After living in the country as a temporary resident for five years, you can change your status to permanent resident by submitting an application along with certain documents. Alternatively, you can get this visa in your home country and come to the Dominican Republic within 60 days of receiving it.

Make sure you have these documents before you start the procedure:

- A valid passport

- A completed application for permanent residence

- A medical certificate on your health condition

- Birth certificate (translated and notarized)

- Police clearance certificate issued by the Dominican Police Department

- Statement of good behavior signed by two witnesses

- Temporary residence card

- Bank statements and property ownership certificates (optional)

- Tax returns and other financial statements

- Your employment contract or job offer letter

- Pension certificate (if applicable)

- Marriage certificate, translation and notarization (if required)

- Birth certificates of children, translated and notarized (if required)

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Applications must be submitted to the migration department (extranjeria) in person or by mail. However, it is recommended to visit their center and speak to an officer to get any clarification you may need. The office is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 15:00, although the reception of documents ends at 14:00. They are located at the address:

Department of Migration

George Washington Avenue

Centro de los Heroes, Santo Domingo

Tel: +809 508 255 (extension 246)

The process of obtaining a permanent residence permit

1. You need to log in to the DGM service portal.

1.1 You must register in the system (if you are registered, you must enter your login and password)

1.2. You must select the option "list of requests", from the list of available services you must select the one you are going to request and fill in the required information in the forms.

1.3. The system will notify you of the status of your application

2. Scanned documents must be in .jpg format for online application.

3. The applicant has thirty (30) days to provide all original documents after entering the Dominican territory, otherwise he/she will have to pay a fine (see the table of fees for stay). Submit the original documents and a complete set of copies to the DGM.

4. All documents in another language must be translated into Spanish by the Dominican Republic Consulate in the applicant's country of origin or by a legal translator in Dom.

5. Upon submission of the required documentation, authorization for the medical examination and proof of payment of the services, the applicant will be issued a "form of acceptance of documents" to cancel the requested temporary residence permit, if approved.

6. The medical examination must be completed within three days after payment (including the day of payment), otherwise you will need to pay again. You have to wait ten days to find out the results.

7. All documents stored at the DGM must be original and properly protocoled, legalized and apostilled if necessary.

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As a permanent resident, you have to renew your resident card every year. However, subsequent cards can be renewed every four years. Pensioners and persons who are financially self-sufficient are an exception to this procedure, as they are required to renew their resident card every two years.

Once you have lived in the Dominican Republic on a permanent basis for 10 years, you are eligible for a permanent resident card that is not subject to renewal. Unfortunately, you will still be required to pay an annual residence fee.

Dominicans can obtain citizenship by birth or naturalization.

By birth

The 2015 Constitution defines in Article 18, Section 1 that the persons entitled to nationality by birth are:

- Those born in the territory of the Dominican Republic and who are not children of diplomats, illegal aliens or transit aliens;

- Those born abroad to Dominican parents who, after reaching the age of eighteen, choose Dominican nationality and renounce their former nationality or obtain dual nationality; or

- Those who held citizenship by birthright under laws prior to the entry into force of the current constitution.

Through naturalization

Naturalization requires filling out an application form, which is supported by the necessary documents to prove eligibility. These are submitted to the Ministry of the Interior and Police (in Spanish: Ministerio de Interior y Policía) for processing and approval by the Naturalization Office. The requirements, detailed in Law 1683 of 1948, include that applicants must be adults who have reached the age of 18, or 16 if they are married or have the authorization of a legal guardian, and have resided in the territory for at least 2 years.

The 2015 Constitution in Article 18(1) and Law No. 1683 define the persons who can be naturalized as:

- Foreigners who have legally resided in the country for two years.

- Foreign men who have legally resided for six months and are married to a Dominican woman;

- Foreign women who are married to a Dominican may be exempted from the residency requirement at the discretion of the President of the Dominican Republic

- Adopted children of Dominican parents;

- Foreign spouses and minor children are automatically naturalized through the naturalization of their spouses without meeting the residency requirements;

- Persons who, in the discretion of the President, are recognized as having rendered exceptional service to the nation.

You can start the immigration process immediately upon arrival in the Dominican Republic. You can come to the Dominican Republic as a tourist and apply for residency right away. Make sure that you have prepared and brought all the necessary documents (notarized copy of your passport, notarized copy of your birth certificate, original police clearance certificate). All three documents must have the apostles. Translation into Spanish, medical examination, photographs can be done on the spot with the help of a local lawyer we can recommend. All documents must be submitted to the Immigration Service. After submitting the application, you will be assigned a registration number. This is usually a four-digit number, and once you have it, you can officially and legally work and/or do business in the Dominican Republic. The immigration process usually takes 3 to 4 months, but if you do everything with the help of a lawyer, it takes two months. After two months of waiting, you will receive a temporary residence permit (ID card for 1 year).

The Law on Citizenship stipulates that foreigners must reside in the country with a temporary residence permit for 5 years, then for two years with permanent residence. Only after 7 years of legal residence can they apply for citizenship.