Area: 48,730 km²
Residents: 10,767,000 (as of 2017)
Population density: 221 E / km²
Form of Government: Presidential Republic
Neighboring countries: Haiti
State capital: Santo Domingo National
language: Spanish
Religions:
75% Roman Catholic,
4% Protestant,
1.5% Adventists,
0.3% Jehovah’s Witnesses
Currency: Dominican Peso (DOP)
1 Peso = 100 Centavos
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 70.02 DOP
100 DOP = 1.40 EUR
1 CHF = 64.96 DOP
100 DOP = 1.51 CHF
(exchange rate from 26.01.2021)
Telephone area code: +1 (809),
+1 (829) and +1 (849)
Time zone: UTC −4
(CET −5, CEST −6)
In 2020, 129 Germans officially emigrated to the Dominican Republic and 178 returned to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 2,199 Germans officially emigrated to the Dominican Republic and 2,871 moved back to Germany.
As one of countries starting with D listed on Countryaah, Dominican Republic is usually also called “Dom Rep” for short. This Caribbean island state, the size of Lower Saxony, is not one of the top emigration destinations, but has a very special charm, especially for dropouts. Immigration is easy and inexpensive.
With the exception of the mountains, the Dominican Republic is warm all year round (28 ° C annual mean). There are many coffee plantations in the highlands. Along with sugar and bananas, coffee is the most important agricultural product. On the north coast between Puerto Plata and Cabarete, especially in Sosua, there are very many German immigrants.
Travel and Visa
Changed travel regulations during and after the corona pandemic
Entry from Germany is generally possible. All travelers must fill out a standardized electronic form (“e-ticket”) for entry and exit purposes. The Dominican migration authority provides additional information.
When entering from the following countries, people over five years of age must present a negative PCR test, which must not be older than 72 hours on arrival, or a vaccination card showing that the last vaccination required to obtain full protection was at least three weeks ago: Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Congo (Democratic Republic), Kuwait, Monaco, Sweden, Senegal, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Syria, Thailand and Tunisia. This also applies to entry via third countries and in the case of stays in the named countries in the last 14 days.
For entry from other countries, random health checks are carried out at the airports. Travelers are obliged to participate in this process unless they can present a negative PCR test or vaccination certificate (under the same conditions as described above). If a COVID-19 infection is suspected, those concerned must leave their contact details and go into quarantine. The Ministry of Health has set up isolation wards for this purpose.
General provisions for travel and residence (until the corona pandemic)
Travelers and immigrants need a valid passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months upon entry. You can stay in the country for up to 90 days without a visa. If you are staying for more than 60 days, you must apply to the responsible immigration office (Departamento de Extranjería, Dirección General de Migración) for a fee-based extension. If there is no extension, a fine must be paid when leaving the airport for stays of more than 60 days, the amount of which depends on the length of the overdraft of the permitted stay.
Minors who live permanently in the Dominican Republic or who also have Dominican citizenship and do not travel with both parents require a notarized authorization from the non-accompanying parent, certified by the Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana, to leave the country. To avoid problems when leaving the country, minors traveling alone or minors who are only accompanied by one of the custodial parents should have the authorization of the other custodian (certified by the Dominican embassy in Germany) with them.
Immigration and permanent residence, residence permit
It is no longer possible to apply for a residence permit directly in the Dominican Republic. To do this, you must apply for a visa tailored to your stay in your home country before entering the country (costs are currently around 400 to 500 euros).
First you get a provisional residence visa with a validity of 60 days. As soon as possible after entering the country, you should go to the immigration office “Dirección General de Migración” in the Dominican Republic, in order to initiate the further process for applying for the ‘Residencia Temporal’.
Residencia temporal – Cost: RD $ 20,000, turnaround time 90 days to 6 months. This can often be extended. There are different costs for this.
Different figures for the following groups:
renter: RD $ 29,000, processing time is 45 days $ 2,000 monthly pension
pensioners: RD $ 29,000, processing time is 45 days $ 1,500 monthly pension
investors: RD $ 37,000, processing time is 45 days $ 200,000 investment
Residencia permanente – Cost: RD $ 16,500, turnaround time 90 days. After having owned the Residencia temporal for 5 years, you are entitled to apply for the Residencia permanent.
Residencia Definiva – Cost: RD $ 20,500, processing time 5 days. You have to have the permanent one for 10 years. Then the definitiva (permanent residence) can be applied for.
All stated costs also include the costs for the medical certificate, which is carried out on site.
Requirements for applying for a residence permit:
(The majority of the evidence and documents listed have already been submitted for the application for the Residencia temporal)
- Informal application letter in Spanish
- Visa application (form at consuladord.com)
- Passport photo
- Original passport (valid for at least 18 months)
- Photocopy of the identity card
- Original certificate of good conduct with translation into Spanish
- Original birth certificate with translation into Spanish
- Marriage certificate (in case of family reunification)
- Documents on economic solvency
- Letter of guarantee (guaranteed to cover living expenses and repatriation costs)
- Certificate from the Ministry of Labor
- An additional income of US $ 250 must be proven for each family member who is entering the country
All documents must be legalized by the consulate of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Berlin.