Moving to DR from US

No, you do not.
You can purchase a return ticket whenever you are ready.

Thank you. Any medical things we should know? We already have covid vacc.

Difficult to get residency?

The residency process has to start in the US, at one of the many Dominican Consulates. Read through the pinned post on residency for all that information!

Whether or not you need a return ticket will depend on your airline. This is up to the airlines to enforce and we know people who were required to buy a return ticket before the airline would allow them to board their flight.

If you enter on a residency visa, you do not need to have a return ticket, but you will need to complete your application for residency in Santo Domingo within 60 days.

As for medical, if you have any medications that you take on a regular basis, I would recommend checking to be sure they are available here. Medical insurance is inexpensive if you are under 65. Any coverage you have in the US will likely not cover you here.

Last flight, I was on was talking to passenger next to me and he said they made him purchase return flight at airport or would not let him check in. May depend on airlines - verify.

Happened to me i would say twice over 50 flights in the past 12 years that I had to buy a return flight.

Once from Canada another time from Hong Kong.

If they ask, just buy the cheapest one on the spot on your phone, show it to the agent, cancel it when you get here and try to get a refund

Not surprising the airlines are taking preventative action because a visitor can be sent back by Immigration on arrival if one does not have a return ticket at the airlines cost.

see Page 9 and 10 of attached and translation below:

https://migracion.gob.do/transparencia/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Resoluci%C3%B3n-No.-DGM-05-2013-Resoluci%C3%B3n-sobre-Procedimientos-de-Control-Migratorio-en-la-Rep%C3%BAblica-Dominicana.pdf
[i]Return Ticket.   .... it will be mandatory for the immigration officer to confirm that the visitor carries his return ticket by any mode of transport ........ if this requirement is not met, the immigration officer will proceed to report it to the shift supervisor, who will proceed to the immediate return of the passenger in the same means of international transport in which he arrives and will proceed to fine in accordance with the prescriptions of article 130 of the Law and 140 and 142 of the Regulation.

After yesterdays republication of DGM 05-2013 as above on the DGM website, my guess is we will see the above being implemented in due course.

Cancelling a return ticket before you have cleared Immigration in DR as has been suggested by some may in the future be an unwise move.

A return ticket is required.
You don't want to be the guy that scrambles to buy a ticket on his phone while 48 people are waiting in line behind you.

We flew in from Canada on Monday via Ai Canada and were asked to show proof
of a return ticket prior to boarding.

I flew to SDQ on American Airlines from florida on Tuesday, and they would not let me board without a return ticket. I've flown them before and this never happened, they said it was a new Dominican law. Anyone know anything about this?

The only change is that the requirement for a visitor/non resident to have a return ticket is being enforced now. The requirement actually is to have a return or onward ticket for the duration of the stay and can be demanded by the entry immigration officer or whilst here. The latter two have been rarely sought but that may be changing too.

The immigration law is being implemented stage by stage since this new government came to power 16 months ago. They have a stated aim to apply immigration laws in full and there is at least 2 years 8 months more and probably 6 plus years of this government at least to go.

Thank you!

yes it happened to us jan 7th as we
just got ext on visa for 120 days

I did not purchase return ticket when I entered DR through Puerto Plata, but was ready if required to purchase on www.onwardticket.com .