General Information

Entry / Exit Requirements

U. S. citizens are required either a valid passport or an original birth certificate along with a valid picture ID. U.S. residents need their Resident Alien Card and a valid passport.

A Tourist Card is required at entry time and it may be purchased either at the airline counter of the departing airport or at the airport of arrival in the Dominican Republic.

Citizens from other countries should contact the closest Dominican Consulate, or contact the following toll-free travel information service numbers from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time:

United States (800) 752-1151
Canada (800) 563-1611
Spain 900-995087
England 0-800-899805
Holland 06-022-3107
Germany 0130-815561

Additional information about the Dominican Republic is also available in many Internet web sites. This information may be retrieved by typing “dominican republic” from any of the popular search engines available in the web, and a large selection of sites will be shown.

Geography

Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic, is the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere. It is located in the central Caribbean, just southeast of Florida and west of Puerto Rico.

The Dominican Republic comprises the eastern two-thirds of the Hispaniola Island, and is the second largest country in the Caribbean with a surface area of 18,875 squares miles (48,442 square kilometers). On the north border is the Atlantic Ocean and on the south border is the Caribbean Sea.

Language

The official language spoken is Spanish although English is widely spoken, especially in tourist areas.

Climate

The climate is warm and tropical with
an average temperature of 77° Fahrenheit (25° Celsius). August is the warmest month and January is the coolest. During the summer, temperatures range from 89°F (31°C) to 95°F (35°C) and in the
winter, from 75°F (23°C) to 90°F (32°C).

Time

The time is the same as the U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and when the daylight savings is in effect in the fall, the local time is one hour ahead of New York.

Population

The population of the Dominican Republic is approximately 8 million, in which 2.5 million live in the city of Santo Domingo.

Electricity

The electricity is the same as in U.S., 110 Volts, and 60 Hertz.

Currency

The national currency is the Dominican Peso, which fluctuates in value according to the market. Current exchange rates are published on the Internet, newspapers, etc., and favorable terms of exchange can be obtained in commercial banks.

Holidays

Schools, stores, banks, government offices and most businesses close on the following holidays:

January 1st New Year's Day
January 21st Our Lady of Altagracia Day
February 27th Independence Day
Depends on the
date for Holy week Good Friday
1st Thursday in June Corpus Christi Day
September 24th Our Lady of Mercedes Day
December 25th Christmas Day

The following holidays will be celebrated on the closest Monday or Friday to the actual date:

January 6th Epiphany Day
January 26th Juan Pablo Duarte's birthday
May 1st Labor Day
August 16th Dominican Restoration Day
November 6th Constitution Day

Getting Around

There are several options of transportation available in the country. Private taxis are available 24 hours a day in the bigger towns of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Puerto Plata.

Public cars, buses, and scooters are inexpensive ways to travel in the city.

Many Car Rental companies are found in airports and throughout the city. A valid driver's license and a major credit card are required to rent a car for up to 90 days.

Driving is on the right hand side and the speed limit is 37 mph (60 kph) in the
cities and 50 mph (80 kph) on the highways, unless otherwise indicated.
Buses provide excellent transportation between Santo Domingo and major cities.
Major companies as Metro Tours and Caribe Tours offer this service.

Domestic Flights are available between the principal tourist regions of the country.

Religion/Churches

The Dominican Republic is 90% Roman Catholic, although there are many other religions represented such as Baptist, Evangelical, Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventist. English services are held in some of these churches in the capital city.

Communications

The Dominican Republic has one of the most sophisticated telecommunications systems in Latin America. As in U.S. and Canada, you dial 1-Area Code-Telephone Number. Other services as Internet,
Voice Mail, Fax, Tele/Video conferencing, Electronic Mail, telex, etc., are also available as in any other developed country.

Papers

Five local Spanish-language newspapers in the morning and three in the afternoon are available on a daily basis. One English language newspaper is available every week.

Radio

Many radio stations broadcast all day music, news, educational programs, etc. and some can be heard on the Internet.

TV

There are fourteen national TV stations and through the cable services you can get a full US Programming.