First Time DR Passport Renewal at Foreign Consulate For Naturalized Citizen

[Alltimegreat]

Have any naturalized DR citizens here renewed their DR passport at a foreign consulate or embassy recently?

I would like to know how the process usually works, and whether I will need to present any documents other than the original passport, cédula, naturalization certificate, and a passport photo. Unfortunately, the consulate has not been very responsive thus far in answering some very basic questions of mine.

My understanding is that DR passports can be renewed within one year of expiration, and are renewable for a period of 6 years (or 10 years for an added fee). This will be my first renewal.

Any insight would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[PICHARDO]

Pretty much just as you listed. That’s all you’ll need.
It’s less expensive and faster (nowadays) to renew in the consulates abroad than in the DR itself.

Here they’ll as you to legalize this, stamp that, etc…
There, only what you have on the list.

 

[Alltimegreat]

Thanks. That's extremely helpful.

Do you recall how long the processing takes?

Also, did you have to surrender your old passport before the processing or only once the new passport was ready for pick-up?

 

[Eugene_A]

You don't surrender your old passport, you keep it. I have three of them, they just put Cancelado stamp in them.

Renewing a passport for naturalized citizen is a pain in the ass now in DR, because they don't renew it right away like before, they check all your documents that JCE has, and they ask for the fresh copy of your naturalization certificate from Ministerio de Interior y Policia... so if JCE already has all your documents in their system, it takes about 20 days to renew it. But sometimes you have to visit your Civil Registry office in person and ask them to find your documents in their books and scan and upload them to the new system for JCE, especially if you were naturalized long time ago.

If you renew it in a consulate abroad, I doubt that you can skip those steps and waiting time. In the best case scenario, if you were naturalized in last 6 years (if that's your first renewal) and all your documents are already in their electronic system, anyway they require a new certificate from MIP.

In general, Dominican consulates don't make decisions on their own. If somebody comes for DR visa, they just forward all documents to Migracion and wait for their approval. If you come for passport renewal, they forward your documents to Direccion General de Pasaportes and wait for their answer.

 

[SKY]

I have renewed mine 3 times. If you stay away from SD and go elsewhere all you need are your old one, your cedula and the fee paid at BR. Last one I renewed in San Pedro.a cinch.

 

[Alltimegreat]

OK, thanks for the heads-up on the fresh copy of the naturalization certificate. I actually obtained one of these about 16 months ago just to make sure everything was still in order. Do you think that would qualify as recent enough?

 

[Eugene_A]

OK, thanks for the heads-up on the fresh copy of the naturalization certificate. I actually obtained one of these about 16 months ago just to make sure everything was still in order. Do you think that would qualify as recent enough?

Personally I think it would work, but you never know so you better just call the exact consulate where you plan to renew it and ask them.

 

[Eugene_A]

I have renewed mine 3 times. If you stay away from SD and go elsewhere all you need are your old one, your cedula and the fee paid at BR. Last one I renewed in San Pedro.a cinch.

This is exactly where the Consulate will send his application to, Santo Domingo's Direccion General de Pasaportes. When did you renew yours last time? If in 2018 or before, then you did not do it under new rules for naturalized citizens, that's started in 2019.

 

[SKY]

This only applies to the first renewal now.

 

[Eugene_A]

This only applies to the first renewal now.

What exactly applies? And NOW is since then? I renewed mine in 2018 like usual. My friend went to renew his in 2019, it was his 4th renewal, he was surprised that rules has changed, that now they check all his document history from JCE, and his file in JCE's new system was missing those documents. So he had to go to his local civil registry office, make them find his original naturalization documents in their books, scan them and upload to JCE, take a new copy of his naturalization certificate from MIP, then wait until JCE have their documents ready in their system so DGP can pull them from there to review and check.... took 2 months for him to renew. When I was there in 2020, after they reopened after Covid, to get a passport for my wife (naturalized too), I asked them about what's needed to renew next time for me. They said the process is the same like it was for my friend last time, gave me the paper with the requirements, I went to my civil registry office to ask if my documents are scanned and uploaded to the new system, and they were NOT. So they asked me to wait, found them, scanned them and uploaded them, so next time when I have to renew my passport the only thing I will need is a new copy of the naturalization certificate.

All this happens because many people were 'naturalized' irregular way, so now they don't renew any naturalized person's passport until they check all his naturalization documents and history. For those who were naturalized recently, all documents are already in the system, so it takes 20 days more or less. For those who were naturalized long time ago, it make take a couple of months and personal visit to the local civil registry office may be required.

 

[bob saunders]

What exactly applies? And NOW is since then? I renewed mine in 2018 like usual. My friend went to renew his in 2019, it was his 4th renewal, he was surprised that rules has changed, that now they check all his document history from JCE, and his file in JCE's new system was missing those documents. So he had to go to his local civil registry office, make them find his original naturalization documents in their books, scan them and upload to JCE, take a new copy of his naturalization certificate from MIP, then wait until JCE have their documents ready in their system so DGP can pull them from there to review and check.... took 2 months for him to renew. When I was there in 2020, after they reopened after Covid, to get a passport for my wife (naturalized too), I asked them about what's needed to renew next time for me. They said the process is the same like it was for my friend last time, gave me the paper with the requirements, I went to my civil registry office to ask if my documents are scanned and uploaded to the new system, and they were NOT. So they asked me to wait, found them, scanned them and uploaded them, so next time when I have to renew my passport the only thing I will need is a new copy of the naturalization certificate.

All this happens because many people were 'naturalized' irregular way, so now they don't renew any naturalized person's passport until they check all his naturalization documents and history. For those who were naturalized recently, all documents are already in the system, so it takes 20 days more or less. For those who were naturalized long time ago, it make take a couple of months and personal visit to the local civil registry office may be required.io

I still have a year to renewal so I guess I will see what happens. When I did my initial passport I gave them everything they asked and then I had to make a return trip and go to the junta in Santo Domingo and get the rest of my file, which I assume they uploaded. The lawyer at the passport office said it was the police that asked for the extra document ( which they could see on the computer but didn't have rights to download) So three trips to Santo Domingo for a passport.

 

[william webster]

I see no point in carrying an RD passport other than being able to scan on entry and avoid the line

 

[Eugene_A]

The bottom line, passport renewals for naturalized citizens is a pain in the ass now, no matter in what office, consulate, etc you start the process, because they will not renew it until they review all documents from JCE and MIP, and they do it in their central office, and it will take at least 20 days if all your documents are already in the system.

I see no point in carrying an RD passport other than being able to scan on entry and avoid the line

If you live in DR permanently, it's better to be a Dominican citizen (there are many reasons for that). If you are a Dominican citizen, you need a Dominican passport when you travel, because you have to go thru Migracion at the airport with your Dominican passport if you are a Dominican Citizen, even if you have another passport.

On top of that, not everybody here is a US citizen. And many travel to US using Dominican passport and US visa in it.

So if there's no point for you, there's still a point for many others.

 

[bob saunders]

I see no point in carrying an RD passport other than being able to scan on entry and avoid the line

Well, if you go to Colombia and are Canadian it will cost you 85 dollars American, if you use your Dominican passport its free. A number of south american countries charge less for Visas if using a Dominican Passport. There is a couple of reasons that I got it.

 

[Alltimegreat]

I understand that passport renewal applicants have the option of the new passport being valid for 10 years for an added fee (otherwise it's only 6 years). Is this really the case, and is it simply a matter of asking for the 10-year validity?

Also, do the new DR passports contain a biometric chip? It seems like the DR was still not using the chips as of fairly recently.

 

[Eugene_A]

I understand that passport renewal applicants have the option of the new passport being valid for 10 years for an added fee (otherwise it's only 6 years). Is this really the case, and is it simply a matter of asking for the 10-year validity?

Also, do the new DR passports contain a biometric chip? It seems like the DR was still not using the chips as of fairly recently.

Yes, there's an option for 10 years for an additional fee, but they don't ask you if you want it so you have to ask them.

Regarding biometric chips. They changed the passport book in 2018, but the chip was not implemented. Then they changed it again in a year, promised it to be biometric, 2020 passports look different but no chip again. Recently there were some articles about new biometric passports again, as I understand they changed the passport book design again in 2021, but is there a chip? I doubt it but maybe somebody who got his passport recently can say something.

 

[Alltimegreat]

Great. Very helpful info in this thread.

One thing I forgot to ask is about the passport photos. Are there any differences between the DR and US requirements for the photos (dimensions, face position, etc.)?

 

[william webster]

Eugene
I am a DR citizen and live here

I travel on my Cdn Passport.... in/out of here w/o a problem

I have never heard of the use a DR passport rule -- USA = Yes.... the law

My citizenship pops up when they scan me... and I have my cedula to support it

Ooops = sorry... Sin Bin Eugene....

 

[Eugene_A]

Eugene
I am a DR citizen and live here

I travel on my Cdn Passport.... in/out of here w/o a problem

I have never heard of the use a DR passport rule -- USA = Yes.... the law

My citizenship pops up when they scan me... and I have my cedula to support it

Ooops = sorry... Sin Bin Eugene....

If you never heard about something, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. And as this is DR, that doesn't mean that the law is enforced. But, it exists and they may start enforcing it someday. And the law says the following: 'If a person holds a Dominican citizenship and another citizenship, he/she must process with the Dominican passport when entering/exiting DR, with the exception for Dominican women who obtained another citizenship by marrying a foreigner.' Don't ask me what's the point in that, especially the exception, but that law exists.

 

[Eugene_A]

Great. Very helpful info in this thread.

One thing I forgot to ask is about the passport photos. Are there any differences between the DR and US requirements for the photos (dimensions, face position, etc.)?

In Santo Domingo they don't allow you to bring your photos anymore, they take it right there, so now there's no more option to bring a nice photo to them, and they always take your picture the way you look as ugly as possible LOL.