Buying a car as a new resident

@planner

can you fly over to PR and come back to the DR to start the 30 days over ? will that work ? im considering doing that or not driving after 30 days if i cant get back to the US.

Yes you can fly to Puerto Rico, stay overnight and reset the 30 days

Ok thank you @plannet 

@planner  thank you

Hi Planner, I've been a member of the forum for quite a while now, mostly reading all the peeps posts, but as my time to prepare for my long awaited move as a pensioner to DR  gets closer I've concluded that I need to become more involved. So far I've gathered an immense amount of info from you guys with the experience of living abroad, from the residence visa process to moving companies, etc.

I purchased a pre-construction condo in the Dominicus area which will not be ready until mid 25, and although I've been gathering all my residence visa required docs, it seems that I will be delaying the actual application here in the DR consulate until (or close to) I obtain possession of my condo. This is due to the delay involved in the processing of the visa on the DR side, a period in which MIREX could take at least a month to expedite my Dominican documents.

I am mentally prepared to sleep in an inflatable bed if that is what it takes until I finally obtain my residency and be able to take advantage of my one-time customs tax exemption, however, renting a car for the duration of my waiting time 'till I obtain my residency is not practical, and motoconchos are the UBERS of that location, so buying a car there will be my best option.

The questions I have for the forum is: Can I obtain a DR driver's license/insurance for the car that I intend to purchase in a concesionario in DR? Am I required to have a Dominican driver's license to drive that car around?

I know there's a lot to unpack here and this might not be the proper topic to bring to this section of the forum, so please, feel free to move it to the proper section if needed.

Thank you for posting. There's a lot of valuable info that can be gathered here, I know it because it has served me well.

You cannot get your Dominican DL until you have residency. You are legally allowed to drive here on a foreign license as long as you are in the country legally on a visitor card. So that means 30 days each time you enter the country.

Thanks for replying ddmcghee! I just got some fresh info from a DR immigration attorney who posted this article on youtube called "Can You Legally Buy, Own, and Drive A Car in the DR Without A Dominican Driver's License".

Not sure if I'm allowed to post youtube websites here, but you can copy and paste it on YT and you will probably find it.

Thanks again!

My understanding is that if you are on a residency visa your drivers license is good for that 60 day period.

And no honey you cannot post your youtube video.

Planner, thanks for the reply. That's exactly why I brought the subject to the forum, because I was under the same impression, but now this immigration attorney who resides in Santo Domingo not only is saying that you have 90 days to legally drive your recently purchased vehicle on a tourist card, but is also stating that international driver's permits are accepted for the one-year duration of the permit, totally opposed to what I had heard. Now, go figure!

Sadly this subject is often disputed. What I know is that if there is an accident, the insurance company can determine you are not covered as your status is illegal.  That is really the risk.