Advise on currency to take to DR

I will be travelling from England to the DR and have read that on arrival you have to pay $10 (US dollars) or have a valid tourist card. I have obtained a tourist card however, it does not state when leaving the DR if this is acceptable - does this mean that I will have to pay $10, if this is the case is this the only currency that is accepted.

Also, could you please advise what is the best currency to take i.e. dollars/uk sterling or pesos.

On arrival, you will need to have a tourist card, or purchase one for US$10. This is for entry into the country.

To leave the country, you have to pay a departure tax of US$10 on departure (US$15 out of La Romana). It is sometimes included with your airfare and the individual airlines are responsible for collecting it, so check with your airline. US currency is accepted. Dominican Pesos are accepted as well by both Continental and American airlines but you need to have exact change (RD$160). It is not likely that any other form of currency will be accepted for you departure tax.

US$ are the easiest to exchange in the DR.

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM

In all my trips, they have required $10US cash upon exit. However, when I traveled back to the US via Santo Domingo airport on March 12 this year, I was actually able to pay 160RD (equivalent to $10US) for the "exit visa/tax" at the ticket counter rather than $10US cash. I was told that their rule had recently changed. But you never know. It would be safest to carry an extra $10US just in case my experience was a fluke. In the past, I have never know them to accept currency other than US.

your tourist card is only for entrance in to the country as jim has said but you must hang on to the yellow copy and hand it back in at passport control on your return journey . if you are travelling with thompsons (brittania airlines)your return tax $10 is included in the ticket price .nb first choice customers use the same airline for the winter months to sdq but have to pay the $10 at the airport . if you are staying close to the hotel uk sterling is just as good as the us dollar do not change pounds to pesos here in the uk bad rate of exchange