Immigration and Overstay Issues

Yes they are getting better organized.

But what happened when you came back afterwards (if you did)?

So far, nothing.

Hi all. I got to Sosua on Tuesday and got settled in at our rented bill. Wife is still back in Canada for another 6 weeks waiting for house closing date. Good/bad news from consulate they now want to see 3 months of received investment income (better than the 6 months they first wanted.) I had a deposit in April to pay taxes so now I’ll get one for May and again first of June then we can send documents in. They said will take 2 weeks and then can send passports for stamp. Puts us right about 2nd or 3rd week in June which was her planned arrival.
Shipped our 2 dogs on same flight as I arrived on and they made it safely. Used a pet shipping outfit ($3300 for both) but they took good care of them. Seem to be suffering from separation anxiety and follow me everywhere in the house but other than that are good 
Mike Cuffman is looking for a car for me so hope to be mobile soon. Hoping to get the chance to meet some of you in the future.
So far things are awesome and look forward to all the new experiences with our new lifestyle

Yikes - on the dog shipping.... but this time of year is tough..

The strange surroundings will upset them too for a few days

I ahve brought.. 3 or 4 from Canada.... but in the allowed time frames... w/ me for $75 one way

Cruffman will be less than the dogs !!
You'll be happy w/ him.... very good

Willie that's actually a funny story,  Eres muy tigre!!!  Now the question will be will they let you back in, without a return ticket?  Keep us in the loop and best wishes!

THat is not my story... just one I found elsewhere

and it seems -Yes - they let him back in

I believed it happen to you, but it's random, individual, arbitrary.  And the more that happens, the more likely they are to 'kill the goose that laid the golden egg'.   Just like I'll bet that old lady last  year that they hauled out of a supermarket in Puerto Plata, took to the capitol and then dumped there, will never come back, nor any of ther relatives, nor any othr fearful people.  Some gov. officials get extra greedy and wonder why if Mexico can be the ''land of the mordida'', why can't the dr?  'Mordida' is a special mexican word for such shakedowns.

If course it happens .  It is in the best interest of the country for this to stop.  Human nature is what it is and this isn't likely to stop any time soon.  Sad but true!

I think the important thing here is -- THEY KNOW

They didn't used to know...

they're tracking traffic tickets, passports - everything better than before

I am now a citizen.... no more BS

Good for you!

MAYBE they know, and if they do , PROBABLY they don't care, as long as you pay those airport shakedowns when you leave.  And IF it gets to where they don't.....than many, many gringos won't bother coming back anymore.  There are many competitors for our dollars.   Even old Mexico allows for 180 days no visa, no hassle.  And they say there are untold numbers of overstayers too, and they don't care about them either.   The dr is not the only tropical place in the world.

Now they have diferents way to track people, now with the new inmigration system, plus airlines charging the 10.00 US for turist cards is so easy to verify who stayed longer than the time was suppose to stay.   The charge is tie to all the traveler information.   I use to buy my tickets online when I travel, and they charge me with the 10.00 US for tirist card, this tax you can find it in your ticket under the L8 tax.

To ask for the refund to Dominican Goverment Tax Colecting Office DGII, bedside my passport first page scanned and Full name,  they ask for date of purchase, date of arrival to Dominican Rep, Airline name and ticket number, same way when airlines report tax colections for turiscard to the goverment also send all that information and who knows if send more.

If so....so what?  They already knew how long you have been overstaying by looking at the entry date, and when they do, they just shake you down accordingly.  Last time, I paid 4000. It's the system, and an easy cash-cow for them.   No problem.   And if they ever get stupi and charge too much, or not allow people to reenter, they lose a whole lot of money.

There is a fellow who was arrested in Sosua... child sex issues..

He was out awaiting something - appeal, trial whatever - and tried to make a run for it
through Haiti....

The RD gov't caught him and dragged him back

There may be something to the new systems.... that actually work at tracking people
Take note ....

thecolonel wrote:

If so....so what?  They already knew how long you have been overstaying by looking at the entry date, and when they do, they just shake you down accordingly.  Last time, I paid 4000. It's the system, and an easy cash-cow for them.   No problem.   And if they ever get stupi and charge too much, or not allow people to reenter, they lose a whole lot of money.

Maybe we dont see it but I dont think Dominican Republic will be his whole life as a country begging for exit fees, maybe one day we will do it same way as USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, and so many other countries arround the world where overstay has consecuences.

I actually doubt the comment....
the country gets rich/relies on the fees.

Visitors sometime have a glorified view of their importance to the economy.

What's that old song?

Got along before I met ya
Gonna get along without you now....

The pedophile was caught by interpol which means his info was broadcast!  He was trying to get a new passport in a different name.

He was out on bail basically awaiting trial and conviction. Clearly he paid his way to get bail and out of the country.  Too bad so sad that piece of garbage was caught!

Reading all the posts on overstay interesting but to start with I was sooo confused.  Tried to learn something off the net and seemed to get sketchy info.  We were in DR about 3 months in 2019 went to Haiti after 6 weeks got nailed with the overstay at Haiti border 4000 pesos then again we were back in DR for 31 days and they nailed us again leaving DR. going home  4000 peso. This in my opinion is crazy and they are cutting their own throat.  Maybe not yet because the word is only starting to get out but it will catch up to them.  When you are looking to retire or vacation you already are spending heaps of $ in the country and then they penalize you for coming makes no sense but I know it's their cash cow.  Not to mention you pay continually for toll highways when you travel.  Who needs this added stress when you are there looking for R&R
They are on to the computer system and o yes you will pay.  Definitely will play the game different next year.

Nailed?

You should have been aware that through an now well established system, you would be paying 2500 pesos for staying over 30 days and 4000 pesos for staying over 3 months (gone are the days of bribing immigration officers). But also there is an exit fee leaving DR which is in your flight ticket but needs to be paid at land borders hence the 4000 peso fee going to Haiti. You should have paid a US10 tourist card on re-entering DR and this would reset the clock. Did you?

Your 4000 peso exit fee from DR seems to be based upon your DR entry date and not the Haiti re-entry, so you may have some reason for complaint.

These are relatively small sums of money for an extended stay and pale into insignificance compared to other worldwide country's penalties and visa costs (eg Costa Rica is US100 per month overstay). It might deter a few but not the many.

Tourists coming for short vacations pay for the tourist card and exit tax included in the flights (1500 pesos) and in 2018 this generated over US 200 million (Central Bank data). By comparison the  revenue from overstay fines is considerably lower and will almost exclusively be offset by the cost of maintaining a regime to monitor and collect the fine at the country's air, sea and land borders. Far from being a 'cash cow', overstay fines are more likely a loss making deal and the sooner immigration control is enforced and the cost of overstaying is increased significantly the sooner the books can get balanced.

A longer visa option would be nice but probably unlikely at present with the significant Haitian and Venezuelan immigration issues currently in play.

I fail to see how paying a relatively small fee for overstaying one's legal time is getting nailed. Most people are happy to pay the fee because they feel they are getting away with something.  That "something" is being illegal after the visa or tourist card is up.

I am delighted to be able to come and go in the D.R. freely , stay for a prolonged period and pay $100.00. No paperwork, no visas, no extensions, just good old pesos. We are lucky to have this system in place.

As I understand it, going to Haiti does not reset your clock.  You paid an exit fee and then didn't get your clock reset.

  We have said this many times and it applies to all travel, understand the rules. Understand your rights and responsibilities.   When you fly here you are on a 30 day tourist visa.  Overstay and you pay.  It's simple really.  Every country has the right to set their rules.

Sorry for asking again, so crossing the border to Haiti doesn't reset the 30 day clock, but going to the US or Europe or wherever does?

Besides I don't understand what's the problem with paying the overstay fee as long as it doesn't affect your right to come back. I would argue it's a good system for everybody, people don't face the bureaucracy of dealing with visa and the country can collect some money.

Correct from everything I have heard that going into Haiti does not reset the clock on an overstay while leaving Hispaniola island entirely and returning into the DR from a place other than Haiti does reset it.

windeguy wrote:

Correct from everything I have heard that going into Haiti does not reset the clock on an overstay while leaving Hispaniola island entirely and returning into the DR from a place other than Haiti does reset it.

Thanks so much for your reply!

That is my understanding as well.

planner wrote:

That is my understanding as well.

Great, thanks for clarifying that!

FrequentTraveler92 wrote:

Besides I don't understand what's the problem with paying the overstay fee as long as it doesn't affect your right to come back. I would argue it's a good system for everybody, people don't face the bureaucracy of dealing with visa and the country can collect some money.

The problem that is faced by DR - and it is not a wealthy country - is that there are people from all parts of the world coming here as tourists and overstaying illegally and dealing with them costs a lot of money. They are clearly more relaxed about people from Europe and North America that overstay but are taking positive action against persons from other countries other than Haiti and Venezuela as well as those that work. Selective treatment is in play.

There are those in politics who are now strongly arguing that the immigration law must be applied fully to all immigrants and with the elections in 2020 on the horizon, change is possible.

There is always the threat of action before an election, so true!

planner wrote:

There is always the threat of action before an election, so true!

Abinader garantiza “pondrá fin al desorden migratorio de República Dominicana” 27 / 02 / 2019,

Quote from a front runner for President.

lennoxnev wrote:

planner wrote:

There is always the threat of action before an election, so true!

Abinader garantiza “pondrá fin al desorden migratorio de República Dominicana” 27 / 02 / 2019,

Quote from a front runner for President.

Yeah, but I think a Harvard and tourism industry guy as Abinader shouldn't target tourists and snowbirds that bring money into the country. I think for the most part they are probably referring to illegal migrants from Haiti and other places.
But of course, a firm migration policy always comes with some sort of collateral damage.

I did drive to Haiti in March after being in the D.R. for 5 months thinking it would reset the clock. I paid my 4000 pesos, walked across the border at Pedernales and got the entering and exit stamps at the same time from a friendly Haitien official.

When i flew back to Canada in late April thinking I would only pay 2500 pesos for being in the D.R. for 7 weeks, I was taken to the cashier where they called the manager to and asked if I had a receipt for the payment of the 4000 pesos I paid in Pedernales 7 weeks earlier. I said I did not and told them the dates in the passport stamps were the evidence that I left the country.

After about 10 minutes of confusion, they apologized to me and said there was no problem. They let me go and charged me nothing. I thought they made a mistake by not charging me the 2500 pesos.

Now that I know the clock does not get reset, I assume what happened at Punta Cana airport was simply the officials trying to confirm that I paid the 4000 pesos in Pedernales and not that they forgot or chose not to charge me the 2500 pesos I thought I would pay because I thought the clock was reset in Pedernales 7 weeks earlier......!

So people recommend that the dr have the same policy as the states does; catch and release.

Lets try to keep this thread on track.   If you all want a political discussion that can have a thread.......

We need to remember -
It's a big world out there and the rules for immigration/travel vary.

I learned this little nugget this week..
about which passport to travel on -- RD or Canadian
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is a choice based on where you travel. For example Colombia charges approx 80 dollars for Canadians to visit and Dominicans can go there visa free. We have gone to Colombia twice and will go again. Certainly the Canadian Passport is better and more valuable.
==============================================================

but in this instance... using the RD passport has the fee waived

Great info!

WillieWeb wrote:

We need to remember -
It's a big world out there and the rules for immigration/travel vary.

I learned this little nugget this week..
about which passport to travel on -- RD or Canadian
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is a choice based on where you travel. For example Colombia charges approx 80 dollars for Canadians to visit and Dominicans can go there visa free. We have gone to Colombia twice and will go again. Certainly the Canadian Passport is better and more valuable.
==============================================================

but in this instance... using the RD passport has the fee waived

There are some other few cases, like China, they only charge 45.00 Dollars for a Visa while other 1st. world countries 180.00 dollars, Russia charge 200.00 for a Visa while soon Dominicans will be able to visit without visa.

I am sure they're are other situations...

What I was pointing out is that the minimal fees charged in La Rep Dom are
consistent w/ other countries....
Immigration is a global issue....RD is relatively easy...

as many here have said
I am trying to confirm their comments

Steverino7777 wrote:

I am delighted to be able to come and go in the D.R. freely , stay for a prolonged period and pay $100.00. No paperwork, no visas, no extensions, just good old pesos. We are lucky to have this system in place.

Have you ever considered that with the US10 tourist card added, at US110 you pay more each year than a resident who has achieved a 4 year residency renewal status with none of the benefits of residency and uncertainty for the future including availability and costs.

Residency renewal costs 12,500 plus 4,500 medical plus 4,000 cedula (= US104 per each of the 4 years) without lawyer as some have done here and as is being encouraged with the online application process.

Seems a 'no brainer' to me that people who can get residency by investment should get residency to secure their chosen life with investments in DR even if it is 6 months or even less a year.