Dominican Republic Embassy in Washington DC

Embassy of Dominican Republic in Washington D.C., United States

Overview

The Embassy of the Dominican Republic in the United States represents the Dominican Republic's single most important bilateral relationship. Located in Washington DC's Kalorama neighborhood on 22nd Street NW, the embassy serves as the nerve center for managing multifaceted relations between the two countries encompassing political dialogue, economic partnership, migration and diaspora affairs, security cooperation, trade, development, and people-to-people ties. The United States and Dominican Republic share geographic proximity (less than 700 miles between Florida and the Dominican coast), deep historical connections, extensive economic integration, and demographic bonds through the massive Dominican diaspora in the United States estimated at over 2.3 million people of Dominican origin. The United States is the Dominican Republic's largest trading partner by far, the primary source of foreign direct investment, the largest source of tourism (over 2 million American visitors annually), the main destination for Dominican exports (particularly from free trade zones), and the principal partner in security cooperation addressing drug trafficking and transnational crime. The Dominican Republic participates in the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) providing preferential trade access to U.S. markets. The embassy coordinates with an extensive network of Dominican consulates across American cities including major missions in New York, Boston, Miami, Chicago, and other centers of Dominican population. Washington DC hosts the embassy's diplomatic representation while consulates handle high-volume consular services for the diaspora.
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Visa Services

While American citizens enjoy visa-free access to the Dominican Republic for tourism stays up to 30 days (tourist card approximately $10 purchased upon arrival), the embassy provides visa information and processing for extended stays, work permits, residency applications, and special purposes. American citizens and U.S. permanent residents planning extended stays, employment, study, or relocation to the Dominican Republic can apply for appropriate visas and permits. Visa categories include business visas for commercial activities, work visas for employment (American professionals, teachers, business managers working in the Dominican Republic), student visas for academic programs, temporary residency permits, permanent residency applications (popular among American retirees choosing Dominican coastal communities), investor visas, and family reunification permits. The Dominican Republic has become an increasingly popular destination for American retirees attracted by Caribbean climate, coastal lifestyle, affordable cost of living, proximity to the United States (short flights from East Coast cities), and favorable residency programs. American investment in Dominican real estate, particularly in tourism zones like Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Samaná, supports significant bilateral economic activity. The embassy can provide information about Dominican residency programs, investment opportunities, retirement options, and legal requirements for Americans planning extended stays or permanent relocation. Visa applications typically require completed forms, valid U.S. passport, photographs, financial documentation, and purpose-specific documents (work contracts, university admission, property purchase documents, business registration, marriage certificates, etc.). Processing times vary. Contact embadomusa@mirex.gob.do for current requirements and procedures.
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Consular Services

The embassy provides consular services to Dominican citizens in the Washington DC metropolitan area, while coordinating an extensive national network of consulates serving the massive Dominican diaspora of over 2.3 million people of Dominican origin throughout the United States, one of the largest Caribbean immigrant communities in America. The Dominican population is concentrated in New York (by far the largest community, particularly in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens), Massachusetts (Lawrence, Boston), New Jersey, Florida (particularly South Florida), Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and other states. Services include passport renewals and new passport issuance (high-demand service for diaspora population), national identity card (cédula) processing, birth registration for children born in the United States to Dominican parents (a significant second and third generation Dominican-American population), dual citizenship documentation (U.S. law and Dominican law both permit dual citizenship, allowing Dominican-Americans to maintain legal ties to both countries), civil status registration, document legalization and apostille services, notarial services, consular registration, electoral services (Dominicans abroad can vote in presidential elections through consular offices), and emergency assistance. The embassy works closely with major consulates in New York (the busiest Dominican consular operation in the world), Miami, Boston, and other cities to serve the diaspora. For most consular services, Dominican-Americans should contact their nearest consulate rather than the embassy in Washington DC. American citizens can obtain visa information (Americans can enter the Dominican Republic visa-free for tourism up to 30 days with tourist card purchased upon arrival) and document authentication services. Contact embadomusa@mirex.gob.do for Washington DC area consular services or consulate referrals. Office hours Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, appointments required.
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Business Support

The embassy actively promotes bilateral trade and investment, the cornerstone of U.S.-Dominican relations. The United States is by far the Dominican Republic's largest trading partner, accounting for approximately 50% of Dominican exports and significant imports. The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) provides Dominican exports preferential access to U.S. markets, making the country attractive for manufacturing and assembly operations. The Dominican Republic hosts over 70 free trade zones employing hundreds of thousands of workers producing textiles, medical devices, electronics, jewelry, and other products primarily for U.S. markets. American companies represent the largest source of foreign direct investment in the Dominican Republic, with major presence in tourism (major hotel chains and resort developers), energy, telecommunications, mining (Barrick Gold operates significant mining operations), banking and financial services, retail, manufacturing, and services. The embassy facilitates business connections, provides market intelligence, assists American companies exploring Dominican opportunities, supports Dominican exporters seeking U.S. market access, coordinates trade missions and investment delegations, and works with chambers of commerce including the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR). Key sectors of bilateral economic interest include tourism (Americans represent the largest source of visitors to Dominican resorts), textile and apparel manufacturing (DR-CAFTA preferences for clothing exports), medical device assembly (Dominican free trade zones host major American medical device manufacturers), call centers and business process outsourcing (English-speaking workforce serving U.S. markets), renewable energy (American companies developing Dominican wind and solar projects), mining, agriculture (Dominican exports of organic cacao, tropical fruits, and coffee to U.S. markets), and real estate development in tourism zones. The embassy promotes Dominican products to American importers and provides information about investment opportunities, free trade zone advantages, and DR-CAFTA benefits.
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Cultural & Educational Programs

Cultural diplomacy strengthens people-to-people ties between the Dominican Republic and the United States, particularly important given the massive Dominican diaspora shaping both societies. The embassy promotes Dominican culture in the United States, celebrating merengue and bachata music (both UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and popular in American Latin music scenes), baseball (the Dominican Republic produces more Major League Baseball players per capita than any country in the world, creating unique cultural bonds), literature, visual arts, and culinary traditions. The embassy organizes and supports cultural events, musical performances, art exhibitions, film screenings, literary presentations, baseball cultural exchange programs, and celebrations of Dominican heritage. Major events include Dominican Independence Day (February 27), Dominican Heritage Month celebrations coordinating with diaspora communities, and cultural festivals in cities with large Dominican populations. The embassy facilitates visits by Dominican artists, musicians, writers, athletes, and cultural practitioners, and supports cultural collaborations. Educational exchange is extensive, with thousands of Dominican students attending American universities and colleges. The United States is the top destination for Dominican students seeking higher education, attracted by academic quality, scholarship opportunities, and established Dominican-American communities. American universities host Dominican students in fields including medicine, engineering, business administration, law, sciences, and liberal arts. The embassy promotes educational partnerships, scholarship programs including Fulbright exchanges, English language teaching programs in the Dominican Republic, and academic research collaborations. Many prominent Dominican professionals, business leaders, and political figures have studied in the United States. The embassy also supports American academic programs in Caribbean studies, Latin American studies, and Spanish language education that include Dominican components.
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Special Notes

Located at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008, United States. Contact: Phone +1 202 332 6280, Additional phone +1 202 265 8057, Email embadomusa@mirex.gob.do, Website usa.mirex.gob.do. Office hours Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Appointments required. Social media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. IMPORTANT: The embassy in Washington DC primarily handles diplomatic functions. For consular services, Dominican citizens should contact the consulate nearest to them. Major Dominican consulates operate in New York (largest, serving tri-state area), Miami (serving Florida and Southern states), Boston (serving New England), Chicago (serving Midwest), and other cities. For consular services including passports, visas, document legalization, contact your nearest consulate. American citizens planning travel to the Dominican Republic should note that visa-free tourist entry is available for stays up to 30 days with tourist card (approximately $10) purchased upon arrival at Dominican airports. Major airlines operate direct flights from New York, Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and other U.S. cities to Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Santiago, and Puerto Plata. The Dominican Republic is one of the most popular Caribbean tourist destinations for Americans, known for all-inclusive beach resorts, golf courses, colonial heritage in Santo Domingo, adventure tourism, and vibrant culture. The embassy is closed on both Dominican and U.S. federal holidays. The U.S.-Dominican relationship is one of the Dominican Republic's most important strategic partnerships, encompassing trade (DR-CAFTA), security cooperation, development assistance, migration and diaspora affairs (over 2.3 million Dominican-Americans), cultural exchange, and political dialogue. Remittances from Dominicans in the United States represent a crucial component of the Dominican economy. Source: Official embassy website (usa.mirex.gob.do).
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