wondering9
American expat in Dominican Republic
Forum posts
208
Contacts
1
About me
American
Lives in Santo Domingo, Dominican Repub
Registration: 28 August 2023
Activity
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 ...
Banco Santa Cruz is supposed to be one of the most expat-friendly banks, isn't it?Banking paperwork, and questioning, can seem overwhelming, even when done by a friendly and gracious employee. I read somewhere that one of the reasons for all the ... 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 ...
@karynllanders I have to admit that was a suspicion of mine (since they had gotten my email wrong earlier). In fact, the only reason I even input that last Remitly request was to have an up-to-date paper trail to take with me to BSC tomorrow to ask ... 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 ...
@planner I think that must be the explanation. I was on my eighth or ninth try when the bank deposit finally went through.In contrast, sending the same amount for cash pickup went through on the first try and was almost instantaneous.It's weird that ... Read More
Remitly issue
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 ... Read More
"Anything Goes" thread by planner
I have created a new thread where you are free to discuss any topics you want! Rules that apply: no name calling, no insulting. Feel free to exchange ideas on politics etc! I will ask to have this pinned so we don't lose it.This is where you can ...
i think my sense of humor just ran dry. I was finally about to set up online banking for my account (very tl;dr why that didn't happen sooner). During that process, the banker asked to check my email @ddress; I handed her a business card so she ... 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, I don't think wages can be used to qualify for that type of visa; it's more for investment income if I'm not mistaken. Definitely verify before you get too invested (wallet-wise or heart-wise).Somewhere -- maybe even on the expat.com ... 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 There are people here who know a lot more about this than I do so don't take this as the be-all-end-all, butYes, the first interview takes place in the DR.No, you don't have to stay in the DR while waiting for the second ... Read More
Forwarding of Amazon shipments
I tried my first Amazon purchase from the DR, and one thing I hadn't thought about was how Amazon splits an order into multiple shipments, thus (I assume) making the forwarding from Miami much more expensive than it would be for a single package. ... Read More
"Anything Goes" thread by planner
I have created a new thread where you are free to discuss any topics you want! Rules that apply: no name calling, no insulting. Feel free to exchange ideas on politics etc! I will ask to have this pinned so we don't lose it.This is where you can ...
I just got mine back (December 2025); the whole process took just under 4 weeks. Read More
Banking (mostly ATM) questions by wondering9
I don't think this has been asked before; apologies if I missed something.I'm still drawing money out of my US bank account via ATMs and probably will be for a couple more months (for longwinded and boring reasons not worth going into). Banco ...
I didn't make a full-on research project out of it, but it does look like yes, the rules are different for ATM withdrawals vs interactions with a live human teller. The amounts you can withdraw may differ even from one ATM to another at the same ... Read More
Using DR courier services for sensitive documents by wondering9
Would you consider it safe to use a service like Domex to receive a new ATM card or credit card?I'm assuming that Domex would be a good bet because that's who the US embassy uses. Also in my brief dealings with them they have seemed pretty ...
Good to know! But if it comes via my US- based mail forwarder, mailed in a bank envelope but not otherwise ID'd as a bank card, would there be any way they would know? Read More
Using DR courier services for sensitive documents
Would you consider it safe to use a service like Domex to receive a new ATM card or credit card?I'm assuming that Domex would be a good bet because that's who the US embassy uses. Also in my brief dealings with them they have seemed pretty ... Read More
Trip For a couple to the North Coast by matt552
AnythiAUTUMNAnything much new on the north coast over the last 5 years as last time there? Started going to the DR 25 years ago but was always single, and now taking my fiance to enjoy the beaches. Thanks in advance for tips as landing in POP.
Well it's not on the beach but ya gotta eat, so when in Puerto Plata, for an inexpensive and ambience-rich dining treat I recommend Empana House, which is on a side street (Calle El Morro) just off Av. 27 de Febrero (a major north/south street) ... 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 After you submit your documents from the States, there's another wait until you get your initial visa (I can't remember how long that was for me, I think 2-3 months). Once they issue that, you have to get here within a month ... Read More
Managing meals in Dominican Republic by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Managing meals day-to-day can sometimes be a real mental challenge, even more so when you land in a new environment, with different schedules, habits or ingredients. How do you manage your meal routine as an expat in Dominican ...
I was surprised by the difficulty of finding fresh fruit and veg outside of the big cities, especially fruit. Where I've been, the selection has been has been smaller, and most items look less shiny and perfect (as a friend back in the States said, ... Read More