U.S. State Department Reissues Dominican Republic Travel Advisory

Travelers heading to the Dominican Republic should continue to exercise increased caution due to crime in the country.

That’s according to a reissued travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. The Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory contains no changes to the previous Dominican Republic advisory and keeps the country in the same category as Denmark, the U.K., Spain, Costa Rica, Italy, France, and more.

The advisory says that “violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault, is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic” though a new tourist police corps, and institution of a 911 system in many parts of the country, means resort areas tend to be better policed than urban areas like Santo Domingo.

“The wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs, and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of criminality on the broader scale,” the advisory reads.

The advisory is not a warning to avoid travel to the Dominican Republic—only the State Department’s Level 4 warning does that. Instead, it advises travelers going to the country to stay safe by being aware of their surroundings, not displaying any signs of wealth, and not resisting any robbery attempts.