Does your lifelong dream include a permanent move to the sun-kissed shores and turquoise waters of the Caribbean? Ours did. Over time, our dreams evolved into plans. After extensive research including visits to several other destinations in consideration, among them St. Croix, Aruba, and Costa Rica, we settled on the Dominican Republic. Our reasons for choosing the Dominican Republic over those contenders were many: cost of living, proximity to the US, availability of medical care, and relative size of the island. What won us over more than anything else was the friendly, upbeat helpfulness, relentless work ethic, and optimistic spirit of the Dominican people. Moving to the Dominican Republic: A Practical Guide is designed to help you get started by providing basic tools and practical guidelines for readers who are actively interested in moving to the Dominican Republic. Topics include what to expect from daily life, navigating immigration, healthcare, shipping, real estate, cars and licensing, banking, and much more. Whether you're simply boarding a plane with a few suitcases, or moving an entire household, this book can help. An endless number of excellent tourist-related guidebooks are in print for temporary visitors to the DR; this resource is designed for people contemplating a longer stay, or complete relocation.