The Dominican consul in Puerto Rico, Cesar Cedenorevealed a significant increase in the number of Puerto Ricans choosing to retire in the Dominican Republic.
Although many foreigners apply for residency directly in the Dominican Republic, official figures from the consulate indicate that 232 foreigners have requested visas to process residency at the diplomatic headquarters between October 2022 and 2024. Added to the official visas, the total rises to 360.
Cedeño attributes the growing interest to several attractive factors, including legal security, the welcoming climate of the Dominicans, the available services and the favorable exchange rate.
«Legal security in the Dominican Republic has improved considerably. The government and the country are prepared to receive thousands of tourists, and the difference in prices is significant. Spending $2,000 in the Dominican Republic, where the exchange rate is around 58 pesos per dollar, is not the same as spending $2,000 in Puerto Rico,» he explained.
He said that geographic proximity, with Flights of less than an hour, and cultural similarities in terms of musical rhythms and gastronomy also play an important role in the choice of Puerto Ricans.
The Dominican Republic offers facilities to regularize foreign citizens through temporary visas or residencies, especially for retirees, annuitants, investors and professionals, so the consul emphasized that residencies for Puerto Ricans are processed from the consulate, which houses other Dominican government agencies.
It is recalled that last 2023, the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) granted 58,629 permanent and temporary residencies to citizens of more than 60 countries. Americans, including citizens of Puerto Rico, rank fourth with 2,120 residencies. Haitians, Venezuelans and Cubans occupy the first three places, respectively.
