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If the white sand beaches and deep blue ocean of the Dominican Republic are calling your name this year, you're in luck: The DR has some of the most lax Covid travel restrictions in North America.
As part of the island's Responsible Tourism Recovery Plan, most travelers no longer need to provide a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival. Instead, airports and other ports of entry will perform a temperature check on all arriving passengers and an additional aleatory breath test on 3–15 percent of arrivals. Children under five are exempt.
All travelers (foreign and Dominican passengers) entering or leaving the Dominican Republic must also complete the electronic entry and exit form, which combines the Traveler’s Health Affidavit, Customs Declaration and International Embarkation/Disembarkation forms. Passengers will need to fill out a form for arrival and another one for departure and the system will generate two QR codes. As of May 1, the use of digital forms is mandatory.
All international tourists arriving on commercial flights and staying at a hotel will also be granted a temporary, free health coverage plan that provides coverage for emergencies in the event of an infection or exposure to COVID-19 while in-country. Health coverage is only available to those flying into the country and staying at a hotel.
For American and U.K. travellers who must be tested before returning home, many hotels in the Dominican Republic are also offering quick-result viral antigen testing to international visitors.
Despite its lax rules, the CDC has declared the Dominican Republic a level 4 'do not travel' destination, and visitors will have to adhere to some restrictions while on the island: a curfew is in place Monday through Friday from 9pm to 5am and 7pm to 5am on the weekend for any activities outside a hotel and social distancing rules and mask-wearing still apply. Note that restaurants are currently operating at 60 percent capacity while bars and clubs remain closed. Public beaches remain open.
Interested in more pristine beaches? See all the Caribbean countries that are currently open for tourism.
Remember, many countries (including the USA) are still warning against all non-essential travel and some are quarantining all overseas arrivals, including their own returning citizens. Check all the relevant restrictions before you think about traveling.