Security Alert – U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Location:  Border Between the Dominican Republic and Haiti

Event:  The Government of the Dominican Republic has announced the closure of air, sea, and land borders between the Dominican Republic and Haiti effective Friday, September 15, at 6:00 AM.  U.S. citizens planning to cross the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic will not have the ability to do so, and will need to make alternate arrangements.  The U.S. Embassy is not able to facilitate entry into Haiti or the Dominican Republic through a closed border crossing.

Haiti’s Travel Advisory is Level 4, “Do Not Travel,” meaning that any U.S. citizen still in Haiti should depart immediately as safely as possible via commercial means.  Flights from Haiti to the United States and destinations other than the Dominican Republic are still operating normally.

U.S. citizens should not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure. On July 27, 2023, the Department of State ordered the departure of family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency U.S. government employees. U.S. citizens wishing to depart Port-au-Prince should monitor local news and only do so when considered safe.

Actions to Take:

·        Use extreme caution in traveling around Haiti.

·        Avoid demonstrations and large gatherings of people in Haiti.

·        If you encounter a roadblock in Haiti, turn around and get to a safe area.

·        Make and practice contingency plans for sheltering in place and/or accessing airports while in Haiti.

·        Review the guidance on travel to High Risk Areas.

·        Monitor local media for updates.

·        Notify friends and family of your safety.

·        Have travel documents up-to-date and easily accessible.

Assistance:

·        U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo

Av. Republica de Colombia 57, Santo Domingo

Emergencies: 1-809-567-7775

Non-emergency inquiries: SDOAmericans@state.gov

Website: https://do.usembassy.gov/ or follow on Twitter and Facebook

·        State Department – Consular Affairs: 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries.

·        Dominican Republic Travel Information Page

·        Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for security updates.

·        Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

·        Visit Ready.Gov for information on emergency preparedness.