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When foreign nationals apply for residency, they go through various steps. First, they process a visa at the DR consulate in their country of origin. Once the visa is issued, they have 60 days to enter the DR to apply for residency through the Immigration Department. One of the requirements for obtaining residency is a medical examination conducted by a medical institution approved by the Department of Immigration.
Once the foreign national enters the country, the entry stamp placed on the passport must be sent to the immigration authorities along with the complete file. On receipt of the file and entry stamp, the authorities ensure that everything is in order and applicable government taxes have been paid. Then the authorities gave permission for the medical examination.
Here’s what you need to know:
The test is purely for residency purposes, so the foreign national and their lawyer will not receive the results of the test. The medical facility sends the test results directly to the immigration authorities.
Testing includes blood and urine tests and a chest X-ray. There is also an interview about the foreign national’s medical history and whether they are taking medication. The test can detect whether the foreign national suffers from communicable diseases, information that is essential for such a small island. The lack of medical screening could open the country to diseases that could quickly become epidemics. Also, tests identify drug abuse. Naturally, habitual drug abuse and/or communicable diseases may cause a residency application to be rejected.
Maria Abreu, a local attorney and immigration expert, recommends that if the foreign national takes medication regularly, they should bring their prescriptions and medications to the test to be completely transparent with the authorities. MS said it shows not only that the medication was legally prescribed, but also the dosage and the reason for taking it. Abreu argues. This is especially important for pain-control drugs because of the trace amounts of opiates that can be detected in medical tests. Similarly, counsel advises that foreign nationals mention that they have had hepatitis, which has since been treated and fully brought under control. Hepatitis antibodies may show up in the exam so transparency is essential in the interview. If possible, medical records and letters from doctors in the country of origin should be translated and brought to the interview as supporting evidence.
If the foreign national fails the medical examination, the immigration authorities allow the foreign national to retake the examination. Immigration generally recognizes that human error can occur and that sometimes circumstances are beyond the foreign national’s control; For example, second-hand smoke cannot be avoided. Depending on the results of the retake, the decision to refuse residency due to medical results is either approved or revoked.
The medical exam is an important step in the residency process and the residency applicant must be prepared at ______________________________
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. The organization hosts conference events for foreigners interested in living, retiring and investing in the DR. You can contact Maria at: [email protected]
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