Chat with an immigration officer about tourist visas and overstaying

[zoomzx11]

Let it go bro..

Where should it go? Should people ignore what could happen? I know full well it doesn't happen, since nobody can prove there are ever any problems with being illegally in the DR or driving illegally.

work around is to have a Dominican driver.
Safe from the horrors of the DR justice system in the event of an accident.
When we are stopped I am just the gringo passenger who does not speak Spanish.

I just wish my wife was not so generous in her hand out to the cops.
My street ends at a busy intersection and there is often a cop directing traffic.
Whenever he sees my wife's car he instantly stops traffic and lets her in.
I thought he was just being nice until one day I mentioned it to her and found out her was on her payroll.
That's how it works here and that is one thing that will not change.
So long as I stay married to her I could live here forever and she is a pretty good driver.

 

[william webster]

I couldn’t say

 

[william webster]

work around is to have a Dominican driver.
Safe from the horrors of the DR justice system in the event of an accident.
When we are stopped I am just the gringo passenger who does not speak Spanish.

I just wish my wife was not so generous in her hand out to the cops.
My street ends at a busy intersection and there is often a cop directing traffic.
Whenever he sees my wife's car he instantly stops traffic and lets her in.
I thought he was just being nice until one day I mentioned it to her and found out her was on her payroll.
That's how it works here and that is one thing that will not change.

Great idea

Good style , pay for play

 

[JD Jones]

work around is to have a Dominican driver.
Safe from the horrors of the DR justice system in the event of an accident.
When we are stopped I am just the gringo passenger who does not speak Spanish.

I just wish my wife was not so generous in her hand out to the cops.
My street ends at a busy intersection and there is often a cop directing traffic.
Whenever he sees my wife's car he instantly stops traffic and lets her in.
I thought he was just being nice until one day I mentioned it to her and found out her was on her payroll.
That's how it works here and that is one thing that will not change.
So long as I stay married to her I could live here forever and she is a pretty good driver.

Win/win. lol

 

[windeguy]

work around is to have a Dominican driver.
Safe from the horrors of the DR justice system in the event of an accident.
When we are stopped I am just the gringo passenger who does not speak Spanish.

I just wish my wife was not so generous in her hand out to the cops.
My street ends at a busy intersection and there is often a cop directing traffic.
Whenever he sees my wife's car he instantly stops traffic and lets her in.
I thought he was just being nice until one day I mentioned it to her and found out her was on her payroll.
That's how it works here and that is one thing that will not change.
So long as I stay married to her I could live here forever and she is a pretty good driver.

How many people here are going to have a Dominican drive them around when they live here full time?
Or are just snowbirds that stay the winters here and go back home for the rest of the years?
(There are two Dominican drivers in my house. Myself and my wife.)

But my situation and yours are far from the norm of expat singles and couples that live here and overstay.
We all know there are no ramifications for those people driving on foreign licenses for as long as they care to do so.
It can be many years and they never have a problem. If the 90 day law limiting driving on a foreign license is not enforced and
insurance companies don't care either, it doesn't exist as a problem.

 

[AlterEgo]

As I understand it, a foreigner with no legal status in DR might have an issue. What about a Dominican who lives abroad most if the year and drives over 90 days with a foreign license in DR? I presume no problem.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

People complain about the so called’money grab’ but do nothing about changing their status to avoid it

Personally, I don’t think it adds up to much of a ‘grab’ but maybe my parameters are different

Idk, there you go again. Please try and pardon the pests. They don't mean any harm. Interesting note that the "money grab" is what makes this place easy to live in. Nothing like 500 pesos to make a headache go away Uncle W! Let them grab all they want.

That said just got back from Super Garcia. My cafe Bustelo is now 430 for a 10oz can? Was 350 ten days ago. A small peter pan peanut butter 340, was 250 in Janet's. And the most shocking, Campo Frío turkey breast (which is Induveca), 530/pound! Where's the money grab now? Beside myself.

 

[SKY]

As I understand it, a foreigner with no legal status in DR might have an issue. What about a Dominican who lives abroad most if the year and drives over 90 days with a foreign license in DR? I presume no problem.

You presume right. I can personally attest to that....................

 

[D'Arcy (Apostropheman)]

How many people here are going to have a Dominican drive them around when they live here full time?
Or are just snowbirds that stay the winters here and go back home for the rest of the years?
(There are two Dominican drivers in my house. Myself and my wife.)

But my situation and yours are far from the norm of expat singles and couples that live here and overstay.
We all know there are no ramifications for those people driving on foreign licenses for as long as they care to do so.
It can be many years and they never have a problem. If the 90 day law limiting driving on a foreign license is not enforced and
insurance companies don't care either, it doesn't exist as a problem.

Somebody stop him! LOL

 

[Britboy]

Can the overstay fee be paid online? And if so where.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

Can the overstay fee be paid online? And if so where.

no. only at the airport

 

[RDKNIGHT]

my ex was a immigration officer.. she told me they use to laugh at the folks who paid the over stay fee...welcome them with open arms to pay it....her thinking was its a lot of money.

 

[windeguy]

my ex was a immigration officer.. she told me they use to laugh at the folks who paid the over stay fee...welcome them with open arms to pay it....her thinking was its a lot of money.

Why exactly did she laugh at them? Where they not simply taking advantage of the system that lets them stay forever and ever with no problems and the laugh was really on Migracion?

 

[JD Jones]

my ex was a immigration officer.. she told me they use to laugh at the folks who paid the over stay fee...welcome them with open arms to pay it....her thinking was its a lot of money.

Ah... memories.. I had a GF who worked for immigration. Her name was Gypsy. Now there's a common Dominican name.

 

[MerengueDutchie]

Thanks to those who replied to my questions. It seems nothing has changed from my previous visits to my knowledge. Except that the level of insurance has gone up to 10Mio DR$.

 

[AlaPlaya]

Can the overstay fee be paid online? And if so where.

If you request the tourist card extension, you can pay online after they send you the approval letter. Although there have been some reports of it not showing up as paid on Migracion's system at the airport.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

Why exactly did she laugh at them? Where they not simply taking advantage of the system that lets them stay forever and ever with no problems and the laugh was really on Migracion?

they laughed because they couldn't understand why people didn't get the residency. and thought the people who paid overstay fees are suckers or stupid... here everything is about money you know that My windy.

 

[Big]

Yes that's correct. If you are on a tourist card and you have been here for more than 90 days, you have no insurance. I did check this carefully for a car rental for a friend, the rental company said that there would be insurance no problem, but then when I said "what if they have an accident and kill someone" I got the "ay si, habra un bobo" type of response. It's bad enough if any gringo is involved in an accident, but things would be a whole lot worse if your driving licence was not valid and therefore you had no insurance.

if you get in an accident and kill someone in any country you are in for problems

 

[Bucketowater47]

If you request the tourist card extension, you can pay online after they send you the approval letter. Although there have been some reports of it not showing up as paid on Migracion's system at the airport.

This is my question. When you get the approval online, you can download the letter BEFORE paying. Then you can pay using the online system set up. But the letter doesn't have "PAID" stamped on it. How in the world would you PROVE that you did pay? I've only seen someone who has already paid enter the website again, with their credentials and push the PAY button.. at that point there is and ERROR message that says the account is paid.

Hope that's helpful.

 

[windeguy]

they laughed because they couldn't understand why people didn't get the residency. and thought the people who paid overstay fees are suckers or stupid... here everything is about money you know that My windy.

But this thread is full of people who realize getting residency is too expensive so just pay the exit fines since residency is not needed and that ends up being cheaper in the long wrong. Residency is never actually needed no matter how long you stay or drive....