Dominican Republic

Country Information

AFS Country Code: DOM
See http://www.usa.afs.org/usa_en/view/8259 for more information on Dominican Republic.

Age requirement: 15.0-18.1 years for school programs.
Language requirement: Basic English or Spanish preferred.
Health restrictions: No allergies.
Graduates: No. We prefer 11th graders.
Smoking: Parents prefer non-smoking students.
Dietary Restrictions: Only 2% of students will be accepted (do not guarantee).
Dress: About US$150.00 for school uniforms and materials.
Location: 40% urban, 40% suburban, 20% rural. Students can be placed in a remote region were there may not be as many extra activities as in the cities. DOM recognizes that English knowledge, or computer facilities is also very difficult to afford in these areas. Students and natural families must be prepared to face this kind of limitation. It is not recommended to call by phone the host families unless they have someone that can speak Spanish since Host families normally don't speak English and communication can be disrupted by this limitation. In those areas can be expected as a normal transportation a motocycle, since at some places there is not a well developed transportation. Students should be open to be placed in a single parent family.
Drinking: Students should be able to handle the availabilty of alcohol and any student who abuses of alcohol can be sent home early. Another reason evaluated for early return is traveling alone without the AFS required permission.
Other: Preferred Catholic.

Visa: Pax from the European Union and from BRA, CAN, CHI, CRC, HON, MEX, SUI, VEN, ISL and THA will need a tourist card. It costs US$10 or 10 euros (better paying it in dollars!) As the tourist card is for a 3 months stay they will have to pay taxes for the extra months - that is about 50 euros - when leaving the country.
Departure Preparation:
Arrival & Orientation: When the students arrive we will ask them to deposit US$100 that will be given back - with the passport - at the end of the program. It allows them to keep money for any extra spending they may have during their trip back home (and especially for the tax the participants with tourist cards will pay at customs)..
Departure:

Transportation:
Hosted-in:
Extracurricular: Besides the normal school activities AFS Dom organizes an excursion to the Pico Duarte, which is the highest mountain of the island. There's also the possibility of organizing other excursions within the Dominican Republic. All extra costs for these trips are covered by the participant.

Transcript/Diploma: Transcripts are available only for the USA and Italy. These participants must bring all the academic documentation from their home countries. They must also bring approximately US$150.00 for translation and legalization fees. Diploma available, but must be followed-up on by student. For USA and Italy Convalidation Process they need: Birth Certificate, of 8th grade Certificate, and the latest year attended Certification. There are some subjects that are mandatory to complete the validation process, e.g. Spanish and Dominican History.
School:
Language: At some schools they can take Spanish courses as part of their academics curriculum. Also there are institutions which provide Spanish lessons every day. The cost of this courses are covered by the participant.
Extracurricular: The participant is encouraged to join extra activities and courses in his/her community, like taking dance classes, joining the Municipal Music Band, or attending any Community Service project on his/her free time. The costs of these extra activities are covered by the participant.

Information needed.

Return to the Country Information page.

For information, questions or concerns, contact the Program Information Specialist or countryinfo@afs.org.