taccj9903
American expat in Dominican Republic
Forum posts
49
About me
American
Registration: 28 December 2023
Mail Service by Scott Holmes
How does the mail service work in the Dominican Republic? Here in the states my letters and packages are delivered to my house. Is it the same or do I need to register with a post office?
@Scott Holmes The Dominican Republic technically has a public postal service called INPOSDOM, but standard home mail delivery like you have with the USPS doesn't really exist for everyday residential addresses. There are rarely street-side ... Read More
Street goods - reliable places to recommend by Atavi
I am an adventurous person and like to discover the country bit by bit.What are the reliable and safe places/local restaurants to enjoy street foods across the country you have experienced and could recommend without paying the "tourist price"?
I agree with Planner about street food, I avoid it entirely. We live in Santiago and there are plenty of great restaurants here, I just use Google maps and read reviews. Read More
Security System Installation by DRCulture
Hi Everyone,I am looking for some suggestions of who could install security cameras for me. I have Blink and Nest cameras, but I am not committed to using them if there is a better suggestion from the person who would be doing the installation. In ...
You can buy decent systems at Pricemart if you are up for installing it yourself. Read More
Quality of customer service in Dominican Republic by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Customer service can say a lot about everyday life in Dominican Republic, and for many expats, it’s something that could take time to get used to. In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats to adjust to local ...
@WayneColeman My original plan was to save some money and buy a decent used car. However, after realizing how much of my sanity would have to be sacrificed in order to do that I finally decided to buy new. I hope you are able to find something. Read More
Buying a new car in Santiago by taccj9903
I live in Santiago and am in the process of buying a new car with Vegamovil. What I am trying to figure out is price negotiation. I know how this works back in the states but I am not sure how much off sticker price I should expect. According to ...
I ended up buying a new Mazda CX-5 from Espaillat Motors. They just happened to have the color and model I wanted because the other person who was going to buy it couldn't get financing. I'm still waiting on the floor mats they promised as part of ... Read More
Santiago / Filtraccion by Marcel W
Hi, I have bought a brand new home in Santiago that I use for Airbnb and it has been doing really well; however, some of my profits has been consistently going to "fixing" my roof. About 1.5 yeas ago I paid a "contractor" for redo my concrete roof ...
@tropicaldaze23 I'm pretty sure that doesn't matter, they will try to cheat anyone. Read More
Buying a new car in Santiago by taccj9903
I live in Santiago and am in the process of buying a new car with Vegamovil. What I am trying to figure out is price negotiation. I know how this works back in the states but I am not sure how much off sticker price I should expect. According to ...
@planner Thanks. Buying a car here certainly is an exercise in patience. Read More
Buying a new car in Santiago by taccj9903
I live in Santiago and am in the process of buying a new car with Vegamovil. What I am trying to figure out is price negotiation. I know how this works back in the states but I am not sure how much off sticker price I should expect. According to ...
I ended up walking away. I was trying to buy a new Sorento listed at 49,990. It came down to me asking for floor mats and tinted windows—maybe a $350–$400 value according to the salesman. All they had to do was drop the price by a few ... Read More
Buying a new car in Santiago
I live in Santiago and am in the process of buying a new car with Vegamovil. What I am trying to figure out is price negotiation. I know how this works back in the states but I am not sure how much off sticker price I should expect. According to ... Read More
Property in the east of Cabarete by lvriver34
Good morning! Buenos Dias!This is my first post on this platform, and I'm hoping this reaches the intended audience. I'm an American from the Northeastern part of the US. I've been staying in the DR for 6 months of the year and returning to the US ...
@lvriver34 Well I'm in Santiago but get over to the Puerta Plata area about once a month. I moved here permanently last month from Colorado. Read More
Property in the east of Cabarete by lvriver34
Good morning! Buenos Dias!This is my first post on this platform, and I'm hoping this reaches the intended audience. I'm an American from the Northeastern part of the US. I've been staying in the DR for 6 months of the year and returning to the US ...
@lvriver34 Tell us more about your project. Read More
Car Insurance
I'll be buying a car here in Santiago in the next couple of months. Does anyone have a good recommendation for an insurance broker? I'm an American and my wife is Dominican. She currently doesn't have her DL but will get it soon so we will need a ... Read More
Car insurance for expats by bsander5573bs
Can you get car insurance with a us drivers license
@planner Thanks, I was looking through the old post but didnt see anything. Should I just start a new thread? Read More
Computer store in Las Terrenas or Nagua? by wondering9
Hello, can anyone recommend a store selling computer accessories in either Las Terrenas or Nagua? My laptop is on strike and I need to buy a wired external keyboard. Unfortunately I need it quickly (🤣😪). Thanks for any tips!
Just do a google search in Las Terrenas and a couple come up with good reviews. Read More
Car insurance for expats by bsander5573bs
Can you get car insurance with a us drivers license
@planner Do you have any recommendations for a good broker, Im here in Santiago and will be purchasing a car soon. Read More
Tourist Visa Extension - Medical Certifacate by jwronasc
Hello to one and all who read this post on expat.com!I need to extend my stay here in Santiago, DR.One point of the required mandatory documentation related to a Tourist Visa Extension is not clear.I'm hoping someone in the community can ...
I've always just overstayed and paid the fee at the airport. They no longer take cash for payment so if you go that route you will have to pay via card. To give you a rough idea of what you will pay I have an old photo of the fines depending on ... 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 ...
@wondering9 I use Remitly every month to send money to my wife and our nanny. One goes to Banco Popular and the other to Asociacion Cibao. I always send using my checking acct so it takes typically 5 days but I have never had any issues. 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 NelsonI'm married to a Dominican woman and there is still a process to go through. If you want to read up on it here is a linkhttps://consulatedrwest.gob.do/es/visa-de-residencia Read More
Power Outages , blackout by nonick123
Hi ppl this is my first topic yay I moved to Punta Cana 2 months ago and I realized that there are many power outages. Only 3 weeks we had no power 3 times. Is it common in DR? Can it be worse than 3 times a week? I would like the opinion of ppl ...
We're in Santiago and have EdeNorte. Outages are common, typically one a week but typically don't last that long.I don't know if this has been covered in another thread but I am trying to find backup power solutions for remote working. We are ... Read More
My Experience Of Moving To Santo Domingo "STAY FOOLISHLY ORGANIZED " by Elia86
My motto here in DR is stay FOOLISHLY organized (sorry Steve for changing your quote lol), it says it all… A few months ago I promised to share with you my experience of moving in Santo Domingo. On 30th November 2017 I moved here from Italy ...
Im trying to go through the process now, doing the residence visa for family reunification. My wife is Dominican. Can everything be done online here in the USA or do I need to visit a Dominican Consulate here in the states? I've tried looking for ... Read More
Coming and going! by planner
Here is a thought:. Those coming and going who are willing to bring things back and forth OR need something carried, this is your thread. Post where you are coming to, when arriving, when leaving. Need something brought or delivered, post from ...
@oldsmobile442 Did she us a TSA approved luggage lock? I always use those and never have had problems at STI. Read More
Coming and going! by planner
Here is a thought:. Those coming and going who are willing to bring things back and forth OR need something carried, this is your thread. Post where you are coming to, when arriving, when leaving. Need something brought or delivered, post from ...
@oldsmobile442 I'm a gringo who's USA residence is in Colorado. I've put many things, many valuable things in my luggage and have flown to STI numerous times and have never had any issues. I mainly fly American with connections out of Miami. I ... Read More
Santiago vs. Puerto Plata by wondering9
So if my goal was to spend a couple of months exploring the north coast, using public transportation rather than a private car, which in your opinion would make a better base, Santiago or Puerto Plata? I know Santiago is inland, but it seems to be ...
@rawromantic1 Cerros de Gurabo area. Near Plaza Hache Read More
Santiago vs. Puerto Plata by wondering9
So if my goal was to spend a couple of months exploring the north coast, using public transportation rather than a private car, which in your opinion would make a better base, Santiago or Puerto Plata? I know Santiago is inland, but it seems to be ...
@rawromantic1 I DM'd you. Read More
Santiago vs. Puerto Plata by wondering9
So if my goal was to spend a couple of months exploring the north coast, using public transportation rather than a private car, which in your opinion would make a better base, Santiago or Puerto Plata? I know Santiago is inland, but it seems to be ...
I live in Santiago and it's a pain in the backside driving to Puerto Plata/Sosua/Cabarete. And I wouldn't say Santiago is cheaper, at least for real estate houses here seem to be a lot more than an equivalent house in Puerto Plata. Read More
Using a US based cell phone in the DR by Mark and Al
We are (finally) making our 1st trip to the Dominican in June. I'm trying to figure out how or if we can use our ATT cell phones without racking up a bunch of international phone charges. We will be in the Sosua/Cabarete area for about 2 weeks.
Buy an eSim, airalo has 15 day plans. Read More
Coming and going! by planner
Here is a thought:. Those coming and going who are willing to bring things back and forth OR need something carried, this is your thread. Post where you are coming to, when arriving, when leaving. Need something brought or delivered, post from ...
@rawromantic1 How much do you want to pay? Where we live is a safe neighborhood and the rent is cheap. I believe there is a penthouse apt for rent for $750 a month 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 ...
@cushion03yeti I work remotely and live in Santiago. Internet is pretty stable, we have Altice. The only concern are the consistent power outages. Where we are in the city these can happen weekly but typically are very short outages, only 5-15 ... Read More
Where to buy a bike in Santiago ?
I live in Santiago and would like to take up cycling here, there is a decent sized park nearby. Does anyone know where I can shop for a bicycle? I tried MercadoLibre but didnt find much here in Santiago. Read More
Working in DR by Hencar326
Im planning on moving in september to DR, i work for a company in the US and theyre havi g problems giving me the go ahead to work from DR, does anyone know of the requirements to do this?
@Hencar326 If you are a full time employee then technically you can work remotely outside of the US for an unlimited amount of time. I originally was told by a boss at my job that it was no more than 6 months. But after doing some research there ... Read More
Residencia - 2020 - How to get it done. by planner
Its time for a new thread laying out how to apply for residencia! Our resident lawyer, Lishali, will assist us. Lets break it down into sections: 1. Who qualifies 2. First step in your home country. 3. What you need and how to apply for your ...
@ddmcghee Thanks. I follow a guy on Instragram and YouTube who lives in Punta Cana with his wife and kids, he is the one who said his lawyer was able to start the process for him inside of RD. His name is Jamie Gruber, he might even be on this ... Read More
Local currency vs usd by Tafaf NatatRayay Nafermul Min
What is the ratio of local currency vs usd? Where would an affordable apt with ac located? Can I live on $1400 usd/ month?
Let me share something I've learned. I have a CC with a low limit that I specifically use when I am here in the RD. I used it for shopping etc. When you insert your CC into the machine at the store you are given 2 options, pay in DOP or your home ... Read More
Residencia - 2020 - How to get it done. by planner
Its time for a new thread laying out how to apply for residencia! Our resident lawyer, Lishali, will assist us. Lets break it down into sections: 1. Who qualifies 2. First step in your home country. 3. What you need and how to apply for your ...
I have been researching this and I was told by someone that the process can be started here in the RD by the attorney if they know what they are doing. Read More
Cost of electricity by sharonnickerson
Has anyone with solar panels had their electric bill go off the charts ? mine went from 40 pesos to 49,000 and then have to fight for a discount! I have 54 panels
We're in Santiago and have edenorte. We can choose a private electrical company? Read More
Where to buy a mattress
My wife and I live in Santiago. I bought us a new mattress 2 years ago from Ashley Furniture, ridiculously overpriced. Anyway, this thing is just too soft for my liking and for the sake of my back and hips I need to get another mattress. I prefer ... Read More
Nanny needed by taccj9903
Hi,My wife and I are looking for a nanny in the Santiago area to start at the end of this year. Can anyone help point me in the right direction on where to look or maybe there is a forum where this topic is already discussed?I did find a site ...
Thank you for your help. Is there a help wanted section on this site Read More
Nanny needed by taccj9903
Hi,My wife and I are looking for a nanny in the Santiago area to start at the end of this year. Can anyone help point me in the right direction on where to look or maybe there is a forum where this topic is already discussed?I did find a site ...
@planner Yes that site is international. I've signed up for an acct and have seen some profiles of potential candidates. I have to pay for a subscription to be able to communicate with any candidate so before I subscribe I wanted to check here to ... Read More
Nanny needed
Hi,My wife and I are looking for a nanny in the Santiago area to start at the end of this year. Can anyone help point me in the right direction on where to look or maybe there is a forum where this topic is already discussed?I did find a site ... Read More
As of April 1 cash cannot be used to pay overstay fines by windeguy
It has been reported that as of April 1, 2024 all overstay fines for those from tourist card countries that illegally overstay their 30 day tourist cards cannot be paid for in cash. These fines must be paid by credit card, or perhaps a ...
Yea, well I returned May 10th and had to pay the over stay fee and they took my 3500 pesos in cash at the Santiago Airport. Read More
Apply for residency in the D.R. 1st step home country by wndysgoodlife
Hello All,Does anyone have the website for the residency application for the D.R. from the consulate in the United States? The only one I can find is the website in Spanish. I'm learning Spanish, but not quite that good yet. Thanks in advance for ...
@CHRISTOPHER DAVID56Do they require the applicant to be there in person or can it be done online? Read More
USA State Residency by sparks1093
Good morning, Expat family! Yesterday I had a thought and started doing some research about it. But how do you handle residency issues in your home state? This is what I mean- in Vermont you need to live here 183 days out of each year in order to be ...
Couldn't you use your kids address for things like DL and motor vehicle registration? You could also try a mailbox service with a physical street address. Read More
Immigration and Overstay Issues by planner
We are posting this more prominently so people do not miss it. We can confirm that tourists are being turned away at the entry points who have "overstayed the tourist visa multiple times". Please be aware that this might happen to YOU! At ...
@windeguy My wife lives here, I come to visit every two months and stay 2-3 months and have never been questioned about overstaying. I think they are happy collecting the overstay fees. Read More
Is a Visa required? by bonnie28
Hello All,We are American citizens coming to Las Terrenas for 3 months in February until May. Do we need a Visa? We have an address where we will live for the time we are in the country.
I always pay in pesos, not sure if they take dollars. Just come prepared with pesos. This was also at Santiago STI Airport. Read More
Overstay payment DR Agency by CHRISTOPHER DAVID56
Forgive me if there is a topic on this I searched.Does anyone know the exact DR agency name and location other than the airport to pay an overstay fee GREATER than 12 months and departing within the next 2 weeks.I went to Malecón Central and ...
I just left STI last week. I was there from Oct 2 - Jan 10 so a little over 3 months. I just payed the fee at the airport which was 5600 DOP. They even had a paper at the window where I paid that listed all the fees for the days ... Read More
Is a Visa required? by bonnie28
Hello All,We are American citizens coming to Las Terrenas for 3 months in February until May. Do we need a Visa? We have an address where we will live for the time we are in the country.
I just got back from a little over 3 month stay. I always just pay the fee at the airport. 3-9 months is 5600 DOP, so if you're gonna be there expect each person to pay 5600 pesos when you're at the airport leaving. Read More
New members of the Dominican Republic forum, introduce yourselves here - 2023 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Dominican Republic forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more ...
Hello Everyone,My name is Todd, I'm 51 and from Colorado. I got married to a Dominican woman over a year ago and have been spending a lot of time with her in Santiago. I've been going back and forth between Colorado and Santiago, staying in DR 1-3 ... Read More
Importing car to Dominican Republic by Scorpiana
So I received a quote to have my car delivered from Florida to DR for about $1,200-seems reasonable. What kind of cost should I expect when it arrives to the DR and relinquished to the officials?
@DominicanadaMikeThanks for your input. After seeing the price of cars here in Santiago I thought it might be cheaper to import but sounds like it's not worth it. Do you know the process for title, tags and insurance here? My wife is Dominican ... Read More
Importing car to Dominican Republic by Scorpiana
So I received a quote to have my car delivered from Florida to DR for about $1,200-seems reasonable. What kind of cost should I expect when it arrives to the DR and relinquished to the officials?
@DominicanadaMikeThanks for your input. After seeing the price of cars here in Santiago I thought it might be cheaper to import but sounds like it's not worth it. Do you know the process for title, tags and insurance here? My wife is Dominican ... Read More
Importing car to Dominican Republic by Scorpiana
So I received a quote to have my car delivered from Florida to DR for about $1,200-seems reasonable. What kind of cost should I expect when it arrives to the DR and relinquished to the officials?
@DominicanadaMikeMy wife is Dominican, I'm an American without residency. I have been weighing the options between importing and buying a car in the DR. After reading your post I see it's probably better to buy in the DR. How to title, tags and ... Read More