New entry procedures

[cavok]

Overstay fee collection should be simpler with self service migration machines at DR airports. Scan your passport when you arrive. Scan it when you leave to get your clearance printout. If you overstayed your passport is blocked and you can’t board the aircraft until you pay. Paying the fee on line with your credit or debit card would really sweeten the process. Cash payers can scan their passports, get their printout, then proceed to a separate kiosk to pay and get their passports unblocked. The obvious impact here is a significant reduction in migration staff at airports.

You can already do that online(?). Plus, you're legally in the country for 120 days.

 

[william webster]

Here you go my friend..... pay on line

PORTAL DGM.

servicios.migracion.gob.do

and the pensioner residency is a piece of cake
I have a lawyer for you

 

[Ecoman1949]

Here you go my friend..... pay on line

PORTAL DGM.

servicios.migracion.gob.do

and the pensioner residency is a piece of cake
I have a lawyer for you

Thanks Bill. Russ ran into a problem with his pensioner residency documentation. He needs to redo his biometrics. Frustrating because he has to return to Canada to correct it. I’m willing to hire a lawyer to prevent any bumps in my residency road. At my age, patience is not one of my virtues anymore.

 

[Lou2100]

I do my boarding passes that way now.... nothing printed

I'm not that computer competent either....

Download the PDF and then email it to yourself and you'll have it on your phone

 

[rvancil]

When did this new form get put into use? I just came in a week ago and didn't see any mention of it. Will everyone need this upon exit and entry from now on?

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I just filled out this E Ticket for leaving the DR. Not really hard. How it works at the airport who knows.

I was able to fill out the form on the website and generate the pdf file, What I am not sure how to do is save the pdf file to my phone and then what app I need to display it when required to do so. I don't currently have a a browser operational on my phone because I have to much difficulty typing on the small screen keyboard. Thus I am not able to currently fill out the form on the phone itself and need a way to get the e-ticket on the phone and to display that file when needed. I can figure out how to save the pdf file on the phone fairly easily. It is the subsequent displaying of that file which will need an APP and I do not know what to download and install from the google play store.

 

[USA DOC]

I doubt very much that this is going away quickly. After CV19 restrictions are loosened sometime in 2022, they might focus more on this.
Then they could even have a snowbird visa which can be done entirely on line.

Automated machines present some issues if they wish to collect overstay fees, but those could be worked out within 100 years.

 

[windeguy]

When did this new form get put into use? I just came in a week ago and didn't see any mention of it. Will everyone need this upon exit and entry from now on?

Yes everyone will need it. This is a recent change.

 

[USA DOC]

Overstay fees..I have given this much thought, and watched carefully at the airport when leaving the country with a new passport with no stamps in it...this drives the immigracion people crazy as they dont know how much to charge you..I gave myself 1 extra hour to play 20 questions with these people, as the time for my flight to Miami was drawing near the man in charge told me produce the number of my old passport or go home... well out of my pocket came the number and the lady said my god you have been here almost 3 years, I told her my memory was bad and paid the $160 dollars or so.. my thoughts on overstay fees are this.. I think the government likes the way it is, they know that at some point you will leave the county, and with a flight to catch you will for sure will pay in cash at the airport and they only want dollars..Now the question is does the money stay with the people at the airport as a propina or go to the government?

 

[windeguy]

I was able to fill out the form on the website and generate the pdf file, What I am not sure how to do is save the pdf file to my phone and then what app I need to display it when required to do so. I don't currently have a a browser operational on my phone because I have to much difficulty typing on the small screen keyboard. Thus I am not able to currently fill out the form on the phone itself and need a way to get the e-ticket on the phone and to display that file when needed. I can figure out how to save the pdf file on the phone fairly easily. It is the subsequent displaying of that file which will need an APP and I do not know what to download and install from the google play store.

I was recently gifted a smart phone. I have not had a cell phone since before 2002, welcome to the 21'st century for me.
Turbo chip installed and ready use in the DR and free roaming in the USA with Altice.

One of the things that motivated me to activate this phone is this new requirement for filling in this form and having it on my cell phone.
Not that I plan to travel soon, but you never know when an emergency will come up and I need to take a plane..

As for using the phone, the phone I have, an iPhone7 has a lot of voice navigation options and speech recognition to get around having to type.
If your phone has similar things, you can really minimize having to type.

Depending upon your phone, you may need a separate PDF viewer/reader APP.

 

[windeguy]

Overstay fees..I have given this much thought, and watched carefully at the airport when leaving the country with a new passport with no stamps in it...this drives the immigracion people crazy as they dont know how much to charge you..I gave myself 1 extra hour to play 20 questions with these people, as the time for my flight to Miami was drawing near the man in charge told me produce the number of my old passport or go home... well out of my pocket came the number and the lady said my god you have been here almost 3 years, I told her my memory was bad and paid the $160 dollars or so.. my thoughts on overstay fees are this.. I think the government likes the way it is, they know that at some point you will leave the county, and with a flight to catch you will for sure will pay in cash at the airport and they only want dollars..Now the question is does the money stay with the people at the airport as a propina or go to the government?

Right now the government has a huge fish to fry. The CV19 problem. The migracion web site no longer has overstay information beyond 120 days. Time will tell what that means. For now, I assume they have tattered copies of the old overstay fee schedule that is no longer on the migracion web site to use with scofflaws.

Interesting they would have prevented you from leaving without the old passport number. Very interesting.

Where that money goes, only the shadow knows. Nor does anyone know what will happen in the future on this topic. The Minister of Interior and Police has said immigration laws will be obeyed. No overstay fees are part of those laws.

 

[cavok]

Overstay fees..I have given this much thought, and watched carefully at the airport when leaving the country with a new passport with no stamps in it...this drives the immigracion people crazy as they dont know how much to charge you..I gave myself 1 extra hour to play 20 questions with these people, as the time for my flight to Miami was drawing near the man in charge told me produce the number of my old passport or go home... well out of my pocket came the number and the lady said my god you have been here almost 3 years, I told her my memory was bad and paid the $160 dollars or so.. my thoughts on overstay fees are this.. I think the government likes the way it is, they know that at some point you will leave the county, and with a flight to catch you will for sure will pay in cash at the airport and they only want dollars..Now the question is does the money stay with the people at the airport as a propina or go to the government?

I think this is exactly why they have rolled out this new program where you can pay online for up to 120 days - no "middle men" at the airport collecting fees. I think long-term overstayers are in the minority. Who knows what will happen to them in the future(?).

 

[william webster]

In reality..... the overstay charges/fees are illegal.... initiated by the prior regime
Written NOWHERE in the laws

The new guys are determined to right the ship....
They are the ones who wrote the proper laws

 

[rvancil]

Does this form need to be filled out by dominican citizens as well as tourists?

 

[windeguy]

Precisely Bill and a further incentive for people like me to bite the bullet and purchase property in the DR. Link easy entry to easy pensioner citizenship and DR real estate agents would be very busy.

It is not a requirement that people who are legal residents purchase property. Even a 6 month snowbird visa would help property sales.

In reality..... the overstay charges/fees are illegal.... initiated by the prior regime
Written NOWHERE in the laws

The new guys are determined to right the ship....
They are the ones who wrote the proper laws

Correct. Even the new online stays from day 31 to day 120 which allow "legal stays up to 120 days" are not part of the DR immigration laws. Just another workaround, but now at least limited to 120 days.

Getting it right with respect to the laws is really tough for them.

 

[lifeisgreat]

I think this is exactly why they have rolled out this new program where you can pay online for up to 120 days - no "middle men" at the airport collecting fees. I think long-term overstayers are in the minority. Who knows what will happen to them in the future(?).

You still have choice pay online when you extend or airport...middlemen pocketing has been gone for while computers don’t forget..

 

[AZB]

i am surprised the electronic procedure has lasted this long. I was expecting it to start one day and be discontinued the very next day.

 

[lifeisgreat]

It is not a requirement that people who are legal residents purchase property. Even a 6 month snowbird visa would help property sales.

Correct. Even the new online stays from day 31 to day 120 which allow "legal stays up to 120 days" are not part of the DR immigration laws. Just another workaround, but now at least limited to 120 days.

Getting it right with respect to the laws is really tough for them.

More is yet to come ... covid slowed change down... more options will be available soon..

 

[cavok]

You still have choice pay online when you extend or airport...middlemen pocketing has been gone for while computers don’t forget..

That's true, but I've read some claims here that the supervisors have figured out how to manipulate the computer and that some overstayers were let through without the passport being unlocked. The money was just pocketed. No idea if that's true or possible(?).

I think DGM has sent out a pretty clear signal that paying in advance online is the way they want to go.

 

[cavok]

It is not a requirement that people who are legal residents purchase property. Even a 6 month snowbird visa would help property sales.

Correct. Even the new online stays from day 31 to day 120 which allow "legal stays up to 120 days" are not part of the DR immigration laws. Just another workaround, but now at least limited to 120 days.

Getting it right with respect to the laws is really tough for them.

Very true. I have yet to hear a good explanation why they don't just change the law, but I think this new program is a pretty clear indication that they couldn't care less what the actual law is.