Dominican Residency Process
Dominican residency is comprised of two steps. First, the applicant must apply for a residency visa via the Dominican consulate in the country of origin or the closest Dominican embassy. Once the residency visa is issued, the applicant has sixty days to plan a short trip to the country in order to complete the second part of the process via the Immigration Department. (If the applicant is currently in the DR he/she will need to return to their country of origin in order to be issued the visa). On that trip we will assist with the requirements for the residency process which include setting up a bank account and undergoing a mandatory medical exam. The file is then submitted to the Immigration Department for review and processing, in approximately 3 to 4 months the residency card and cedula (state I.D.) will be ready. For those who apply for residency under the investment category also known as the fast track program, there is the possibility of applying for citizenship six months after the residency card is issued by the Immigration Department.
permanent residency covers the following:
- Immigration fees
- medical exam in the Dominican Republic
- required repatriation insurance
- transportation to immigration office in Santo Domingo
- legal fees (non-refundable)
- taxes
If you require assistance in order to obtain the residency visa we can assist you too with the application process
In order to qualify for residency through the fast track program the applicant will need to prove income either from a foreign investment (privately owned company, rental income, CD, annuities etc. minimum or $2k per month) or from a pension minimum of $1,5k per month. They can also qualify for this type of residency if an investment of $200k is made in the DR either through the purchase of property, investing in a banking institution or into a company registered in the DR. Those that qualify are given an exemption from duty for the importation of household goods, exemption from transfer taxes for the first real estate purchase, exemption from taxes on dividends and interest, and 50% reduction on property and capital gains taxes.
ESTIMATED TIME-FRAME TO OBTAIN RESIDENCY (duration varies depending on consulate used)
up to 3-4 months (avg)- client gathers and apostilles (legalize for international use) all necessary documents
up to 4-5 months (avg) – documents translated and legalized. File is deposited with consulate to apply for visa
60 days – once visa is granted client has 60 days to travel to DR for short trip
min. 10 full business days – required medical exam (blood test, urinalysis, x-ray and medical history), assistance given to open required bank account (minimum opening balance US$13 equivalent in Dominican pesos) and file is deposited with Immigration office (please note that original documents are not returned).
5-10 months – client issued residency card and Dominican ID (2-3 full business days) (renewed annually (or every other year depending on type of residency obtained)
*Please note that our firm submits all the requested documents to the Dominican consulate and Immigration in order to apply for the visa and residency but we do not make guarantees. Their own website says: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reserves the right to request any additional document and to schedule an interview in the cases it deems necessary to evaluate said request. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reserves the right to approve or deny the visa application.
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