Living in Dominican Republic allows you to have an extraordinary way of life: paradisiac beaches, world class resorts and warm weather, all this at a lower cost than other islands in the Caribbean.

However, this country has much more to offer than paradisiac beaches and a great business-friendly climate. There is a possibility to obtain a Dominican Republic passport in just two years, thanks to one of the fastest “citizenship by investment” program in the Caribbean.

After reading the great investment opportunities, the possibility to obtain a Dominican passport in just two years and the high standard of living for expats in Dominican Republic, you may be asking how to become a permanent resident in this caribbean country. 

In Mundo Expert we have prepared the ultimate guide to become a permanent resident in DR. In a nutshell:

-Most visitors to DR are permitted to stay up to 30 days in the country as tourists. This includes visitors from the European Union, the US, Mexico and Canada.

-There are two main steps to become a resident in DR: Temporary residence and permanent resident. Each step requires about six months to complete.

-Temporary residence allows you to stay in Dominican Republic for up to one year. Permanent residence cards need to be renewed from two to ten years.

-There is a fast track to residency designed for expats and investors. Expats need to justify a monthly income from USD 1,500 (Pensionado Visa) to 2,000 (Rentista). Investors need to register a legal entity in DR with a capital of at least USD 200,000.

-After four years of permanent residence you may be eligible to become a DR citizen. This process can be shortened if you have applied to the Investor Visa.

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DR Residence: All You Need to Know

Becoming a Dominican Republic resident, and therefore citizen, in record time is now possible with Mundo Expert. There are many types of residences that you can apply for. We will explain you each option that you have:

Temporary Residence

The temporary residence is a provisional status that you need to complete before applying to become a permanent resident in Dominican Republic. It usually takes from four to six months to complete the process and allows you to stay up to one year in RD.

You’ll need to provide this set of documents and certifications to the Dominican authorities:

-Two copies of the residency visa or the tourist card.

-Passport valid for at least six months

-Birth certificate.

-Marriage certificate (if spouses are applying jointly);

-Notarized letter of guarantee from a Dominican person or corporation or a permanent resident;

-Affidavit regarding the financial solvency of the guarantor backed by evidence (Bank records, car registrations, assets certifications)

-If the applicant works in the country, he or she must provide a work contract.

-A certificate of good behavior from the Dominican authorities;

-Medical exam performed in the Dominican Republic. It must be expedited by one of the institutions authorized by the government

-A set of photos in 2x2 format: Four photos in front and two photos in profile.

-Completed application forms.

If applicants are from a non Spanish-speaking country, all documents must have a certified translation into spanish. Also, all docs provided must be notarized and apostilled.

The application process costs $RD 10.000 (USD 175). The medical exam costs $RD 4500 (USD 79) if the applicant is above 10 and $RD 3000 (USD 52.5) if the applicant is below 10.

The process takes from four to six months to complete and once it is finished, the applicant will receive an ID (known as “Cédula de Identidad”) and a Temporary Residence Card. From now on, the applicant will be a temporary resident for up to one year.

Step by Step: The Permanent Residence

The second step is to apply for the permanent residency so can become a permanent Dominican Republic resident for up to 10 years. 

If you want to apply to this type of status, you will have to proved the following documentation:

-Passport valid for a minimum of six months. 

-Your current Temporary Residence Card. 

-A personal ID, only for verification.

-Four (4) recent photographs, of the same set: two (2) in front and two (2) in profile, size 2×2, white background.

-Certification of No Criminal Record, issued by the Attorney General’s Office of de Dominican Republic.

-Documents that guarantee your own financial solvency (real estate property certificate, bank record, car registration, etc)

-Medical examinations performed in DR that certificate your health status. It must be expedited by one of the institutions authorized by the Migration Department.

*All documents must be apostilled, notarized and have a certified translation to Spanish. 

Application costs $RD 12,000 (USD 210). The medical exam costs $RD 4500 (USD 79) if the applicant is above 10 and $RD 3000 (USD 52.5) if the applicant is below 10. If by the time you apply to the permanent residence your temporary residence has expired, you must pay a fee of $RD 500 for each month after the expiration of the visa.

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Attention Investors & Expats: A fast track to residency

Yes. DR has created a fast track program towards residency. Instead of waiting two years to pass from temporary to permanent resident, you can begin this process without actually having an amount of time living in the country. This program was designed for investors, pensioners and expats. We´ll explain you below everything you need to do:

Investor Visa

Investors are given the right to obtain permanent residency in a year from the date of receipt of residence permit and six months after the residence permit to apply for citizenship. This is a huge advantage over the usual procedure of obtaining citizenship that takes more than eight years.

The procedure of obtaining a residence permit for investors does not differ from the usual, on average, it is obtained within four to six months. However, the list of essential documents also includes:

The Certificate in Investor Relations, to obtain it you need to register a company (legal entity) in the Dominican Republic with the authorised capital of at least 200,000 dollars and transfer to its account at least 200,000 dollars from foreign sources:

*The authorized capital does not have to be paid in real money, but you must pay a one-time tax on this amount that is about 4%.

**The availability of funds is confirmed by a bank reference that money came from foreign accounts and its origin is legal.

If all the conditions are fulfilled, the Chamber of Commerce Investment Department issues the Certificate in Investor Relations to the client

-Passport valid for a minimum of (18) months.

-Residence Visa (RS).

-Letter of Incorporation into the Foreign Investment Program.

-Certified Certificate of Foreign Investment.

-Birth Certificate, original.

-Four (4) recent photographs in a 2x2 format: two (2) front and two (2) right profile.

-Certificate of No Criminal Record of the country where you have resided in the last five (5) years.

-Marriage certificate or declaration of singleness, depending on the case.

-Guarantee policy contracted with Dominicana de Seguros, the insurance company authorized by the Inmigration Department.

-Medical examinations expedited by an institution certified by the Inmigration Department.

*All documents must be apostilled, notarized and have a certified translation to Spanish. 

Applicating costs RD$30,000.00 (USD 526) for both adults and children under 10 years old. Medical examinations cost RD$ 3,000 (USD 52,6). The Deposit of investment record CEI-RD costs RD$2,500.00 (USD 43,88)

Pensionado Visa

This visa is available to pensioners. In order to apply, you will need to provide the documentation required above and prove that you receive a pension of at least USD 1500 a month. If you have a dependent you’ll need another USD 250

Applicating costs RD$22,000.00 (USD 396) for both adults and children under 10 years old. Medical examinations cost RD$ 4,500 (USD 81). The Deposit of investment record CEI-RD costs RD$2,500.00 (USD 43,88)

Rentista Visa

This visa was designed to rentiers, people that receive a monthly income by renting out a property abroad. The minimum monthly income you receive by this property must be at least USD 2,000.

This visa grants a two years permanent residence and can be easily renewed. Application costs and medical examinations are the same as the Pensionado Visa.

The Path to Citizenship

There are two paths for obtaining the Dominican Republic citizenship. The first one is if you have done the classic way in order to become a permanent resident. In this case, you will have to wait for two years before becoming eligible for DR citizenship.

The second way is the Citizenship for Investment program. It allows foreign nationals to apply for citizenship just six months after becoming permanent residents by the Investors Visa. 

However, after six months from the date of receipt of the residence permit, the investor has the right to apply for citizenship, but the fact is that the residence permit is issued for a period of 1 year. And the validity of certificates (medical, birth, Police) is limited to 6 months. Therefore, there is actually only 1 day to submit an application or you have to make certificates again.

In both cases you would need to pass an exam that proves your knowledge on the country's costumes and traditions, ties with Dominican Republic and fluently in Spanish. Also, the candidate will be subject to an identification procedure by Interpol, which would take some months.

The last step of obtaining DR citizenship is that documents are sent for signature to the President of the Dominican Republic and the day of the solemn oath is set. The ceremony is usually held for 50-100 candidates at a time. It may take up to three months to complete. The whole process takes from 1.5 to 2 years to complete, being the fastest way to obtain a passport in the Caribbean.

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In Mundo our core value is financial freedom. Dominican Republic has tons of it. That's why we consider this tropical country as one of the greatest options of investment in the Caribbean.

Along our partners, in Mundo Expert we can help you to become a Dominican Republic citizen. Our wide network of experts can help you prepare all the required documentation and advice in every step of the process.

Becoming a Dominican citizen is now on your fingertips. Contact us now!

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