28
May

In this article, we will talk briefly about Tourist Visas in the Dominican Republic, given how commonly we are asked questions regarding length of stay in the country with a tourist visa.

Dominican Republic is the preferred destination for thousands of foreigners, due to vast amount of tourist attractions the country offers, such as:

1. The weather is one of the best in the world, characterized by an seemly endless summer
2. Its beaches
3. Its people

Among many other things that make this country special. You can see a summary of our attractions here.

In some cases, due to your nationality, you might be required to obtain a tourist visa at the Dominican consulate of your country of residence, as it is the case with Venezuelans. On December 16th, 2019, Dominican authorities established that a visa is required in order to enter the country. You can click here to see the requirements and steps to follow.

As such, a lot of foreigners visit the country, which is why it becomes necessary to establish the time and length of stay foreigners are admitted as tourists in the Dominican Republic, in accordance with the General Law of Immigration No. 285-04, from the Dominican Republic.

One of the longest terms allowed in the country is up to sixty (60) days, which is a term that applies to The TOURIST CATEGORY. Tourists are NOT admitted as residents and can only stay in the country for that length of time. Others categories are:

1. Tourists Are foreigners who enter the country for recreation, leisure or rest, and have sufficient resources to do so.

2. Business persons, who visit the country to conduct business or commercial activities, as well as to assess the establishment of said activities.

3. Members of groups of different nature, e.g. sports, arts and academic .

In other words, if you establish one of the aforementioned conditions at a migration port when you enter the Dominican Republic, you may stay in the country for UP TO SIXTY (60) DAYS.

Other Categories with which you are allowed entry to the country (albeit with other length of stay requirements) are as follows:

1. During the time in which the means of international transport remains in the country. This applies to the following:

Crew members and staff facilitating means of transportation.

2. Up to 7 days for the following individuals:

Passengers in transit to other destinations abroad.

3. Up to one year (extendable) for the following groups of individuals:

Temporary workers, which are foreign nationals who enter the country to provide their employment services for a certain amount of time and under contract, individually or as part of groups, by natural persons or companies that exploit economic units of production, distribution of goods and services, and according to the assignments of quotas and migration policy plans prepared by the National Migration Council in the country. For the purposes of this law, Seasonal Contracts in the sugar industry are considered employment contracts for a specific amount of time

4. One day for the following group of individuals:

Inhabitants of communities bordering the national territory, who carry out non-work activities dedicated to small-scale operations, authorized to carry out lawful and productive activities and returning daily to their place of residence.

That said, the most common question is: “Is it possible to extend my tourist status in the Dominican Republic?”

YES, it is possible to extend your status as a tourist (or any other status listed above) in the country, as the Regulation of Application of the General Immigration Law No. 285-04, of August 15, 2004, in its article 83 and following establishes:

“Foreigners admitted as Non-Residents, who express interest in extending their stay, would need to submit a reasoned request at the Directorate-General of Migration, understanding that no more than one extension, may be requested or authorized”

The extension request must be accompanied by the following documents:

For tourists: 

1. Completed application form

2. Passport with a minimum validity of six (6) months from the extension

3. Return ticket

4. An address in the Dominican Republic

5. Medical certificate issued by an authorized physician with a professional license

6. Proof of financial solvency

7. Payment of anticipated rights

If the extension is granted, the Directorate-General of Migration will be able to grant an extension of stay of no more than sixty (60) days. If the request is rejected, proceed in accordance with the provisions of the Law and these Regulations. Children of Dominican nationals born abroad, are exempt from this provision.

For business people: 

1. Completed application form

2. Passport with a minimum validity of six (18) months from the extension

3. Return ticket

4. An address in the Dominican Republic

5. Medical certificate issued by an authorized physician with a professional license

6. Proof of financial solvency

7. Contract signed with the company in question, establishing that the business that motivated your entry into the country, has not yet concluded

8. Payment of anticipated rights.

If the extension is granted, the Directorate-General of Migration will be able to grant an extension of stay of no more than sixty (60) days.

Please note

1. Even the law and its regulations establish that foreign nationals can only benefit from 1 (one) single extension of sixty (60) days. However, there are cases in which the Directorate-General of Migration can make exceptions, due to special conditions like health, business situation and other factors that substantiate the need for that individual to stay in the country.

2. Applications to extend stay must be made before the authorized stay expires. A individual overstaying has an illegal status, therefore they do not qualify for an evaluation. As a result, your request must be made during the sixty (60) day period of your authorized stay or any other term established according to your condition.

3. Your stay restarts automatically when you leave the country through a migration port, even if you stay outside the country for a short time.

What happens if I overstay my permitted time in the country? 

The General Migration Law in the Dominican Republic No.285-04 establishes that overstaying the authorized time in a country is grounds for “Deportation”.

Therefore, we suggest the following:

1. If you have determined that you are interested in staying for more than sixty (60) days in our country as a tourist, request a tourist visa extension.

2. If as a result of your business in the Dominican Republic, you need to stay in the country regularly and for an extended time, apply for a Multiple Entry Business Visa in the Dominican Republic.

3. If you decided to reside in the Dominican Republic, you should start your Dominican residency application process. Please remember that it can be requested under the following categories:

A) Marriage with a citizen or Dominican legal resident.

B) Investor, Rentier or Retiree.

C) Work in the Dominican Republic.

Please remember:

Dominican Republic, allows you to live a quiet life, conduct profitable business, establish productive business relations, and given how Dominican nationals are open to that, invest in various business sectors, yield results quickly and with high rates of success, establish any type of company, among many other factors. The benefits listed above, are part of the reason why we say: “Dominican Republic has it all.”

Our Morillo Suriel firm has a division specialized in Immigration Law in the Dominican Republic, which can assist you with any concerns you might have in the matter.