FAQs
Over the years, as we have hosted many teams and individuals, and we have had similar questions frequently asked.
On this page, we hope some of those questions can be answered and quickly accessible for reference.
Do I need a Passport?
Yes! The Dominican Republic is an independant nation and not under any other sovereignty or authority. As such, everyone who enters the D.R. is required to bear a passport with a minimum validity of six (6) months.
Do I need a visa?
U.S. passport holders can enter automatically as tourists for 30 days before requiring to fill out any additional visa paperwork. This means most of the people who serve with us do not need to apply for any visas.
There is an online immigration form that everyone needs to fill out, for immigration and customs purposes only, found at https://eticket.migracion.gob.do. This is not a visa, and there is no fee for this form, but it is required to be filled out and presented upon check-in with the airline.
Is it safe?
The D.R. is very tourist friendly, overall. The economy heavily relies on tourism and foreigners are seen as friends, primarily. We never take groups to places that are known to be unsafe; the areas where teams serve have FCA staff actively working there who know the people and community personally.
Additionally, we have trip rules in place that we expect all our visitors to follow, including always staying within earshot and eyesight of the group and never going anywhere alone without the team leader's permission and always with a staff member.
Please do keep in mind that going anywhere, especially to another country, is never risk free. But statistically, the D.R. is very safe for tourists/visitors and we've never had safety issues when teams follow our recommendations and directives
Which airport should I use?
Teams who serve with us generally use either the PUJ (Punta Cana) or SDQ (Santo Domingo) airport. Both are good airports and easy to traverse with open wifi available for communication. We will let you know which of the two is the better option depending on where you will be serving, as FCA has several locations available for hosting.
What is the food like?
Rice and beans are the staple of Dominican cuisine, but it doesn't stop there! A traditional lunch consists of rice and beans in various forms, stewed chicken, beef, or pork, and some kind of salad (avocados count as the "salad" here). You'll also likely get to try some form of plantain (fried plantains called "tostones" are a common addition to dinners), a variety of fresh tropical fruits (some familiar and some maybe not), traditional empanadas, and other flavorful dishes. Most of the food is very flavorful but not spicy. Our goal is to maintain a mixture of traditional dishes and familiar foods (like pasta, pancakes and eggs, etc.) for teams.
Do you have a question that we should add to this FAQ page? Please let us know and we'll be happy to add it if it addresses common questions or concerns.
