It is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance on foreign travel insurance.

See our Tropical Cyclones page for advice on what to do if you are caught up in a storm. See Natural disasters. You should closely monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities and your tour operator. Spanish language alerts are available from the Dominican Emergency Management Centre (COE) via their mobile app ‘AlertaCOE’, or on their Twitter account.

Over 160,000 British nationals visited the Dominican Republic in 2019. Most visits are trouble-free, but there are incidents of crime and violence. See Crime

Be cautious when travelling in Dominican Republic. Driving standards are variable. Take extra care if you’re travelling close to the Haitian border. There have been armed robberies in the Dominican Republic on roads close to the border with Haiti. See Road travel

Don’t become involved with illegal drugs of any kind. There are severe penalties for all drug offences. A number of British nationals are serving prison sentences in the Dominican Republic for attempting to traffic drugs. See Local laws and customs

Cases of chikungunya virus and dengue fever have been confirmed in the Dominican Republic. You should take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. See Health

Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in the Dominican Republic, attacks can’t be ruled out. See Terrorism

If you’re abroad and you need emergency help from the UK government, contact the nearest British embassy, consulate or high commission.

The telephone number for the English speaking tourist police (POLITUR) is +1-809-200-3500. The number for emergency services is 911. This does not have 100% coverage across the country, so if you cannot reach 911, call the tourist police for help.

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating overseas on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.