Living in the Dominican Republic as a French National: Stay, Residence, Schooling, Safety and Daily Life

France Diplomatie indicates that French nationals can stay up to 30 days in the Dominican Republic without a visa, for tourism, with a passport valid for at least six months from entry. Every traveller completes the eTicket electronic form before departure (free, it generates a QR code): France Diplomatie specifies that it can no longer be completed at the airport, and that a fine of USD 80 applies for failure to do so.

An extension is requested online from the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) before the end of the 30 days, with a copy of the passport, the return ticket and a copy of the entry stamp. Overstaying without authorisation incurs an exit tax proportional to the excess time and can jeopardise a later entry. For any stay of more than 90 days, work, residence or retiree visas are requested from a Dominican consulate, and the DGM then issues the residence permits on site.

The guide to the checklist for the first 90 days helps you put the formalities in order, and the Dominican Republic country page brings together the health insurance essentials.

Ordinary temporary residence (RT-9) is a one-year permit for foreigners who wish to settle temporarily. The DGM lists the following documents: a passport valid for at least six months, a residence visa (RS), the latest entry stamp, a birth certificate legalised or apostilled and translated by a court interpreter, a criminal record from the country of origin or residence for the last five years, a marriage certificate or a declaration of single status, medical examinations at an establishment approved by the DGM, a guarantee policy taken out with an insurer approved by the DGM, and proof of solvency. The latter takes the form of a bank certificate for at least 300,000 pesos, or 150,000 pesos for a person married to a Dominican, or a property title, in either case in the Dominican Republic.

• Costs published by the DGM: filing fee 14,000 pesos; medical examinations 6,300 pesos for an adult and 4,200 pesos for a child; processing time of 90 working days.
• Residence visa: the consulate of the Dominican Republic in Paris indicated, as of 23 November 2023, a fee of €200 per residence visa, non-refundable.
• Online procedure: the application is filed on the DGM portal; an application left without action for 90 calendar days is considered lapsed.

Permanent residence (RP-1) is open to foreigners who hold their first temporary residence booklet and four renewals. The DGM then asks for a Dominican criminal record, proof of solvency of at least 150,000 pesos and 16,800 pesos in filing fees. To work, see the page working in the Dominican Republic.

Law No. 171-07 offers pensioners and annuitants with foreign-source income a residence-by-investment regime. The pensionado receives a pension of at least USD 1,500 a month from a government, an official body or a foreign company; the rentista shows stable annuities of at least USD 2,000 a month, coming from abroad. A supplement of USD 250 a month applies for each dependant. Salaries do not count towards the pension amount.

The DGM issues a one-year residence, with a processing time of 45 working days, 28,800 pesos in filing fees and 3,500 pesos for the residence booklet and the document that stands in for the cédula. The page retiring in the Dominican Republic details the tax advantages, the documents and access to care.

The official sources consulted do not rank cities by their appeal to expats. They give some reference points: Santo Domingo, the capital, has an urban area of 4.2 million inhabitants (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) and is home to the French lycée; the French embassy provides consular services there, including registration on the register of French nationals living abroad, civil status and identity papers.

On the north coast, the Samaná peninsula is home to the Lycée Français International de Las Terrenas Théodore-Chassériau, a partner establishment of the AEFE. For crime, France Diplomatie reports areas to watch: Bávaro and Punta Cana (with the hotel outskirts), Santo Domingo (notably the Colonial Zone) and the Samaná peninsula (in particular Las Terrenas). On health, the same source indicates that there is no malaria risk in Santo Domingo, Santiago or Punta Cana, whereas the western provinces (Dajabón, Elías Piña, San Juan) have a year-round risk.

To choose a place to live, four criteria matter: the distance to a full health facility (see the healthcare system in the Dominican Republic), exposure to hurricanes and earthquakes, proximity to a school and road traffic.

The official sources consulted do not publish rents or typical budgets by city; the “Economic indicators” block above gives the macroeconomic indicators, including the exchange rate. The currency is the Dominican peso. Residence thresholds are set in US dollars, whereas local scales, filing fees and salaries are set in pesos.

• Minimum wage: the highest of the scales for the non-sectoral private sector stands at 29,988 pesos a month since 1 February 2026, according to resolution CNS 01-2025 of the National Wage Committee, as reported by the Superintendency of Banks.
• Local VAT (ITBIS): the general rate is 18% according to the Directorate General of Internal Taxes (DGII).
• Income tax: 0% up to 416,220 pesos a year, then 15%, 20% and 25% by bracket (DGII, 16 January 2026). The detail appears in working in the Dominican Republic.

To budget for health, the guide to budgeting for your health when moving abroad offers a method.

Two establishments of the AEFE network appear in the official directory. The Lycée Français of Santo Domingo, under agreement and accredited, has 695 pupils and 15 levels, from the first nursery year to the final year, on the Northern Hemisphere calendar. The Lycée Français International de Las Terrenas Théodore-Chassériau, in Las Terrenas, is a partner establishment. Registration and fees are confirmed with each establishment.

For a child, health cover and maternity cover deserve a check before departure: see children’s cover abroad and expat family insurance. For the dependent children of a pensionado, the DGM also requires a repatriation policy.

France Diplomatie classes the Dominican Republic under heightened vigilance (yellow) across the whole territory and notes a rise in thefts and armed robberies, which affect tourists and foreign residents alike. The practical advice is simple:

• avoid travelling alone at night and do not carry valuables or large sums of cash;
• use cash machines located inside banks and keep the original passport in the safe of your accommodation;
• avoid driving at night outside towns; an accident causing injury exposes the driver to heavy penalties that can go as far as imprisonment;
• call 911 (police, fire brigade, rescue, free); the Casa de Conductores handles post-accident procedures (Santo Domingo: +1 809 381 2424; Santiago: +1 809 241 4848).

The tropical climate comes with a hurricane season from June to November, high seismic exposure (earthquakes of up to magnitude 8.1 have been recorded) and a tsunami risk with no warning system. On health, France Diplomatie reports a surge of dengue, notably in Santo Domingo and Barahona, recommends drinking bottled water and reminds travellers that private clinics require payment or proof of insurance before providing care. The language of the administration is Spanish: your level of Spanish makes it easier to sign a lease, open an account and deal with the DGM. The page healthcare reimbursement in the Dominican Republic explains who pays in each situation, and Expavy helps you compare policies once the residence status has been chosen.