Embassy/Consulate Addresses | Foreign Relations | Travel Advisories | Travel Tips | Customs/Duties



EMBASSY/CONSULATE ADDRESSES

Diplomatic Representation in the US
Ambassador: Roberto Saladin
Embassy: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: 202-332-6280
FAX: 202-265-8057

US Diplomatic Representation:
Ambassador: Raul H. Yzaguirre
Embassy: Calle César Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Gazcué District, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Telephone: (809) 221-2171

Consulate(s) are in:
Mobile
154 State St., 2nd Fl.
Mobile, AL 36603.
(334) 433-8894

Detroit
18400 Middlesex, Lathrup Village,
Detroit, MI 48076.
(248) 559-0684

Ponce
Marginal, Unit 303,
Ponce, Puerto Rico 00731.
(809) 842-9004

Houston
3300 Gessner Rd., Suite 113,
Houston, TX 77024.
(713) 266-0165

St. Thomas
5 & 6 Curacao Gade, Suite 1,
Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands

Consulates General are in:
San Francisco
870 Market St., Suite 501,
San Francisco, CA 94102.
(415) 982-5144

Miami
1038 Brickell Av.,
Miami, FL 33131.
(305) 358-3221

New Orleans
World Trade Center, 2 Canal St., Suite 2100
New Orleans, LA 70130.
(504) 522-1843

Boston
The Statler Building, 20 Park Pz., Suite 601,
Boston, MA 02116.
(617) 482-8121

New York
1501 Broadway, Suite 410,
New York, NY 10036.
(212) 768-2480

Philadelphia
437 Lafayette Building, 5th & Chestnut Sts., Suite 216
Philadelphia, PA 19106.
(215) 923-3006

Mayaguez
30 Calle McKinley, 2nd Floor,
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00708. BOX 3067.
(809) 833-0007

San Juan
Edificio Avianca, 1612 Avenida Ponce DeLeon, 7th Floor,
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00907
(809) 725-9550

Embassy and Consulate Web Sites for the Dominican Republic
General Consulate of Dominican Republic in NY, USA
Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Washington, D.C. USA
Embassy of the United States of America in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic


FOREIGN RELATIONS

The United States established diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic in 1884 following its independence from Spain. Post-independence, the country saw a mix of coups, U.S. military intervention and occupations, military government, and democratic government. The Dominican Republic's first peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected president to another was in 1978.

U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic are excellent. The country is an important partner in hemispheric affairs due to its standing in the Caribbean as the largest economy and second-largest country in terms of population and land mass, its large bilateral trade with the United States, and its proximity to the United States and other smaller Caribbean nations. The Dominican Government has been supportive of many U.S. initiatives in the United Nations and related agencies. The two governments cooperate in the fight against trafficking in illegal substances. The Dominican Republic has worked closely with U.S. law enforcement officials on issues such as the extradition of fugitives and measures to hinder illegal migration.

The United States has a strong interest in a democratic, stable, and economically healthy Dominican Republic and supports its democratic and economic development. Obstacles to sustainable development include the poor quality of the country's education system, the inability of the health system to adequately respond to the population's needs, weak economic competitiveness, and severe inefficiencies in the energy sector. Violence has increased in the Dominican Republic in recent years. While there have been coordinated efforts to address corruption, improving transparency is a priority in order to consolidate the country's democratic gains. The U.S. Government collaborates with Dominican authorities to address these issues while working with local and international partners to strengthen institutional and technical capacity.

U.S. Assistance to the Dominican Republic

U.S. assistance helps build accountable and transparent institutions that can better serve the needs of the Dominican people and strengthen democratic governance. In addition, U.S. assistance stimulates income generation opportunities for small businesses and rural communities, improves the protection of the environment, enables local organizations to promote ecological and cultural tourism, and furthers the equitable provision of quality health and education services. The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative complements bilateral programs in the Dominican Republic and provides additional assistance for law enforcement, citizen safety, and rule of law programs.

Bilateral Economic Relations

The Dominican Republic's most important trading partner is the United States. The two countries are parties to the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), along with five Central American countries. This agreement creates new economic opportunities by eliminating tariffs, opening markets, reducing barriers to services, and promoting transparency. It facilitates trade and investment among the seven countries and furthers regional integration.

U.S. exports to the Dominican Republic include oil, agricultural products, machinery, vehicles, and cotton, yarn, and fabric. U.S. imports from the Dominican Republic include optical and medical instruments, jewelry and gold, agricultural products, machinery, tobacco, and knit apparel. U.S. firms, mostly manufacturers of apparel, footwear, and light electronics, as well as U.S. energy companies, account for much of the foreign private investment in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic's Membership in International Organizations

The Dominican Republic and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.

Bilateral Representation

The U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic is Raul H. Yzaguirre; other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List.

The Dominican Republic maintains an embassy in the United States at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-332-6280).

More information about the Dominican Republic is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:

Department of State Dominican Republic Page
Department of State Key Officers List
CIA World Factbook Dominican Republic Page
U.S. Embassy: Dominican Republic
USAID Dominican Republic Page
History of U.S. Relations With the Dominican Republic
Human Rights Reports
International Religious Freedom Reports
Trafficking in Persons Reports
Narcotics Control Reports
Investment Climate Statements
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Countries Page
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Export.gov International Offices Page
Library of Congress Country Studies
Travel and Business Information




TRAVEL ADVISORIES

To obtain the latest Travel Advisory Information for Dominican Republic check the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet.


TRAVEL TIPS

Driving U.S Driving permit accepted
Currency (DOP) Dominican Peso
Electrical 110 Volts
Telephones Country Code 1 City Code (1+) 829+7D



Business Hours
Banks Banks are open weekdays 8:30-4:30. Post Offices Post offices are open weekdays 7:30-2:30. Shops Offices and shops are open weekdays 8-noon and 2-6, Saturday 8-noon. About 50% of the stores stay open all day, no longer closing for a midday siesta.

Customs & Duties
Arriving in the Dominican Republic Most Caribbean islands wave tourists through immigration and customs with only a cursory question or two. These rules generally apply throughout the Caribbean: you're limited to bringing in 2 liters of alcohol, 2 cartons of cigarettes, and a reasonable amount of duty-free goods for your personal use. More than that, and you'll be asked to pay a hefty import tax.

Electricity
The current is 110 volts, 60 cycles - just like in North America. You'll hear much talk about electrical blackouts, but they occur less frequently than they used to and tend to last only one to two minutes (when they're over, everyone claps). Hotels and most restaurants have generators.

Telephones
The area code for the Dominican Republic is 809. To make a local call, dial the 7-digit number. International Calls From the D.R., there's direct-dial service to the U.S. and Canada. To reach the U.S. and Canada, dial 1, followed by the area code and number; to the U.K., dial 011, the country and city codes, and the number. The country code for the United States and Canada is 1; for Australia, 61; for New Zealand, 64; and for the United Kingdom, 44.


CUSTOMS/DUTIES

Tobacco*...200 cigarettes

Liquor*....1 litre of alcohol

Note: *applies only to psgrs 16 yrs and older

Perfume....reasonable amount for personal use

Gifts.....up to a value of us$100

Cameras....reasonable for personal use

Film.......reasonable for personal use

Agricultural items/currency/...refer to consulate

Prohibited items.....all animal products, agricultural and hoticultural products and drugs

Note: all baggage must be declared on arrival and departure. certain goods including cameras, videos and electronic goods may only be imported duty free if they are exported on departure. they may not be left in nepal. it is illegal to export goods over 100 years . export certificates need to be obtained from the department of archaeology for the export of any metal statues, sacred paintings and similar objects.



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