Introduce yourself HERE!

Thanks Bob will do. I'm actually looking for a place to fish pier side or boat if you have any suggestions let me know. If you come this way drop a line or two.

Its not bad I'm enjoying the beaches and restaurants especially Sullys over near Acrapolis.
For the most part I'm in the house enjoying my family. As we know its hot here so every now and then I blast down the ac until I'm shivering.
Going to eat out tonight at Sullys for Thanksgiving. Its a great restaurant.
Plan to go to Puerto Plata sometime next month..will be my first time there. My fiance has family living on a campo. I'm looking forward to that...horse riding and all.
Feel free to drop a line anytime.

Hi there,

First of all I would like to say that it is really nice to see how many people are ready to help others in this Forum. I hope one day I can help some of you too!

Now to me:
Some years ago I fell in love with the DR and now I am considering moving to Santo Domingo in January. I have already spent some months there (and also have a place to stay when I go back) but feel I need more time in the city to see if I can really live there and make a permanent move. After all, it is very different to Switzerland, where I am from. So my plan for now is to go to Santo Domingo for a language stay and then maybe do an internship (unfortunately I haven't been successful in finding one yet), as I am aware that I need a cedula to find a proper job and to work legally. I am fluent in English and German. My Spanish is not that good yet but I am working on it.

Again thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences. I have already found a lot of extremely useful information here.

I wish you all a great weekend 

Welcome wanderer to the forum.  It sounds like you have done your research.  Please let us know if you have any specific questions or needs,

Do get out and do some exploring including a trip for a few days to us folks on the north coast.

Bob K

Hello everyone, 

I'd like to introduce myself... My name is Joia & I'm a 35yr old American/ Brazilian (lives in NYC) who went on vacation to DR and fell in love... With the island, the people, the music, a certain man and now Im going back 2 months later, haha. Reminds me of my home country Brazil, just not as expensive and huge. And I'm hoping the politics aren't as bad.

I want to move here soon (within the next year or two). I saw your info about getting residencia and cedula and will most likely get a lawyer to help me figure that out.

I also want to open up a business- always wanted to and for the first time I feel I could do it & it Feels right. I will ask my questions under the "opening up a new business in DR" page so I don't take up too much space here. Haha

I visited Sosua and Puerto Plata and can't wait to check out Santiago (next visit), Santo Domingo, and Punta Cana. I'm also am thinking about buying property, possibly something small to start like a condo. That I know nothing of and will have many questions... But my main concentration is the new business prospect.
I look forward to getting to know you all and can't wait to learn what DR has to offer.

😊

Joia welcome.

Do take it slow and do your homework.  Living here is lots different than coming on a vacation.  Come and stay for a month or two off the resort and see if the DR "fits"

Do ask questions there are lots of good folks here who will share their experiences and expertise.

Again welcome

Bob K

Hi Bob,

I definately will. However please be assured that I'm very confident i will adapt to this culture. I grew up in Brazil, not rich, and when visiting DR I didn't stay on a resort. A few friends and I stayed at a villa and all I did was hang out with locals. I went to the poorer side of Sosua where they lived. All of it reminded me of my upbringing in Brazil... Although it's poor, the people are happy and beautiful. Happiness = love/ family.
It reminded me of the finer things in life if that makes sense.

Hello Bob,

Thanks for the welcome. I have to admit, I haven't visited the north yet. But it is definitely on my list. So far I made it to Jarabacoa and visited places in the south and south east.
I guess at the moment the only question I have is if anyone here has some contacts or knows about (tourism/hospitality) companies that take interns that aren't yet fluent in spanisch? But I guess that question would belong to another thread...

Joia, I hope you can realise your dream of having your own business soon. Good Luck! 

Sorry don't know of anyone looking for an intern.  Good luck in your search.

Bob K

Welcome Wanderer and  Joia!!!

Wanderer -  make sure to check out all the possible places. Reality -   more job possibilities in Santo Domingo and Santiago then elsewhere unless you intend to work in  tourism.  Be very careful about internships - they are available but you need to put all pieces in place ahead of time.  IF you are serious about living and working here get your residencia and cedula so you have options.

Joia -  your background will certainly help you. Be very careful who you trust and who you are "with".  While you feel what you feel, it can cloud your judgement big time here. Just be aware....

Hello Planner,

Yes, Santo Domingo is my preferred place for doing an internship at the moment. Might look into Punta Cana as well. I didn't want to apply for a cedula yet because I first wanted to live there for a few more months to see if it was really for me. Thank you for your advice!

Thank you Wanderer!! Much luck on your internship search. 😊

Hola!
I am a single male Canadian English teacher and journalist (writer, editor, photographer,graphic designer/illustrator) who has lived in Asia, Europe and Brazil. I have long thought of trying the DR or Cuba, and have decided I will go down to live for a while in one or the other.

I'm leaning towards the DR due to the ability to do some kind of work, and not live in a draconian police state. Probably it's not as secure as Cuba, but perhaps safer than Rio de Janeiro. That city was a bit nerve racking, what with the frequent shooting going on.

I am single and looking to remedy that, and it sounds like there are some nice, accessible and eligible young ladies in the DR. I also would like to learn Spanish, and am hoping I can trade English lessons for Spanish.

Is there a good area that is relatively safe and not full of hustlers that might offer work opportunities?

Planner, your comments on the 'friendship' thread about Sundays at Los Ruinas in Santo Domingo sounded interesting. There was actually something similar in Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro.

cheers!
Mick

Welcome Mick.,there are lots of safe areas, all over the country....and yes lots of beautiful women....

Welcome Mick,

If you have not been here before then I would suggest you come visit for a month or so.  Stay off the AI resorts and explore. This is a large country with many different areas. 

We live on the north coast with a good mix or Expats, tourists and locals.  I would not worry about meeting women that is easy to do here just be careful of what type you meet.  Lots of "working" girls in this country.

BObK

Thanks Bob. So the North Coast is good, IYO? Do you have any experience with Cuba, can you compare? I'm trying to narrow things down a bit before I leap. It seems the DR might offer some potential for work, that's the main advantage I'm hearing.

It is almost impossible to live and work in Cuba, so no comparison.

True. But some people work abroad and live part of the year in Cuba, or are retired or whatever. There is some great culture and history to the place. But for me, all things being equal, I'd rather be where I can potentially work.

Nope never been to Cuba.  It is on the bucket list

Bob K

You indicated you need to work so I respond accordingly

I've also looked at Cuba. Interesting possibility for me, but I bring my own work.

DR and a few Central American areas bring better possibilities for me.
DR has a better Caribbean experience, though lesser, shall I say convenience experience.. 

Any of these areas, you are now competing with the locals.
Unless you bring something unique.. well, you know what I mean.
You bring something with you, now that's a different game.

Cuba is out for me, but that's me.
DR is ranking high on my list, but only number 3
But, I'm not looking for employment..

I was just reading the blog and suddenly, I hear on the TV "Cabarete" ..on the HGTV channel a show called House bargains. Can't wait to get there next year !  It is so cold here and the sun has been MIA for days..
enjoy your Sunday guys !

I work from home in the United States and wanting to relocate to Santo Domingo. I am having a hard time finding a place willing to go month to month. I do not want to commit to a lease at this time. Does anyone know of any sites where I may be able to rent a room (similar to Craigslist in US). I want to try it out for a few months before committing to a longer term lease. I have been to the Dominican Republic a few times and loved it but I do have some concerns, power outages etc and things like that can interfere with work so I need to see how often that happens.

Welcome to the forums. Month to month will be tough except in an apartheid. There are several in the Colonial Zone. Make sure they have backup power!!!

Welcome to the forum.
I defer to Planner as she is the local expert on Santo Domingo.
Me I am on the north coast.
Good luck

Bob K

Try AirBNB it is much better than Craig's list.......check it out, there are lots of expats who rent on a month to month basis on there.

Good lead.  Thanks Massagewiz

Bob K

Siempre. Bob

Hi, my name is Rene and my husband Thomas and I are really interested in setting up our future retirement in north coast area.  We're thinking of trying a DRescapes.com tour next year just to look around from the would-be future expat perspective.

We're in Detroit area and both have always wanted to live on a tropical island, understanding full well what conveniences we would be giving up, but I long for an existence in the real world, where electronics don't rule our lives and freetime...I miss my youth, when I didn't own a TV, and had a rich and fulfilling social life...

My husband is German and has lived on 5 continents...I'm a mix-raced American who lived abroad for several years. I've taught German for twenty years in a public high school and have no hope that my pension will be honored, so we are differentiating our options for retirement...my husband rebuilds houses in his spare time (which he has little of...)...and we own several properties already. We would like an escape for these next few years...and then permanently move to DR.

Any private pilots who can give us their take on general aviation in DR?

We look forward to meeting like minded couples and getting to know the DR and it's people!

I need to learn more than Dora the Explorer Spanish, huh?

Welcome to the forums.   Your message made me smile.............   Lots of info on the forums for you to read....... And yup more then Dora the explorer spanish.........LOL

Rene welcome to the forum. There are lots of nice folks here with lots of good information for you.

My wife and I settled here on the north coast full time almost 9 years ago and have not looked back for a second. 

Please ask away and we all will try to help. Read the many threads on this forum as well as they are filled with useful information for you.

Bob K

Did I miss something. ..the threads start with older threads from 2013...is there a setting so that the latest thread will show first?

Hi all! First I want to say a big thank you to those who keep that website going. My name is Maxime and I'm a 32 year old Canadian born and raised in Montreal. Six months ago, my best friend, with whom I also worked in Montreal, moved here permanently with his Dominican girlfriend he had met in Canada. My friend fell completely enamorado with the country and kept pushing me to visit. Finally, having been through a set of life-changing circumstances, I found myself in the perfect situation to come experience the DR for an extended period of time. My friend's wife owns a house in Gaspar Hernandez and allowed me to stay for free for basically as long as I want, which I thought was an amazing opportunity to blend in the real Dominican lifestyle and see if the whole deal suited me.

Well, I've now been living in the country for over a month and I already called my airline to say I would convert my return ticket into an open ticket. After one month staying in a very standard Dominican house in the middle of a very typical Dominican pueblo, I'm starting to have a realistic idea of how it is to live in the DR and I really enjoy it! There are ups and downs: we have spent many days without electricity, or running water, or both. We drove extensively from Puerto Plata to Punta Cana through Santo Domingo and many other places that turned out to be no-go zones. I now know how it is to drive in this country, avoiding monster potholes, donkeys and pedestrians strolling in the middle of the autopista, relying on the ludicrous road signage, getting lost and asking your way to locals only to be provided with vague directions that rarely work. But I also know all the good things that brought and kept you here: the laid-back, happy lifestyle, extremely warm and welcoming people, great food, sunshine, freedom, beaches, bachata and merengue playing out loud at every corner (although IMO they could use a bit less of Frank Reyes!).

I now plan on staying here at least until spring to see if my views on the country stay positive. I have lived in all settings and I'm a highly adaptable guy who doesn't need much to find happiness. I like to learn by myself - I came here a month ago with zero knowledge of Spanish, now I can sustain basic conversations and I work on improving my Spanish every day. From January 2015 I'll start working on various projects to generate income from here. I'm a lawyer in Canada and have good experience as an entrepreneur as well. I'm completely open to meeting with and introducing my folks to anyone of you living in my vicinity (North Coast from Puerto Plata to Rio San Juan) or any other place I can reach with a Caribe Tours coach. If I can use my time to help with anything that could serve the expat community in DR I will happily do so.

Best wishes to all!

Maxime,
Welcome to the forum.  You are experiencing the country the correct way and I am glad it is working for you.  Please feel free to continue to contribute to the forum. Your input will be a positive addition.

Also ask questions. There are lots of folks here with good information.

Bob K

Welcome Maxime,  sounds like quite the adventure!  Glad you like it. After 11 years I am still in love with this country.  Take a look at the thread on residencia so you know what needs to happen when you decide to stay!   

Thanks for the great post, hope we can look forward to more  posts!  A day in the life -  post your experiences there.....

Greetings Maxime.....Loved your post and keep us posted on your adventures in the a day in the life thread, I think you can provide valuable insight from the eyes of someone experiencing the country from new eyes and might help others who might be on the fence about doing the same thing. Welcome Amigo

Thank you Bob K, planner and MASSAGWIZ for your messages! I'm currently exploring this website and have already subscribed to some threads. My experience here is way more modest than yours, yet if I can chip in and provide some insights based on my life in the Dominican Republic so far, I'll be glad to do so.

In my previous message I forgot to mention that, if this can come in handy for anybody here, I have several good personal and business contacts in South Florida as well. I know South Florida (especially Miami) has many ties with the DR and Latin America at large. If this can be of any use to anybody doing / planning on doing business with Florida, I'll be here to help.

Cheers and Merry Christmas to all!

Great to see posts from folks actually on the ground and exploring the opportunities and challenges.  Hope to read more.  JDM222

hola como va i have been here 3 years this month i live in el cibao. i am trying to find out if there is an insurance company or policy that you can buy instead of having a guarantor when you apply for residency. does anyone know how thi scan be done and the information for a company, thank you.