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Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic
	Capital	Santo Domingo
	Population	9,650,054
	Area	48,730 sq km
	Language	Spanish
	Currency	Dominican Republic, Peso (DOP)
		100.000000RD$ (DOP) = 2.777778$ (USD)

A Caribbean paradise occupying two thirds of the island known as Hipsaniola, with over three hundred miles of pristine beaches, the Dominican Republic was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492; it shares its home with the much poorer nation of Haiti.

If you are a cigar aficionado, Santiago, the Dominican Republic’s  second biggest city, is in the heart of the country and the heart of the tobacco growing region.

The official language is Spanish and not a great deal of English is spoken; their neighbours, the Haitians, speak French.  They are not particularly good neighbours, not because of racism but more because of economics.  DR is a wealthier country and there are problems of illegal crossings over the border by Haitians looking for better paid work.  The Dominicans though are warm and friendly people, but you will need to make the effort to speak Spanish if you choose to live here.

The climate is tropical, with two main seasons…the rainy one April to June, and the dry season December to March.  The coldest temperatures are around 18degC, the hottest, 25deg.C.  The hurricane season, of which you should be aware, is between June and November.

Where to live

The capital of Santo Domingo and the next biggest city, Santiago offer all the amenities of living in an urban area and a greater diversity of accommodation.  The north coast, has been targeted by the government as an investment centre for tourist resorts and condo developments and so is much more expensive.

Santo Domingo has at least five US style enclosed and  air‐conditioned shopping malls. One of the newest boasts an 8‐screen movie theatre.  There are restaurants, discos, a very modern bowling alley and a water park, complete with water slides, and flume Rides.  Here you can purchase imported goods from food to electrics.

Health and Senior Living

There is no ‘retiree’ programme for living in the Dominican Republic.  Entry to the country is on a tourist visa that lasts for 90 days. Some expats do take the risk and overstay their visa paying a moderate ($30) fine on leaving the country but this is not to be recommended.
Once in the country you can apply for a residency permit. This is initially for a year and will entitle you to work.  You will also be required to undergo a medical exam performed by a government doctor.  You do not need to be a resident in order to open a bank account or purchase real estate. It is necessary to have a local Dominican act as guarantor. In addition, you will have to produce a clean police report from your country or normal residence. Permanent residency can be acquired within two and a half years and the whole process is relatively simple.

Healthcare in the Dominican Republic is very good if you have insurance and go to the private clinics; the public system is not to be advised, but there are several very well equipped private hospitals with excellent medical care.

Infrastructure and safety

It is a simple process to open an bank account here, but this will be done in the local currency…the peso. There are no currency controls and you can freely exchange dollars and pesos, but nowhere accepts the US dollar as a form of local currency…you have to make your purchases in pesos.

Electricity is one of the more expensive commodities, but unlike in the past when there were numerous blackouts, these now only occur in the poorer areas where people do not pay their bills. In the more affluent areas although electricity is expensive it is relatively reliable, but many people invest in a generator, or even solar panels.

The road system is variable in the Dominican Republic…foreigners tend to take taxis rather than drive themselves as the local driving is erratic bordering on dangerous. Local people use the public bus system.  Driving at night is probably not a good option.

Because the local people are relatively poor, there is an issue with petty crime…many foreign owned residences have bars on the windows and other security measures.

Currently there are no restrictions on foreigners purchasing real estate in the Domincan Republic – you do not even need to be resident to do so and in fact investing in property may well assist you in obtaining your residency. It is important however to make sure that any property you purchase is not in a restricted zone…for example a maritime zone where building is restricted. 

Tourism is the island’s biggest earner which has the largest tourism capacity in the Caribbean. However agriculture is the backbone of the economy….sugar, cocoa, coffee, bananas and tobacco are still the biggest exports.

With breathtakingly white beaches and stunning mountain landscapes, the Dominican Republic would be the richest country in the Caribbean if its wealth could be measured by beauty.