Risk Addendum · Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic —
Destination Risk Addendum

Destination-specific emergency information and the current U.S. advisory with its issue date. Read alongside the master packet.

Advisory

Current U.S. Travel Advisory — Dominican Republic

Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution in the Dominican Republic due to crime. Violent crime — robbery, homicide and sexual assault — is a concern throughout the country, affecting residents regardless of nationality. The advisory notes that criminals are rarely caught and prosecuted.

U.S. Department of State travel advisory, issued 12 June 2025. Accessed 23 August 2026.

What this means for a Help2Serve.Care cohort

No display of wealth. The advisory is specific: do not carry or wear valuable items that attract attention, and be vigilant about where a phone is and avoid using it openly on the street. Participants are briefed to keep phones out of sight in transit.
Robbery response. Hand over belongings without resisting. This is the State Department's own instruction and is repeated verbatim at orientation.
Travel in groups. The advisory recommends travelling with a partner or group. Our free-time minimum group sizes (§3.3) already meet this.
Drink safety. The advisory instructs travellers not to leave food or drinks unattended. Drink spiking is a named risk.
Online meetings. The advisory warns against meeting people met online in secluded locations. Participants are told this applies to dating apps.
POLITUR. The DR maintains a dedicated tourist police force. Local staff know how to reach them and participants are given the 911 number and the Help2Serve.Care in-country number on a card.

Emergency

Destination Emergency Information

Police, fire and ambulance: 911 (national emergency response system)

Tourist police: POLITUR

U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo: Av. Repblica de Colombia #57. Main +1 (809) 567-7775.

Operating context

Our project sites are in and around Jarabacoa, in the mountainous interior, with transfers via Santiago or Santo Domingo. Medical capability is materially better in Santiago and Santo Domingo than at the project sites.
Motorcycle taxis (motoconchos) are a common local mode and are prohibited for participants under §3.2. The State Department has noted crime committed by offenders travelling by motorcycle.
Whitewater rafting on the Yaque del Norte is part of the cultural-exploration itinerary. Operator selection requires life jackets, helmets, guides and accident insurance; see §3.6 water safety.

Named receiving hospital — Dominican Republic: The named receiving hospital in Santiago and the air-ambulance provider for the Jarabacoa area. Details Added at 45 days before departure or before.

Health

Health Preparation — Dominican Republic

CDC advises all travellers be up to date on routine vaccinations including COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, and recommends hepatitis A vaccination for travellers to the Dominican Republic. Typhoid is commonly advised for travellers eating outside major hotels.
CDC's 2026 Yellow Book notes that cases of vaccine-preventable disease have been reported among unvaccinated travellers, and that cholera vaccine is not generally recommended for travellers to the DR.
A Level 1 global measles notice applies: all international travellers should be fully vaccinated against measles with MMR. This matters for nursing cohorts in clinical placements.
Mosquito-borne illness — dengue and Zika — is present. Repellent, covered clothing at dusk and screened sleeping quarters are program standard. Participants who are pregnant or may become pregnant should discuss Zika with a travel-medicine clinician.
Water: bottled or treated only. No ice from unknown sources.
Travel-medicine consultation four to six weeks before departure is required of every participant.

Hazards

Weather and Environmental Hazards

Atlantic hurricane season 1 June – 30 November. The DR is exposed to tropical storms, hurricanes, and the flooding and landslides that follow. Mountainous terrain around Jarabacoa raises landslide and flash-flood risk on saturated ground.
Winter cohorts departing 26 December fall outside hurricane season; summer cohorts do not, and are monitored daily.
Monitoring: NOAA National Hurricane Center, plus the national meteorological office (ONAMET) and the Emergency Operations Centre (COE).
Seismic. Hispaniola is seismically active. Drop-cover-hold and assembly points are covered at in-country orientation.
Rip currents on north-coast beaches. Swimming only at briefed locations, never alone, never after drinking.

Sources

Sources Cited — Dominican Republic

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Dominican Republic Travel Advisory — Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Advisory issued 12 June 2025. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/dominican-republic.html
U.S. Department of State, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Accessed 23 August 2026. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/smart-traveler-enrollment-program.html
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Travelers' Health — Dominican Republic (destination page and Level 1 global measles notice, 28 May 2025). Accessed 23 August 2026. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/dominican-republic
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Yellow Book 2026: Health Information for International Travel — Dominican Republic. 2026 edition. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/americas-caribbean/dominican-republic.html
NOAA National Hurricane Center, Atlantic tropical cyclone products. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
The Forum on Education Abroad, Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad, 6th edition. Accessed 23 August 2026. https://forumea.org/

← Back to the master packet