Illustration: Jon Keegan

Papers required to enter the Dominican Republic
A passport or equivalent national identity document and a visa is required of foreigners traveling to the Dominican Republic. Citizens of some countries, listed below, do not need a visa. All non-resident travelers need to show a round trip ticket as proof of their departure.

Traveling without a passport
The Dominican Republic has signed an agreement with the US and Canada that allows their nationals to enter without a passport or visa by purchasing a US$10 tourist card. You will need to present 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.

Aliens who are permanent US residents must have their US alien registration card to return to the US. A drivers license will not suffice as identification.

You will also need a photo ID, such as a driver's license, that matches the name on your citizenship document. If you have changed your name because of marriage, you should bring certified proof of your marriage.

- Book your hotel in the Dominican Republic >>

Why get a passport anyway?
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.

Entry without visa or tourist card
Argentina, Chile, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Peru, Liechtenstein and Uruguay.

List of those who can enter by buying a tourist card
The US$10 tourist card can be purchased at airports of entry. The card may be purchased prior to arrival at full-service consulates, embassies, tour operators or airlines abroad (the Admiral Club of American Airlines in San Juan may be able to sell you one, for example). A surcharge in addition to the US$10 may be charged when buying the card abroad, though.

Nationals from the following countries may enter the DR with a passport and tourist card – no visa required: Andorra, Antigua, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, Curaçao, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France (includes Guadeloupe and Martinique), Guyana, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, the United States of America (including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), Venezuela and Yugoslavia.

All legal residents in the United States, Holland, Italy, Canada, Venezuela, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, regardless of their nationality, may enter the country as long as they bear an up to date passport or national identity papers and have purchased a tourist card.

The US$10 tourist cards allow you to stay for 15 days. A scaled charge from RD$150 to RD$800 applies for longer stays. Keep the tourist card in a safe place, as you will need it when leaving the country.

If you plan to buy your tourist card at a Dominican airport, we recommend you bring exact change in US$ and a pen to fill out the cards. You may have to wait in a long line to buy the card but take comfort from the knowledge that you would likely have to wait for your luggage to be unloaded from the airplane anyway.

To request a visa
In case you need a visa and there is no Dominican consulate in your country, you should request one from the nearest consulate or Dominican Embassy.

Extending your stay
If you decide to extend your stay here, you need to visit the Migration Department in Santo Domingo to request an extension. Or you will simply be fined about US$10 at the airport upon departure.     

Diplomat and government officers travel
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.

When to go
The most busy season is from early December till Easter Sunday. Around Easter many Dominicas head to the North Coast towns like Sosua, Cabarete and Puerto Plata. The Northern Beach Resorts are packed with German, French and Italian tourists around Christmas and New Year. The Eastern Resorts are mostly attract the Canadian and American tourists around the holidays.

The beginning or the end of the dry season is the best time to go. For the Northen Coast dry season start at June through September. For the Southern Coast it's November till April.

Traveling with children
If you will be traveling to or from the DR with a child who does not have your same surname or if you cannot prove you are the parent or the legal guardian, you will need special documentation. You should contact the nearest Dominican consulate for information on the paperwork required. These include a a notarized statement from the absent parent or parents giving permission for the child to leave the country of residence with you.

Note the Dominican Republic has firm rules in place to prevent international abductions of children by adults who do not have legal custody. Do not assume that if the child has a passport that everything is fine. If there is a difference in surnames, you should travel with a birth certificate that confirms the parentage or guardianship.

Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children (Paperback)
- Buy Online at Amazon >>

Tourist Offices In the DR

There are only 4 tourist government-run tourist offices in the Dominican Republic. Two of them are located in Santo Domingo.
The main office is the Secretaria de Estado de Turismo, Tel: 809 221 4660 Fax: 682 3806 Website: www.dominica.com.do

Tourist Offices Abroad
The following Dominican tourist offices are staffed by people who speak Spanish and the primary language of the country in which they are situated

Embassies & Consulates