Please tell me about Veron

Its probably not where you want to send your daughter to school...definitely consider Las Canas with the best bilingual school, next to Cap Cana, which is lovely.

Veron is abut 10 minutes to Punta Cana International school.  Let's start by saying there are no good schools in the DR and that is by design and on purpose.  However, PCIS is probably the only one to consider in the area if you want to get and education for your child that can be useful in another country.   Cap Cana is much more expensive and those that leave Cap Cana to come to PCIS leave because they don't like it, not because of the money.  Can't say PCIS is any better but it's not like there is much to choose from.  The government here does not support education.  Home schooling is your best bet if you have the time and the patience.  Having said that, if you prefer Dominican Public schools there are plenty in the area.  Be sure to apply early as room in these schools is very limited.

Veron is a typical Dominican community.  Bad drivers, lots of motorcycles, normal amount of crime and grime.  There are lots of Colmados and small stores, fruit markets, banks, western union, restaurants etc.  There are a few good areas (more expat) to live but the price will be higher.  You tend to get what you pay for.  Rent, rent, rent.  Buying is for people with no where else to put their money, usually retired or in a position where they do not need to work to earn income.  Buy in DR if you plan on staying and do not need to re-sell.  Re-selling is difficult or impossible unless you want to sell for about 1/2 of what you paid.  With renting you can change your place more easily.  People tend to buy brand new thinking it is better but in reality the after sale properties have most of the kinks worked out and will save you thousands of dollars and tons of time in the end.  Developers are sharks and you seldom get what they promise or what you are paying for.

Any questions, please ask...

Also you dont need to do the residency process honey,  your father is dominican simply go get your Dominican passport and cedula,  way simpler process.

and welcome to the forums!

Consider living in La Romana,  within an hour of Punta Cana,  there are some decent schools there as well!

Thank you!!! Yes,when I spoke with the closest consulate to me I was informed that would be the easy way for myself and my daughter...... mom and grandma can apply through the retiree visa process. In December I have a meeting with my father's lawyer to make sure we have everything lined up for an July:August move date.

Thank you, just PMd ya!!

As a child of Dominican parent or grandparents you have the right to citizenship.  Then your child also has the right.  Your mom,  may be able to get residencia via family reunification or retiree.

Make no mistake honey, lawyers want the most complex road for you as they make more money!

Lishali is a very well informed lawyer who specializes in residencia,  she is on whatsapp and speaks english, ask her directly at 809-860-1231

Hi everyone we are a Canadian couple about to retire in Dominican Republic we are looking at a new development in Veron due to the reasonable prices. Now we have visited dozens of times and stayed in some dominican areas in the north coast in condos, so in saying that we love the country and its people we really dont want to go in a expat area and definately we would not be comfortable in a gated community so just looking for some input from people

@DominicanadaMike

Can you explain the Home schooling - how it is done in DR? Outside instructor? parent?

Differences between Punta Cana International school and Cap Cana Heritage School if any major. What is the reasons you have heard why they dislike Cap Cana.

Hi everyone we are a Canadian couple about to retire in Dominican Republic we are looking at a new development in Veron due to the reasonable prices. Now we have visited dozens of times and stayed in some dominican areas in the north coast in condos, so in saying that we love the country and its people we really dont want to go in a expat area and definately we would not be comfortable in a gated community so just looking for some input from people
-@agnewfamily

Different perspective from Canadian couple in this thread vs Las Terranas. Why would you not feel comfortable in gated community?

@agnewfamily

Its not a good idea to live in Veron just because home prices are lower. I do travel to Veron for various reasons, usually to get something. If you are white and do not speak Spanish fluently, then you will be overcharged and you will stand out as a tourist and that means you will be scammed.  I know this sounds negative. Alot of people are good but just as many are not. It is a caution only. Sometimes we all find out the hard way.

As Mike said in 2019, if you buy a home and want to sell it in the future, you will lose money. So unless you want to live here and retire here, its still better to rent in any area you are interested, even Veron.  Mike's comment on this thread back in 2019 is still true.  I have lived in Bavaro and I really like that, and also Cap Cana. Cap Cana is out of the way and not very lively, but it was much safer. Bavaro is more lively and now will have more expats because of the many new condo developments there. On the other hand, these Bavaro condos most likely will be occupied by visitors, as owners are typically renting them out to help pay for them. I see many many nice condos are empty. If you have not already checked it out, do look at Cocotal community across from the Melia hotel in Bavaro. Its is gated but in the middle of Bavaro where there is a mix of locals and expats and tourists from around the world.

@agnewfamily

I forgot to mention, I too am Canadian, coming from Ontario and I do travel frequently back and forth.  I have a Canadian friend who bought a small 2B house 2 decades ago in the heart of FRIUSA (thats essentially Bavaro but across the highway) and she says when she sells her house, once she leaves DR one day and stops travelling, she does not expect to make much more than what she paid for it (despite the renovations she has made).   The real estate agents are not licensed and they wont try to sell you a house like this, because they wont make much money for their effort.  But it would be a good deal if you can stand the traffic.  Veron is similar to this in my guess but its much closer to the airport and the highway to take a run to Santo Domingo or Higuey etc.

Hi,

i'm an expat living in Punta cana. My two kids go to PCIS. I can't speak for Cap Cana but others advised me not to send my kids there. Anyways what I can say is my both kids are very happy at PCIS and we are coming from France and also Miami and i'de say the level of education is on par or even better than France. The classes are all in english with some spanish classes but it would be an asset if your child already speaks spanish. Mine don't and we are taking many private classes to learn quickly as 90% of the kids are Dominican and during playtime they all speak spanish together. The teachers are lovely and the school is attentive thus far. The only thing negative i can say is some of the kids can be very mean and i'm not sure if this is because they are coming from very spoilt wealthy families.

Hi,

i'm an expat living in Punta cana. My two kids go to PCIS. I can't speak for Cap Cana but others advised me not to send my kids there. Anyways what I can say is my both kids are very happy at PCIS and we are coming from France and also Miami and i'de say the level of education is on par or even better than France. The classes are all in english with some spanish classes but it would be an asset if your child already speaks spanish. Mine don't and we are taking many private classes to learn quickly as 90% of the kids are Dominican and during playtime they all speak spanish together. The teachers are lovely and the school is attentive thus far. The only thing negative i can say is some of the kids can be very mean and i'm not sure if this is because they are coming from very spoilt wealthy families.

Thank you for sharing this!

@agnewfamily: I am happy to share any info that might help you. However you have been a bit vague on your request. So, I have been living in the Veron area for the past 8 1/2 years. I manage and own apartments for rent and sale in the area. I am not sure why you don't like gated communities but there are many of them in Veron. Outside the gated communities are mostly Dominican\Haitian based families. Nothing wrong with that if that meets your comfort zone. Personally, I am more comfortable around a few people that speak english. Veron is pretty much like any other "local" place. Lot's of motorcycles, lots of drivers that don't know how to drive, people selling you what you don't need...the typical. With experience in these areas you learn how to navigate through the B.S. and can survive quite comfortably.  As mentioned above; Veron is a town that offers most regular amenities. Banks, colmados, pharmacies, exchange houses, hardware stores, restaurants, grocery stores and a wide range of other businesses. Since it is a tourist area, prices tend to be more expensive. The payback is the closeness to beaches, attractions and expats. There are several golf courses in the area and lots of night life. Karaoke is popular and there is one bar or the other having Karaoke almost every night of the week. Check out Expats Bavaro on Facebook and you will get some more info about the area and where the expats like to hang out.

Feel free to contact me via PM.

Cheers,

Hi,
i'm an expat living in Punta cana. My two kids go to PCIS. I can't speak for Cap Cana but others advised me not to send my kids there. Anyways what I can say is my both kids are very happy at PCIS and we are coming from France and also Miami and i'de say the level of education is on par or even better than France. The classes are all in english with some spanish classes but it would be an asset if your child already speaks spanish. Mine don't and we are taking many private classes to learn quickly as 90% of the kids are Dominican and during playtime they all speak spanish together. The teachers are lovely and the school is attentive thus far. The only thing negative i can say is some of the kids can be very mean and i'm not sure if this is because they are coming from very spoilt wealthy families.
-@milletsheena

Just curious the feedback on you were told why not to send your kids to Cap Cana school. Where did you find the private classes and what are the estimated costs in regards? Most of the kids who attend school are families similar to you who moved to the area and not originally from Dominican Republic?

@DRVisitor

Hi

we were told by other expats from our company who came years before us. Their children were not happy there. The local kids were not very friendly and it wasn't really a full english american school. Also twice as much money. Because we were planning to live in the village anyways we felt PCIS was best for us. Most of the children in PCIS are from local dominican families and as I said spanish is important to know. We were told by the school that we must give my 7 year old spanish lessons and we actually had to pay a teacher from the school 30 usd an hour. 2-3 times a week. Life here is so expensive . But perhaps you can find a teacher in veron for half that price.

@milletsheena:  We started with PCIS but were not happy with some of their "ways".   It's all about the money and not about the children.  The way they handled COVID was too much for me and I took my child out of there.  Cap Cana is even worse, just like you said.  PM me and I will give you a name of a PCIS teacher that is very good and I think she is charging much less than $30USD.  Not sure why they are forcing you to put him\her in spanish lessons when it is supposed to be an english speaking school.  Otherwise PCIS is a decent school compared to the others in the area.

Thank you both for the feedback.

@DominicanadaMike

In wich way did they handled it?.

My kiddo go to BIS (Bavaro innovation school)

Overall i think it's ok but could be better, considering the price. My little girl is happy and she likes going there everyday so it works out. Having said this, as the "customer" I feel I am paying way too much for what they are giving.... but at the same time I just feel all the schools is gonna be pretty much the same thing in D.R.

They dumped the kids onto full time computer from home with almost no notice and with 10 different teachers doing ten different ways. It was a nightmare for me and my child and I called it quits after a month and took him out of the school.  There was no financial compensation and expectations were unrealistic.  The next year was worse, totally online for the whole year. Thankfully, I put him in another school that was in class at the school for all but 2 weeks.

If your child is happy, that's 9/10 in my books.

Seems like schools are expensive but are the teachers salaries and services provided equivalent or the schools making the money?

they are underpaid, no different to other country (you do a career in teaching because you love it... never for the salary)

(I could be wrong) but most of them are paid 800-1200$ monthly I was told.

it's 3500-4500$/year per student, not including after school so yeah... most of the money made ain't going to the teachers

Service overall is good yes.