Immigration Info

By contacting a Dominican Republic Consulate or Embassy you’ll easily find needed information regarding the requirements surrounding entry as a visitor to the country and relocation for work or retirement in the Dominican Republic. Consulates are in several major cities in the U.S. like Miami and Boston while the Dominican Republic Embassy is located in Washington DC.

To visit the country, an American does not need a passport although having one will make the entry process easier. A tourist card for Americans will allow you to visit for 60 days. The card costs $10.00 and must be paid in American cash. The tourist cards are available at the airport upon arrival or at a consulate in your country. If you do not have a passport you’ll need a birth certificate and a picture I.D.

The Dominican Republic Government makes immigration for Americans very easy. With a few documents, including a bank statement showing a minimum of $50,000, a valid passport at least 2 years old, passport photos, a birth certificate that will need to be transalated to spanish and can be completed in the Dominican Republic, you’ll wait only one to two months and may spend about $1200 for legal services and paperwork. When completed you’ll be a resident of the Dominican Republic.

If you are from a country other than America you should contact the Dominican Republic Embassy in your country for requirements and procedures surrounding immigration to the country. Different countries have different requirements.

Once you’ve obtaind your residency you can in the first year bring household items into the country virtually tax free and shipping is minimal as wel compared with purchasing new items. Many people don’t import their vehicle and plan to purchase one in the Dominican Republic. The cost of a vehicle is comparable to the U.S. except in the luxury category which will cost slightly more.

If you are a business person visting the Dominican Republic for a short period, you’ll most likely only need a tourist card and there are different requirements for different countries. If you want to come to the Dominican Republic for work, you’ll need a work visa. If you’re currently employed by a company who has offices in the country your employer can handle the process and paperwork for you. Your visa will allow you to work and reside in the country for a specific period of time and if your stay extends past that period your visa will need to be renewed. If you have family, your visa allows a spouse and minor children to accompany you while in the country.

If you’ve visited the Dominican Republic and fallen in love with the climate scenery and the people and have decided the Dominican Republic is the place you’d like to live or simply to invest in, the process is simple and quite inexpensive.