As a regular person, not applying for work visa or a retirement special status recidencia, you can apply for the temporary residencia. The principal difference is that you will require a local sponsor to vouch for you and your family when applying for the provisional/temporary residence. Later on you will apply for "permanent residencia" but that can take a few years. Lets start here:
FIRST STEP IS TO APPLY FOR A RESIDENCE VISA at THE DOMINICAN CONSULATE
The first phase of your application will be to gather the required documentation which include the following:
1- Your birth certificate- translated and apostilled - 2 copies
2- A Certificate of Good conduct from the police- also translated and apostilled. - 2 copies
3- A medical certificate confirming your current health status- emphasizing you do not suffer from any infectious or contagious diseases, translated and apostilled - 2 copies
4- A letter from your bank confirming you are are solvent and a client in good standing, translated and apostilled. - 2 copies
5- A letter explaining the reason for wanting to apply for residency in the DR, translated and apostilled. 2 copies
6. 2 full copies of your passport, good for at least 18 more months, apostilled.
7. IF your are coming with a spouse, Marriage Certificate, translated and apostilled - 2 copies.
Be aware that documents WILL expire at various times! Your Medical letter will expire faster then your Police check document. Manage your documents wisely!
There are some additional documents based on individual circumstances that you may need to check with a lawyer! These would be for name changes, changes of country of residence (born one place, living elsewhere) etc etc. I cannot cover all possibilities here.
I advise you call the Dominican Consul closest to you to obtain additional information as they will have to issue you a visa that will allow you to come to the Dominican Republic to complete your application for your residency. This is a 60 day visa, issued for the specific purpose of applying for Dominican residency. In addition, note some countries do NOT apostillize documents, double check this requirement with the Consul.
There are some specific rules for specific countries depending where you are! Make sure to call the local Dominican Consul to verify everything! And of course their are fees to be paid!!! Again this can depend what country you are in. There is a normal speed process and a faster speed process and the fees change!
Expect the gathering of documents, official translation and the filing with the closest consulate office to cost several hundred dollars!!!! In one location I know the filing fee along is US 250 for the "fast" service.
Once you arrive in the country you must apply for your temporary residencia within the allotted 60 days. There is an application online at http://consuladord.com/en/Formulario_So … nglish.pdf It MUST be filed in Santo Domingo. This will include paying a multitude of fees, getting a blood test, chest xray and then waiting! You will need to be in Santo Domingo early on the day you are doing this as things happen early in the day!
Make sure you have copies of all your documents. Do not expect anyone to keep copies. Documents do get lost and if you have a copy it will expedite things.
No matter what a document or anyone says - it can take months to complete this or any other application. I have heard stories of this process taking MONTHS and MONTHS to complete. I have also heard stories of it being done in 4 months. Sometimes it is a matter of lawyers staying on top of the process in person. Sometimes it is just plain luck!
ONCE you receive the approval you can then bring in a container of "personal and household items" without the usual taxes and duties. There are fees so be very aware of this! That will be the subject of another thread later.
LASTLY I suggest everyone consult a lawyer familiar with this process, not a friend, not a family member but a LAWYER. You may choose to do the process yourself and save some money, but consult a lawyer early on to make sure you are not missing something major!
It has been my experience, over almost 11 years here, that not getting a lawyer has cost people more time and money in the long run! Make sure to shop around a bit if you plan to use a lawyer, AND ask us for referrals. I know good ones as do others on this forum!