With few exceptions, a passport or equivalent national identity document is required to travel to the DR. Citizens of the US and Canada can enter with a tourist card (entry tax) purchased at the port of entry.
Citizens of countries for which visas are required can enter the DR with the purchase of a tourist card if the traveler already has a visa for legal entry to the US, Canada, European Union or Great Britain.
Others need to request a visa at the closest Dominican consulate.
Argentina, Chile, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Peru, Liechtenstein and Uruguay.
Countries with which the Dominican Republic has agreements for diplomats and government officers to travel without visa are: Argentina, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.
The DR allows travelers from Canada to enter without a passport or visa by purchasing a US$10 tourist card. Proof of citizenship - either an original birth certificate or certified copies with raised seal, an expired passport (if photograph still clearly resembles the bearer), US naturalization certificate or a signed US voter registration card needs to be presented at entry.
All non-resident travelers need to show a round trip ticket as proof of their departure.
A passport is the preferred document for international travel to the DR. In these days of enhanced security considerations, travelers are highly recommended to go abroad with passports as their identification document. Note you will need a passport to cash travelers checks, rent a car, to make large credit card purchases, and sometimes even as a security deposit for equipment such as golf clubs. Carry your passport when you go into the city, in case you want to make a large credit card purchase or change a travelers check. Otherwise keep it locked in your safe and carry the Xerox copy. If you do carry your passport on your travels, it is always a good practice to keep a copy of it in a safe place. This will expedite replacement should it get lost.
All legal residents in the United States, Holland, Italy, Canada, Venezuela, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, with some exceptions, may enter the country with the purchase of a tourist card as long as they bear an up to date passport or national identity papers and have purchased a tourist card.Citizens of countries for which visas are required may enter if they can present a passport with a valid entry (visa) to the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain.
The US$10 tourist cards allow you to stay for 30 days. An additional RD$300 is charged to prolong the stay to up to 90 days. Thereafter, scaled charges from RD$500 to RD$15,000 (for five years and more) apply. If you will be driving in the DR for more than the 15 days of your tourist card, you will need to pay for an extension at the Department of Migration in order for your license to be valid, and the insurance coverage to be maintained.
What the weather will be like at a specific time of the year in the Caribbean should bear the least on your choice of time to visit. Focus more on whether you need to flee a specially hot summer or a specially cold winter. Weather in the Dominican Republic varies very slightly year round.
December-April: These are the “cooler” months, when the temperature may descend to 18C (66F) on February mornings. Noon time temperatures on those same days are usually up to 28C (83F). Thus, you may want to bring a jacket or light sweater if you are traveling to the DR at that time of the year. During these months, expect windy evenings along the East Coast/Punta Cana area.
March-April: Throughout the country are the breezy months, time for flying kites. In fact, kites are sold on major thoroughfares during Easter holiday time.
May-June: Is historically the wettest time of the year. But the El Niño and La Niña phenomenoms have altered these patterns. The most common weather forecast nationwide continues to be “partly cloudy or partly sunny with a chance of a short shower.” Note it is more likely to rain in the afternoons than in the mornings.
August-September: This is the peak of the hurricane season (June 1-30 November) for the Caribbean. Caribbean hurricanes in June and July are rare because the waters are not warm enough to generate the appropriate conditions for these to develop. August and September are also the two hottest months of the year, with temperatures peaking at 32-34C (90-94F).
October-November: Like May-June, these used to be the wettest months of the year, but weather patterns have shifted. Rainstorms in the Caribbean are not like rainstorms in northern latitudes. In the Caribbean, they usually last less than five minutes and then the sun shines again. While many Dominican pedestrians have their umbrellas, Dominicans do not own raincoats.
Pack light! Cool, casual, comfortable resort and leisure wear is acceptable everywhere. Overexposure from the sun can happen quickly, sunscreen is strongly recommended. A hat and cover-up for extra protection is advisable. Swim wear worn other than poolside or at the beach is frowned upon. It is a rare occasion to need a light sweater at night. Just a few restaurants require "proper attire".
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Situated in the Caribbean (south of Cuba) 1170 km (730 miles) southeast of Miami, the DR has a rich history and culture...
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From the Native Taino indiginous people, to the conquests of Christopher Columbus, the country has a rich, proud heritage.
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The Dominican Republic currently has 4 full service international airports, with an extensive list of international airlines servicing the island, with daliy flights all around the world.
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