Moving to Dominican Republic from New Zealand

More than US$2,100 a month: Rentista residence under Law 171-07 (article 3) asks for stable income at a set monthly minimum, or the equivalent in pesos (to be safe, have more than US$2,100 a month), plus a set extra amount a month for each dependant (to be safe, add more than US$300 a month for each). The pensioner route asks for a pension with a monthly minimum (to be safe, have more than US$1,600 a month) plus a set extra amount per dependant (to be safe, add more than US$300 a month for each). Both are written for income from abroad that is not pay for work: the law lists deposits and investments in banks or companies abroad, remittances from banks or from property, interest and dividends, and MIREX and DGM both say income from salaries does not count. The rentista must show the income has run for at least five years (article 6, paragraph II). The central bank's selling rate at the close of 14 October 2026 was RD$61.6788 per dollar, and the peso and New Zealand dollar equivalents move with the exchange rates. To be safe, have more than US$2,100 a month. We found no DGM text that accepts freelance fees under either route, and nothing on whether New Zealand Superannuation, paid by the New Zealand government, counts as a pension, so confirm with a Dominican consulate before relying on one.

DGM's extension page (archived October 2025) says the extension can run up to 120 days. The extension fee is RD$3,500 (about NZ$101) for 30 to 90 days and RD$5,600 (about NZ$162) for 90 to 120 days. MIREX asks visa applicants for a passport valid for six months, and we found no separate rule for visa-free entry, so treat six months as the safe margin. You need a completed e-ticket form for each entry and exit, and the Atlas Visa Map record lists proof of funds and an onward ticket, so carry both. DGII says the right of entry gained with the tourist card is lost if you take up gainful activity in the country; we found no source saying whether remote work for a foreign payer counts, so that is unknown. If you plan to work for a year, research the residence routes.

Law 171-07 also asks for copies of cheques or transfer notices showing the money entering the country. Documents not in Spanish need a translation by a judicial interpreter, and originals must be notarised, legalised or apostilled. In New Zealand, the Department of Internal Affairs issues apostilles, and the Dominican Republic is on its apostille list: NZ$37 per certificate and 15 working days, with an urgent service listed at NZ$120 and 5 working days, on form BDM460. New Zealand Police say a 'police clearance certificate' has no official meaning there and the closest equivalent is a Ministry of Justice criminal record check, which the ministry aims to answer within 20 working days (about 90%% in under a week); its page gives no cost and does not mention apostilles. Whether the Dominican side accepts that check, and whether a translation made in New Zealand is accepted, we could not find, so both are unknown. MIREX gives 10 to 20 working days for a visa decision, and the RS visa is valid for 60 days for one entry. After arriving you have 30 days to start the process with DGM. DGM's rentista and pensioner pages give 90 working days; the law says the approval letter and card come within 45 working days, and DGM's investor page also gives 45 working days. DGM fees on its pensioner and rentista pages are RD$28,800 for the file, RD$3,500 for the card and RD$6,300 for medical exams, RD$38,600 in total (about US$626, or about NZ$1,117); the investor total for an adult is RD$37,000. The guarantee policy premium was not published, so it is unknown. Applications left inactive for 90 days expire automatically. These are archived pages, so confirm current fees and times with DGM.

A foreigner becomes a tax resident after more than 182 days in a year, and under article 271 starts paying tax on foreign-source income from the third year after becoming resident. The Tax Code lists income from personal work and professions among Dominican-source rents without saying where the payer is. We found no DGII text on pay from a foreign employer or fees from foreign clients for work done in the country, so whether that is taxable is a question to settle with a Dominican adviser before you arrive.

DGII's April 2025 ruling exempts interest paid to someone who holds permanent residence by investment from the 10% withholding. The same law gives a 50% reduction of property tax and mortgage taxes and an exemption from transfer tax on a first property.

If you already get NZ Super, you can apply to keep it overseas for more than 26 weeks, at a rate based on the months you lived in New Zealand between ages 20 and 65 out of 540, if you apply at least six weeks before you leave. This describes the mechanism, not your bill.

The guarantee policy DGM requires is described as a guarantee policy (and a repatriation policy for dependants), not as health cover. We found no priced private health plan, so that cost is unknown.

The file, card and medical fees on DGM's rentista and pensioner pages total RD$38,600 (about US$626, or about NZ$1,117, at the central bank's selling rate and the ECB cross rate), plus the visa fee and the policy premium, which was not published.

How to open a Dominican account as a non-resident or new resident is not described in the sources we read, so that is unknown. If you stay a New Zealand tax resident, keep your New Zealand bank details current; if you become a non-resident, tell your New Zealand bank so it deducts the right withholding tax.