FAQ

Most visitors arriving to the Dominican Republic, including those from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the European Union, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mexico, many South American countries, Central America, Japan, Israel, etc. do not need a visa to enter the country.

If staying beyond 30 days, expect an additional fee upon departure, determined on a sliding scale according to the total length of your stay.  See the applicable fees and upload required documents here, to be paid online before departure or at the airport’s immigration section, after check-in and past security, upon departure.

The country code is +1. There are three area codes: 809, 829, and 849.

In the Dominican Republic, you can purchase and consume alcoholic beverages from the age of 18.  This means that bars will not admit anyone under 18, even when accompanied by parents or an adult.

The Dominican Republic is surrounded by over 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of coastline on its north, east, and southern borders, and the climate is tropical.  Noontime temperatures range from 27°C to 32°C (80°F to 90°F ), and can fall to 18°C and 23°C (64°F to 73°F) during the winter.  Because we are in the tropics, it is hard to say if and when there is a rainy season.

Rains are usually short lasting.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and extends to November 30. In the Dominican Republic, these are the summer and early fall seasons when the weather is sunny and humid, with some cloudiness and occasional rain showers in the late afternoon or at night. Historically, most hurricanes have occurred in the month of September. But chances of one hitting are slim, and if it does occur, resort staff is trained in handling these situations, and resort buildings today are equipped to withstand hurricane force. You should also take note that the Dominican Republic is a large country–this means that while one coast may be affected, another may be completely unscathed by a storm.

You won’t have any problems communicating in the DR.   Dominicans are very friendly and even if they do not speak your language, they will help you find someone who can or find a way to communicate. In the big cities, as well as in most tourist destinations, staff in hotels, restaurants, and tourist areas, as well as tour guides understand and speak English, in addition to other languages.  Fluency is less common in the villages and countryside, but they will still make out the basics and help you find your way.

The Dominican Republic has warm sunny weather all-year-round.  But it does get chilly in the morning and evenings from November to March, whether in the city or in the mountains, so packing in layers is key.  You should bring light cotton or linen clothing for warm weather, aside from swimwear, a light cardigan, pants, and a light jacket.  Even if staying at a resort, make sure you pack a dressy outfit for special occasions, or to dine in upscale restaurants.  If you are staying in Santo Domingo, bring your regular city clothes, as well as a couple of dressy options.  If you go to a National Theater performance, for instance, you will need a jacket, and no jeans are allowed.  In addition, if you are visiting churches or certain national monuments and museums, you may not be able to enter if you are in shorts or mini skirts. Some government offices will not admit you with a sleeveless shirt or without closed footwear.

The Dominican Republic continues to be one of the countries with the lowest crime rates in the region.  Common sense rules, however, and it’s best to take precautions just as you would when visiting any new country or large city in the world.  Don’t flash your valuables, such as smartphones and cameras–use them discreetly when you are away from tourist areas. Leave the jewelry at home, dress simply, and don’t wander down isolated streets during the day or night.

No, it is not safe to drink the tap water in the DR, as it is not purified.  Always drink bottled water, available in abundance at your resort or in the neighbourhood stores and supermarkets.

Yes it is valid, but only for the duration of your legal stay–i.e. your 30-day tourist card or visa term.

The Dominican Republic has the most modern road infrastructure in the Caribbean, with excellent highways leading to and linking major tourist destinations.  That being said, driving in the DR is known to be nerve-wracking; you must drive defensively and keep an eye out constantly for other drivers, motorbikes, pedestrians, cows, and other potential road companions and intruders.  Driving out to the countryside is less stressful than in the big cities, though once you are in the villages, you should look out for potential road obstacles.  You should be experienced, with preferable prior experience driving in big cities like New York, or driving in the Caribbean.

Avoid speeding, and avoid driving at night.  Lighting is often poor and nonexistent.

If your cell phone is on the GSM network, you can use it.  However, your roaming costs will be high.  Your best option is to bring an unlocked phone, and purchase a SIM card here to have a local number.  You can obtain one with your passport ID, and activate it at any of the telecommunications companies here, including Claro and Altice.  The SIM card costs less than US$5, and you will need to purchase additional phone credit for calls, at your discretion.

Businesses in tourist destinations, including restaurants, bars, department stores, souvenir shops, and supermarkets tend to accept dollars, though you will receive a less favorable rate than at the banks.  That said, most prices in the Dominican Republic are in Dominican pesos.  If you plan to make a big purchase in small shops and markets, negotiate first with the seller who may be interested in receiving the payment in American dollars or euros.  Prices are fixed, however, in supermarkets and shopping mall stores.  Your best bet is to use an ATM to withdraw local currency at the best daily exchange rate.

This is fine for convenience only, to pay for your airport taxi and your first transactions.  Otherwise, if you must exchange money, head to one of the main banks in the Dominican Republic, they use the Central Bank’s daily rate as the benchmark for exchange transactions, so the difference in the exchange rate between banks is negligible.  Banks close at 5pm on weekdays, but most branches inside shopping malls remain open until around 7pm-8pm.  ATM machines are available at supermarkets and shopping malls until later hours.  For security reasons, it is best to use the exchange services or withdraw from ATMs as you go along.

The ITBIS (Impuesto sobre Transferencia de Bienes Industrializados y Servicios or the value-added tax for transferring industrial goods and services) is 18% and is applied to most purchases.  In restaurants, bars, and hotels, a further 10% is automatically added as a service charge.

Dominican food is very diverse.  In the morning, sample mangú (green plantains, boiled and mashed) with eggs, fried cheese, and fried salami, the traditional Dominican breakfast.  At midday, la bandera dominicana (Dominican flag) is the typical lunch plate with rice, red kidney beans, a meat stew, and tostones–mashed and double-fried green plantains.  Also popular are chicharrón or pork rinds, locrio de pollo or fried rice with chicken, mofongo, plantain mound with deep fried pork or shrimp, and garlic, fish in coconut sauce, stewed crab and conch, roasted or stewed goat with boiled cassava, and sancocho (a seven-meat stew) accompanied by avocado for dinner.  And of course, don’t forget to try cassava bread, and queso de hoja, an artisanal cow’s milk cheese.

Dominican desserts are popular as well, sample grated coconut in cream, sweet beans, sour milk desserts, orange sweets, milk sweets, papaya and pineapple desserts, and guava and cashew paste soaked in syrup.  Tropical fruit juices abound, often made into fruit milkshakes or batidas: passion fruit, guava, pineapple, orange, strawberry, mango, mandarin, and papaya.

Don’t miss out on tasting fresh sugar cane juice from one of the fields located throughout the country.  You should also sample Dominican coconut water from one of the hundreds of coconut groves and forest, you will love the Dominican coconut’s delicious, thick pulp.