relocating to DR...help me choose my city

Hello tanicos.

Welcome to Expat.com!

Aurélie

Hi you,why Punta Cana? There are only hotels side by side but no real town.The only Dominicans you can have contact with are the ones who work in the hotels.I live for 14 years in Las Terrenas a small town on the peninsula of Samana,also north coast.I have been to Punta Cana several times,not nearly as nice as here,you should check it out.Bye Katrin

Forget PC and concentrate on Cabarete (lots of beach restaurants,shops, bars and clubs) and Sosua.  This area has a good mix of tourists, locals and a large Expat community.

Bob K

I've been strongly considering RD as a retirement location for the past couple of months.  I will be retiring in about a year and cannot afford to remain in the USA.  My Spanish is very rusty, but it was fair when I was living in San Diego 40 years ago.  I'm looking for locations where the climate is mild (few, if any, days hotter than 30C), where I can own a house with a large enough lot for a few fruit trees, where there is reasonably reliable high-speed Internet and electricity, potable water, and roads than don't require 4WD.  I would rather not live in an "expat enclave" but among the locals, and preferably within 2 hours of an international airport.

Is there such a place in RD or am I wasting my time even thinking about it?

Sensei,

There are many places like that. You can find one like that in any tourist area (Samana, Puerto Plata, Bavaro, Boca Chica, Miches, Ect...). The principle in tourist regions is that if it's not by the sea, the land is practically worthless, so look just outside those tourist regions (oh and hey all have airports).
If you like living in metropolitan areas, try just outside the City of Santo Domingo, or Santiago.
My personal prefence to live in this country is way up in the mountains of Bonao, in the town of Piedra Blanca (White Rock Town). It is 40 minutes away from the center of the Santo Domingo National District. It is never too hot nor too cold in those mountains, and there are 10 rivers that cross the area. My Land has a river that passes at the beginning of my property, and many MANY horse trails. It is a cowboy town, the Rodeo Being the main attraction. A interesting paradise for some, the only foreigners are a group of Doctors and Nurses that work at a Free Clinic set up by some American Non-Profit Institution. For 3 and two dollars per square meter you can buy some serious amount of land.
Where ever you buy, make sure your lawyer guarantees you will get your land title on your name, and make a deal: You pay the remaining half once you have your land title and you have verified it's real. (You can do this by going to the the nearest Land Court, with your title number they look it up in the computer, and what comes out in the computer must be the same as your title)

The New Dominican Immigration Regulations requires for EVERYONE that wants to get a Residency Permit in Dominican Republic to get a Residence Visa. This is for EVERY FOREIGNER, EVEN if you do not require a visa to enter Dominican Republic. From now on YOU ARE NOT be able to apply for residency if you are in Dominican Republic with a Tourist Card. So if you want to live here, apply for a Residency Visa at your Nearest Dominican Consulate. If you are already here, then you must go back to your country and get the Residence Visa at the Dominican Consulate or embassy. Some lawyers might not know what I've just explained, but iT's because that part of the New Immigration Regulation has only come into execution last friday.
At the momment, a group of lawyers (including myself), are negotiating with the Dominican Foreign Relations Ministry in order o find a way to get our clients Residency Visa from within Dominican Republic, and I'm optimistic some solution will be reached, but in the meantime, the law is the law. So apply for your Residence Visa, or you wont be able to get your residency permit, and if you over stay your tourist card period, then this gets a bit complicated, because if you leave DR, you will need a special permit to come back.

Thank you, Mr. Expert!  That was very helpful.  It sounds like I should make an exploratory visit to the RD.  My thought would be to tour the areas where I would be most likely to want to live, like Bonao, Jarabacoa, Sosua, etc.  To see what the climate, infrastructure, and available housing is like in each of these areas.  To do a thorough job, how long do you think I should plan to stay in the RD on such a trip?

I was not aware of the new "law" requiring a residency visa before applying for residency status.  That will certainly effect a lot of expats currently living here who have not already gotten residency status.
thank you for the information.

Bob K

Yes Bob,
That part of the law started being implemented last friday 1, june.It definitely affects Immigrants (Expats as you call them), but not necessarily for the worse. Along with this law, an amnisty was approved. The immigrant that can prove he has more than 5 years but less than 10 living in DR, has rights to Temporary Residency, and the one that can prove more than 10 years will have rights to Permanent Residency. This in only before the constitution of 2010, meaning years after 2010 do not count. For example, if your 5th year is 2011, then the amnisty will not apply.
I hope we can get some solution from the Foreign Relations Ministry (Cancilleria) in order to be able to apply for Residence Visa from within Dominican Republic, otherwise, I strongly believe, that the consuls that  issue the VISAS will send the clients to his partners in DR, aside from the fact, the selection process for residents will become a lot more selective.

Do not worry about the processes you have already started (medical exams),they will not need Residence Visa. Only the new processes, you will not be able to begin the process without the VISA.
If you would like to do some research check out: Dominican Republic Migration Regulation (Reglamento de Migracion Republica Dominicana), read article 20.

Thank you again.  Boy sure am glad that we got our permanent residencies 5 years ago.

Bob K

I have been a frequent visitor to Cabarete. I love it! It's a nice little beach town with a nice beach and plenty of resturants and bars up and down the beach. There are plenty of nice apts and condos for rent.

I prefer Puerto Plata or Santiago, either or. There's NO WAY I'd live in Punta Cana or anywhere near it. The whole southeast coast (Juan Dolio, Boca Chica, SP de Macoris, etc.) is too flat, dirty and unatractive to me. I prefer from Bonao on up. I love the mountainous region.

I recommend Bavaro-Punta Cana.
The nightlife is very interesting, there are very good album, Gold in the Hard Rock Hotel, Mangu Disco Bar, also Imagine being in a cave, with a different style.
And if you want to be in a more local, I recommend Areito disco, Shop and Drink, Go drink, etc..

I live in Bavaro and work in San Juan Square Shopping Center.
If you have questions you can write me.
I hope your experience is very good and enjoy your stay in the country.

Lets tour the Island cities!

Hello!!! I have a question, do you have to use a lawyer once in DR to apply for the residency or can you go thru yourself?

You can do it yourself. Do you speak good Spanish? do you understand how things are ACTUALLY done here?  IF so go ahead and do it yourself,  many have.  For me,  I use a lawyer as I cannot stand the runaround and grief involved in the process.....LOL

Yes, i speak pretty good Spanish, and also have good and trusty friends there. Thank you!!!

Siempre!