In last week’s article we wrote about the Provisional Residence, the initial phase of the Dominican Ordinary Residence. This week we will discuss the second phase, the Permanent Residence, its basic requirements and the most important characteristics regarding the application process.

Many Dominican residents question why they must apply for the Permanent Residence if they already have the Provisional Residence and don’t plan on staying in the country indefinitely. The reason behind this is that the Provisional Residence is granted for only one year for those who will only stay in the country for 12 months or less. For those who intend to reside for more than a year in the country either because they are studying, working or investing in the country, they must regularize their immigration status at the General Immigration Department through the Permanent Residence permit.

The permanent residence permit is valid for two years counted from the date of issuance of the residence card. The permit must be renewed every two years so that the resident maintains a legal immigration status. It is highly recommended to compile the required documents and taxes to be paid a month before the permit expires, in order to prevent the accumulation of monthly late fee charges which are generated as soon as the permit expires.

Like the Provisional Residence, the first step of the Permanent Residence process begins with the medical exams which include blood tests, urine analysis and chest x-ray and must be completed at the General Immigration Department. For this permit it is no longer required to pay taxes based on the foreigner’s stay in the country, having the authorization of the medical exams and depositing the application file will suffice.

With the receipt given once the application has been filed, you can follow-up on the status of the same which is approved and issued in approximately 3-5 months. Once the file has been approved, the applicant must proceed to pay the residence card fees in addition to the fees charged per month from the provisional card expiration date to the date the permanent card is issued.

If the applicant needs to travel abroad while the residence application is being processed, he/she must solicit a certification at the General Immigration Department, which certifies the applicant has applied for Dominican residence and includes the status of the same. If the applicant needs a visa to enter the country on his/her return and the same has expired, they have the option to request a re-entry permit, with which he/she can enter the country without a Dominican visa.

After the before mentioned payments have been made, the applicant must arrange a date to take the picture for the new residence card and for the renewal of the Cedula, Dominican ID, at the Central Electoral Board. By way of this process, the applicant validates his/ her immigration status in the country and, if interested, can proceed to apply for Dominican Citizenship after the first year of having the Permanent Residence.