The four ways to Dominican Citizenship explained

More and more foreigners are opening up to the idea of pursuing Dominican citizenship, not just residency. Depending on your personal goals and objectives, this path could make sense.  Once you decide to pursue Dominican citizenship, it’s important to understand your options for obtaining it.

Essentially, there are four pathways to citizenship.

1. The “Ordinary Track”
2. The “Fast Track”
3. Citizenship through Marriage
4. Citizenship through Parents

The “Ordinary Track”

Through this track, it will take you seven (7) years to qualify for citizenship, hence the name “Ordinary Track.”

First, you’d get temporary or provisional residency, which requires annual renewals. After five years of having temporary residency, you can apply for permanent residency.  After two years of permanent residency, you can apply for Dominican citizenship.

 The “Fast Track”

Foreigners who get residency via the investment department get immediate permanent residency and can apply for citizenship within six (6) months of being issued the residency card—thus, the name “Fast Track.”

Here’s who qualifies for “Fast Track” residency:

• Retirees or pensioners who can prove they receive a minimum of $1,500 monthly ($1,750 per couple) in pension or retirement income;
• An individual who earns a minimum of $2,000 a month from sources outside the Dominican Republic, such as a privately owned business, property rental, or investments; and
• Individuals who invest at least US$200,000 in a company registered in the Dominican Republic, a Dominican bank or financial institution, or real estate.

 Citizenship through Marriage

There’s also a naturalization or citizenship option through marriage. In this case, you must be married to a Dominican citizen for at least two years and hold temporary (or provisional) residency status for a minimum of six (6) months.

 Citizenship through Parents

If you’re a child of a natural-born Dominican citizen, they can grandfather you into citizenship. In this case, your foreign birth certificate is apostilled and presented along with the Dominican birth certificate and national ID of your Dominican parent. The formal term for this process is transcription. After due diligence, a transcribed Dominican birth certificate is presented to you, making you a Dominican citizen.

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Maria Abreu is the CEO and Managing Attorney of Abreu & Associates, a law firm practicing exclusively in Dominican Republic Immigration and Nationality law. She is also the founder of Retire and Invest DR. This organization hosts conference events for foreigners interested in living, retiring, and investing in the DR. You can contact Maria at: mabreu@abreuimmigration.com.