Fantastic and as soon as we have a link I can call all the people I know that go down for the winter and tell them the happy news.
Perhaps a Mod can contact Lorenzo directly.
LORENZO SANCASSANI- VICE MINISTRO DE TURISMO ~ SY.com
- Thread starter DR_Guy
- Start date
90 Day Tourist Visa
Perhaps a Mod can contact Lorenzo directly.
LORENZO SANCASSANI- VICE MINISTRO DE TURISMO ~ SY.com
The official announcement for this extended tourist option was not supposed to be made public until mid to late summer, and technically it has not yet been officially announced.. As DrSix pointed out early on in this thread that there are still numerous ancillary details that need to be finalized before the program can be considered workable and complete.
1) Can tourists drive on their foreign licenses for only 90 days or will the law be changed to allow 180 days
2) The technical infrastructure needs to be put in place and training done for staff at the offices where these tourist cards may be extended.
3) and many more details
I'm surprised that the Minister was so open when speaking with someone whom he should have known was going to publish the conversation.
Since none of this is yet appearing in the press, I expect the Govt. will stick to its original schedule. You were told this "snowbird option" was coming, now you just have to be patient and wait for the details to be fleshed out.
At this point it is only some guy named Leon talking, not the Govt.
Regardless, this new extended tourist option will not convey permission to operate a bank account in the DR, purchase health insurance beyond 180 days or some maximum amount of benefit, to register an automobile or otherwise engage in activities that are considered the exclusive purvue of bonafide foreign residents. it is merely a means for those wishing to be here for longer than 30 days to do so up to a maximum of 180 days when they then must leave.
1) Can tourists drive on their foreign licenses for only 90 days or will the law be changed to allow 180 days
2) The technical infrastructure needs to be put in place and training done for staff at the offices where these tourist cards may be extended.
3) and many more details
I'm surprised that the Minister was so open when speaking with someone whom he should have known was going to publish the conversation.
Since none of this is yet appearing in the press, I expect the Govt. will stick to its original schedule. You were told this "snowbird option" was coming, now you just have to be patient and wait for the details to be fleshed out.
At this point it is only some guy named Leon talking, not the Govt.
Regardless, this new extended tourist option will not convey permission to operate a bank account in the DR, purchase health insurance beyond 180 days or some maximum amount of benefit, to register an automobile or otherwise engage in activities that are considered the exclusive purvue of bonafide foreign residents. it is merely a means for those wishing to be here for longer than 30 days to do so up to a maximum of 180 days when they then must leave.
hopefully, the arriving tourist will be offered a 90 day visit or a 180 day visit.
why have a renewal if the tourist has a schedule?
with no schedule, certainly - go for an extension.
is that too easy ??
why have a renewal if the tourist has a schedule?
with no schedule, certainly - go for an extension.
is that too easy ??
tourist visa
so i came here late night lil private plane 6 weeks ago didnt fill out a tourist card but got into contry easy
so what ido?
if i need tofly out i dont even have a tourist card just a stamp in my PP
and can i apply for a longer stay?
i dont get all this different info. everyone says something different
i guess i just stay and see whats happening and when i have time and money go to Europe and get my application visa for a residency?
or has that changed? can i do it from here??
thx for info
so i came here late night lil private plane 6 weeks ago didnt fill out a tourist card but got into contry easy
so what ido?
if i need tofly out i dont even have a tourist card just a stamp in my PP
and can i apply for a longer stay?
i dont get all this different info. everyone says something different
i guess i just stay and see whats happening and when i have time and money go to Europe and get my application visa for a residency?
or has that changed? can i do it from here??
thx for info
WW,
We are going to have to wait and see. There is still a lot of discussion surrounding health insurance for tourists. The current thinking is that foreigners who intend to be in the country for 180 days will be required to prove insurance coverage for that period of time. Not particularly fair if the 90 day'ers don't have to do the same so do not be surprised if there is a health insurance component.
These issues will not be clarified next week or the week after, but eventually and certainly in time for the next tourist season and rejigged as circumstances warrant in the future.
We are going to have to wait and see. There is still a lot of discussion surrounding health insurance for tourists. The current thinking is that foreigners who intend to be in the country for 180 days will be required to prove insurance coverage for that period of time. Not particularly fair if the 90 day'ers don't have to do the same so do not be surprised if there is a health insurance component.
These issues will not be clarified next week or the week after, but eventually and certainly in time for the next tourist season and rejigged as circumstances warrant in the future.
The tourist card is only good for 30 days. If you plan to live in the DR yes you will have to go back to your home country and start the residency visa. As we know it right now when you leave you will have to pay the overstay fee depending how much longer you are there. They will go by your stamped passport.
Owning a car, boat, house or even opening a bank account has nothing to do with being a bonafide resident at this time. I doubt this will change. All you need is a passport.
Tomorrow was two days ago, and as was pointed out elsewhere, the right hand still doesn't know what the left is doing. Would love some real news on this.....((sighs))
I know plenty of people on tourist visas, including myself, who have bank accounts, annual health insurance and registered automobiles.
be sure to read Mike Fisher's warning about health coverage....max 100,000 pesos for visitors (non-residents)
That's they way it was. That's not going to be the way it will be forever.
In due course after the regularization plan finishes up, the the buses are rolling, the snowbird visa is implemented and the exit fines are increased again, you'll see the changes at the bank and the other measures put in place to support the new immigration stand that the DR is taking. It is a very well throughout plan to move the DR from where it has been for a very long time to the new reality that the country is expected to maintain.
I don't believe for a moment that all of these changes represent homegrown planning or initiatives. Yet all are designed to support and reinforce the recently implemented changes in policy to clearly delineate tourists from residents. Tourists don't open bank accounts, tourists don't register vehicles, tourists don't buy property. Those people who do in the future, will not be viewed or treated as tourists.
The multi-year immigration plan for change and modernization is well documented and clearly spells out where the Govt would like to be (or was told to be) at the end of the process. The link to that plan is in a posted somewhere on this site.
The sentiments expressed by some clearly show that they felt that a computerized immigration system would fail. Some insisted that no one will ever be deported. Some stated that the DR Govt can't tie their own shoes. Slowly these people should be coming to the conclusion that their stated position is not quite reflective of the actual reality. Those who wish to maintain similar doubts about any other aspect of the planned changes may also in time come to see that they have been mistaken. There is a difference between skepticism and denial. The former may be prudent, the later in the face of mounting information to the contrary is dangerous.
I'm not making this stuff up. Some of these things are already happening on a limited scale. Some on this site have already told us that they have been asked for a cedula by their bank. More and more will be asked in the months to come. Over time it will become increasing difficult to live and conduct your affairs in this country without a cedula. If one is happy with a pay as you go cell phone plan, great, a passport is probably all you'll need until the Govt asks Claro for a list of all foreigner held cellphones that have been active continuously for longer than 180 days. If you decide you want the minimum 18 month contract for fiber internet, you may not make out quite so well as without a cedula you aren't supposed to be here for and able to satisfy an 18 month contract. I'm not sure Claro will buy the argument that you leave and return every 180 days. If someone without a cedula wishes to purchase a vehicle and register it in their own name, at some point that will no longer be possible even though it is allowed today.
Just wait and watch. The exit fines are going up again after the extended tourist card announcement and before the next tourist season begins. At regular intervals change after change will appear that modifies the way things were to the way things will be.
No one is saying we'll see these changes happen tomorrow, this month or next month. We will see some of them enacted before the end of the year and eventually even the most stalwart holdouts will have to begin to admit, "the good old days are over" and anything and everything that was, may not be for much longer.
i came and also went out by private plane (and boats) often, always from the private flights section at the Punta Cana Airport, can't comment on other airports.
they always run the same procedures as they do for commercial flights, just more compfy. the pilot takes everybody's(always just 1-4 passengers/family total)passports and residency cards and hands them over to a friendly Immigrations representative. they take their 3-10 minutes with the documents in their office, while we wait in a comfy seating area beeing offered drinks and snacks.
the "tourist card" fee is for arrivals in private vehicles(plane and boats alike) included in the fee they get per person. it is btw not the same fees as on commercial flights, passengers of private planes and private boats pay Double, $20.- pP on entry and $40.-pP on exit.
anyways, you can afford to travel around the caribbean by private plane, well, i would guess you can afford to pay for your paper work and a lawyer, in case you want to stay and get residency or such.
Mike
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and that's on the ARS Platimum Plan, 60K per year to pay for it and finally just a max coverage of 100K.
well, each can do his own math, lol.
received note from my insurance yesterday(the darn not is dated back june 8th), all who are not real employees of mine will be kicked out of the insurance within 60 days(starting june 8th date).
the reason:
the government obliges the Insurers now to provide full data of those insured "Employees", to assure that at TSS all is registered and paid for properly to the social security plans.
sure such insured persons are not registered/paying to the social security plans, so by my own understanding of the memo, no more insurance of that kind.
the ones with a cedula can start their own private insurance contract in their name, with the same insurer, but those are significantly more expensive.
and the requirements are different. for such private/not affiliated with a company individuum prepayment of 3 months(some plans 6 months) is required, plus a valid credit card attached to the contract/insurance.
for the ones without a cedula, i can't tell, they need to find their own way to keep/get their insurance. i did favours, but have no interest to get hassles due such.
Mike
naaaa,
every foreigner with a vaild passport can legally purchase/activate a prepaid cellphone.
tourists do such, only here in punta cana, by the dozens on daily bases.
and many of them are returning visitors, some visit several times per year, over many years. they usually keep their prepaid plan and to prevent it to expire, they simply reload their cellphone SIM online to keep the phonenumber active.
i have a number of canadian friends who do exactly that, they reload their prepaid SIMS online from back home in Canada, so the SIM's do not expire prior to their next arrival.
but basically right,
some things needed(comfy) for daily LIVING in the country, are not necessary for a Tourist, so they MAY get made more difficult or impossible to obtain by a tourist.
like a bank account, car insurance, health insurance, children subscribed in school, receive medical assistance at a public hospita(butcher's place) etc.
for now, they wanna get rid of a number of haitian illegals and they will do so with a good portion of it.
Snowbirds will get their solution presented during this summer/prior to the winter's start, they anyways bring their own travel insurance for health thingies, i await that their foreign driver's licenses will stay valid for the extended time frame of their tourist visa, as tourists they do not need to purchase and insure a vehicle(yes, i know, some come every winter for many months and have their own car parked here, one neighbour of mine has his own Jeepeta here since years, insured and used by the DR-Chula when he is out of country), they do not need a bank account, they will be very fine as usual.
Mike
What a CROCK of Crap.. You are the Canadian Pichardo posting unsubstantiated nonsense.. Where do you get off.. This passive aggressive nonsense of yours has no merit and NO facts... Sheesh.. what a....