Dominican Republic Travel Guide

Dominican Republic — Shopping

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Shopping

Best buys are products made on the island including amber jewelry and decorative pieces. These are a national specialty; some pieces encase insects, leaves or dew drops within the ancient petrified pine resin. Larimar or Dominican turquoise is another popular stone. Milky blue and polished pink pieces of conch shell are also made into jewelry. Rocking chairs, woodcarvings, macramé, pottery, Taino artifacts, Creole dolls, baskets, limestone carvings and CDs of salsa and merengue also make good buys. Bargaining is recommended, and in most cases expected.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1430-1830.

Currency

Dominican Peso (DOP; symbol RD$). Notes are in denominations of RD$2,000, 1,000, 500, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of RD$25, 10, 5 and 1.

Currency Exchange

The peso is not available outside the Dominican Republic. Currencies of Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA may be converted into local currency. On departure, up to 30% of the exchanged currency can be reconverted into US Dollars at any bank, provided original receipts are shown. All exchange must be done through official dealers such as banks and hotels approved by the Central Bank. Most resorts quote prices in (and are happy to accept) US Dollars. Some street vendors in tourist areas also accept US Dollars although these are not legal tender in the country.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all accepted.

Travelers Checks

Traveller's checks are accepted by some banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

The import and export of local currency is limited to RD$20,000 in notes and RD$100 in coins; the import of foreign banknotes is allowed provided they are declared on arrival and if they are over US$10,000 and reexport is intended.