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RDKNIGHT

Bronze
Mar 13, 2017
3,122
1,731
113
I am not confirmed in my thinking and thoughts as my vision of living there with a native has been destroyed.therefore I have no wish at the moment to live there as a single woman.
if I did move there I would like to do volunteer work . I am retired from my profession and no longer wish to work in that field. So , only the future will tell …..
are your related to el Rey
 

RDKNIGHT

Bronze
Mar 13, 2017
3,122
1,731
113
I am not confirmed in my thinking and thoughts as my vision of living there with a native has been destroyed.therefore I have no wish at the moment to live there as a single woman.
if I did move there I would like to do volunteer work . I am retired from my profession and no longer wish to work in that field. So , only the future will tell …..
you will get played ... Dont say we didnt tell you so
 

DrNoob

Active member
Aug 10, 2024
208
121
43
Cabarete, DR
Hopefully that was not a very costly lesson @Lovinglife . I agree with KeepComing and josh2203 - DR is cheap enough to explore and many people rent places for a few months on the North Coast and live and then go back. I feel Cabarete is more costlier than Puerto Plata but might be a more gentler introduction to the DR expat life as it has a lot more of expats. Santiago (STI) has a lot more flights each day compared to POP and is usually cheaper even if you factor in the taxi costs to/from places in the North Coast.

If you have a steady pension, this is easily doable and you can always go back if you don't like it. But beware of the sankies. Do not invest, do not hire a car/scooter and drive, do not loan money and do not buy a property until you are sure you know the place - people are very friendly and helpful but can take advantage if you are not careful. There's plenty of good advice in the forums on most things you will encounter. Make new friends, go on day trips, enjoy the great weather and beautiful places. DR is more than the AIs in Punta Cana, go explore !
 
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josh2203

Bronze
Dec 5, 2013
2,236
996
113
Ok , thanks for this …can you inform me more , please? Are you from Dominican Republic, nationality ? One or both of you ?
do you work in POP …
I'm European from Scandinavia, my wife was born in Santo Domingo but moved with her family to Puerto Plata when she was 10 due to having family there. Nope, never have worked in POP but in the capital yes, about a decade ago... At which point we also lived in the capital... Commuted through the whole freaking capital every day... The traffic jams were much more bearable back then than they are today... After that, living in POP and working remotely in home office... Currently we're in Europe due to the kids going to school, but looking to visit POP later this year if at all possible... We've been away for way to long...
 

JLSawmam

Happy on the North Coast
Sep 8, 2018
695
528
93
Hopefully that was not a very costly lesson @Lovinglife . I agree with KeepComing and josh2203 - DR is cheap enough to explore and many people rent places for a few months on the North Coast and live and then go back. I feel Cabarete is more costlier than Puerto Plata but might be a more gentler introduction to the DR expat life as it has a lot more of expats. Santiago (STI) has a lot more flights each day compared to POP and is usually cheaper even if you factor in the taxi costs to/from places in the North Coast.

If you have a steady pension, this is easily doable and you can always go back if you don't like it. But beware of the sankies. Do not invest, do not hire a car/scooter and drive, do not loan money and do not buy a property until you are sure you know the place - people are very friendly and helpful but can take advantage if you are not careful. There's plenty of good advice in the forums on most things you will encounter. Make new friends, go on day trips, enjoy the great weather and beautiful places. DR is more than the AIs in Punta Cana, go explore !
Cost versus convenience...personally, I prefer POP airport because my family in the US is on the west coast, making for a long long travel day to/from. But for the OP, travel time may be a lot shorter. 100% agree on the driving...no matter who causes the accident, the "gringo" will always be at fault. And last, sharing the first (and maybe more) longer stay with a friend from Canada would make it a bit more comfortable. Even sharing a portion of the stay could make a difference, having a familiar face with her.
 
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bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
33,422
6,819
113
dr1.com
Cost versus convenience...personally, I prefer POP airport because my family in the US is on the west coast, making for a long long travel day to/from. But for the OP, travel time may be a lot shorter. 100% agree on the driving...no matter who causes the accident, the "gringo" will always be at fault. And last, sharing the first (and maybe more) longer stay with a friend from Canada would make it a bit more comfortable. Even sharing a portion of the stay could make a difference, having a familiar face with her.
And I prefer STI in Santiago because they have direct flights to Miami, New York...etc, and it is only 45 minutes from my house and a taxi cost me 4000 pesos to the airport and the same guy picks up from Jarabacoa. Airport has good services and is very quick through security...etc.
 
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DrNoob

Active member
Aug 10, 2024
208
121
43
Cabarete, DR
And I prefer STI in Santiago because they have direct flights to Miami, New York...etc, and it is only 45 minutes from my house and a taxi cost me 4000 pesos to the airport and the same guy picks up from Jarabacoa. Airport has good services and is very quick through security...etc.
Yeah, I agree. POP is smaller than some shopping malls.
At STI, I did not like the interrogation when checking in though, that was surprising (why, where, what in DR, what you do in your home country, how long have you worked there, is it a good career - on a British passport !). I told the girl that she has to take me to dinner if she wants to ask any more questions.

at POP no one gave a crap, check in was queuing + 2 minutes.
 
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Lovinglife

New member
Oct 29, 2024
27
20
3
Canada
Cost versus convenience...personally, I prefer POP airport because my family in the US is on the west coast, making for a long long travel day to/from. But for the OP, travel time may be a lot shorter. 100% agree on the driving...no matter who causes the accident, the "gringo" will always be at fault. And last, sharing the first (and maybe more) longer stay with a friend from Canada would make it a bit more comfortable. Even sharing a portion of the stay could make a difference, having a familiar face with her.
Thank you very much For the information .Appreciate it.
 

slowmo

Well-known member
Aug 1, 2016
1,192
824
113
Just before retirement, I visited Cuba, Jamaica, DR and then Colombia in that order. Went to each country on the list twice to get a feel for the place and a sense of what I was looking for. Turns out for some reason, with the exception of Cuba, vehicle rides in those countries were too scary for my liking. Also found out that I enjoy safely and kinda aimlessly waking around strange places.

Cuba was eliminated due to the problems with food and the internet. Jamaica got the axe due to the overall danger of the place, leaving me Medellin for a couple of months in the summer and Sosua for a couple of months in the winter. Sometimes choices wind up be a process of elimination.
 

Lovinglife

New member
Oct 29, 2024
27
20
3
Canada
Good day everyone,
question : if I enter Dominican Republic( from canada ) without a return ticket and no visa to stay >30 days will I be denied access ?
 

Lovinglife

New member
Oct 29, 2024
27
20
3
Canada
The airline will force you to buy a return ticket. There are alternatives to that but I've never used them. I think Sky knows a website you can use for refundable return tickets.
Ok ,actually that is one thing I thought might happen but was unsure I’d the airline would do that . I am assuming that is one of their checks? I never thought of that……like buying a return ticket and once a get there either cancel or postpone or get a credit voucher…..
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
14,322
4,478
113
Is this used only in a situation where you are waiting for a visa after applying
No. If you come to the DR without Citizenship or Residency you will need a return ticket. This is what you show for your Return............
 
Nov 9, 2023
550
489
63
SC
If you know how long you will stay just buy a return ticket. I will return end of February, no problem with that.