Exit Fees still being paid in cash

[Kricke87]

Here is the actual tourist card law from the government web site:

https://dgii.gov.do/sobreTarjetaTurista/Documents/ley199-67.pdf

Lol "a los nueve días del mes de mayo del año mil novecientos sesenta y seis" So this document is from 1966, almost 60 years ago. Wonder if it ever was modified? I mean " La tarjeta de turismo podrá adquirirse[...] al precio de RD$2.00 cada una."

The overstay fees are downright cheap IMO. I'm surprised the DR hasn't raised them when they see how much other countries are charging.

Agree, it's cheper to overstay 1 year than to go through the hazzle of paying for the residency, and there are literally NO perks, except for being able to get a valid license, but I've had mine now for 7 years and NEVER had to show it (except for my car's insurrance).
So I'm also surprised that DR government doesn't raise the "fees"/"fines", or whatever you want to call them or at least make it harder to live here "illegally"..

 

[cavok]

The Dominican Republic is a relatively cheap and hassle free travel destination.
I believe it is in this administration's best interest to keep it this way. In other words...
if it ain't broke, it don't need no fixing.

That does seem to be the attitude, at least for now, but over-stayers really don't have many good options if they are raised.

 

[Jan]

I was just wondering. I never paid the penalty. When I moved here 23 years ago one of the first things I did was get residency and always kept it up to date.

 

[Kricke87]

I was just wondering. I never paid the penalty. When I moved here 23 years ago one of the first things I did was get residency and always kept it up to date.

I had to do it once, because I wasn't allowed to renew my residency because my passport had less than 1 year left before it expired. So I had to pay the "fee" and then pay the penalty fee for an expired residency and cedula.
Kind of annoying, because I have to go back every 5 years to renew my passport (my son's passport is only valid for 3 years, because some genius idea the government of my country thought that the best way of making sure that there are fewer falsified passport from my country was to limit the time they are valid 😒)

 

[windeguy]

That's what I figured. People are complaining when, my opinion, the fees are reasonable. One doesn't follow the rules one must pay the price.

The rules would be reasonable if they were based in the laws of the country. Over stay fines for illegally overstaying a tourist card are not part of the laws.

 

[windeguy]

The Dominican Republic is a relatively cheap and hassle free travel destination.
I believe it is in this administration's best interest to keep it this way. In other words...
if it ain't broke, it don't need no fixing.

Of course, you might I have noticed. I disagree. VEHEMENTLY.

 

[windeguy]

I had to do it once, because I wasn't allowed to renew my residency because my passport had less than 1 year left before it expired. So I had to pay the "fee" and then pay the penalty fee for an expired residency and cedula.
Kind of annoying, because I have to go back every 5 years to renew my passport (my son's passport is only valid for 3 years, because some genius idea the government of my country thought that the best way of making sure that there are fewer falsified passport from my country was to limit the time they are valid 😒)

I became a naturalized citizen so I would not longer have to deal with the dull norms at Migracion.

 

[windeguy]

Lol "a los nueve días del mes de mayo del año mil novecientos sesenta y seis" So this document is from 1966, almost 60 years ago. Wonder if it ever was modified? I mean " La tarjeta de turismo podrá adquirirse[...] al precio de RD$2.00 cada una."


Agree, it's cheper to overstay 1 year than to go through the hazzle of paying for the residency, and there are literally NO perks, except for being able to get a valid license, but I've had mine now for 7 years and NEVER had to show it (except for my car's insurrance).
So I'm also surprised that DR government doesn't raise the "fees"/"fines", or whatever you want to call them or at least make it harder to live here "illegally"..

Simple: The modifications to the law were done "outside the law" when the PLD took over from what was then the White party which is today the PRM.
In other words the PLD ignored the laws created by the White party, created a 30 day tourist card and exit fines for overstaying them. All outside the actual laws. Their original exit fine list had this on the bottom:

Este pago no supone una prórroga que autorice al nacional extranjero a permanecer en el país.
Translated to English: This payment does not constitute an extension that authorizes the foreign national to remain in the country.

 

[windeguy]

Lol "a los nueve días del mes de mayo del año mil novecientos sesenta y seis" So this document is from 1966, almost 60 years ago. Wonder if it ever was modified? I mean " La tarjeta de turismo podrá adquirirse[...] al precio de RD$2.00 cada una."


Agree, it's cheper to overstay 1 year than to go through the hazzle of paying for the residency, and there are literally NO perks, except for being able to get a valid license, but I've had mine now for 7 years and NEVER had to show it (except for my car's insurrance).
So I'm also surprised that DR government doesn't raise the "fees"/"fines", or whatever you want to call them or at least make it harder to live here "illegally"..

Remarkable that you have not had to show your license at a traffic stop ever in 7 years of driving on an illegal one.
If I or my wife are stopped, they always ask for the license and insurance.

They don't need to increase the fines. They just need to enforce the actual laws that Migracion has on the books, which have no fines at all.

 

[Big]

Do other countries charge overstay fees or do they deny re-entry?

Thailand charges 500 baht a day for overstating, about 15 dollars U.S. If you were to stay over for a long term, say around 4 months, you would be banned from re-entry for several years.

 

[johne]

I have been seeing reports from people exiting various DR airports that people are still be allowed to pay exit fines for illegally overstaying a tourist card in cash.

I wonder how long they will be able to use cash? Some say forever....

Well you asked this question from Miss Planner...what was her expert opinion? She seems to agree with you on immigration matters that you are obsessed with.

 

[CristoRey]

Of course, you might I have noticed. I disagree. VEHEMENTLY.

Of course you do
I understand how bad it must make your blood boil knowing
how many hoops it sounds like you had to jump thru in order
to obtain your residency/ citizenship.
Me? I could careless who jumps thru the hoops as I am familiar
with the process and I will agree, life is tough in the big city some days.
Please try not to lose any sleep over
how other grown folks choose to live their lives.

 

[JD Jones]

Remarkable that you have not had to show your license at a traffic stop ever in 7 years of driving on an illegal one.
If I or my wife are stopped, they always ask for the license and insurance.

They don't need to increase the fines. They just need to enforce the actual laws that Migracion has on the books, which have no fines at all.

You guys get stopped??

 

[josh2203]

You guys get stopped??

I may now just jinx it, but I've driven all around the DR since 2009 and I have never been stopped. Once in a traffic light in POP while I was in fact waiting for green, AMET (back then it was AMET) came and asked to see the marbete (it was a rental, and they had it in the glove box, who knows why). I took it out showed them and they left without another word. No other documents nor anything else were asked.

 

[Gadfly]

Back to la tarifa, some people pay cash because they could and some people are told credit or debit only. The amount isn’t a factor. Go figure. I saw this live with my own two eyes last week.

 

[MariaRubia]

Lol "a los nueve días del mes de mayo del año mil novecientos sesenta y seis" So this document is from 1966, almost 60 years ago. Wonder if it ever was modified? I mean " La tarjeta de turismo podrá adquirirse[...] al precio de RD$2.00 cada una."


Agree, it's cheper to overstay 1 year than to go through the hazzle of paying for the residency, and there are literally NO perks, except for being able to get a valid license, but I've had mine now for 7 years and NEVER had to show it (except for my car's insurrance).
So I'm also surprised that DR government doesn't raise the "fees"/"fines", or whatever you want to call them or at least make it harder to live here "illegally"..

There are a lot of perks to residency. You can't work legally, nor run a business (including a vacation rental business such as AirBnB) without residency. You don't have access to local health insurance. Your driving license may be invalid after 3 months. If you have residency for investment / pension / renter then you get a 50% reduction on IPI and on property-related taxes. It's way harder to open a local bank account without residency. And so the list goes on and on and on. If you are serious about living here, integrating into society and not just having an extended vacation, then residency is pretty much essential. In my opinion.

 

[MariaRubia]

I may now just jinx it, but I've driven all around the DR since 2009 and I have never been stopped. Once in a traffic light in POP while I was in fact waiting for green, AMET (back then it was AMET) came and asked to see the marbete (it was a rental, and they had it in the glove box, who knows why). I took it out showed them and they left without another word. No other documents nor anything else were asked.

The issues will crop up if you're involved in an accident. Or in any type of crime. It all works nicely until it doesn't work, and that's usually the moment when the ca-ca hits the fan.

 

[windeguy]

There are a lot of perks to residency. You can't work legally, nor run a business (including a vacation rental business such as AirBnB) without residency. You don't have access to local health insurance. Your driving license may be invalid after 3 months. If you have residency for investment / pension / renter then you get a 50% reduction on IPI and on property-related taxes. It's way harder to open a local bank account without residency. And so the list goes on and on and on. If you are serious about living here, integrating into society and not just having an extended vacation, then residency is pretty much essential. In my opinion.

On the driver's license. I asked at INTRANT and validity is 30 days, not 3 months.

Many people like the current option of being illegal for as long as they want and just paying the fine when they leave.
Not all of them would qualify for residency and some whine it just is too hard for them to get residency.
The government doesn't care about it, with much bigger fish to fry like more AI resorts, more cruise ships, and the Haitian situation.
They can't even make the rule stick that the fines have to be paid with plastic.

 

[Father Guido]

You should ask your government about that. Also ask them about the progress of the longer stay visa and the simplification of the residency process. I would be happy to use one of those when available.

Btw your topic header is wrong, these are not “exit fees” but “illegal overstay fines”.

a few years back I was paying what I called the 'overstay' fine and the person in front of me didn't have enough money to pay his fine, I thought they would have just put his name in the system and thrown him out of the country and told him never to come back, but they wouldn't let him exit the country, so I guess it is an 'exit' fee

 

[drstock]

I was just wondering. I never paid the penalty. When I moved here 23 years ago one of the first things I did was get residency and always kept it up to date.

It was a hell of a lot easier 23 years ago than it is now. I know several people who have tried but given up because they found it practically impossible.