Foreign flagged boats cruising the Dominican Republic who wish to stay for more than 90 days now have to apply for a “certificate of Navigability”.

Published 11 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Our thanks to Frank Virgintino, author of Free Cruising Guides, for this information.

When a boat arrives, it is given 90 days free to stay in the country.

Should the boat wish to stay longer than 90 days, the skipper needs to make an application to extend the stay.  Depending on the size of the boat, and how long the requested stay is beyond the 90 days, a charge is assessed and when paid, a Navigation certificate is issued.  The fees are very moderate and average about $250 per three months, depending on the size of the boat.  Once the fee is paid, a “certificate of Navigability” is issued.

Should the boat stay beyond 90 days without obtaining a certificate of navigability, one will have to be obtained before the boat is given a ‘despacho’ to leave the country.  Because the issuing of a certificate of Navigability includes a background check for any criminal record, and because such background checks take time, if the extension is not sought at the proper time, departure is likely to be delayed.