Travel Question of the Day: Simon Calder on the Dominican Republic's red tape

Have a travel question that needs answering? Ask our expert Simon Calder

You need a valid British passport and a tourist card for the Dominican Republic (Getty Images)

Q What travel documents, apart from a full UK passport are needed for for a holiday in the Dominican Republic?

Mark Lindley

A You’ll need a tourist card, but there’s no need to get one in advance. Indeed, anyone who thinks, “I’ll plan ahead and sort out the red tape ahead of time,” will spend more than they need. The London Embassy of the Dominican Republic (dominicanembassy.org.uk) sells tourist cards online for £10 each, with a £3 charge for postage.

The process isn’t at all daunting, at least in comparison with tricky business of applying for permission to visit the US. Indeed, a cynic might say it’s a money-making exercise, with the main requirement being a credit or debit card. But personally I would keep things simple; with a valid British passport, all you need is US$10 (£7) in cash and you can get a tourist card on arrival at the airport in the Dominican Republic. It is valid for 30 days, which covers the vast majority of holidays on the island.

Unlike many non-EU nations, there is no obligation for your passport to be valid for any longer than the date you intend to leave the Dominican Republic.

Finally, as with any tropical country you need to take medical advice a month or so in advance. The NHS travel website is a good place to start. I have made the link you need to take you to the appropriate page: bit.ly/DRdoctor

Every day, our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder