General Info Dominican Rep

Dominican Republic Island Tips and Facts

Location: The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Republic of Haiti. The country is the second largest in the Caribbean region, with a surface area of 18,704 square miles  (48,442 square kilometers). Located in the heart of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and to the south by the Caribbean Sea.

Coordinates: 13.1667° N, 59.5500° W

Language: Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic. However, you’ll be surprised how many hotel and tourist destination employees speak English, French, German and Italian. If you decide to venture out of the tourist areas, it is helpful to learn some basic phrases in Spanish.

Capital City: Santo Domingo                                                                                                                     

Population: 9,980,243 (2015 Census)

Passports, Tourist Card & Visa Citizens and residents of the United States, Canada and most European countries can enter the country with a 30-day tourist card, which can be bought when you enter the country for US$10 or €10. Anyone, regardless of nationality, may come into the Dominican Republic with a tourist card if they have any of the following valid visas in their passport: United States, Canada, United Kingdom or the European Union (Schengen).

To see a list of the countries that require a visa to enter the Dominican Republic, visit: http://www.dgii.gov.do/tarjetaTuristica/EN/Support/faq/Paginas/default.aspx

Time Zone: Local time is GMT -4. It is an hour ahead of Atlantic Standard Time in the United States in the winter. Unlike the United States and Europe, the Dominican Republic does not observe daylight saving time.

Currency: Dominican Peso (RD$). Major credit cards are accepted at most tourist locations.

Electrical Current: 110 volts, the same as in the United States and Canada.