Dominican
residency is
a very useful status to acquire for a variety of reasons: 1) It
facilitates a number of business transactions in the D.R., including obtaining
bank loans, buying real estate and applying for credit; 2) It makes
one eligible for lower tuition at Dominican universities; 3)
It permits one to work legally in the Dominican Republic; 4) One
can take advantage of Law 14-93, Art. 13, and import most household goods
duty free.
In order
to obtain Dominican residency, it is first necessary to obtain a residence
visa. Even if one is already in the Dominican Republic under another
kind of visa, such as a tourist card or tourist visa or business visa,
a residence visa must be applied for and obtained before obtaining a provisional
residence card, which is the final document certifying that one has valid
Dominican residency. While in practice it is not necessary to be a legal
resident to live in the Dominican Republic.
The principal
advantage is that you will be able to import your household goods,
most tax exempt, under Law 14-93.
Residence
Visa
In order
to obtain a residency visa, a number of documents must be submitted
to the Dominican consulate nearest the actual place of residency of the
applicant, or if the applicant is already in the Dominican Republic,
they may be submitted to the Secretariat of State for Foreign Relations
of the Dominican Republic. The documents are the following:
1. Three
2" x 2" frontal photos of the applicant’s face.
2.
A completed Visa application Form 509.
3.
A certification of good behavior issued by the Police Department of the
applicant’s original place of residence.
4.
An employment agreement or, if a real estate investment has been made,
a copy of the purchase agreement, or any other documentation proving the
applicant’s financial solvency in the Dominican Republic.
The employment
agreement must be registered with the Dominican Secretariat of Labor which
will send a labor inspector to the place of work to determine work conditions
and ensure that the foreign applicant is filling a position that a Dominican
national cannot at the moment fill. The process of certifying the employment
agreement is separate from that of applying for residency, and may take
some time, in most cases, up to one month after filing the agreement with
the Labor Department before one can proceed to file any documentation with
the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
5.
A letter of guarantee from a Dominican citizen, or legal resident of the
Dominican Republic. 6.
If a real estate investment has been made, a copy of the Presidential authorization
if one had been obtained.
7.
The results of a medical examination certified by a Notary Public and authenticated
by the Dominican consul.
8.
An original birth certificate of the applicant, translated into Spanish.
Once the above
documents are assembled, the file is complete and may be submitted to the
Consular Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Avenida Independencia,
some 300 meters east of the Santo Domingo Hotel. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs is housed in a former residence of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, the
former dictator.
The file
eventually will be sent to the Intelligence Service of the Dominican Republic
known by its acronym in Spanish, DNI. This department will schedule
an interview with the applicant and his guarantor to determine the validity
of the application.
This is normally
a routine matter which is to confirm the information already provided by
the client to the government. Once this is done the file is then returned
to the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs for further processing.
The entire
process for obtaining the residence visa may take between two to three
months, although some cases have been known to take as much as one year.
Provisional
Residence Card
After the
residence visa has been issued, the applicant has 60 days within which
to enter the Dominican Republic, or if already here, 60 days within
which to submit an application for a provisional residence card.
This application
is submitted to the Dominican Immigration Department which normally
takes some two to three months to process.
It is valid
for one year at the end of which time the applicant may submit a petition
for a permanent residence card. Permanent residence cards must be renewed
every year. If five years elapse after a permanent residence card has expired,
the applicant loses his residency.
The requirements
for applying for a provisional residence card are the following:
1. Application
Form C-1 Ref.
2. Two
copies of the Residence Visa.
3.
A copy of the applicant’s birth certificate, translated into Spanish.
4.
Four 2" x 2" frontal photos of the applicant’s face.
5. Three
2" x 2" profile photos of the applicant’s face.
6.
A copy of the land purchase agreement, Certificate of Title issued by the
Title Registry office or a copy of the employment agreement or other documentation
proving the financial solvency of the applicant in the Dominican Republic.
7. A
notarized letter from a Dominican citizen or a legal resident in the country,
guaranteeing the Dominican government the financial support of the applicant
during his or her stay in the country, including, if need be, the cost
of repatriating the applicant.
8.
The results of a physical examination, including a blood test
(V.D.R.L.),
an HIV test and a chest x-ray, conducted by a medical doctor who is a citizen
of the Dominican Republic.
9.
Immigration Department excise taxes.
Permanent
Residence Card
Once the
provisional residence card has expired, the applicant may then apply
for a permanent residence card. The following documents are required in
order to apply for the permanent residency card:
1. Sworn
statement by two persons who bear witness to knowing the applicant in the
country and that his conduct is in compliance with the laws of the country
(plus three copies).
2. Letter
of guarantee notarized by a local attorney to the effect that a Dominican
citizen or resident will assume responsibility for the applicant while
in the country (plus three copies).
3.
Four copies of the residence visa issued by the Secretariat of Foreign
Affairs for the provisional residency.
4.
The original provisional residency card plus three copies.
5.
A certificate of good conduct issued by the Dominican police plus three
copies.
6.
Six 2" x 2" photos, four of them frontal photos and two profile photos
of the applicant.
7. The
results of a physical examination, including a blood test (V.D.R.L.), an
HIV test and a chest x-ray, conducted by a medical doctor who is a citizen
of the Dominican Republic.
8.
Bank letter certifying to an applicant’s accounts in a Dominican bank.
9.
Copy of an employment agreement, if an applicant is working in the Dominican
Republic.
10.
Application Form C-1 duly completed.
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