Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-HAITI BORDER CROSSINGS
These are the four points where you can cross between Haiti and the DR.
Jimaní-Malpasse
This, the busiest and most organized crossing, is in the south on the road that links
Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince.
Dajabón-Ouanaminthe
Busy northern crossing on the road between Santiago and Cap-Haïtien (a
six-hour drive); try to avoid crossing on market days (Monday and Friday) because of the enormous
crush of people and the risk of theft.
Pedernales-Ainse-a-Pietre
In the far south; there's a small bridge for foot and motorcycle traffic,
cars have to drive over a paved road through a generally shallow river. Relatively easy and calm cross-
ing.
Comendador (aka Elías Piña)-Belladère
Least busy and certainly the dodgiest. On the Haiti side,
the immigration building is several hundred meters from the actual border. Transportation further into
Haiti is difficult to access.
Practicalities
Immigration offices on the Dominican side are usually open 8am to 6pm, and 9am to 6pm on the
Haitian side. Arrive as early as possible, so you are sure to get through both countries' border offices
and onto a bus well before dark. When deciding between either crossing in the late afternoon or stay-
ing an extra night and crossing in the morning, choose the latter - safety concerns aside, onward trans-
portation is less frequent or non-existent after dark.
Leaving the DR
You need your passport and are likely to be asked more questions than if leaving via
an airport, usually only out of curiosity that a tourist would travel this way. Officially, you are sup-
posed to pay US$25 to leave the DR, which gives you the right to re-enter at the same point for no ex-
tra charge. However, border officials have been known to ask for an extra US$5 to US$10 to leave and
the full US$25 to re-enter for no other reason than they can. It's worth politely pointing out that you
have already paid the full fee. If you're only interested in leaving without returning the fee should be
US$10.
Entering Haiti
Pay a US$10 fee (US dollars only).
Public Transportation
Caribe Tours and Capital Coach Lines service the Santo Domingo-Port-au-
Prince route daily; Caribe Tours also has daily departures at noon from Santiago for Cap-Haïtien.
From the north coast it's easy enough to reach Dajabón, but then you have to transfer to a Haitian
vehicle on the other side.
Private Transportation
Rental vehicles are not allowed to cross from one country into the other, and
you need special authorization to cross the border with a private vehicle.
