Cedula

[vpmiami]

I need some assistance in understanding what exactly is a Cedula?

My husband is a US Citizen.. his parents were born in the DR.. but my husband was born in the US.

We plan on moving and opening a business in DR very soon. He left last week to get his Cedula... after running from one office to another office.. he finally got his approval today.. and was told to come back in a few days to take his picture and receive his card.

Does this make him a Permanent Resident or a DR Citizen now?

Is he consider a Resident now?

Can someone please shed some light... Now that he has a Cedula and plans on residing there, does he need to complete any other legal paperwork?

Thank you...

[hansbert]

As far as I know a child of a father or mother of Dominican nationality born in a foreign country according to the Dominican constitution if the child with his birth acquired automatically the nationality of the country of birth (as it is in the USA) may exercise the option to acquire the Dominican nationality after having reached the age of 18. So if your husband
will be given a cedula by the Dominican authorithies that should mean in my understanding that earlier he has opted for the Dominican nationality and is therefore a double citizen of the USA and the Dominican Republic.
The migration department under the PLD government required even from Dominican citizens living abroad in case they decided to come back to their home country and settle down a residence permit. I do not know if this still applies under the present government.

[vpmiami]

Yes, he now has dual Citizenship...

However, being that I am American.. I am trying to understand this... Will he still need to apply for Residency? or being that he now has his Cedula, this is no longer required?

He plans on moving our household goods and start a business in DR very soon. I heard, because he is now a DR citizen, that he will pay less in taxes and duties? is this correct?

What benefits he has now.. than someone who only has a Froiegn Resident?

[Robert]

Citizens do not need to apply for residency, this is true for every country on the planet.

Please read our archives and web site for this info, 99% of your questions have been answered in-depth many times.

Citizen/Residency Advantages: http://dr1.com/legal/migration/advantages.shtml

Citizenship: http://dr1.com/legal/migration/citizenship.shtml

All about living here: http://dr1.com/living/index.shtml

[AnnaC]

He now has dual citizenship? Wow that was fast. Last week he was just getting there. Sorry if I sound rude but is he doing the paper work himself or does he have a lawyer? If he does have a lawyer than I'm sure the lawyer would tell him the steps and he should be telling you. It just seems to be going too fast.

[vpmiami]

I sais the same thing.. after running from office to office... having to get his parents birth certificates translated, he recieved final approval and needs to go in a take his picture... His family drove him around and directed him.. plus a family member works in one of the offices.. however.. she could really do anything special for him.. but was able to assist him with the necessary paperwork and drive him around... He has all his paperwork in order.. maybe that is why it was faster.. but it still took a week to complete...

[vpmiami]

P.S... mind you... he spent his whole trip.. including Saturday.. trying to have this completed before he arrived today... He will be back 2/6 to pick up his card.

No Lawyer.. just good family members that knew where every office was at.... he said it was frustracting.. because the government workers are not very friendly, they are slow & rude... however, he kept his cool... and waited patiently to get each piece done.

[hansbert]

Robert, basically you are right and in my understanding a citizen of a country even residing abroad may come back to his country and settle there without the need of any residence permit.
But as things in this country are sometimes different from one would think in the leaflets the migration authorities under the PLD government gave out to people enquiring about the conditions of residence it is stated that persons of Dominican origin do need a residence. I guess that applies to children of Dominican parents born abroad who did not exercise the option of becomming Dominican and therefore keep the only nationality of the country where they were born i.e. they are foreigners though of dominican origin and need a residence as any other foreigner.
I do not know how the present government handles this matter as stated above.

[Pib]

Originally posted by hansbert
I guess that applies to children of Dominican parents born abroad who did not exercise the option of becomming Dominican and therefore keep the only nationality of the country where they were born i.e. they are foreigners though of dominican origin and need a residence as any other foreigner.

Therefore he/she will be treated as any foreigner. The answer lies in your question.