New Expat in DR and Loving It!

[sayanora]

Congrats and I'm sure with your great attitude you will make tons of awesome friends here in the DR.. great to have you here and good luck with your future in paradise !

 

[karlheinz]

the translation part was fairly simple - I found a company that specializes in this but it ended up costing $20 per document for translation but that's a lot cheaper than the translation services provided at the embassy at $70 per document.

 

[rubio_higuey]

I know the residency laws have recently changed but I also know someone who just applied without issue here in the DR without the trip home. It may be worth your while to consult a lawyer and see if its possible without the trip home. It will cost you anywhere from 1000-1500usd on average depending on lawyer but well worth it in the long run as this is an especially frustrating process when handled without counsel.

Not possible whatsoever for somebody who has no long term established ties to the DR and for who the travel outside the DR would constitute a hardship (family, especially).

 

[MikeFisher]

the translation part was fairly simple - I found a company that specializes in this but it ended up costing $20 per document for translation but that's a lot cheaper than the translation services provided at the embassy at $70 per document.

interesting to know, $70.- sounds steep, which embassy was that?
I just chime in that theme as I had 2 weeks ago the Birthcertifictes of my Baby Gal and my Wife translated to get my Baby's German Passport, the Translater been recommended to me by the person working at the German Embassy, didn't hav eto do the ride back there to hand the documents over as they know each others and the Translator hands over the documents to the Embassy Staff, costed me 1.800.- Pesos for both Documents translated/prepared in the way the Embassy needed them.
keep such info coming,
a heck of people need such services and it is always good to publish who does it the best way for the most reasonable rate/easiest way.
btw,
I did not know that before,
Birth Certificates need to get a "sello de la Junta Central Electoral" on their Backside to be valid before they go into translation. the Embassy told me that Sello can be received at the JCE, so I went there to the JCE just to be told for the "Sellos" I have to go to their office at La Feria/behind the Loteria, the darn other side of da City(close to the German Embassy where I came from,if I would have known that, lol).

Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

Not possible whatsoever for somebody who has no long term established ties to the DR and for who the travel outside the DR would constitute a hardship (family, especially).

George,
there's always a "Way".
a well established Colegio may be able to provide appropriate papers which state that the absence of the new Teacher would interrupt their work significantly, in such case a exception to do the full process here without a flight home is of course possible.
but some specific Documents like the Birthcertificate/good conduct paper etc are still needed to bring from home of course,
their translation and legalizations can be done down here tho.

Mike

 

[karlheinz]

The US Dominican Embassy / Consulate can provide translation services (English to Spanish) but they charge $70.00 US per document. I found a private translation service cheaper and probably faster also. My biggest issue was translating my Birth Certificate and Name change certificate - both are in German - I translated those into English and then the translation agency went from English to Spanish. I was able to convince a notary (you sign a certificate that the documents are true copies) that all my copies were original and they notarized without any major issues. Then everything had to be taken to the Pa. State Department for the apostile.....they won't apostile anything without it being notarized first (trust me on this).

I started this entire process here in Santo Domingo about the first of August, I qualify as a pensionado - since I was born in Germany with a different name the attorney wanted me to obtain my Naturalization Certificate from the US hence a quick trip back to the States..........but it didn't turn out that easy - half way through the process the attorney announced that the Chancellory was only accepting applications for those married to a Dominican now and I should obtain the visa while in the US. It took about two weeks from start to finish but now I have the Residence Visa in my passport which is good for two months.....next step....a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Chancellory) and then go to Immigration for the Residency application itself.

 

[karlheinz]

I will bet that the need for a Notary & Apostile stamp from the country of origin will throw a roadblock into the process - that's what ended up happening to me. Those can only be obtained from your country of origin - at the state level and at the state capital. They can be done by mail also though so maybe that would help.

 

[MikeFisher]

something to be done by "Mail" sounds painless, good,
but ya never know.

good luck on the further process

Mike

 

[KJS73]

Wow! Everything sounds complicated. I'm so focused on lesson plans for my new teaching job thaf it's hard to even think about all this. I suppose in Jan. I'll visit embassy to see what I can do. The school has already started paying me and I have a banco popular bank account. It sure is easier for a non-resident to get set up here as opposed to one in the USA. A foreigner there would never be able to receive a paycheck without papers. They'd be paid off the books in cash.

 

[mountainannie]

I've been spending lots of time in DR the past year. This message board has inspired me and at times scared me. I appreciate all the info.

A month ago I took the plunge and rented an apartment for 6 months. Immediately I went on a job search with the intention of teaching English to adults. To my surprise I went for an interview at a colegio and was hired on the spot. I started working that day. The best part is that it was for a job I thought I didn't want, teaching 7th graders. The salary, benefits and vacation time were hard to resist. Plus it seemed like I was in the right place at the right time. I've been working a few weeks now and as frustrating as it can be, enjoy teaching 7th graders, especially since the subject is English Literature which I majored in. I find it ironic that I found a job here easier than in the USA.

One thing that I like about DR is that there seems to be less red tape. I know that can be bad in some cases, but I do like the ease in which you can find an apt, without all the bs you have to go through in NY. I feel very blessed. My obsession with DR has paid off. Of course I'm under know delusions that life will be perfect. I'm not looking for perfect. I like a little grit. I even like taking the caro publico for 25 pesos to work.

Now I must see a doctor to get a medical exam. I also need a police report. Since I have signed a year contract I suppose I should apply for residency or is there a work visa? It seems I might need to take a trip back to the states. The school didn't seem to know much about the process. All I know is that I need the medical exam and police report. And good doctors in SD that one could recommend? Can I get a police report here from NY?

Thanks for any feedback!

If you are talking about the medical exam for the cedula, that is done by government doctors at the place where you file your papers. You pee for them so that they can test for drugs. They listen to your chest for TB and voila...

the hardest part is getting all the papers in order... usually.. or at least I have found twice, that once you start the process there will be another paper to get .. and the other ones will expire.. etc. etc. The reason you are pleased with no red tape is that you have not yet dealt with the government here. They ADORE red tape.

Welcome and hold on to your optimism..

Can anyone post Ginny's. Lambada;s steps to cultural acclimation?

 

[Chirimoya]

Can anyone post Ginny's. Lambada;s steps to cultural acclimation?

By all means - Offshorewave ? Culture Shock Revisited – Groping Towards A More Useful Conceptual Framework – by Ginnie Bedggood

 

[windeguy]

If you are talking about the medical exam for the cedula, that is done by government doctors at the place where you file your papers. You pee for them so that they can test for drugs. They listen to your chest for TB and voila...

the hardest part is getting all the papers in order... usually.. or at least I have found twice, that once you start the process there will be another paper to get .. and the other ones will expire.. etc. etc. The reason you are pleased with no red tape is that you have not yet dealt with the government here. They ADORE red tape.

Welcome and hold on to your optimism..

Can anyone post Ginny's. Lambada;s steps to cultural acclimation?

Don't forget the Chest X Ray using a machine from the days of Wilhelm R?ntgen

 

[KJS73]

By all means - Offshorewave ? Culture Shock Revisited – Groping Towards A More Useful Conceptual Framework – by Ginnie Bedggood

A great read, but ironically I experienced more culture shock when I returned to NYC for one month in the Summer. I even had crying spells. I've been spending lots of time here for over a year, sometimes months at a time. For some reason I feel comfortable here. I take the bad with the good. Personally NYC has become numbing for me. A place full of Starbucks, banks and people to busy to look at one another.