Visas and Officialdom
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All tourists will need a passport to enter the Dominican Republic. You will also be required to purchase a US$10 tourist card to enter the country via one of the airports, so make sure you take exact change. Check to see if your passport is valid and that you have sufficient room for an entrance and exit stamp prior to departure.
Tourist cards can be purchased in your arrival airport and allow you to stay for 30 days. Once you get off the airplane, you will be led (or just follow the crowd) to the immigration room. Here there will be a window where you need to get in line and purchase a card. Fill it out (make sure to have a pen with you) and then get in the appropriate line in front of the immigration officers. They’ll check your passport and approve your visit for however many days you say you’ll be there. By the time all of this business is taken care of, your luggage will most likely meet you in customs. Usually it’s quite painless, and they don’t tear your luggage apart unless you’re carrying a lot.
If you decide to stay longer than a 30-day period, you’ll need to visit the Migration Department in Santo Domingo (Centro de los Héroes, Autopista 30 de Mayo, tel. 809/508-2555, open 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon.–Fri.) and request an extension, or you can pay a scaled charge at the airport upon departure from the Dominican Republic.
For those who fly into the Dominican Republic, departure tax is charged upon leaving. The cost is US$20 and must be paid before leaving the airport.
Those who use a visa to enter the country and overstay the legal period will be charged a fee. This fee starts at RD$60 and depends on the length of the stay.
Traveling with Children
Children under the age of 13 who are traveling with a parent or legal guardian are not required to have a passport but should carry a birth certificate. Children traveling with non-parents should have a passport. No special letter of authorization is required for children traveling with non-parents, so long as they return with the same adults they arrived with. However, get in touch with the Dominican Republic consulate or embassy to confirm the situation has not changed.
The all-inclusive resort can be a fix-it trick for the parent who needs a vacation. As you are researching your trip, make sure to find out if the resort you chose has a Kids’ Club or children-specific activities. Often they will have babysitters or fun activities that occupy the little ones while parents are getting to have their vacation too, like a nap by the ocean. In addition to diversion, these complexes offer food variety that will satisfy even the pickiest and have sweet treats to spoil them that they will love, like make-your-own-ice-cream-sundae bars. It is a vacation, after all. Most of these resorts come equipped with a medical unit for simple medical needs like sunburns, food poisoning, and fever.
The rest of the nation can be a little challenging for families only in the sense that there aren’t a lot of kid-specific activities to chose from. Santo Domingo can be a frenetic experience for some toddlers who get cranky with a lot of activity, but at the same time, it can offer a great deal of historical, cultural, and art learning opportunities for the curious youngster.
As always, it is best to travel with basic necessities. Don’t forget plenty of sunscreen that is waterproof. Also bring allergy medications, diaper rash ointment, bandages, and antibiotic ointment.
Traveling with Pets
If you are traveling with your cat or dog, you must bring a veterinarian’s certificate of vaccination against rabies, which has to have been issued within 30 days of entry into the Dominican Republic. You are also required to bring a veterinarian’s certificate of health, issued within 14 days prior to entry. For further details on traveling with a pet check out www.dominicanrepublic.com or www.hispaniola.com under Travel or Tourism.
© Ana Chavier Caamaño from Moon Dominican Republic, 4th edition
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