About DR | FAQs

 

This information can certainly change from time to time, but most people traveling to the Dominican Republic require a Passport along with either a Visa or Tourist Card.

 

 

There is a US $10 Tourist Card fee some people will have to pay on entry and a US $20 Departure Tax that must be paid before leaving the Dominican Republic.

 

 

For destinations on the North coast of the Dominican Republic, people generally fly into Puerto Plata Airport (POP) but the Santiago Airport (STI) is seeing an increase in traffic for flights from the US. For destinations on the west coast of the Dominican Republic, people fly into Punta Cana (PUJ) Airport. For most destinations on the South Coast of the Dominican Republic, people fly into either the Santo Domingo Las Americas (SDQ) or La Romana Airport.

 

 

You do not need to speak or understand Spanish to get by in most tourism destinations in the Dominican Republic. Many of the people working in tourism businesses in these areas - whether they be local Dominicans or Foreigners - generally understand at least some English, if not other languages, such as German, French or Italian.

 

 

Yes, but as there can be dangerous areas in every town, city, and country in the world, it is the same for the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a developing nation in many respects and many of its citizens are very poor. Poverty is the predominant cause of criminal activity everywhere in the world. The crime rate in the Dominican Republic is relatively low and criminal activity is generally petty theft. If you use common sense, you are unlikely to be a target of such crimes. This means putting valuables in room/hotel safes (when available), not leaving your things unattended, avoiding unpopulated areas (especially at night), and not wearing flashy articles, or carrying a lot of money on your person.

 

Internet cafes can be found in most tourist destinations in the Dominican Republic. In addition, many of the larger hotels offer Internet access on site, and some of these offer rooms with high-speed DSL Internet connection for laptops.

 

 

The phone system in the Dominican Republic is similar to that in the US or Canada. If you cannot phone from your hotel/resort, you will generally be able to phone from communications centers that are found in almost all of the larger resort areas/towns/cities in the country.