tor meant US$450 but he can clarify that.

Is the 4-10 year renewal actually up and running yet? It wasn't the last time I renewed.
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
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I renewed in September, and there was only the standard 2ys renewal. and did have to take new pictures.

Also there is a charge per month when renewing past the expiration date. think was 250rd per month.
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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A notice stating the details was posted on the glass of the forms window.

OK thanks. I've checked Migracion website and there is no reference to extended periods of renewal, & no fees for such. I won't be going again until March 2011 so..........if anyone is renewing at Migracion before this and sees the notice newuser is referring to, please post the details here. I think a lot of people who will be living here in perpetuity would be interested in the longer term renewals, particularly north coast residents. We now know there is a notice; next we need to know what it says.

Many thanks.
 

Peter & Alex

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May 3, 2003
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Up to date info.... 15th December 2009

Seems like they lost all the digital photo files ... so you have to go in person & have new ones taken whether you DIY or get an agent to do it.
It's simple so DIY & you therefore don't have to pay anybody else!

Immigration on the Malecon opens doors at 8.00am BUT for Residency Renewals the small window on the left of the Immigration section does not open until 08.30am.

Go to the window, pay RD$ 100 for the form
Fill in the form and give it back to the same girl at the small window, then wait for her to decide when she will take the forms to an Immigration Officer for Authorisation. This is a bottleneck and can take 30 minutes to an hour.

Then you have to wait until she comes back with authorised form, so keep your eyes open for her return.

Once you have the form - go directly to window #2 and pay..... RD$ 2,500 for renewal of residency & RD$ 2,000 for VIP Service.

The girl there will give you receipt and a numbered ticket.

Then go sit down because you have to wait to be called - there is speaker system & they will call your ticket number (in Spanish) and tell you to go to Photo Office.

Go through the double doors into the office corridor and find the man on the left who will direct you to the photo room ..... one frontal & one profile picture.

Then go wait outside again ....... If you paid for VIP it shouldn't take long (we were 15 minutes waiting only) ...

BUT .. you must keep an eye on Window #9 and wait for the girl there to receive a pile of new Residencias - push to the front (hehehehehehe) and sign for your new card and Bingo, you're done.

Quite painless and simple except for the initial form authorisation which takes the longest time! We were done by 10.20am having got the application form only at 08.45am..

Have fun
 

Peter & Alex

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May 3, 2003
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The New Residencia Periods

There is a notice at the Immigration Office which indicates that you can renew your Residency for either 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 years

BUT ...... you have to have held a current Residencia for 10 years prior to being allowed to choose the next period your card will cover.

Costs are RD$ 2,500 for 2 years, RD$ 5,000 for 4 years, RD$ 7,500 for 6 years, RD$ 10,000 for 8 years and RD$ 12,500 for 10 years, all paid up front and for the period you have chosen....... we presume that you can add a one time payment of an additional RD$ 2,000 to avail yourself of the VIP Service? We didn't check but again assume that for 10 years therefore you would pay a total of RD$ 14,500 and get the card same day?

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of thinking goes on at the card printing stage so one would have to ensure that the card you paid for is correct and that they haven't simply 'cut & pasted' the previous applicants info and the normal 2 year expiry date!

Don't laugh..... over the years the wife has been issued with cards which expired before the date they were issued and for the last few times, despite holding a British Passport, she's Dutch on the Residencia & still is. Should we have tried to get that corrected? Why? That could cause a whole long delay in getting it put right and leaving & returning to the DR with the British/Dutch issue doesn't seem to have caused a problem!!!!!
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Thanks Peter & Alex. Did you actually renew for longer than 2 years? I can't recall if you've been resident 10 years or not. I know it would apply to me having had residencia since 1993, now I need to find someone who has actually done it..........and then I will believe it works in practice. :cheeky:
 

Peter & Alex

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May 3, 2003
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Long Term Renewals

Nope not this time --- and will probably miss it by a year next time?
I read from the notice that you have to have HELD a Residency Card for 10 years to be applicable for a longer term card. Most of us didn't do the first one until we'd been here a few months! Ours was December 2002.

As an afterthought to posting - I didn't notice any opportunity to apply for the longer term card period on the initial Renewal Application Form? (I should have asked the question I suppose, but the girl at the first window in the foyer is not particularly friendly or co-productive)!
 

Peter & Alex

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May 3, 2003
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New Residencia Periods

Sorry folks, tried to do a late edit to previous post but timed out....
the new Notice was dated 27th October 2009 and is posted on Window #4 in the main hall of the Immigration Offices.
 

granca

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Aug 20, 2007
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I renewed my Residencia yesterday at Migracion and can agree with what Peter & Alex quoted. The whole operation took from 8.45 to 10.30. I had to pay an extra RD$250 as I was nearly a month late renewing.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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That's good news about longer term. I've had residency for more than 20 years.