In this article we want to talk about residence permits to live in the Dominican Republic. As of today, it is one of the countries where you can’t stay as a permanent tourist. Although the laws are very flexible you must have a resident permit after a 2 month stay.
Frankly, the Dominican government adopted a good policy with foreigners who want to live in the Dominican Republic, as the State is aware that foreigners bring in money (mostly), they do not follow the law too strictly.
Permit of stay for tourists
The majority of Italians living in the Dominican Republic are tourists, they have no residence permit. In fact, you can stay for 2 months in the country with no problem after which you must apply for residence.
The Dominican government, however, does make you pay a “fine” if you are not a resident after 2 months. However, they will not expel you from the country.
To stay on the island and live as a tourist you do not need a permit, you can do it without problems just by paying a fine for the time spent in excess , which is one month.
When you enter the Dominican Republic you will pay a fee to stay valid for one month of $ 10. If you stay over that period you will pay a fine. The amount will depend on the time spent on the island. We will not put a price list because they change constantly, but to have an idea ,you can calculate 10 $ for every month you are here as a non resident, after the first 2 months as a tourist. So, if you have been here for one year you will pay 3600 pesos or 72 euro at the airport when you leave.
| Prices on the fines |
| From 31 days to 3 months | 2500 pesos |
| From 3 to 9 months | 4000 pesos |
| From 9 to 12 months | 5000 pesos |
| From 12 to 18 months | 6500 pesos |
| From 18 to 24 months | 8000 pesos |
| From 24 to 30 months | 9500 pesos |
| From 30 to 36 months | 11500 pesos |
| 10 years | 70000 pesos |
Residence permit of stay of residents
In order to become a resident in the Dominican Republic , you must be in good health and have no criminal record. It’s pretty easy, unlike other countries where there are many constraints.
The only drawback is the cost you must bear to have this residence, which is around 800 – 1000 dollars, relying on a lawyer who will follow the whole process.
The cost is so high because the Dominican Government wants many clinical tests that prove the good health of the applicant and also because of the many trips you most take to Santo Domingo (the capital).
After about of 3-4 months you will have a temporary residence valid for one year, then, a few days before the expiration date you must renew by paying about 40-50 euro and you will get the final document that will be valid for 2 years.
Applicants of residency will become holders of the Dominican identity card ie the “cedula” and as legal residents in the country will not pay any fine, when leaving the country.
Anyone interested in taking up residence in the Dominican Republic, may ask us to have our attorney follow the process ,we intentionally have not written any of the documentation necessary because it’s best to have a lawyer follow all the paper work. However, those who may be interested can contact us and we will explain everything.