Our emigration: life in the Dominican Republic

Фото: Depositphotos

The Dominican Republic is a country a little larger than the Moscow Region, which shares the island of Haiti with the Republic of Haiti. From above the island is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, from the bottom - by the Caribbean Sea.

Here there are long white beaches, and high mountains of the Cordillera, and buildings from the times of conquistadors, and megalopolises with skyscrapers and the metro, and villages without electricity with rice and reed fields. Like this, most Russians imagine an island paradise.

Most tourists come to the area of ​​the village of Bavaro - Punta Cana. Usually they fly here for a two-week rest in the "all inclusive" mode. Most of the village is occupied by hotels, sometimes so huge that you have to go from the gate to the reception 10 minutes.

Foreigners living in Bavaro on a permanent basis are forced to put up with the features of a tourist reservation. The whole village has three shopping centers, one cinema, four night clubs, several restaurants with seafood. But a lot of work for immigrants. I lived here for almost a year working as a tour guide at a travel agency.

“For the soul”, expats go to live on the picturesque peninsula of Samana or the Atlantic coast: the city of Puerto Plata, the village of Cabarete, beloved by surfers.

Most foreigners in the Dominican Republic are engaged in tourism. Someone opens his business, someone earns remotely or lives on rent. Prices in the Dominican Republic are comparable to Moscow, so lazy, as in Asia, will not work here.

The official currency of the country is the Dominican peso. American dollars also run. All prices in the article are in dollars for clarity. The course in August 2017 of the year - 47 pesos for 1 $.

Visas

Citizens of Russia and the CIS countries can come to the Dominican Republic for a month without a visa. There are several ways to stay and get a temporary residence permit:

• a) to marry a Dominican citizen;
• b) invest 200 000 $ in real estate;
• c) conclude an employment contract with a local company, 80% of employees in which are Dominicans;
• d) have a monthly passive income 1500 — 2000 $ - for example, from rent or retirement.

Every six months, the rules for obtaining Dominican citizenship vary considerably. The country is gradually tightening migration policy, so if you think about moving, be sure to check the latest information.

Accomodation

In the pathos tourist area, you can rent a three-room apartment with two bathrooms and a terrace for 500 — 700 $ per month, a villa - from 1000 $. In the capital and cities simpler rental rates start from 300 $.

Apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Photo author

Apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Photo author

Apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Photo author

Apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Photo author

During the year I moved several times, lived in different regions and apartments of different classes. The first and cheapest apartment for 500 $ was in Bavaro on the first line. At first, I was happy, but soon I found out that in conditions of high humidity the equipment quickly fails, clothes and footwear are covered with mold. I wiped my leather jacket with a wet rag and aired it every three days. I concluded: for the long term to optimally rent a house at least a kilometer from the ocean.

Most of all I liked living in a villa in the golf village of Kokotal. This is the best place in Bavaro for living with children: safe, huge green areas, private pools. There are also fun features. For example, it is forbidden to hang out to dry clothes from the front of the house - so as not to spoil the view of the neighbors. And sometimes golf balls fly in the windows of some residences.

I rented accommodation through a company or from friends, so I avoided formalities. Usually in case of long-term lease a contract with the landlord is concluded for half a year with the possibility of extension. Be sure to lay one or two monthly deposits.

To buy a home in the Dominican Republic is simple, documents are drawn up in a few months. The apartment in the usual residential complex costs 30 000 $. Residence in a residence with a golf course and private pool - $100 — $ 150 Thousands. Prices for villas start at 300 000 $, for land plots - from 20 000 $.

Housing in the Dominican Republic is sold to foreigners, but before buying it is better to consult with a lawyer. There are many scammers on the market. They can sell land without ownership or a villa that is not connected to communications.

Utilities services

There is no central gas pipeline in the Dominican Republic. When the gas ends, you need to take an empty cylinder and go with him to the gas station. It costs about 18 $ to fill a balloon, enough for 2 — 3 of the month.

Transport

Through the country passes the highway Duarte. The track is paid. For a length of about 50 km from a car take 1,5 $.

There is no passenger railway in the Dominican Republic, but there are more than twenty airports serving domestic flights. You can fly from Bavaro to Santo Domingo in half an hour, the ticket costs 110 $.

Foreigners can rent a car from 40 $ per day. Many cost a motorcycle or a scooter, the climate allows. But it’s dangerous to drive on two wheels: the traffic is chaotic. Dominicans twist the rear-view mirrors from their vehicles, ignore the headlights and turn signals, cross the double solid and abruptly rebuild from the strip to the strip. The police on the roads are rare and fines mainly for not wearing a seat belt and talking on the phone while driving.

City buses in the Dominican Republic are always crowded: the conductor hangs out of the door, clinging to the roof with his hand, and at the bus stops, sellers of corn, water, ear sticks and clothes pegs run up to the windows. Regular buses between cities are equipped with comfortable seats and Wi-Fi and go on schedule. There you must take a warm sweater: air conditioning ruthless. The ticket costs 5 — 10 $.

Yellow school buses, a gift from the USA, are also sometimes used in Latin America as minibuses. You never know who you meet inside: happy school children or a crowd of Haitians. Photo: Depositphotos

Security

Dominican Republic is a third world country, but the level of security here is much higher than in Mexico, Venezuela, Jamaica or the Republic of Haiti. Of course, you should not put on large gold jewelry and swing the seventh iPhone, while walking around the construction site.

In the tourist Bavaro on the wild beaches and unlit roads can attack Haitians illegals. Sometimes they get into the house and put up values. In the rest of the country, it is safe enough where the Dominicans live, but even local people are not at risk of going to the Haitian slums.

Фото: Depositphotos

Banks and public services

There are large banks around 10 in the country and many so-called savings and credit associations. State Bank is one - "Reserve". Of the commercial banks are the main "Popular", "Biashdi-Leon" and "Banco-Caribe". With citizenship, it is easy to open an account. A foreigner will need an official application from the company where he works, or a justification of the reasons for opening an account.

The name of the owner on a plastic card is sometimes indicated, and sometimes not. In some banks, you can choose this option. One of my friends got an untitled card simply because the machine broke in the bank, knocking out letters.

Methods of data protection use different. In one of the large banks, together with the card, a keychain-token is issued: a device the size of a matchbox, on the screen of which a code is generated from 6 digits. For operations, you need to enter the pre-selected password and the number from the keyfob screen. It is encoded by a complex algorithm and is constantly changing.

Another bank uses a card with codes. A new card is covered with a protective layer, like a lottery ticket. To confirm the payment, the bank manager will ask you to erase the protective layer on one of the codes and name the numbers.

SMS codes in the Dominican Republic do not use, but Internet banking is developed. All major banks have their own phone apps. Through such an application, you can pay for utilities, mobile communications and even study at a university, transfer money to a card of any bank, set up auto payments.

Bonuses for using cards are very different. You can choose cashback, airline miles and points with which you can pay in affiliate stores.

There are interest-free loans on 1 or 2, subject to the initial payment of about 30%. For a longer period, you can borrow money from the bank. under 7 — 10%. There are no penalties for early repayment. Most expensive cars in the country are taken on credit. Dominicans ride them for a couple of years, then sell along with the balance of payments and take a new one.

Daily expenses

The country has a network of budget supermarkets like Auchan - Jumbo. The baton is worth 2 $ (117 Р), a kilogram of tomatoes - 2,5 $, mango - 0,5 $, a bottle of rum - 10 $. In the markets everything is two times cheaper. The most expensive fruits are apples and grapes. Drinking water is ordered home in huge twenty-liter bottles for 1,3 $.

Prices in cafes and restaurants can vary several times, depending on whether the institution is designed for tourists or Dominicans. You can have a hearty meal for both 2 $ and 50 $.

Mobile communications provide 4 operator - "Claro", "Viva", "Orange" and "Tricom". Simka will be sold in salons of communication on the passport of any country. Without a long-term contract, conversations and the Internet will cost about 60 $ per month. A half-year prepayment plan is more profitable: 30 $ for 100 minutes of calls and 3 GB of Internet per month. I use the prepaid rate.

Medicine

The hospital looks like a decent hotel. Once I lay in such a week. I had a separate spacious chamber with a plasma, a separate bathroom, a panoramic window, a balcony overlooking the tropical garden, a nurse call button and a quick wifi. The food was tasty, varied and five times a day. I have done many tests and conducted a variety of surveys. I paid for all the orders 20 $ (1172 Р). The rest is covered by insurance. If I didn’t have it, the bill would have passed for 1000 $.

In the ward is simple furniture, very clean. Photo author

View from the window of the chamber. Photo author

Education

Schools here, too, are paid and free. In the free program is frankly weak. They do not teach foreign languages ​​and computer literacy, but they focus on religious education.

The cost of education in a private school is from 50 to 1500 $ per month. In this school, learn English and French, put on performances on prodlenki, engaged in projects, go on excursions around the country. Foreigners are accepted without problems, the main thing is colloquial Spanish.

Higher education can be obtained in one of the fifteen departments of the State Autonomous University or in private universities. Some of the paid universities send students for internships in the United States, and a Dominican diploma is quoted in both America and Europe.

Total

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