Dominican regulations allow entry to most foreign nationals whether visiting for business, pleasure, or retirement. Numerous foreigners can get residency or citizenship by submitting appropriately prepared documents, finishing lawful customs, and holding up recommended wait times.

The primary regulations with respect to migration are the Constitution, General Immigration Law 285-04, Law 95 of 1939, Immigration Regulation No. 631-11, and Law 171-07 in regard to special incentives for those retiring.

Some of the advantages of acquiring residency status in the Dominican Republic include:

•             Having the option to apply for a driver’s license and car insurance

•             Having the option to do business in the country

•             Bringing in their household items tax-exempt

•             Being qualified for significant tax exemptions

Nationality

Article 18 of the Constitution lays out the following as Dominican nationals:

1) An individual is born to a mother or father with Dominican nationality, no matter what the country where the parent resides

2) A person born in the Dominican Republic, except a person (i) born to a member of foreign diplomatic service or consulate in the country, (ii) born to an illegal resident, or (iii) born to a foreigner “in transit” as defined by Dominican law

3) A person marrying a Dominican national

4) The direct descendants of Dominicans

5) A person who is naturalized.

Dual Nationality

Per Article 20 of the Dominican Constitution: A Dominican might get dual nationality without potentially losing Dominican nationality; a Dominican born of Dominican parents, may at eighteen years old pick double nationality or give up one of the two nationalities they benefit from.

Citizenship

The privileges of citizenship are just offered to a Dominican national who has turned eighteen years old, or who has been married before the age of eighteen.

Citizenship qualifies the individual for the option to cast a ballot, campaign for a public service position, make solicitations of public interest, and report public authorities’ offenses in the presentation of their obligations.

Admission to the Dominican Republic

Currently, the two statutes a non-national can be admitted to the Dominican Republic are “Resident” and “Nonresident”. Nonresidents are individuals who expect to remain in the country temporarily for a specific reason like business or pleasure and require a visa or traveler card for legitimate passage. A resident is a person who is remaining in the country for an extended period of time and has acquired lawful residency status, confirmed by a residency card.

Alien Status

A nonresident requires permission to enter and remain in the country. foreigners are allowed entry by a tourist card and do not require a visa. Traveler cards are bought for a predetermined price at one of the country’s worldwide air terminals at the time of entry and prior to going through customs, these cards are valid for up to 3 months.

Residency Status

Residency status grants the foreigner lawful status in the country qualifying the individual for an ID card. Foreigners have the option of applying for a) Temporary Residence and B) Permanent Residence. For additional data about special cases and residency, and refusal rules call our offices.

Property Owner with Rental Income

a) Income may be derived from rental property anywhere in the world.

b) Income must be a minimum of US$2000 per month.  An additional income of US$250 per month per minor in the immediate family and spouse accompanying the application must be added.

c) Proof of rental income evidenced by an official document such as a lease must be certified, authenticated, and translated into Spanish for submission to the Immigration Department.

Investor Category

a) The investment must be US$200,000 or more.

b) The investment may be direct or indirect, for example, a real estate transaction, a deposit in a bank account, or an investment in a project in the Dominican Republic.

c) The investment must be registered in the Dominican Republic, evidenced by a Certificate of Investment.  Regulation 214-04 on Foreign Investment Registration stipulates the criteria for registering investments with the Department of Export and Investments (CEI-RD).  The CEI-RD issues a Certificate of Investment approximately one month from the date of application and the Certificate must be regularly renewed. The holder of a valid Certificate of Investment can sponsor immediate family members, if an individual, or company employees, if a corporation, for expedited residency.

Retiree Category

a) Income must come from a public or private plan providing retirement income.

b) Income must be at least US$1,500 per month.  An additional income of US$250 per month per minor in the immediate family and spouse accompanying the application must be added.

c) Proof of retirement income must be certified by the plan provider, authenticated, translated into Spanish, and submitted to the Immigration Department.

Spouse of a Dominican Citizen

A foreign national who legally marries a Dominican citizen may apply for citizenship after six months of marriage, no matter the location of the marriage.  The foreign spouse must provide an authenticated and translated copy of the marriage certificate and the documents shown below under Residents, with some variations.

Foreign National Residents

A foreign national with Permanent or Investment Residency status may apply for citizenship after the prescribed waiting periods of two years for permanent residency and six months for investment residency.