The first weeks in the Dominican Republic: thirty days for the migration service, and what comes next
With the residence visa from The Hague you have 30 days after arrival to report to the migration service. Then come the residence card, the cédula, the tax number, health insurance and a bank account, in a fixed order. Plan it wrongly and you stand with a valid visa but no card at a desk that asks for the card.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
The first weeks in the Dominican Republic have one hard deadline: within 30 days of arrival you report to the Dirección General de Migración (DGM). Everything after that follows from that appointment, in a fixed order.
This article assumes you arrive with a residence visa (RS) from The Hague. How to get one is explained in the residence routes. The visa can be used for 60 days and is valid for a single entry. So plan your flight within that window.
| Week | What | Where | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before the flight | fill in the e-ticket | online | entry on arrival |
| Week 1 to 4 | apply for residence | DGM | residence card (carné) |
| After the card | apply for the cédula | JCE, Extranjería department | identity card |
| After the cédula | register in the RNC | DGII | tax number |
| After the cédula | health plan, bank account | SeNaSa or insurer, bank | cover and an account |
What do you arrange before the flight?
Two things. The first is the e-ticket, a mandatory digital form. NederlandWereldwijd writes that you need it on arrival and on departure. The Dominican consulate in The Hague puts it at the top of its website.
The second is your file for the DGM. For a temporary residence the regulation to the migration law lists, among other things, your residence visa, a certificate that you have no criminal record from the countries where you lived in the past five years, and your birth and marriage certificates with an apostille. All documents must be in Spanish. Anyone who has that in order in the Netherlands does not lose weeks in Santo Domingo.
For a temporary residence your passport must still be valid for at least 18 months, the regulation says. That is stricter than the consulate's six months. Renew it before you leave if it is tight.
What do you declare on arrival?
At customs you declare cash above US$ 10,000, on arrival and on departure. The Dirección General de Aduanas says so in the Manual del viajero. Personal belongings, clothes and one laptop and one tablet per person may come in without a declaration. Your household goods fall under different rules; see household goods to the Dominican Republic. If you bring a dog or cat, read pets to the Dominican Republic first.
Week one to four: the migration service
This is the appointment that opens everything. A pensionado or rentista goes to the DGM's investors' desk. Anyone who comes through family or work applies for a temporary residence. The regulation names a medical examination by a doctor approved by the DGM, fingerprints and passport photos from the front and the side. A temporary residence also requires a guarantee policy for health and repatriation costs.
For pensionados and rentistas the regulation gives a deadline: the card follows within 45 working days after the file is complete and checked. Keep every receipt you get in those weeks.
After the card: the cédula
With your residence card you go to the Junta Central Electoral for your cédula, the identity card. The regulation makes that a duty. The JCE has a department for foreigners in Santo Domingo, Santiago and Bávaro. You bring the certificate from the DGM, your card, your passport and a determination of your blood type. A first cédula costs RD$ 5,000 or RD$ 10,000, depending on your residence. The details are in registration and numbers.
After the cédula: tax number, healthcare and bank
With the cédula you register with the DGII, the tax authority, for the RNC. Anyone who works or rents out property in the country registers as a "contribuyente"; anyone who only needs to be registered, as a "registrado".
SeNaSa's voluntary health plan, Plan Larimar, also asks for a copy of your cédula. Until that is arranged, you rely on an international or private policy. Keep it running until the new plan starts; see healthcare in the Dominican Republic.
Then comes the Dominican bank account. As a pensionado you must show at the first renewal that your pension came into the country. So have your pension paid into a Dominican account as soon as possible; see bank and payments.
What is easy to forget?
Three things.
- The expiry date. You renew a temporary residence every year, in person, in the thirty days before the expiry date. A pensionado's first card is valid for one year. Put both dates in your calendar on the day you receive the card.
- The JCE fine. Renewing your cédula late costs RD$ 1,500 a month, for up to six months.
- The departure tax. Under the tax law of June 2026 everyone who leaves the country pays a departure contribution of US$ 30. The carrier collects it. You also need the e-ticket again on departure.
And in the Netherlands?
You arrange your deregistration, your health insurance and your AOW before you leave; see deregistering from the municipality and AOW, pension and tax. What you still do on the Dutch side in the first months is in those articles.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- MIREX — the residence visa, usable for 60 days, and the 30 days after arrival — servicios360.mirex.gob.do
- NederlandWereldwijd — travel advice, e-ticket on arrival and departure — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
- Consulado General de la República Dominicana en La Haya — the mandatory e-ticket — nld.mirex.gob.do
- DGA — Manual del viajero, what you declare on arrival — aduanas.gob.do
- Reglamento 631-11, articles 35, 48 and 65 (text published by the DGII) — dgii.gov.do
- Junta Central Electoral — the cédula for foreign residents — jce.gob.do
- DGII — notice 23-21 on registration in the RNC — dgii.gov.do
- SeNaSa — Plan Larimar — arssenasa.gob.do
- Ley 30-26, article 60 — the departure tax of US$ 30 (text published by the DGII) — dgii.gov.do
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