Dominican Republic

Is the Dominican Republic safe to visit?

For a resort holiday, yes. Most visitors spend their time behind the gates of all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, Bávaro or Puerto Plata, where serious crime is uncommon. Violent crime has also fallen fast: the government reported 8.15 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2025, the lowest on record, and InSight Crime's count of 951 killings gives 8.7. That is about half the rate in Costa Rica and well below Mexico.

The catch is the roads. WHO's estimate of 64.6 road deaths per 100,000 is one of the highest anywhere, and that is what pulls our score down to 55. Street robbery outside the resorts is the other everyday risk.

How dangerous are the roads?

Very. The national road safety observatory counted 1,994 deaths in 2025, a sharp fall from 2,971 in 2024, but it records mainly people who die at the scene, which is why WHO's modelled estimate is so much higher. Motorcycles are the core of the problem. In March 2025 the country had about 3.6 million registered motorcycles and only 10,827 people with a motorcycle licence, and President Abinader has said 85% of motorcyclists who die were not wearing a helmet.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes drivers weaving between lanes, rarely signalling, driving drunk and, at night, driving without lights. Motorways between the cities and resorts are mostly in good condition; the danger is the traffic on them. Crashes peak over Christmas and Easter.

For visitors that means:

• Do not ride motoconchos (motorbike taxis); they often have no helmet for passengers.
• Use resort transfers, authorised airport or hotel taxis, or ride-hailing apps.
• If you hire a car, avoid driving outside cities after dark.
• After a crash that injures someone, the driver is taken into police custody until the facts are clear, even if not at fault.

Crime outside the resorts

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls the crime rate high, and in Santo Domingo, Santiago and the larger towns the typical incident is fast and opportunistic. Thieves on motorcycles snatch bags and phones from pedestrians and reach through open car windows at red lights. Foreigners have been robbed at gunpoint or knifepoint in daylight while walking in residential districts. If you are robbed, hand things over; attackers may be armed even when you see no weapon.

Card cloning is common, so keep your card in view when paying or use cash. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary, still at Level 2, also warns against meeting people from dating apps or social media in quiet places.

Sexual assault is the risk resort guests should take most seriously. The FCDO reports rapes and assaults on foreigners at beach resorts, in some cases by hotel employees or other guests. Do not leave drinks unattended, avoid walking alone on dark beaches, and report any assault to police before you leave the country, as they cannot investigate later.

Health and hurricanes

Private hospitals in Santo Domingo, Santiago and the resort areas offer good care, but they are expensive and want payment or proof of insurance. Public hospitals are limited. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes that visitors who cannot pay hospital bills have been stopped from leaving the country. Tap water is not safe to drink. Dengue and Oropouche virus are present, and CDC advises malaria tablets for certain areas, so check its map if you leave the resort coast.

Hurricane season runs from June to November. In recent years storms have mostly hit the north and east. Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 passed to the west; the National Hurricane Center records 823 flooded homes and water cut to about 250,000 people, but no deaths officially attributed to it. Earthquakes and tsunamis are a smaller but real risk.

Is the Haitian border area safe?

The land and sea borders with Haiti are closed, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises against all travel to Haiti. On the Dominican side, military and police roadblocks are common, and there have been armed robberies on roads near the border, including by criminals posing as police. Few tourists go there; if you do, travel by day. The Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary 2026 recorded 40 conflict deaths in the Dominican Republic in 2025, mostly linked to organised crime, though none affected tourist areas.

How to stay safe in the Dominican Republic

• Keep your phone and bag on the side away from the road, and do not walk with your phone out.
• Choose app taxis or resort transfers, never motoconchos or shared "carros públicos".
• Buy travel insurance with medical evacuation; private care is costly.
• Save the tourist police (Politur) number, +1 809 200 3500. The 911 line does not cover the whole country.
• Fill in the online entry and exit form before you fly; you need its QR code at both ends.

How we scored it

Conflict (78) and health (65) are the stronger factors, and violent crime (56) has improved year after year. Road safety (25) is by far the weakest: on WHO's estimate the Dominican Republic's roads are deadlier than Colombia's or Mexico's. Petty crime (50) reflects the motorbike robberies the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes. Confidence is medium because official road and crime counts differ from independent estimates.