Please Clarify - Cars/Insurance/Residency

daydream · #1 03-20-2006, 06:31 PM

Evening All

OK I have been through all the previous posts and I just want to clarify a few things:

I will be looking to purchase a small jeep in early June (Marco - I would still like to take you up on your offer of a trip to Moca in exchange for lunch, if it still stands? - thank you

)

So far I have established that the new tourist cards are valid for 15 days within which time you can drive legally with insurance. However, if you exceed the 15 day period and were to have an accident your insurance becomes invalid because you are technically staying illegally in the country.

Therefore you either have to extend your tourist visa or apply for residency in order to obtain your cedula and remain 'legal'. With your cedula you can drive legally on your foreign licence with insurance for up to 1 year, after which you need to apply for a domninican licence to remain a legal driver and for your insurance not to be invalidated in the case of an accident.

OK - hope you are still with me! So, my question is - once you start the residency application process (which takes a total of approx 3 mths to complete), are you issued with a temporary residents card straight away? and can you drive legally with this temporary card until your cedula is issued in 3 mths time? i.e. could I pay a lawyer to start my residency application on day 15 and still drive legally whilst he/she gathers all paperwork and I go to SD to get my medical tests done etc - or do I have to have done my medical tests and sent off all paperwork before the temporary recidency card is issued?

Thank you in advance
Daydream

laurapasinifan · #2 03-20-2006, 06:44 PM

I wonder if you went to spend the night in the US Embassy in the DR , if that would qualify you for having left the country?

then just go to the airport and buy another tourist card....

see I fixed your problem.

but seriously.....it would seem that getting the tourist card extended( or what ever term they use that does the same thing) would be easier and simpler than getting residency

good luck

bob

daydream · #3 03-20-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurapasinifan

I wonder if you went to spend the night in the US Embassy in the DR , if that would qualify you for having left the country?

then just go to the airport and buy another tourist card....

see I fixed your problem.

but seriously.....it would seem that getting the tourist card extended( or what ever term they use that does the same thing) would be easier and simpler than getting residency

good luck

bob

Hi Bob

I plan on being around for quite some time so I want to get the residency - I am just concerned about driving in that 3 mth period when it's all processing.....and whether if I were to have an accident (god forbid) - whether there is a way that they could claim I was illegal and my insurance wouldn't cover me?

btw I am british

rellosk · #4 03-20-2006, 07:06 PM

You may want to re-post the question in the legal forum.

I'm thinking that someone posted it might be possible to drive with an international license (as opposed to your British license) for 90 days without being a residence. That's probably a question Sr. Guzman can answer.

daydream · #5 03-20-2006, 07:20 PM

Yes I agree with you rellosk.....please can a moderator move this into the Legal forum? I don't want to start another thread because when you get two of the same threads running at the same time it gets confusing!

When you say 'international' license.....as opposed to my british one....where do you get one of those? .....I didn't know there was such a thing....I thought I could use my british license worldwide? (for a limited time period - until you get a license in the country you reside in)......am I being stupid here? It's possible...it is getting late!!....

Chris · #6 03-20-2006, 07:36 PM

An international license can usually be procured from whatever the equivalent is of the AA (my country, Automobile Association) or AAA in the US. Usually an international license is valid for a year. I have not tried the international license thing in the DR, but rented cars and drove all through Europe and the US with an international license.

daydream · #7 03-20-2006, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

An international license can usually be procured from whatever the equivalent is of the AA (my country, Automobile Association) or AAA in the US. Usually an international license is valid for a year. I have not tried the international license thing in the DR, but rented cars and drove all through Europe and the US with an international license.

Thanks for clarifying Chris. I just did a quick Google search and it states that you do not require an international driving license (permit) for the Dominican Republic so long as you have one of the new UK photo driving licenses...

http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp005.html

This is just for UK licenses of course.......

Hopefully Sr Guzman can add to this?

Robert · #8 03-20-2006, 08:16 PM

You will need your cedula (ID Card) in order to get a Dominican driving license.
You can get your cedula once you have completed the temporary residency process and have your temporary residency card. You can usually pick-up your temporary residency card from immigration, approx 90 days from the start of the application process in most cases. Beware of lawyers that offer to fast track this process for a fee!

If you hold a British/European license, you do not need to pass a driving exam unlike USA passport holders. The British Embassy will authenticate your license for a fee and this authentication document allows you to obtain a Dominican driving license straight away without all the hassles of the exam and driving test.

Would I drive here as a tourist or non-resident after my 15 day visa has expired?
No. You may have an accident that is not your fought. If someone gets hurt, they and the insurance company will look for every loop-hole or out they can find. It's not worth the risk as it might end up costing you US$1000's!

Can you drive legally drive here on an International license? I have no idea. Call your local embassy and a few car hire companies and ask.

Robert · #9 03-20-2006, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daydream

Thanks for clarifying Chris. I just did a quick Google search and it states that you do not require an international driving license (permit) for the Dominican Republic so long as you have one of the new UK photo driving licenses...

http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp005.html

This is just for UK licenses of course.......

Hopefully Sr Guzman can add to this?

I would assume it's only good for the duration of your tourist visa, 15 days.

daydream · #10 03-20-2006, 08:49 PM

Thank you Robert for all the info.

I also think that I won't be able to legally drive in that inbetween time (days 16-90) whilst the temporary residency application is being processed.....it seems crazy don't you think? Perhaps I could extend my tourist card for 90 days until the temporary residency card is issued? I still don't see why they changed the length of stay on a tourist card from 90 to 15 days to begin with - if it was to get more money out of people by charging them for overstaying on their tourist visa - why didn't they just increase the entrance fee from $10 to $15 and leave the duration at 90 days?

I doubt this increase in entrance fee would make people think twice about visiting the DR - and surely keeping the 90 day tourist visa is better for the tourist industry as a whole because people will stay longer and spend more money.....rent cars for more than 2 weeks (legally!!)....etc

However I seem to remember people saying that it was not an easy process to extend your tourist visa and quite expensive too - you have to go to Santo Domigo to do it. Do you know anyone who has done this?