Last checked 13 Nov 2026Written for US citizensSome rules are still being checked
In brief
Retirees with a $1,500 monthly pension, or $2,000 of passive income, get permanent residence from day one. Everyone else, remote workers included, starts on yearly temporary residence backed by about $4,950 in a Dominican bank.
Residency income from$1,500 a month of pension
Visa-free (US)30 days; extend online to 120
Citizenship2 years after permanent residence
Tax on foreign incomeOnly from your 3rd year as a resident
Ordinary temporary residence (RT-9)
(Residencia Temporal Ordinaria)
Who it's for: People without a qualifying pension, such as remote workers, who can keep savings in a Dominican bank.
Money needed
About $4,950 (RD$300,000) in a Dominican bank, or a Dominican property title; an agency rule, not law
How long it lasts
1 year, renewable every year
Leads to
Permanent residence after 5 years: the first card plus 4 renewals
Apply from
A Dominican consulate for the residence visa, then the immigration office within 30 days of arriving
Processing time
90 working days at the immigration office; real waits Not yet verified
What you need
Residence visa: from a Dominican consulate; its US checklist and fee Not yet verified
Passport: valid at least 6 months; the regulation says 18 Needs review
Bank proof: a Dominican certificate for RD$300,000, with stamped statements if the account is over 3 months old
US papers: birth certificate, FBI record for 5 years and marital status, apostilled and officially translated
Medical exam and insurance: the immigration office's own exam and a guarantee insurance policy
Photos: 4 (2 front, 2 right profile), white background
Fees: about $231 to file and $104 for the exam; card fee and other costs Not yet verified
Timing: file your originals within 30 days of entering; online files left idle 90 days lapse
Good to know
Work: temporary residents may work, but remote work for a foreign employer isn't addressed Needs review.
Renew every year, in person, in the 30 days before your card expires.
No minimum stay found; a 6-month re-entry permit covers longer trips.
Checked against the lawRules read in the migration law, its regulation and the immigration office's page.
Still being checkedRemote work, the consulate checklist, the card fee and a 2025 requirements update.
Sources (13)
Legal basis and exact figures
Still being checked: remote work for a foreign employer isn't addressed by the law or the DGM page; the consular RS visa checklist and fee (MIREX page returned 503); the RD$300,000 solvency is a DGM agency requirement (Reglamento art 48(o) sets no amount), and the DGM update applicable from 8 Aug 2025 wasn't read; passport validity 6 months (DGM) vs 18 months (Reglamento art 48(f)); the RT-9 card fee isn't displayed.
Money: RD$300,000 (about $4,951) in a certificado financiero or Dominican bank certification, or a Dominican property title; RD$150,000 (about $2,476) if married to a Dominican. At BCRD compra 60.5931 (12 Nov 2026).
Fees (DGM): RD$14,000 at filing; medical exam RD$6,300 adult, RD$4,200 child; RD$7,000 extension to deposit the file; RP-1 change RD$16,800; RD$1,000 per month of expired temporary residence at the RP stage.
Law: Ley 285-04 arts 31(2), 35, 39 (1-year, renewable), 44, 45, 71 (30 days), 75, 79 (6-month re-entry permit), 99 (work); Reglamento 631-11 arts 48–51 (RP-1 after 5 years, apply 45 days before; art 51 párrafo II lets the DG shorten it), 85 párrafo. RP card 1 year, then 4-year cards; residencia definitiva after 10 years as permanent resident (Ley art 46).
Family: spouse and minor children use dependant residence RT-7 (art 35(7)); they need DGM authorisation to work. Local jobs normally use RT-3 (Ministry of Labour contract).
Citizenship and tax: naturalisation after 2 years' continuous stay following permanent residence (Reglamento art 52), so about 5 + 2 = 7 years; whether temporary years count under Ley 1683 isn't established. Tax resident after 182 days (DGII Aviso 22-25). Pending change: a digital-nomad visa has been proposed in public debate; no bill or decree found.
(residencia por inversión en calidad de jubilado o pensionado)
Who it's for: Retirees with a monthly pension from a foreign government, official body or private company. There's no minimum age.
Money needed
A pension of at least $1,500 a month, plus $250 per dependant; salary never counts
How long it lasts
Permanent from day one; cards last 1 year in practice, 2 in the law Needs review
Leads to
Already permanent; definitive residence after 10 years
Apply from
A Dominican consulate for the residence visa, then the immigration office in Santo Domingo
Processing time
Up to 45 working days from a complete file; real waits Not yet verified
What you need
Residence visa: from a Dominican consulate; its US checklist and fee Not yet verified
Pension certificate: from the payer, with your service, position and amount. Whether an SSA letter counts Not yet verified
US papers: birth certificate and FBI record for 5 years, apostilled and translated by an official interpreter
Dominican bank account: a letter from the bank showing you have one
Passport: valid 6 months or more, plus 4 photos
Medical exam and insurance: the immigration office's exam and a guarantee policy covering dependants
Fees: about $475 to file, $58 for the card and $104 for the exam; other costs Not yet verified
Good to know
Tax breaks: your declared pension, dividends and interest are free of income tax, once the Finance Ministry approves.
Renew yearly 45 days ahead, about $347, showing you received and spent the pension in the country.
Work allowed with permission from immigration and the Ministry of Labour.
Checked against the lawThe $1,500 pension and the 45-day limit are in the retiree incentives law.
Still being checkedCard length, the consulate checklist, SSA letters and the tax-exemption steps.
Sources (11)
Legal basis and exact figures
Still being checked: card length (DGM 1-year renewals vs Ley 171-07 art 8 párrafo II and Reglamento art 66 párrafo II: 2 years 'o el tiempo que estipule' the DGM); the consular RS visa checklist and fee; whether the DGM accepts an SSA benefit letter as the pension certification; the Ministerio de Hacienda exemption procedure (Decreto 162-11); the DGM update of 8 Aug 2025.
Money: US$1,500 a month (about RD$90,890) plus US$250 per dependant (Ley 171-07 art 3; Reglamento art 60). Salary income never qualifies (DGM).
Fees (DGM 2026): file deposit RD$28,800; card and cédula record RD$3,500; medical exam RD$6,300 (13+), RD$4,200 under 13; annual renewal RD$21,000 (VIP RD$15,000 extra), late-renewal surcharge RD$1,700; CEI-RD investment file RD$2,100. Renewal takes 10 working days (VIP 5).
Law: Ley 285-04 art 33(2) (pensionados are permanent residents), art 98 (work needs DGM and Ministry of Labour authorisation); Ley 171-07 arts 1(a), 2–8, 10–15; Reglamento 631-11 arts 54 (no prior temporary residence), 59–66. Residencia definitiva after 10 years (Ley 285-04 art 46). No quota.
Family: spouse, unmarried children under 18, dependent adult children with a disability or at university, and minors under guardianship (Ley 171-07 art 5); US$250 a month each.
Tax and property: declared income exempt (art 10); dividends and interest exempt (art 2(d)); no transfer tax on the first property; 50% off IPI, mortgage tax and capital-gains tax on property bought under the law (arts 2, 13, 14). Report the pension on the IR-1 by 31 March (DGII Consulta 35-2024). Ley 30-26's property changes may interact with arts 13–14: Needs review.
Who it's for: People with steady income from investments, deposits or property abroad, shown for at least 5 years.
Money needed
Income of at least $2,000 a month, plus $250 per dependant; salary doesn't count
How long it lasts
Permanent from day one; cards last 1 year in practice, 2 in the law Needs review
Leads to
Already permanent; definitive residence after 10 years
Apply from
A Dominican consulate for the residence visa, then the immigration office in Santo Domingo
Processing time
Up to 45 working days; real waits Not yet verified
What you need
Residence visa: from a Dominican consulate; its US checklist and fee Not yet verified
5 years of income proof: foreign company dividends, property bought abroad or bank investments
Income contract: plus receipts showing the money is transferred into the country
US papers: birth certificate, FBI record for 5 years and marital status, apostilled and translated
Passport: valid 6 months or more, plus 2 photos
Medical exam and insurance: the immigration office's exam and a guarantee policy
Fees: about $475 to file, $58 for the card and $104 for the exam; renewal fees Not yet verified
Good to know
Same tax breaks as retirees: declared income, dividends and interest are free of income tax once approved.
Renewing: show the income arrived in the country during your last card's period.
Work allowed with permission from immigration and the Ministry of Labour.
Checked against the lawThe $2,000 income and the 5-year history are in the retiree incentives law.
Still being checkedCard length, renewal fees, how new income proves 5 years, and the consulate checklist.
Sources (11)
Legal basis and exact figures
Still being checked: card length (DGM 1 year vs Ley 171-07 art 8 and Reglamento art 66: 2 years or as the DGM sets); the rentista renewal page and fees weren't read (the jubilados renewal page shows RD$21,000); how the DGM tests 'five years' of income for newly created income streams; the consular RS visa checklist and fee.
Money: US$2,000 a month (about RD$121,186) plus US$250 per dependant (Ley 171-07 art 3; Reglamento art 60), proven for at least 5 years (art 6 párrafo II). Qualifying income: foreign deposits or investments, remittances from foreign financial institutions, foreign company investments, real-estate remittances, foreign-currency securities, and Dominican investments funded from abroad (art 1(c)).
Fees (DGM): file deposit RD$28,800; card and cédula record RD$3,500; medical exam RD$6,300.
Law: Ley 285-04 art 33(2), art 98; Ley 171-07 arts 1(c), 2–8, 10–15; Reglamento 631-11 arts 54, 59–62, 64–66. Residencia definitiva after 10 years (Ley art 46). No quota or pending bill found.
Tax: declared income exempt (art 10), dividends and interest exempt (art 2(d)), subject to Ministerio de Hacienda approval and IR-1 reporting (DGII Consulta 35-2024); same property incentives as pensionados.
Status chips:Checked against the law means we read the official legal text. Not yet verified means it isn't confirmed at the official source yet. Needs review and Still being checked mark conflicts and open questions; each route's Sources list names them.
Tell us who's moving and we'll show the three Latin American countries that fit people like you best, ranked on what matters most to you, with the trade-off to know about each.
