I'm a Black Expat AMA

[rabbid]

so what's the cheapest way of getting to shanghai or mainland china nowadays. during covid you could fly for free damn near lmaoooo

 

[Wiseborn]

There's a lot of talk about "passport Bros" going overseas in search of p*ssy.

Maybe you should go abroad in search of health. I was at the movies last night and we were looking at the most expensive hotel in Town and my Girlfriend said Kenny West stayed there when he came to Cali to get dental treatment.

I said you mean Kanye West and why would he come here for dental work?

I looked in the paper and it said 18 hospitals of the top 400 is in Colombia. and the best in Colombia is Foundation Valle de Lilli.

I'm been there and I can concur that it is very good. So if you had to get elective surgury and or dental work you can get it in Colombia. Once you start looking around on IG tey'll have weird things pop up. apperantly if you have hairline problems a place called Scalp Touch can give you a FUE hair transplant.

Update: I met an ADOS couple from New Orleans and the wife had a set of pearly white veneers the hubby had every single tooth taken out of his mouth.

Turns out they were In Cali for dental surgery, It was gonna cost her 18K (with co pay) to fix her teeth and more for her husband and they got it done for 3 grand here and I'm sure they hosed them on accomodations but they didn't know the area so they decided to let the dentist handle everything including housing. Their Dentist was in Jardin Plaza Mall and I was on my way to my appointment at Fundacion Valle del Lilli hospital.

Tooth decay can lead to heart problems so take care of your teeth and they'll take care of you

 

[Wiseborn]

If you get stuck overseas and need to send money to yourself the easiest way to do this is to Use Wise. This is a back up to the back up in case you lose your wallet or get robbed.

You can put a card on apple pay or Samsung pay or G wallet and if you lose your phone as well Sending money to yourself overseas is cheaper using Wise than most other apps.

I stll prefer Word Remit for large purchases.

 

[JQ Legend]

@Wiseborn

How much is an apartment in Sosua? Would you recommend looking online or is there a better option?

And what is the visa process like to stay for a few months?

 

[Alvin]

If you get stuck overseas and need to send money to yourself the easiest way to do this is to Use Wise. This is a back up to the back up in case you lose your wallet or get robbed.

You can put a card on apple pay or Samsung pay or G wallet and if you lose your phone as well Sending money to yourself overseas is cheaper using Wise than most other apps.

I stll prefer Word Remit for large purchases.

they were talking about this on the sosua site, also having a charles schwab card.

 

[Alvin]

@Wiseborn

How much is an apartment in Sosua? Would you recommend looking online or is there a better option?

And what is the visa process like to stay for a few months?

better to live in santo domingo, #1 it's high season so prices are high from snow birds and sosua is a small area with limited housing.

 

[Alvin]

More Travel hacks

If you can aviod it don't buy the iphone 15 ( regular version) there's no slot for a Sim card so it's Locked

Secondly don't charge phones at charging stations at airports buy a external battery The charging stations can install malware on your phone.

Don't buy a Sim card at the airport they're extremely expensive, get a cab to the mall and buy one there.

If you buy an electronic item overseas ask for a Vat exception form take the form to the airport and you'll get the taxes back at the airport.

you can get a digital sim card now.

 

[Wiseborn]

they were talking about this on the sosua site, also having a charles schwab card.

schwab is the travelers friend ATM fees refunded and the card can be mailed world wide.

Heard good things about the Revolut card too.

 

[Wiseborn]

@Wiseborn

How much is an apartment in Sosua? Would you recommend looking online or is there a better option?

And what is the visa process like to stay for a few months?

It depends you can rent or buy an apartment On the North Coast. for say 650 or so a month Or you could buy a small villa in say Ocean Village for maybe 150K or so.

Buying or renting requires a full court press using online and social media to ballpark it and beating your feet with Expats or local fixers to get a decent deal most likely from a disgruntled or dead expat.

There is no visa process, there's a visa but good luck getting one there's plenty of DR shyster lawyers ready to take your money.

The smartest thing is to do nothing unless you murdered a local you'd never be departed you could extend for a couple months but most don't bother just pay the fine when you leave. i know a guy with two Dominican kids and a farm who's still an illegal resident 10 years later, Just pay the fine when you leave, Any halfway knowledgable expat will have the overstay fine list.


Do you want to live there, Have a vacay spot or just a spot for a long stay?

If you just want to stay awhile I'd just make a deal with an airbnb and call it a day.

 

[Wiseborn]

better to live in santo domingo, #1 it's high season so prices are high from snow birds and sosua is a small area with limited housing.

Santiago is even better smaller and less traffic than Santo Domingo less demand from tourists and expats, best of both worlds and basically mid way between Santo and the North Coast.

 

[TELL ME YA CHEESIN FAM?]

Santiago is even better smaller and less traffic than Santo Domingo less demand from tourists and expats, best of both worlds and basically mid way between Santo and the North Coast.

Less English speakers though, right?

 

[Wiseborn]

Less English speakers though, right?

Waaaaay Less, Living in Santiago is like Living in Colombia in any place other than Medellin.

Very few expats compared to SD, In fact just like if you wanted to Go to Colombia you should go to the DR first if you want to live in Santiago you should live in SD first.

 

[MikelArteta]

If you get stuck overseas and need to send money to yourself the easiest way to do this is to Use Wise. This is a back up to the back up in case you lose your wallet or get robbed.

You can put a card on apple pay or Samsung pay or G wallet and if you lose your phone as well Sending money to yourself overseas is cheaper using Wise than most other apps.

I stll prefer Word Remit for large purchases.

Yeah a wise card is great. I used it when I was in uganda just deposited straight from my bank and convert it to currency. World remit is nice but if its an african country lemfi is the goat and gives you a better rate as well

 

[Wiseborn]

Yeah a wise card is great. I used it when I was in uganda just deposited straight from my bank and convert it to currency. World remit is nice but if its an african country lemfi is the goat and gives you a better rate as well

Yeah all these apps have different deals with different countries. I had to use World Remit because for some reason that was the preferred money trnasfer app.

 

[JQ Legend]

It depends you can rent or buy an apartment On the North Coast. for say 650 or so a month Or you could buy a small villa in say Ocean Village for maybe 150K or so.

Buying or renting requires a full court press using online and social media to ballpark it and beating your feet with Expats or local fixers to get a decent deal most likely from a disgruntled or dead expat.

There is no visa process, there's a visa but good luck getting one there's plenty of DR shyster lawyers ready to take your money.

The smartest thing is to do nothing unless you murdered a local you'd never be departed you could extend for a couple months but most don't bother just pay the fine when you leave. i know a guy with two Dominican kids and a farm who's still an illegal resident 10 years later, Just pay the fine when you leave, Any halfway knowledgable expat will have the overstay fine list.


Do you want to live there, Have a vacay spot or just a spot for a long stay?

If you just want to stay awhile I'd just make a deal with an airbnb and call it a day.

I was thinking bout staying for 6 months or so, give or take.

Isn’t it difficult getting back in if you overstay your visa?

Is there a way I can get one before I get there from the Embassy?

Also do you co-sign @Alvin that Santo Domingo would be better? I heard it’s wild dangerous out there and I don’t know where the hood parts are. I ain’t trying to get an apartment thinking I’m getting a deal and end up in the middle of some wild ass hood