Dominican Republic Facts
A compact practical reference for planning a trip to the Dominican Republic. Older CaribSurf figures have been replaced with current census, tourism and entry information where reliable official data are available.
General
| Official name | Dominican Republic (República Dominicana). |
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| Capital | Santo Domingo. |
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| Population | 10,773,983 in the 2022 national census. |
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| Language | Spanish. |
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| Currency | Dominican peso (DOP / RD$), divided into 100 centavos. |
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| Time | Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4. The country does not normally observe daylight saving time. |
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| Telephone | Country code +1; area codes 809, 829 and 849. |
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| Electricity | 110–120 V, 60 Hz; North American type A and B plugs are standard. |
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| Government | Representative democratic republic. |
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Geography
| Location | Eastern part of Hispaniola, sharing the island with Haiti. Atlantic Ocean to the north and Caribbean Sea to the south. |
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| Area | About 48,198 km² according to recent Dominican environmental statistics. |
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| Coastline | About 1,796 km when adjacent islands are included. |
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| Land border | About 376 km with Haiti. |
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| Highest point | Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the Caribbean. Published official measurements vary; it is roughly 3,100 m above sea level. |
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| Landscape | Mountain ranges, the fertile Cibao Valley, tropical and cloud forest, dry southwest landscapes, mangroves, coral reefs and long Atlantic and Caribbean coastlines. |
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| Climate | Tropical. December–April is generally drier; May–November is wetter. Regional differences are large. |
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| Hurricane season | The official Atlantic season runs from June 1 to November 30. |
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Tourism
| 2025 visitor record | 11,676,901 total visitors: 8,861,169 arriving by air and 2,815,732 cruise passengers. |
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| January–July 2026 | 7,700,118 visitors, including 5,885,259 air tourists and 1,814,859 cruise passengers. |
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| Main air gateway | Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), followed by Las Américas / Santo Domingo (SDQ), Cibao / Santiago (STI), Puerto Plata (POP), La Romana (LRM) and Samaná El Catey (AZS). |
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| Main travel styles | All-inclusive beach resorts, independent road trips, city breaks, diving, golf, surfing and kiteboarding, hiking, whale watching and ecotourism. |
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Entry & Departure
Always verify before travelling. Immigration rules can change faster than a static travel page.
| Visa | Many visitors from the EU, UK, United States, Canada and numerous other countries can enter for tourism without obtaining a visa in advance. Nationality-specific rules should be checked on the official Dominican tourism or foreign-affairs website. |
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| E-Ticket | Passengers entering or leaving on commercial flights must complete the free Dominican electronic entry/exit form before airline check-in. |
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| Return ticket | Foreign tourists arriving by air are generally expected to have an onward or return ticket. |
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| Length of tourist stay | A normal tourist admission is typically 30 days. Longer stays can lead to an additional migration fee on departure. |
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| Departure tax | The US$20 departure tax is normally included in the airline ticket. |
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Official Dominican Republic entry requirements ·
Official E-Ticket
Money & Costs
| Cost level | Generally better value than many small Caribbean islands, especially away from premium resorts. Punta Cana, Cap Cana and high-end tourist zones can be substantially more expensive than ordinary Dominican towns. |
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| Cash | Dominican pesos are useful everywhere. U.S. dollars may be accepted in tourist businesses, but paying in pesos often gives clearer prices. |
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| Cards | Widely accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets. Keep the card in sight and check transactions; card fraud remains a known risk. |
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| ATMs | Common in cities and tourist centres. Use machines inside banks, shopping centres or secure locations when possible. |
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| Tipping | Check whether service charges are already included before adding a further tip. |
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Transport
| Driving | Right-hand traffic. Main highways can be good, but driving behaviour and road conditions vary. Night driving outside major urban/tourist corridors deserves extra caution. |
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| Intercity buses | Established private coach companies make independent travel between major cities relatively easy. |
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| Public transport | Local buses, shared cars and motorcycle taxis are cheap but often less predictable and less safe than formal tourist transport. |
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| Emergency number | 911 in covered areas. Tourist police (POLITUR) operate in major tourism zones. |
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Safety
Foreign travel advisories continue to identify crime as a concern. Tourist areas usually have more visible policing, but robbery, theft, card fraud and scams still occur. Keep phones and jewellery unobtrusive on the street, avoid isolated areas after dark, use recognised transport and follow current advice from your own government.
Nature Highlights
| Whales | Humpback whale watching in Samaná is concentrated from January through March. |
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| Mountains | Pico Duarte and the Cordillera Central offer the Caribbean's highest mountain landscape. |
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| Protected areas | Los Haitises, Cotubanamá, Jaragua and Sierra de Bahoruco are among the country's important protected landscapes. |
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| Beaches | The east and north coasts are heavily developed in places; Samaná, Bayahibe and the southwest offer very different coastal experiences. |
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Dominican Republic pages:
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