The first 90 days are about foundations, not exploration. Get your basics sorted first and the rest of DR life opens up.
Most people arrive excited and immediately want to explore. That is fine. But the expats who settle smoothly are the ones who spend the first few weeks deliberately setting up the practical infrastructure they need for long-term life: banking, connectivity, healthcare, transport and community. Those who skip this phase scramble to fix it later under stress.
First 2 weeks
SIM card, temporary housing sorted, local area orientation, finding nearby essentials and starting to understand your neighborhood.
Weeks 2 to 6
Banking, health insurance, driving licence or vehicle sorted, join expat groups and start identifying long-term housing if you have not already.
Months 2 to 3
Settle into routine, build community, address residency paperwork if pursuing it, evaluate whether your region and housing are genuinely working.
What to do and when
Arrival and immediate setup
Your first week is about covering the non-negotiables. Do not try to do everything at once. Focus on what you need to function safely and comfortably for the next few weeks.
- Get a local SIM card immediately. Claro and Altice are the largest networks. Bring your unlocked phone. A basic data plan is $20 to $40 per month and gives you maps, messaging and connectivity from day one.
- Confirm your accommodation is ready and establish where the nearest supermarket, pharmacy, ATM and hospital are relative to where you are staying.
- Download WhatsApp if you do not already have it. It is the primary communication tool in the DR for everyone from landlords to doctors to local businesses.
- Get some Dominican pesos at an ATM using your existing card. Avoid airport exchange. Use ATMs at Banco Popular, Scotiabank or BHD Leon for best access.
- Orient yourself in your neighborhood on foot. Get a feel for traffic, noise levels, safety, and what is within walking distance before making any housing decisions.
Banking, insurance and connectivity
These three things unlock the rest of your DR life. They take time to set up and are harder to do last-minute. Prioritize them in week two.
- Open a Dominican bank account. Banco Santa Cruz is typically the most accessible for non-residents. You will need your passport, proof of address, proof of income and patience. The process is bureaucratic but essential for long-term functioning.
- Get private health insurance in place if you did not sort it before arrival. Local plans start around $80 per month for a single adult. International plans with better coverage run $200 to $500. Do not operate without coverage.
- Sort home internet. Claro and Altice provide fiber in most expat areas. Check what is available at your specific address and negotiate installation time. Budget 2 to 4 weeks for a new installation.
- Transfer money via Wise or similar for day-to-day expenses while your bank account is being set up. Avoid relying entirely on ATMs as fees accumulate quickly.
Vehicle, driving and community
By week four most people know whether they need a vehicle and are starting to think about building social infrastructure. Both matter more than you expect.
- If you need a vehicle, a foreign driving licence is valid in the DR for a period of time. You can convert it to a Dominican licence once you have established residency. Car rental is expensive long-term; buying a second-hand vehicle is often better value for stays over 6 months.
- Join expat Facebook groups specific to your region. These groups are genuinely useful for recommendations (mechanics, doctors, accountants, cleaners), warnings about local issues and social connection.
- Find a local doctor, dentist and pharmacy you trust while you are healthy. This is dramatically easier to do before you need them than after.
- Start evaluating your housing situation honestly. Is it the right size, right location, right price, right noise level? Month two is when the reality of your accommodation becomes clearer than it was in week one.
- If you are planning to pursue residency, start gathering documents now. You will need apostilled documents from your home country. Getting these from the DR is possible but much harder than doing it before you left.
Routine, community and honest evaluation
By month two you should have the basics sorted and be starting to build something that resembles a real life here. This phase is about community and honest evaluation.
- Build regular touchpoints in your week: a regular coffee spot, a gym or yoga class, a community group. Routine is underrated for expat happiness.
- Evaluate honestly whether your region is working. The things that seemed fine in week one sometimes feel different by month two: traffic, noise, commute, isolation, or the character of the neighborhood. Renting means you can move. Consider doing so if your current location is not working.
- Start basic Spanish if you have not already. Even minimal Spanish improves daily life dramatically, reduces costs and builds relationships that are otherwise impossible.
- Sort your tax situation with a professional who understands both DR and your home country obligations. Do not leave this until it becomes urgent.
- Reflect on what you came for and whether what you are experiencing is what you expected. Most people find the reality differs from the plan in both positive and negative ways. Three months of real data is worth acting on.
The practical non-negotiables
SIM card
Claro has the widest coverage nationally. Altice (Tricom) is good in urban areas. Visit a carrier store with your passport and unlocked phone. Prepaid or postpaid plans both available. Expect to pay $20 to $40 per month for a data-heavy plan.
Local bank account
Required for long-term life. Banco Santa Cruz is the most accessible for non-residents. Bring passport, proof of income and proof of address. Processing takes days to weeks. In the interim, use Wise for transfers and ATMs for cash.
Health insurance
Non-negotiable. Local plans from $80 per month cover private clinic care. International plans cost more but cover medevac and treatment abroad. Get this before you need it, not after an incident occurs.
The primary communication tool in the DR. Landlords, doctors, mechanics, local businesses and expat groups all primarily communicate via WhatsApp. If you do not have it, get it immediately on arrival.
Expat groups
Facebook groups for expats in your specific region are invaluable. Recommendations for doctors, accountants, mechanics and services come through these. They also serve as your early social connection while you build other relationships.
Home internet
Claro and Altice are the main providers. Fiber is available in most urban and expat areas. Budget 2 to 4 weeks for installation. Get this started in week one even if you do not have permanent housing yet, as the wait time is the main constraint.
What catches people out in the first 90 days
Spending the first weeks in tourism mode rather than settlement mode. The beach and restaurants are not going anywhere. The banking relationship, insurance setup and local community connections that make long-term life work all require deliberate early investment. People who delay these consistently report more stressful first months.
No local banking
Operating on foreign cards with ATM fees adds up fast. Foreign cards work but every transaction costs more and transfers are harder. Prioritize opening a local account even though the process is slow and bureaucratic.
No health insurance
Running uninsured is a common gamble that sometimes costs people significantly. One serious health event without insurance in the DR can cost thousands of dollars out of pocket. Get covered before you need it.
Choosing housing too fast
Renting the first place that seems fine, without testing the commute, checking the power situation, assessing noise and evaluating the neighborhood properly. Do a full walkthrough at different times of day before signing.
Isolation
Not building social infrastructure early enough. Expat life without community becomes lonely faster than people expect. Join groups, say yes to invitations and build touchpoints in your routine deliberately in the first month.
Converting too much cash at bad rates
Airport exchange and bad rate services cost money. Use ATMs at major banks or transfer via Wise for better rates. Establish a sensible money management system in the first two weeks.
Ignoring the residency document window
If you plan to pursue residency, apostilled documents from your home country are much easier to obtain before you leave than after you have arrived. Many people delay and then spend months trying to sort documents remotely.
Your first 90 days in order
Common first-90-days questions
What should I do first when I arrive in the DR?
Get a local SIM card and download WhatsApp. Those two steps give you connectivity, maps and the ability to communicate with virtually everyone you will interact with. Then locate your nearest ATM, supermarket and pharmacy. That is day one sorted. Banking, insurance and the rest can follow in the first two weeks.
How long can I stay in the DR on a tourist visa?
The standard tourist card allows 30 days and can be extended. Most airports sell a 30-day extension at arrival. You can also leave and re-enter to reset the clock, though this is not a sustainable long-term strategy. If you plan to stay longer than 6 months, beginning the residency process is worth considering. Overstaying without renewing results in a fine payable on exit.
Which bank is easiest for non-residents to use?
Banco Santa Cruz is consistently reported as the most accessible for non-residents. Bring your passport, proof of income (pension statement, employer letter, tax return) and a utility bill or rental contract for address verification. The process takes time and multiple visits is normal. Some people use a local lawyer or fixer to facilitate the process more smoothly.
Do I need to speak Spanish to get by in the first 90 days?
You can function in established expat areas without Spanish, especially using English-speaking services and expat networks. But even basic Spanish dramatically improves daily life from day one. Google Translate on your phone bridges many gaps in the short term. Starting a Spanish course or app in your first month is one of the best investments you can make in your DR experience.
Is it safe to walk around and explore in the first weeks?
In most established expat areas, yes. Apply the same awareness you would in any unfamiliar city: do not flash valuables, be aware of your surroundings and ask locals or other expats which areas to avoid. Your expat Facebook groups will have current, area-specific safety information that is more accurate than anything general.