Emergency numbers and help in Dominican Republic

The numbers

• The 911 system is real and works well in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Punta Cana and the main population centres, with English-speaking operators often available.
• Coverage is not national. In remote areas it may not reach you, which is why the tourist police number matters.
• CESTUR, still widely called Politur, is the force dedicated to visitors. They are present in every resort area and are the right first call for a theft, a lost passport or a problem with an operator.
• Save both numbers to your phone before you need them, not after.

Practicalities

• Report any theft to the police and get the written report. No insurer will pay a claim without it, and getting it afterwards from another country is impossible.
• Photograph your passport and your E-Ticket QR code, and keep copies somewhere separate.
• If you lose your passport, report it to CESTUR, then contact your embassy in Santo Domingo. Nearly all embassies are there rather than in the resort areas, which means a journey.
• Know the name and district of where you are staying, in Spanish. Resort names are not always enough for an emergency dispatcher.

Weather emergencies

• Hurricane warnings are broadcast on local radio and television, and hotels will brief you.
• COE, the Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias, is the national body that issues alerts and evacuation instructions. Follow them rather than your own judgement about the sea.
• If a storm is forecast, do not plan to fly out at the last moment. Airports close, and the last flights fill days ahead.

Before anything goes wrong

• Save your insurer's 24-hour emergency line offline.
• Tell someone at home your itinerary, particularly if you are travelling outside the resort areas.
• Keep enough cash to get yourself somewhere safe, because a card is no use during a power cut.