Expat' resources for Dominican Republic

The temperature oscillates between 18°C and 25°C, January the coldest month and August the warmest month. As far as rain is concerned, there are two main seasons, rainy (April - June) and dry season (December - March). All over the country it is possible to observe a great variety of local and regional microclimates, classified into up to 39 different zones, with 8 main types. Annual average rainfall oscillates between 350mm. And 2,743 mm. For the North coast the rainiest time of the year is between the months of November and January. For the rest of the country the rainiest time is between May and November, with an average rainfall of 2000 mm; March is the driest month in most of the country, with less than 500 mm of average rainfall. The hurricane season begins the 1st of June and ends the 30th of November

This is a very broad question that cannot be answered in just a few lines. Dominicans are extroverted and warm. You’ll immediately feel welcome. Dominicans love baseball, “Presidente” beer and politics. They are also festive and noisy, but for those who love peace and tranquillity there are also calmer neighbourhoods. Actually, there are numerous communities of foreign residents whose social network is exclusively among themselves and who do not really integrate in the country life. So you wouldn’t even need to learn Spanish

The official language in Dominican Republic is Spanish; but it is possible to find small communities of foreigners where other languages are spoken.

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The official currency is the Dominican peso, but in tourist areas it is also possible to pay with American dollars and Euros.

The public health system in Dominican Republic is very precarious and deficient. Therefore it is highly advisable is to attend a private health center.

In year 2001 law 87-01 that creates the Dominican system of social security was promulgated. The Dominican Republic has several companies ARS (Health Risk Insurance) that offer a great variety of health plans and services, adapted to every budget and necessity. These insurers generally are affiliated with the main clinics, laboratories, pharmacies and doctors of the country.

The public education system is deficient. That is the reason why private education or private schools are recommended, many of which offer an excellent academic formation. Several private institutions exist where the education is bilingual and others where the classes are taught in English or French in their totality. As far as the university education goes, the country counts on excellent private universities in the main cities of the country, specifically in Santo Domingo

To present a guarantor who commits himself to cover any debt in case the tenant does not pay. To sign a rental contract, which will stipulate: The price decided between the tenant and the proprietor or administrator of the building. Duration of the contract. The sum of money that is given in deposit. Details of the tenant, proprietor or administrator of the building and the guarantor.

There isn’t any restriction to the purchase of buildings on the part of foreigners at the present time in Dominican Republic.

The signature of a sale promise or purchase option, where the buyer gives a deposit or advance to the seller who therefore is committed to sell its property to the buyer, under the terms contemplated in the promise or option. With regards to binding contracts or sale promises it is recommended to look for a good, trusted lawyer, so that he can advise about the contract and its clauses.

All land sold in the Dominican Republic is sold in square meters. A square meter is 10.76 square feet and there are approximately 4,000M2 per acre. Most building lots usually start at around 800 - 1,000M2 and can rise to 10,000M2 for a single dwelling. Land costs depend greatly on the location and size.

In the Dominican Republic homes are generally constructed of reinforced concrete block on a reinforced concrete slab with a tiled roof. This generally accepted to withstand whatever nature has in store. Prices will vary dependant on the design type and level of finishes, however the following will offer guideline prices in US$ per square meter and US$ per square foot. For a reasonable quality build in a simple style, US$400/M2 or US$40/ft2 would be reasonable; while for more luxurious finishes and a more detailed design the price would probably rise to around US$600/M2 or US$60/ft2. The above prices usually include a generator or an inverter, standby water tank, all white goods, finished bathrooms and kitchen and a level of furnishings. It excludes the swimming pool and landscaping. Swimming pools costs vary based on deign and size from US$10,000 to US$20,000 inclusive of filters, pumps, etc. Landscaping would normally start at around US$5.00 per square meter or GBP3.00 per square meter. Most gated developments have a small monthly charge for security and public area lighting.

The level of unemployment in Dominican Republic is high. For that reason it is a bit difficult to find a good, well- paid job.Many of the expatriates who live here come with contracts from their country of origin and another great majority tackles their own business.

Tany foreigner who resides legally in the country has the same rights as a Dominican citizen in order to set up a company.

Actually this is probably the best way to establish oneself in the country. However, it is necessary to have a solid business plan and know the grounds before setting of for a costly adventure of an uncertain ending.

In order to obtain the provisional or definitive residency permit, it is indispensable to have entered Dominican territory legally and to fulfill a series of requirements asked for by the Department of Migration, such as: to have a clean criminal record in the country, (German citizens who must also bring a certificate clean of criminal record from their country of origin), demonstrate economic solvency or have a stable job in the Dominican Republic. Both the provisional and definitive residency permits are issued by the Department of Migration.The whole process may take about three and a half months, but when it is over, a foreigner who obtains the provisional or definitive residence has the right to work and to create a company in the same conditions and rights as a Dominican citizen.

The Dominican constitution establishes the requirements to obtain Dominican nationality. These are:

By birth.- Those born in Dominican territory, they are Dominican. It is necessary to clarify in this regard, that the children of foreigners who are on leave, that is to say, tourists, or are in diplomatic missions, or that have entered the country illegally, cannot opt in this way for the Dominican nationality.

By origin.- Those with Dominican father or mother, they can opt for the Dominican nationality.

By law.- Those that nowadays have the Dominican nationality by virtue of previous constitutions and laws are Dominican.

By naturalization.- Those that fulfill the legal requirements to obtain it: Having resided in the country for at least six months after having obtained legal domicile (permanent residence card).

This it is the tax that is applied to the commercial premises, sumptuary housing (houses or apartments) and lots located in urban zones that have not been built, whose estimate value is greater than five million pesos (RD$ 5, 000,000.00) [law 18-88]. These houses, lots and premises are taxed with 1% applied on the value of each building that exceeds to the five million pesos (RD$ 5.000.000,00). Premises, houses and urban lots whose value is inferior to this amount are exempted from this tax.

Taxes must be paid before filing the purchase at the Title Registry Office. Taxes and expenses on the conveyance of real property are approximately of 4.4% of the market value of the property, as follows: 3% Transfer Tax (Law # 288-04) 1.3% Document Stamp Tax (Law # 835-45) (Actually, RD$232 pesos for the first RD$20,000 pesos and 13 per thousand for the rest). Minor expenses such as tax on certified check, sundry stamps and tips at the Registry. Transfer taxes are paid based on the market value of the property as determined by the tax authorities, not on the price of purchase stated in the deed of sale. Buyers wishing to lessen the impact of transfer taxes have the option of using a loophole in the law which allows the contribution in kind of property into corporations without paying transfer taxes. For this, cooperation from the seller is essential.

News from the Dominican Republic www.dominicantoday.com

Dominican Republic largest informative resource online www.dr1.com

All you ever needed to know about Dominican cooking and culinary culture www.dominicancooking.com

Invest-DR.com: Business and Investment in Dominican Republic Information on offshore investing, banking, real estate, north coast lifestyle and more www.invest-dr.com

English-Spanish Dictionary http://es.bab.la/dictionary.php

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