I was just at DGM in Santo Domingo and my wife was allowed in.
I would like to have seen them try and keep her out. It would have made news at 11.
- Thread starter Chirimoya
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Permanent residency renewal alert!
I was just at DGM in Santo Domingo and my wife was allowed in.
I would like to have seen them try and keep her out. It would have made news at 11.
I was just at DGM in Santo Domingo and my wife was allowed in.
I would like to have seen them try and keep her out. It would have made news at 11.
Well, that's good news. Some other poster said only applicants and their attorneys were allowed in now. Maybe you got lucky(?). Who knows with DGM -rules seem to change almost daily.
As someone who just obtained my residency status a month ago and will be faced with renewal in 1 year, I have been following this thread with interest. As a pensioner/retiree I was supposed to get permanent residency status. But my lawyer screwed up the application and I was given temporary residency status instead. It took her 9 months to get this done while my neighbor did the same thing himself without any lawyer in only 4 months. The lawyer that I used was recommended by a number of posters on this forum, so perhaps it is better that I not mention her name because I don't need the inevitable angry responses (and no, it was not Guzman). I could go on and on about the continuous frustrations, incompetence, lies, etc. of working with this lawyer, but suffice it to say that I will not use any lawyer to renew my residency status.
I have found the people working in the Puerto Plata Migracion office to be very helpful, and they explained that I can change my residency status from temporary to permanent at renewal time to correct my lawyer's screw-up by simply submitting a letter with my application to request the change. But after everything that I'm reading on this thread about the new Dominican bank account requirements and other ever-changing requirements for permanent residency, I'm thinking that perhaps I should just forget about the hassle of the permanent residency process and instead just do the relatively simple and inexpensive temporary residence renewals every year. Comments?
I am sorry to hear of your experiences. When it comes to professional services from lawyers, accountants, and the like, they are NOT all equal. Trust me, I taught some in the first group. If you can get the permanent residency, then get it. The laws and regulations could change and make it even harder or burdensome. You are correct that you do not need a lawyer to do residency and citizenship in the DR; however, I would not go that route. Yes, I use Guzman Ariza and it works very well for me. One of my former classmates practiced immigration law in the U.S., so I know some of the difficulties in that area from a global perspective, although the U.S. process is much, much more burdensome.
I am sorry to hear of your experiences. When it comes to professional services from lawyers, accountants, and the like, they are NOT all equal. Trust me, I taught some in the first group. If you can get the permanent residency, then get it. The laws and regulations could change and make it even harder or burdensome. You are correct that you do not need a lawyer to do residency and citizenship in the DR; however, I would not go that route. Yes, I use Guzman Ariza and it works very well for me. One of my former classmates practiced immigration law in the U.S., so I know some of the difficulties in that area from a global perspective, although the U.S. process is much, much more burdensome.
Residency in the US requires a whole lot more documentation for sure, but your lawyer tells what documents you need and he/she takes care of all the rest. The difference is, they're not constantly moving the goal posts and your residency is good for 10 years before renewal.
I am sorry to hear of your experiences. When it comes to professional services from lawyers, accountants, and the like, they are NOT all equal. Trust me, I taught some in the first group. If you can get the permanent residency, then get it. The laws and regulations could change and make it even harder or burdensome. You are correct that you do not need a lawyer to do residency and citizenship in the DR; however, I would not go that route. Yes, I use Guzman Ariza and it works very well for me. One of my former classmates practiced immigration law in the U.S., so I know some of the difficulties in that area from a global perspective, although the U.S. process is much, much more burdensome.
I began this process thinking that I would go straight to citizenship in a couple of years to short-circuit this process. But my lawyer's screw-up has complicated things. And after reading on this forum all the posts about how quick and easy it is to renew temporary residency, and how difficult and complicated it can be to go to permanent residency, I'm starting to think that perhaps the trek to Santo Domingo from the north coast once every year is not that onerous. And if it ever becomes possible to complete the process in the Puerto Plata or Santiago migracion offices, then the decision becomes a no-brainer. But I still have 9 more months before I need to make a decision. In light of the constantly changing requirements, I will wait until that time to reassess the situation and make my decision.
Instead of reading here - can be confusing/discouraging
have you tried talking to a Migracion lawyer??
I have one for you
have you tried talking to a Migracion lawyer??
I have one for you
To all who recommended lawyers when I ran into a problem renewing residency because I was forced into a "special regularization" of my residency, I completed the process myself without a lawyer and have my new 4 year residency card and cedula. There is a very bad woman at window 7 in Migracion, I will warn all that have to deal with her. A lawyer would have done nothing for me except cost me more money.
As soon as I collect the proper documents for the application for DR citizenship I will begin that process. I don't plan to use a lawyer.
As soon as I collect the proper documents for the application for DR citizenship I will begin that process. I don't plan to use a lawyer.
Instead of reading here - can be confusing/discouraging
have you tried talking to a Migracion lawyer??
I have one for you
Melisa?
To all who recommended lawyers when I ran into a problem renewing residency because I was forced into a "special regularization" of my residency, I completed the process myself without a lawyer and have my new 4 year residency card and cedula. There is a very bad woman at window 7 in Migracion, I will warn all that have to deal with her. A lawyer would have done nothing for me except cost me more money.
As soon as I collect the proper documents for the application for DR citizenship I will begin that process. I don't plan to use a lawyer.
Several posters here who applied for permanent residency said they were reuested to provide bank account info - bank statements showing movement of money in account, maintaining a certain balance in the account, etc. Did you have to provide that and what exactly were they looking for?
Several posters here who applied for permanent residency said they were reuested to provide bank account info - bank statements showing movement of money in account, maintaining a certain balance in the account, etc. Did you have to provide that and what exactly were they looking for?
Yes I had to provide bank account statements during my regularization of residency because of a screw up at Migracion. They were looking for established accounts with long term use and a balance, I believe, of over $10,000 US . Here is a link to more detail on my special regularization of residency:
https://www.migracion.gob.do/Trans/Archives/142
Investment residencies also seem to need a 6 month banking history:
https://www.migracion.gob.do/Menu/SubList/39
All residency requirements start here and then click on Residencias on the lower left part of the page to check the requirements for various types of residency:
https://www.migracion.gob.do/
Yes, initially the law firm spoke to the customer service representative by telephone while I waited. In short, I had to provide a statement from the bank on its stationery that I have an account and the amount within the account. The other letter, which I did not see as the lawyer handled it, stated that I had activity within the account for every month during the past year. It really was not a great hassle. Now, I had less than USD$10,000 in the account but DGM was satisfied with the amount. Moreover, I explained to DGM that I simply write a check and deposit it to replenish the funds when I need it and that it takes a few days for the check to clear.Several posters here who applied for permanent residency said they were reuested to provide bank account info - bank statements showing movement of money in account, maintaining a certain balance in the account, etc. Did you have to provide that and what exactly were they looking for?
Yes I had to provide bank account statements during my regularization of residency because of a screw up at Migracion. They were looking for established accounts with long term use and a balance, I believe, of over $10,000 US . Here is a link to more detail on my special regularization of residency:
https://www.migracion.gob.do/Trans/Archives/142
Investment residencies also seem to need a 6 month banking history:
https://www.migracion.gob.do/Menu/SubList/39
All residency requirements start here and then click on Residencias on the lower left part of the page to check the requirements for various types of residency:
https://www.migracion.gob.do/
I think you deserve some kind of award for patience and perseverance for what you had to go through. I think I would have given up.
If you have Investor residency, you are dealt with by a different team in Migracion, you go straight through to their office in the back section which has nice comfy sofas and A/C, and the staff have always done my renewal from start to finish in less than 1 hour. You jump all the lines. Well that's been my experience in any case, last time I got there at 2pm and I was out at 2.45 with the residency card. By comparison, the last time I flew to JFK to change flights, not to actually enter into the USA, just to change planes, immigration held us in a line for over 2 hours.
I did deposit all the docs online first, and yes you do need bank statements which show movement, i.e. you are actually living here. The deal with Rentista Investor residency is that you are supposed to show that you are bringing more than US$ 2000 into the country each month and spending it in Dom Rep, so I understand the need for bank statements.
I did deposit all the docs online first, and yes you do need bank statements which show movement, i.e. you are actually living here. The deal with Rentista Investor residency is that you are supposed to show that you are bringing more than US$ 2000 into the country each month and spending it in Dom Rep, so I understand the need for bank statements.
I've been studying the requirements listed on the official Migracion website for the different categories of residence https://www.migracion.gob.do/ . The local bank account requirements described by some posters are clearly described in the documents required for temporary renewals - but ONLY if the applicant is a retiree or a rentista. Huh?? So they want a retired person with a healthy pension income to prove that he is spending money in the Dominican Republic, but they don't care about a younger applicant who is unemployed and has no viable means of support?? Based on that logic, I guess I won't mention to Migracion that I am retired.
The other nonsensical thing that I noted is that there are no such local banking requirements shown for either permanent residency or renewal of permanent residency - only for renewal of temporary residency. Explain to me how that makes sense. This information is obviously contrary to what other posters on this thread have experienced, so apparently whatever they show on their website is not to be taken seriously, and instead you simply need to ask what they need when it comes time for renewal in typical Dominican fashion.
The other nonsensical thing that I noted is that there are no such local banking requirements shown for either permanent residency or renewal of permanent residency - only for renewal of temporary residency. Explain to me how that makes sense. This information is obviously contrary to what other posters on this thread have experienced, so apparently whatever they show on their website is not to be taken seriously, and instead you simply need to ask what they need when it comes time for renewal in typical Dominican fashion.
I think you deserve some kind of award for patience and perseverance for what you had to go through. I think I would have given up.
If I was just a single guy renting a place here, I would have left the country over the "special regularization" nonsense that hit my long term residency. But I moved here lock, stock and "container" , have been married to a Dominican woman since 2003 and have made this my only home.
Despite the urgings of other posters on this thread to the contrary, I am having difficulty understanding why it makes sense to do anything other than annual renewals of temporary residency. Everyone says that temporary renewals are quick and easy, whereas the permanent residency renewals require medical exams and onerous local banking requirements. Some have also said that permanent residency renewals for retirees are now valid for only 2 years - not 4 years.
Aside from the greater complexity required for permanent residency, the economics make no sense. The temporary residency renewal fee is 5,000 pesos. For permanent residency, there is a fee of 15,000 pesos to change my migracion status from temporary to permanent, plus a fee of 12,000 pesos for the permanent residency application, plus a fee of 4,500 pesos for the medical exam. That's a total of 31,500 pesos to change my residency status to permanent compared to 5,000 pesos per year for simply renewing my temporary residency status. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
And for those who argue that you should go for permanent residency because it allows you to eventually obtain definitive residency, the Guzman website on migracion says you still have to pay an annual fee even after you have obtained the 10-year definitive residency. I understand that one can short-circuit this whole process by going straight to citizenship after 2 years of permanent residency, but it still seems to me like annual renewals of temporary residency is the easiest and cheapest route - even more so if we are ever able to do the entire process in Puerto Plata or Santiago.
Aside from the greater complexity required for permanent residency, the economics make no sense. The temporary residency renewal fee is 5,000 pesos. For permanent residency, there is a fee of 15,000 pesos to change my migracion status from temporary to permanent, plus a fee of 12,000 pesos for the permanent residency application, plus a fee of 4,500 pesos for the medical exam. That's a total of 31,500 pesos to change my residency status to permanent compared to 5,000 pesos per year for simply renewing my temporary residency status. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
And for those who argue that you should go for permanent residency because it allows you to eventually obtain definitive residency, the Guzman website on migracion says you still have to pay an annual fee even after you have obtained the 10-year definitive residency. I understand that one can short-circuit this whole process by going straight to citizenship after 2 years of permanent residency, but it still seems to me like annual renewals of temporary residency is the easiest and cheapest route - even more so if we are ever able to do the entire process in Puerto Plata or Santiago.
I've been studying the requirements listed on the official Migracion website for the different categories of residence https://www.migracion.gob.do/ . The local bank account requirements described by some posters are clearly described in the documents required for temporary renewals - but ONLY if the applicant is a retiree or a rentista. Huh?? So they want a retired person with a healthy pension income to prove that he is spending money in the Dominican Republic, but they don't care about a younger applicant who is unemployed and has no viable means of support?? Based on that logic, I guess I won't mention to Migracion that I am retired.
The other nonsensical thing that I noted is that there are no such local banking requirements shown for either permanent residency or renewal of permanent residency - only for renewal of temporary residency. Explain to me how that makes sense. This information is obviously contrary to what other posters on this thread have experienced, so apparently whatever they show on their website is not to be taken seriously, and instead you simply need to ask what they need when it comes time for renewal in typical Dominican fashion.
Not sure what to think now(?). I didn't check the link you're referring to this year. Signed in and went straight to the page where you upload your documents. A bank statement was not one of the required documents there.
Uploaded the docs specified. Received an "Hoja de Envio"(which you need to print out). A couple days later, received an email saying "Deposit documents" - DGM in Pto. Plata told me to wait for a "factura" before coming(need a copy of that). A couple days later got the factura and went to DGM in Pto. Plata to deposit the documents. The woman there reviewed all my documents. No bank statement requested. I paid and was given a date to go to DGM in SD.
There are quite a few inconsistencies on that webpage. VIP is no longer available like it says(I called DGM in SD and confirmed that). You do not need one copy of everything - you need only 3 copies each of your passport, cedula, and residency card. If you go after the date given it's an extra 1000 peso fee.
Really don't want any unpleasant surprised after driving all the way to SD. I'm going to have to call DGM and ask.
Not sure what to think now(?). I didn't check the link you're referring to this year. Signed in and went straight to the page where you upload your documents. A bank statement was not one of the required documents there.
Uploaded the docs specified. Received an "Hoja de Envio"(which you need to print out). A couple days later, received an email saying "Deposit documents" - DGM in Pto. Plata told me to wait for a "factura" before coming(need a copy of that). A couple days later got the factura and went to DGM in Pto. Plata to deposit the documents. The woman there reviewed all my documents. No bank statement requested. I paid and was given a date to go to DGM in SD.
There are quite a few inconsistencies on that webpage. VIP is no longer available like it says(I called DGM in SD and confirmed that). You do not need one copy of everything - you need only 3 copies each of your passport, cedula, and residency card. If you go after the date given it's an extra 1000 peso fee.
Really don't want any unpleasant surprised after driving all the way to SD. I'm going to have to call DGM and ask.
Cavok, your experience is consistent with the requirements listed on the Migracion website. If I recall your previous posts correctly, I believe you are doing a temporary residency renewal. There are no banking requirements listed on the Migracion website for that type of residency. And for the reasons stated in my previous posts, I believe that what you are doing is the way to go. I say forget about seeking permanent residency - too complicated, too expensive, and accomplishes nothing. Let us know how things go in SD.
Cavok, your experience is consistent with the requirements listed on the Migracion website. If I recall your previous posts correctly, I believe you are doing a temporary residency renewal. There are no banking requirements listed on the Migracion website for that type of residency. And for the reasons stated in my previous posts, I believe that what you are doing is the way to go. I say forget about seeking permanent residency - too complicated, too expensive, and accomplishes nothing. Let us know how things go in SD.
It is listed on this main page link: https://www.migracion.gob.do/Menu/SubList/30, but after you sign in it is not included there nor in the documents that you are required to upload:
SOLICITUD DE RENOVACIÓN DE RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL
"REQUISITOS PARA LA RENOVACIÓN DE LA RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL"
CARNET DE RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL.
CÉDULA DE IDENTIDAD PERSONAL. (EL ORIGINAL SE DEVUELVE AL EXTRANJERO DESPUÉS DE VERIFICADA)
PASAPORTE CON DIECIOCHO (18) MESES MÍNIMOS DE VIGENCIA. LA D.G.M. ES FLEXIBLE CON EL TEMA Y CONSIDERARÁ, EN CADA CASO, LA REALIDAD DE CADA PAÍS Y EL RIGOR DE SUS NORMAS EN LA EXPEDICIÓN DE LOS PASAPORTES.
CERTIFICACIÓN DE NO ANTECEDENTES PENALES DE LA REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA, EMITIDA POR LA PROCURADURÍA GENERAL DE LA REPÚBLICA.
DOS (2) FOTOGRAFÍAS DE FRENTE TAMAÑO 2 X 2 CON EL FONDO BLANCO, SIN JOYAS O ACCESORIOS Y LAS OREJAS DESCUBIERTAS.
PÓLIZA DE GARANTÍA CONTRATADA CON LA COMPAÑÍA DE SEGUROS DEBIDAMENTE AUTORIZADA POR LA D.G.M. (COMERCIAL DE SEGURO, SEGURO PATRIA Y DOMINICANA SEGURO) EN EL CASO DE LA RENOVACIÓN DE UN MENOR DE 18 AÑOS DE EDAD, LOS PADRES DEBERÁN OBTENER LA PÓLIZA DE GARANTÍA, EMITIDA A SU NOMBRE.
NOTAS GENERALES.
Typical mass confusion out of DGM.
I wonder if you allowed to choose...
choose to continue temporary and eschewing permanent
Will they allow that ?
Might be a question to ask ..... someone
Like a drivers license...
no - I want to continue on the learner permit....
choose to continue temporary and eschewing permanent
Will they allow that ?
Might be a question to ask ..... someone
Like a drivers license...
no - I want to continue on the learner permit....