Safety

The big picture

Millions of Americans visit the Dominican Republic every year, and the overwhelming majority have an uneventful trip. That is true for a week at an all-inclusive in Bávaro, a long weekend in the Zona Colonial and a month with family in the Cibao. It is also true that the country has more violent crime than most of the Caribbean islands Americans know, some of the most dangerous roads in the world, and beaches with strong currents and no lifeguards.

The useful way to think about safety here is by category. Crime is real but mostly opportunistic and avoidable with city habits you probably already have. The things that actually put Americans in the hospital are traffic, motorbikes, the ocean, alcohol and the sun. This page covers each of them, plus scams, boats, hurricanes and who to call. For medical issues, see our health page.

The State Department advisory

As of October 2026 the US State Department rates the Dominican Republic Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, the second of four levels, because of crime. The country has sat at Level 2 for years, and the current advisory, dated June 18, 2024, was reissued after a periodic review with no changes. For context, Level 2 is the same rating the State Department gives to many places Americans visit without a second thought, including much of Western Europe.

What the advisory says

• Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault, happens throughout the country.
• Resort areas tend to be better policed, with a professional tourist police force, 911 coverage and more resources. Santo Domingo and other cities get less of that attention.
• The State Department points to widely available weapons, drug trafficking and a weak justice system as drivers.
• Its advice: stay alert, do not resist a robbery, do not flash expensive watches or jewelry, follow your resort's and tour operator's safety guidance, and enroll in STEP.

Read the current version yourself before you go at travel.state.gov. Advisories can change with little notice, and the page shows the date of the latest update.

Crime: what actually happens

Phone and bag snatching

The signature crime in Dominican cities is the snatch-and-go by two people on a motorbike, known locally as motochorros (motorbike thieves). One drives, the other grabs a phone, purse or gold chain from a pedestrian or through an open car window, and they are gone in seconds. It happens in Santo Domingo (including busy streets near the Zona Colonial, the Malecón and Piantini), in Santiago and in tourist towns on the north coast.

• Walk on the inside of the sidewalk, away from the curb, and carry bags on the side away from traffic.
• Step into a doorway or shop to check your phone or a map. Do not stand at the curb texting while waiting for an Uber.
• Keep car windows up in city traffic, phones off your lap and out of sight at red lights.
• Leave the gold chain and the expensive watch at home. Dominicans notice jewelry, and so do thieves.

Robbery and burglary

Armed robbery happens, often at night, on empty streets, near ATMs or on beaches after dark. If someone demands your things, hand them over. The State Department is blunt that thieves here may use weapons against people who resist, and nothing in your wallet is worth that risk. Carry one card and the cash you need for the day, and leave the rest in the room safe.

Villa and apartment rentals get burglarized more often than hotels. Choose places with a guard or gated access, lock up when you go to the beach and do not leave valuables visible through windows. See where to stay for booking safely.

At the resorts

Big all-inclusives in Punta Cana, Bávaro, La Romana and Puerto Plata are gated, guarded and generally safe places to be. Theft from rooms and from beach loungers does happen, so use the in-room safe and do not leave phones on a towel while you swim. The State Department also reports sexual assaults involving intoxicated guests, some involving hotel employees. Report any unwanted attention to management right away. More on resort life on our all-inclusive page.

When crime spikes

The CDC notes that crime tends to rise during the Christmas and New Year season, when cash is circulating and cities are crowded. Carnival Sundays in February and late-night parties around holidays call for the same care. See festivals for the calendar.

Scams and rip-offs

Most scams here cost you money and little else. Knowing the common ones is enough to avoid them.

• Beach-vendor excursions. A friendly seller offers a cheap boat trip or a "VIP" Saona day. Some are legitimate, some take a deposit and never show, and some put you on an unlicensed boat. Book through your hotel, a licensed operator or a reputable platform. Details on our excursions page.
• Jet ski "damage" claims. You return a rented jet ski and the operator points to a scratch that was already there and demands hundreds of dollars. Photograph the craft before you ride, or skip independent rentals.
• Timeshare and vacation club pitches. Free breakfast, a free excursion or a discount, in exchange for a 90-minute presentation that runs three hours. Say no politely and keep walking. Never sign anything on the spot.
• Unlicensed taxis. Drivers who approach you at the airport curb or outside clubs may overcharge, and some are not safe. Use the official taxi stands, Uber where it works or a transfer you booked. See flights and transfers.
• Card skimming and ATM "helpers." Use ATMs inside banks or malls during the day, cover the keypad and decline help from strangers. Our money page covers cards, skimming and dynamic currency conversion.
• Short change and dollar pricing. Outside resorts, ask the price in pesos and count your change. Paying in dollars almost always costs you more.
• Phone scams aimed at families. The State Department warns about callers posing as police, lawyers or embassy staff who tell a relative in the US that you have been arrested or hurt and need money wired. Tell family before you leave that you will never ask for money that way, and that they should call you or the embassy directly.
• Romance and rental scams. Online relationships that turn into urgent requests for money, and villa listings that ask for a wire transfer outside the platform, are both common. Pay through the booking platform only.

Drinks, drink spiking and alcohol

Drink spiking

The State Department reports cases of drugs slipped into drinks, followed by robbery or sexual assault, in nightclubs, bars and occasionally at resorts. The standard rules apply and they work.

• Watch your drink being made and keep it in your hand. If you leave it, order a new one.
• Do not accept drinks from people you just met unless you saw the bartender pour it.
• Go out with friends and leave together. The State Department specifically advises against drinking alone or with new acquaintances.
• If you or a friend feel far more drunk than you should, get to staff or security right away and ask for medical help.

The tainted-alcohol reports, stated carefully

In 2019, a cluster of deaths and illnesses among American visitors at Dominican resorts drew intense US media coverage, and many reports speculated about tainted minibar or resort liquor. US officials later said FBI toxicology testing in several of the cases was consistent with the Dominican authorities' findings, and the State Department said it had not seen an unusual increase in deaths of Americans. No link to contaminated resort alcohol was established in those cases.

A separate and real problem is methanol poisoning from illegally made or adulterated liquor. The CDC describes an outbreak from January to April 2021 that sickened more than 300 people, mostly in the north and northeast, and killed more than 100. It notes that sporadic cases continue and that poisonings have occurred in both community and resort settings. The risk sits mainly with cheap, unlabeled or homemade spirits, including some sold loose at colmados (corner stores) and roadside stands, and bootleg clerén (raw cane spirit).

• Drink beer, wine and spirits from sealed bottles of known brands. Presidente beer and the big Dominican rums are safe choices.
• Skip mystery bottles, home-poured mamajuana of unknown origin and suspiciously cheap liquor.
• Methanol symptoms can start hours after drinking: blurred or "snowfield" vision, severe headache, nausea, confusion. Get to a hospital immediately; it is treatable if caught early.

Our drinks page covers rum, beer and the drinking age.

Tour boats and water sports

Catamarans, speedboats to Saona and Catalina, snorkel trips, party boats, parasailing and jet skis are a huge part of a Dominican vacation. Most operators are professional. The ones that are not cause a disproportionate share of serious injuries: overloaded boats, no life jackets, captains who have been drinking, and speedboats racing back to shore in rough water.

How to choose a safe trip

1. Book with an established company through your hotel's tour desk, a reputable platform or a licensed operator you can look up. Our excursions page names the main ones.
2. Before you board, look for life jackets for everyone, in sizes that fit children. If there are not enough, do not go.
3. Count heads. If the boat looks packed beyond its seating, it probably is.
4. Watch the crew. A captain with a drink in hand is your cue to stay on the dock.
5. Check the weather. If ports are closed or the sea is rough, a good operator reschedules. One who pushes to go anyway is telling you something.
6. Keep alcohol for after the swimming. Open bars on catamarans mix badly with snorkeling and jumping off the deck.

Parasailing, jet skis and ATVs

Parasailing and jet ski rentals off the beach are lightly regulated. Choose operators your resort works with, ask about the condition of harnesses and lines, and do not go up in strong or gusty wind. ATV and buggy tours on dirt roads cause frequent injuries; wear the helmet even when the guide does not insist. Riding an ATV in a swimsuit and flip-flops is how many people get burned and scraped.

Rip currents and swimming

Drowning is one of the leading causes of non-natural death for Americans abroad, and the Dominican coast has real hazards. The State Department notes dangerous undertows at popular beaches and that many have no lifeguards, warning flags or signs. The Atlantic-facing beaches are the riskiest: Macao and Uvero Alto north of Punta Cana, Playa Grande near Río San Juan, parts of Cabarete, and the beaches around Las Terrenas on days with swell. The calmer Caribbean side, from Bayahíbe to Boca Chica, and reef-protected stretches of Bávaro are gentler, though not risk-free.

• Swim at resort beaches or beaches with lifeguards when you can, and ask staff about conditions that day.
• Respect flags. A red flag means stay out of the water.
• Never swim alone, after drinking, or at an isolated beach.
• Watch children constantly, including in resort pools.
• Wear water shoes near reefs and rocks; sea urchins are common.

Our beaches page rates swimming conditions beach by beach and covers sargassum seaweed.

Road safety

This is the risk most Americans underestimate. The World Health Organization ranked the Dominican Republic among the deadliest countries in the world for road traffic, with the highest per-capita rate it recorded in 2019. Many of those victims are motorcyclists and pedestrians.

What makes the roads dangerous

• Motorbikes weaving between lanes, riding against traffic or on sidewalks, often with two or three riders and no helmets.
• Vehicles driving at night without lights, unmarked speed bumps, potholes and missing manhole covers.
• Speeding, drunk driving and red lights treated as suggestions, especially late at night and on weekends.
• Livestock and pedestrians on rural highways, and very little street lighting outside cities.

How to reduce the risk

• Avoid motoconchos (motorcycle taxis). If you do ride one in a small town, wear a helmet and go slowly.
• Do not drive at night outside cities. Plan long drives to arrive before dark, which is around 6 to 7 pm most of the year.
• Wear seat belts in every seat, including taxis.
• Consider a hired driver for long trips. The State Department recommends this over self-driving for most visitors.
• Cross city streets with locals and look both ways even on one-way streets.

Hurricanes and severe weather

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the highest risk from August through October. Direct hits on the Dominican Republic are not an every-year event, but tropical storms and hurricanes pass close often enough that anyone traveling in late summer and fall should have a plan. Even storms that stay offshore can bring days of flooding rain, landslides in the mountains, closed ports and canceled excursions. Hurricane Fiona in 2022 came ashore in La Altagracia, the province of Punta Cana, and knocked out power and water for days.

How to follow alerts

• National Hurricane Center: the forecast cones and advisories at nhc.noaa.gov are the same ones US news uses.
• COE: the Dominican Emergency Operations Center (Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias) issues green, yellow and red alerts by province. Red means the threat is imminent and authorities may order evacuations. Follow it on social media or at coe.gob.do.
• INDOMET, the national weather service, publishes local forecasts and warnings in Spanish.
• The US Embassy sends alerts to everyone enrolled in STEP.

If a storm is coming

1. Check your airline's waiver policy. Airlines usually let you change flights for free once a storm is forecast to affect PUJ or SDQ.
2. Follow your resort's instructions. Large resorts have shelter plans, generators and stored water.
3. Keep your phone charged, cash on hand, and medicines and passports in a waterproof bag.
4. Stay away from beaches, rivers and mountain roads during and after the storm; flooding and rip currents are worst then.

Emergencies: who to call

At a resort, call the front desk first. They will reach the resort doctor, security and the right local service faster than you can, and they speak English. Save these numbers in your phone before you land, and see our phone and data page so you have service when you need it.

CESTUR, the tourist police

CESTUR is the police force dedicated to tourist areas. In 2021 the Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad Turística (CESTUR) was renamed the Dirección Central de Policía de Turismo, and its official site now uses the older name POLITUR, but CESTUR is still widely used, including by foreign governments. Officers patrol resort zones, the Zona Colonial, the Malecón, airports and cruise ports, and many speak some English.

Go to POLITUR if you are robbed, scammed or harassed, or if you have a problem with another police officer. They can take a report (denuncia), which helps with insurance claims and with replacing a stolen passport. POLITUR posts are at major tourist hubs, and officers on patrol can point you to the nearest one.

The US Embassy and consular agencies

The embassy can replace a lost or stolen passport, help you find a doctor or lawyer, contact family, and visit you if you are arrested or hospitalized. It cannot pay your bills, get you out of jail or override Dominican law.

All three close on US and Dominican holidays. Check do.usembassy.gov before you go, since services at the agencies change.

Enroll in STEP

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is free and takes five minutes at step.state.gov. You enter your trip dates and where you are staying, and the embassy emails you security and weather alerts, including hurricane warnings and protest notices. In a disaster, it also helps the embassy find you and answer your family's calls.

• Enroll each trip, with your hotel or address.
• Add a family member's contact at home.
• Follow the embassy on social media for real-time updates.

Who should take extra care

• Women traveling alone get a lot of verbal attention on the street, which is usually harmless but persistent. Firm, short answers work. Be most careful at night, in clubs and with new acquaintances.
• LGBTQ+ travelers face no laws against same-sex relationships, but the State Department notes cultural discrimination and no legal recognition of same-sex unions. Resort areas and parts of Santo Domingo are relaxed; small towns are more conservative. See travel by interest.
• Visitors staying with family outside tourist zones should follow local relatives' advice on neighborhoods and hours, and keep gifts and electronics low-key.
• Anyone carrying drugs should know penalties are severe, with long jail terms and heavy fines. Never carry a package for someone else.

A short safety checklist

• Read the current advisory and enroll in STEP.
• Buy travel medical insurance with evacuation coverage (see health), and in hurricane season watch the NHC and COE.
• Save 911, POLITUR, the embassy and your hotel in your phone.
• Use Uber or hotel-called taxis at night, and skip motoconchos.
• Book boats and water sports through licensed operators, and check life jackets.
• Swim only where it is calm and watched, and never after drinking.
• Drink sealed, branded alcohol and keep your glass in hand.