Cedula Renewal - US Passport timing

They can be sticky with the 18 month rule - however if anyone is good at renewing passports I have to think the US is.....

They need to rethink their 18 month rule, not that they will or even care but you cannot go for a renewal (Canada) until your passport has less than 1 year to renewal.

We renewed our residency and cedula in April or so and our passports expire this December.  No one said anything.

Bob K

Thanks Bob, Good to know. I will find out soon enough, I plan to turn it in today or tomorrow. I will post the result.

Ok good luck

Bob K

The deed is done. I never heard anything nor was I questioned regarding my passport. So Bob K above said he had 8 months on his passport and I have 10 months on mine and neither of us were questioned about it. The "rules" say you need 18 months. I think we can safely say this is not an issue. However, I think if you are under 6 months you may want to get your passport renewed before going. I have no idea what the real number is.

The process for the Residencia has changed somewhat from last year in terms of the windows you go to and when. I think I spent around 2 hours last year, I was there for 4.5 hours this time. It may have been an unusually busy day, I don't know. After getting fingerprinted the person told me to go pay my fee in 30 minutes, It took one hour and 10 minutes. After the picture I asked how long to get the Residencia and was told 25 minutes, it was closer to one hour. They added a step that once you are called to the PAGO window they ask if you want VIP (an extra $1,000 pesos to get it done the same day). Last year I paid at that window. Now they have added a Ban Reserves station with only 2 windows that you now go stand in line to pay. The line varies a lot but I had at least a 20-30 minute wait in line. One problem is if you get behind a lawyer that has 6 or more files they are working it takes forever for them to pay all of them and clear the window.

The cost went up significantly.
Police report --------$500 pesos (was 300)
Residencia temporal -------$5,000 pesos plus $1,000 for VIP (was 4,000)
Cedula on Luperon Ave.-----$3,000 pesos (same last year)
Total $9,500 pesos. You can add to that the cost of photos and copies if you need to pay for that. I took the same photo I got last year. I got 6 of them when I had it done.

You can do the entire process in one day assuming you do the prep work, get photos and copies the day or week before and you have a car. Write your letter of request and print at home, make 3 copies at home if you can. I don't know why they need the photos, they do not use them for your Residencia nor your cedula. They take pictures at each facility which is used for the cards. So don't worry if you have a unflattering picture. :-) For proof of solvency there are many options, I used my car title and my Social Security letter, very easy to copy things that are right here in my desk. Copies of your cedula and copies of your passport. That's it. If you need a letter from a DR Bank that is another wait in line hassle. Try to avoid it.

So start your day early at the police location to get your certification, this took only 30 minutes where I went. You could then drive to Immigration building and begin the process there. If you get there by 10:30 you will finish in time to drive over to the Cedula building on Luperon. This took less than an hour. Depending on where you live you can do the Cedula the next day or the next week. You just give them your new Residencia, old cedula and your passport. Don't forget your passport, You never need it to renew your Residencia at the immigration building. At least I never did. Of course, always good to have it with you anyway.

Good luck
Ron

Great post, thank you!!!!

to rs smith 525
just one question about police report: how old was yours?
mine was issued two weeks ago, and i shall go the next week to renew residencia.
i am afraid bcause  i read it was valid only 5 days.
bernard

Mine was less than a week old. I would question the 5 day number.

I thought they were good for  30 days?

That's what I would say but I didn't verify.