Overstaying tourist visa

For that amount of time I would do nothing but just pay your overstay fee when you leave. Here is a schedule of the fees:
Overstay fee:

De 30 días a 3 meses
RD $800.00
De 3 meses a 9 meses
RD $1,000.00
De 9 meses a 1 año
RD $2,500.00
De 1 año a 1 año y 6 meses
RD $4,000.00
De 1 año y 6 meses a 2 años

So the worst you would have is a $1000peso ($25) exit fee to pay

Bob K

In your case I would do nothing but pay your over stay fee when you left Here is a schedule of the fees:
Overstay fee
De 30 días a 3 meses
RD $800.00
De 3 meses a 9 meses
RD $1,000.00
De 9 meses a 1 año
RD $2,500.00
De 1 año a 1 año y 6 meses
RD $4,000.00
De 1 año y 6 meses a 2 años

So in your case a $1000 pesos ($25) fee to pay when  you leave.

Bob K

Thanks Bob. Very helpful, that's what we were looking for.

You are welcome and sorry for the double post.  Had a happily rough night last night.

Have a great trip

Bob K

I over stayed my visa a few months ago. I went to the Migration Office located on Ave. George Washington and Ave Los Heros, and paid $RD 800 pesos. The fee for overstaying 30-90 days is $RD800 pesos or USD$20.00. That's only if you go to the migration office. Plus you must bring your passport and photo copy two pages of the photo and two pages of the last date you entered the Dominican Republic.

Actually you get charged and pay the late fee when you check in for your flight to leave the country.  Going to immigration to pay the fine is a waste of time.  You can go there to extend your visit before you enter the over stay period to extend you visitors visa but that will only be good for another 30 days.

Most just wait until they leave and pay the fee then

Bob K

Thanks Bob; I now live a few blocks from the migration office, so it's just a 5 minute walk for me. What I'm not certain about is, will the fee be more when I'm a the airport? I've been forced to be very cautious here in Santo Domingo and not trust information that the locals give me, due to the fact that if I ask three people the same question, I'll get three different answers to a simple question. I just do not want to get to the airport to discover that what I thought would cost me RD800 pesos, will now cost me RD4000 pesos. Thanks again for your help Bob.

The costs that are posted above is what you will be charged at the airport.

Bob K

Thanks again Bob.

I am planning to be in DR for 62 days which is 2 days over my Tourist visa stay limit, will I be charged a fine at tyhe airport when I depart?....Leo

I am planning to be in DR for 62 days which is 2 days over my Tourist visa stay limit, will I be charged a fine at tyhe airport when I depart?....Leo

Most likely yes and the find should be 800 pesos or about $20 US

Bob K

And welcome to the forum!  Any other questions, ask away.

Bob, do you know if your info is still current on fines?  Where did you get it please?  My family is leaving in about a month and will have stayed a year and 5+ months.  Can we pay by credit card?  Or do we need cash?  Thanks for your help.

Yes to my knowledge they are current and are posted on the government site.  the fee for 1 year 6 months to 2 years that is missing above is $5000 pesos.
It must be paid in cash and not credit cards.
Good luck

Bob K

I can confirm  this is still accurate.

Thanks so much Bob and planner.  If anything has changed I'll find out soon enough and let you know. 

Good luck

Bob K

I have been here for 3 years 26 days by the time I leave in Aug.  How much do you figure I'll have to pay?

We need to check the website!!!

HAITI by bus -- Can you pay DR tourist card overstay fee when crossing into Haiti by land (Caribe Tours most likely)?

Thanks in advance for any help!

No idea on that one, sorry!!!!

I heard that you could overstay a tourist card but if you overstay a tourist visa you are in the country illegally???

they are the same thing.

Yes they are the same and once beyond the limit you pay the penalty to get out of the country.

Bob K

Is there an extra line you have to wait in when exiting the country with overstay? What is the process?

No you just pay the fee at the ticket counter for some and at the gate for others.  Adds about 1 extra minute  to check in.

Bob K

I just did this a couple of weeks ago when flying over to Puerto Rico.  I was just under 3 months over - and you check in, go through security, and then at passport control go to counter 9.

There you pay your fee - up to 3 months it's 800 pesos, after that 1,000 - and get a small receipt and go to an open counter to get your passport stamped.  Easy and fast.

Hope this helps! 

Hopscotch -  facebook.com/rayuelando

Yes it is that easy!!!!

Hey Bob K
You seem to be a fountain of knowledge on DR - my husband and I are considering moving out to Dom Rep, but would like to visit for about 9 months.  Any idea of the best way to do this.
We have also heard that people who have started businesses over there are being thrown out of the country.
We are from the UK.
Any info or websites you may think would help us would be great - we are coming up against a brick wall most of the time.
Anybody else that reads this and may be able to give us some help would be great to hear from you.

Cheers in Advance
Gail&Alan

You just come here and stay - that is what most people do. If you decide to stay long term, then get yourself legal.

And no, that is not likely true!  You have to do something pretty severe to be thrown out!

Moving here is easy.

Living here can be challenging

Starting a business here can be difficult

Being thrown out??? Only if you are doing something illegal in your business. Recent deportees have been involved in Prostitution, child porn, or drugs.  Honest business people are not being thrown out.

You are going about it correctly by coming for an extended period of time.  Have you been here before? Where are you thinking of settling?  We moved to the north coast 8 years ago and have not looked back for a second.

Please feel free to ask specific questions and we will be happy to get you the information you need.  As far as other boards on living here you can look at www.dr1.com however do know that there are is a lot of mis information there and many very unhappy folks venting.  However if you ask specific questions you will to be able to sift out some useful information.

Remember when you move here you baggage follows you and may times gets heavier.

Bob K

Damn Planner you type faster than me.

And Gail and Alan I forgot to add:  Welcome to the forum

Bob K

HAHAHA but your answer was.longer....and welcome!!!

Hi Planner & Bob
Thanks for the speedy replies, it was great to get them.
We have SO many questions so apoligies in advance but here are a few ....
We know we can open up a bank account as non residents, but are there any accounts where I can get reasonable interest rates on money invested ???
Would we be right in thinking that around $400 would rent us a one bed apartment?
Also we are told we can drive for one year on the UK drivers license - what happens after this.
We have visited the island twice - firstly the north coast - peurto plata and recently to the south coast - Boca Chica (which we absolutely loved), and this is where we would look to rent and investigate further ...
We are so pleased to have found this site where there is so much information - the DR1.com site doesnt necessarily give specific info
Gail& Alan

Ok here goes.
Bank account:  Yes you can open one in dollars or pesos. You need a letter from you bank back home stating that you are in good standing. You also will need someone here who has a cedula (Dominican or Expat) to sign a voucher form for you.  And you need $$$. Many banks have a $200 min to open.  Interest rates here are not like they used to be.  You will bet about 5% on your pesos account and 1.2-1.5 on you dollar account.  You can get CDs which pay more depending on how much you invest.  Figure 8% or more on Pesos and 6% or more on Dollars.  Remember as of this year they may be reporting income (interest) to your tax people back home.  They have started this year to the IRS in the US even  though has been the law for a few years but prior to this year many banks did not do so.

Did you spend some time in Boca Chica???
Finding an apt for $400 with be tight but you can probably find one.  Here on the north coast for a decent secure apt figure on $500 or so

Your UK lic is technically good for as long as your tourist visa (30 days). But I have never heard of anyone having a problem for longer periods of time. However it is a law that has the potential to bite you.

Hope this helps.

Bob K









Technically your UK lic. is good for as long as your visitor's visa (30 days).  But have never heard of anyone getting into trouble for longer periods.  But it is a law that may bite you.

Hello Planner and Bob K,

Just out of curiosity, when one overstays their visa in the DR do they get a visa overstay stamp put in their passports like here in Brazil? This is an issue that seems to have been ignored in this thread and it really is something that is actually quite important.

Here in Brazil, for example, a visa overstay really is no big deal at all. Pay the fine and you're able to re-enter the country with no problems.

Where the problem comes into play, and most people don't even think about, is what happens at some point in the future should they need to apply for a visa in another country? Many nations aren't so relaxed about visa overstays, in fact they have a hard-line approach to them. So, they may look at the visa overstay stamp in one's passport from another nation to justify refusal of your visa application. This is the good old "where there's smoke, there's fire" attitude at it's worst.

So, that said, what happens if one needs that visa because they've just been offered their dream job in The United Arab Emirates with a salary and benefit package that would make Bill Gates take notice; and the UAE turns down the application because of an overstay in the DR???

This is one point I always make to EB members asking me about overstays here in Brazil. I never encourage it, despite the fact that it's no big deal here. There is a good reason I don't and that's because of the possible unforeseen future consequences. Newton's Third Law of Physics... every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of visa overstays NOBODY ever understands that the opposite reaction may not necessarily be in the country where the overstay took place or when they expect it to.

Just a few thoughts.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

Thanks Bob
We went to Boca Chica for a 2 week vacation but spent a fair amount of time in the local town than in the resort. We want to investigate the possibility of living there but realise that renting for a period of time would be a better option - not knowing anybody specific there may be a problem with the Cedula for the bank account - have to look into that a bit more.
Sure there will more questions to come in time, but thanks so far - we will be on here again soon I have no doubt.

Gail&Alan