Denise
@ddmcghee
American expat in Panama
Forum posts
1921
Contacts
9
About me
American, Married
Lives in Alto Boquete, ChiriquÃ, Panam
Speaks English
Registration: 15 May 2017
Activity
Surprisingly efficient Dominican process! by ddmcghee
I've finally become sufficiently jaded so that nothing here in DR really surprises me! I have to admit, though, that I was pleasantly surprised on Friday with the speed and efficiency of getting an International Health certificate to take our dogs ...
Our vet came to our house. He already had the vaccine records for all three of our dogs, so he had completed the International Health certificate online and submitted it to DIGEGA for their endorsement before coming to the house. Once we had those, ... Read More
Retirement residency renewal -- proof of bank deposits by wondering9
One of the requirements to renew a residency permit is to prove that you have been depositing the minimum amount ($1500/month) into a Dominican bank. Can anyone who's done this recently say how many months of bank statements are being required? Or ...
When we renewed in August, all we had to provide was proof that we had 6 months worth of pension in our bank account (with a bank letter) since we had not anticipated renewing and had not been transferring our full pension amount each month. Nothing ... Read More
Import tax exemption for houshold goods? by simonr69
We move in April from Switzerland to the DR. and we can pick up our Cedula for temporary residency which was been approved.Therefore we send a 20ft container with our household goods to the DR. I have the knowledge that we could get a import tax ...
We came in with a Pensioner visa and received a full exoneration on our household goods. Read More
Looking for a reliable real estate lawyer in Sosua/Cabarete area by sheinleo
Can someone recommend a reliable real estate lawyer in the Sosua/Cabarete area? Preferably one that you have used yourself.
@UncleBuckI've heard good things about the Perdomos, but I had a really bad experience with another attorney in their firm. The buyer of our home chose her as his attorney. If it hadn't been for Lishali on my side, then we probably wouldn't have ... Read More
How to meet expats in Panama by Panama_expat_DRH
I am a retiree considering moving to Panama in the Boquete or Volcan areas. How do I connect with expats already living in the area for help and guidance with the move? I also want to make new friends before I take my first trip to Panama.
We only know a few people in Bouquete. One couple we met through the PRT community. I had asked a question in the group, and he reached out with an offer to help. Nine months and lots of information exchanges later on our second visit to Boquete, we ... Read More
Surprisingly efficient Dominican process! by ddmcghee
I've finally become sufficiently jaded so that nothing here in DR really surprises me! I have to admit, though, that I was pleasantly surprised on Friday with the speed and efficiency of getting an International Health certificate to take our dogs ...
@planner We were shocked! We almost changed our flight out to allow more time for the apostilles. I submitted them online at about 3:30 Monday afternoon, and they had approved them, sent me an invoice to pay the 620 pesos per document online, and ... Read More
Housekeepers cost Samana area by karynllanders
Can someone educate me of how much we can expect to pay a housekeeper per hour/day. i have gotten two quotes. first 1500/day for 3 hours. twice per week. She said she wouldn't do windows. WHAT?? the second quote was for 18000 per month. ...
I've only hired cleaners for one-off cleanings, like when moving out of a rental. I've paid 2500-3000 for a full 8-hour day.Are those quotes from individuals or services? (Also - I might know someone for you to get a quote from! I'll let you know.) Read More
Lishali Baez - totally worthy of all the praise! by ddmcghee
Okay, I've known for 6 years, along with many of you, just how awesome Lishali is for residency. I now know that her expertise, professionalism, knowledge, and persistence extend well beyond Migracion! I closed on the sale of my house here in DR ...
@Cheryl - I thought we had long established that sharing recommended professional contact information was allowed! Lishali Baezlbaez@lishalibaez.com809-860-1231https://www.expat.com/en/business/133113_lishali-baez-legal-bureau.html Read More
Lishali Baez - totally worthy of all the praise!
Okay, I've known for 6 years, along with many of you, just how awesome Lishali is for residency. I now know that her expertise, professionalism, knowledge, and persistence extend well beyond Migracion! I closed on the sale of my house here in DR ... Read More
Surprisingly efficient Dominican process! by ddmcghee
I've finally become sufficiently jaded so that nothing here in DR really surprises me! I have to admit, though, that I was pleasantly surprised on Friday with the speed and efficiency of getting an International Health certificate to take our dogs ...
Now we are hoping that MIREX is just as efficient in issuing an apostille! Read More
Retirement Visas by Pat Kitchen
My wife and I are in the process of obtaining retirement visas for the DR. We have been in contact with a couple of Dominican law firms. We are a bit taken aback with the fees they are charging. Also, we know there are going to be ...
I've been keeping Lishali busy! She's been assisting me with a real estate closing in between appointments at Migracion and MIREX today. I believe she is on a much-deserved holiday now. Email is definitely the best way to reach her. She has a couple ... Read More
Remitly issue by wondering9
I'm trying to transfer money from a US bank to Banco Santa Cruz via Remitly. It's not going smoothly, and I thought I'd check here to see if anyone has had a similar experience or otherwise has light to shed on this.The transfer has been kicked back ...
I've transferred with Remitly to BSC at least once a month for well over 5 years now. I only had an issue once. BHD Leon is the intermediary, and they (BHD Leon) had a system issue that was causing account numbers to be truncated. My deposit showed ... Read More
How to meet expats in Panama by Panama_expat_DRH
I am a retiree considering moving to Panama in the Boquete or Volcan areas. How do I connect with expats already living in the area for help and guidance with the move? I also want to make new friends before I take my first trip to Panama.
@Panama_expat_DRH My husband and I are moving to Boquete in a couple of weeks! We purchased the online Panama Relocation Tours guide, which is packed with valuable information and recommendations. We didn't do the tour because we knew we wanted ... Read More
Surprisingly efficient Dominican process!
I've finally become sufficiently jaded so that nothing here in DR really surprises me! I have to admit, though, that I was pleasantly surprised on Friday with the speed and efficiency of getting an International Health certificate to take our dogs ... Read More
Timing of the residency application process (2025) by wondering9
I was looking for an existing thread to tack this onto but couldn't quickly find one, so here's one more input to the "how long does it take?" question.I initiated the process of applying for a retirement residency in December 2024. It took...3 ...
@Jennifer Storm Nelson The Rentista option for residency is for those with a track record of PASSIVE, not EARNED income. I beleive the requirement is five years of history of collecting rents on investment properties, dividends, and other sources of ... Read More