by Sylvain Maufrais 
Let’s be clear: the goal of an estate agent is nothing more or less than finding you the right property and earning a commission on the sale.
It all starts with a dream
Imagine arriving in the Dominican Republic for the first time, falling in love at first sight, looking at the windows of real estate agencies, then going inside to find out about investment opportunities. And then it’s explained to you:
- you can buy with your passport (it’s true)
- that you don’t need to be a resident to enter and leave the country (true)
- that you only have to pay a small fine when you leave the country if you stay more than 30 days (for tourists) (true)
- and because that’s the way everyone has always done it (not true)
In fact, most real estate agents will never tell you that from an investment of US$200,000, you and your family have access to the Investor Visa application, which then gives you access to the Dominican Permanent Residence and therefore access to the Dominican identity documents that prove your legality in the territory for 4 renewable years.
Why don’t they tell you? Answer: either because real estate agents don’t know how to do it, but above all because this process takes at least 6 months and the real estate agent’s aim is to get you to buy immediately without having to go through this stage, at the risk of losing you as a client and therefore their commission.
However, as is often the case with important decisions, there are two ways of doing things: quickly, without thinking too much about it, or by sitting down and doing things in the right order, i.e. looking at all the possibilities that are still open to you at the moment.
Invest and obtain your Dominican Permanent Residence to live legally
If the Dominican government offers you legal ways to enter the country (Retiree Visa, Retiree Visa, Investor Visa, Family Reunification Visa, among others) to settle here legally for the long term, then you might as well take advantage of them. Owning your own home legally with just your passport is one thing, living legally in the Dominican Republic is another.
You can own your land, house or apartment with a genuine, internationally recognized title deed, but that doesn’t make you a legal resident in the eyes of Dominican authorities, administrations and businesses.
In order to live legally in the Dominican Republic, you must obtain a Dominican Residency. This allows you to enter and leave the country whenever you like, for any length of time, without having to pay a fine.
The Dominican Residency also gives you access to the Cédula, your national identity card, which allows you to sign contracts with insurance companies, telephone and electricity companies, etc., in short, to be recognized as a person of good standing in the territory.
But above all, this Dominican Residency allows you to transfer your driving license from your country of origin to a Dominican one. In fact, if you think you can use your personal driver’s license from your country of origin in the Dominican Republic, be aware that it is only valid for a maximum of 30 days and only if you are a tourist. If you have an accident after 30 days, it could have serious consequences.
How many foreign homeowners in the Dominican Republic contact me to help them get their Dominican Residency when they’ve already bought their property for over US$200,000 (182,000 Euros)?
Although the Dominican government still tolerates certain situations and it’s possible to pay small fines, things are beginning to change and the presentation of the Residence or Cédula is becoming obligatory in certain cases, especially for one-way air tickets.
Just be aware that if applying for a visa costs money and requires a certain amount of organization before you move here, applying for it once you’re settled will be even more costly. You’ll have to return to your home country for up to a month to submit the application to the Dominican consulate and wait for the visa to be issued.
My suggestion to avoid the nightmare and unnecessary costs
I’m also a real estate agent and I work with some of the largest groups, developers and promoters of real estate projects currently underway in Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, Las Terrenas and Puerto Plata. Our common goal is to make your investment and establishment in the Dominican Republic a success. With us you can reserve your villa or apartment and still have time to prepare your application for Dominican residency, whether permanent or temporary.
We can prepare your investor’s visa at the same time as your purchase in order to obtain your permanent Dominican residence for you and your family. Within 6 months you’ll be legally in the Dominican Republic, free to come and go as you please, with no fines to pay, no restrictions on length of stay and, most importantly, no questions asked.
From the start, you’ll know you’ve made the right choice: to live in peace, with full access to all private and public services.
If you can’t afford to invest US$200,000 (€182,000), you can still apply for a pensioner’s visa, an annuitant’s visa or a family reunion visa if you have been married to a Dominican national for more than six months.
Sylvain Maufrais, AGIREDOM
Versión Español – Version Française
Read more
Follow me on : LinkedIn
