ENTRY REQUIREMENTS June 2001

Canadians can enter the DR with a Birth Certificate or Citizenship Card together with a picture ID such as a Drivers License.

Official length of stay on Tourist Card (Visa) which is either given to you by the tour company or you can obtain on entry at customs, is 90 days. It may be extended by visiting Immigration at the airport OR anyone we know has just waited until leaving and paid the small fine equivalent to about RD11.00 per month.

PETS: DOGS & CATS- Entry requirements

A veterinarian certificate for rabies & distemper issued in the 10 days prior to travel is required. At the airport in the DR ask for the animal control officer (Sanidad Animal) in the customs area. He will examine your certificate and fill out an official entry form for which you will pay less than US$10. Prior to traveling with your pet you should call your airline for more information on the cost of transporting your animal. You should make a reservation early because some airlines restrict how many dogs can be carried onboard.

If you are flying American Airlines make sure you connecting flight is not American Eagle in case your pet does not fit under your airline seat. American Eagle will only transport dogs that fit onboard.

CANADIAN CUSTOMS AND IMPORT CONTROLS

You must declare everything acquired abroad, whether purchases for yourself or gifts, as well as goods

bought at a Canadian or foreign duty-free store. Keep your original receipts for possible inspection.

If you have been away from Canada for 24 hours or more, you may bring back goods worth up to C$50

without paying duties or taxes. This does not include alcohol and tobacco.

If you have been away from Canada for 48 hours or more, you may bring back goods worth up to C$200

without paying duties or taxes. These goods can include tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, as

described below.

If you have been away from Canada for seven days or more, you may bring back goods worth up to

C$750 without paying duties or taxes. These goods can include tobacco products and alcoholic

beverages, as described below. When calculating the number of days you are absent, do not include the

date you leave Canada, but do include the date you return.

If you have been away from Canada for 48 hours or more, you may bring back up to 1.14 litres of liquor or 1.5 litres of wine, or a case of 24 bottles or cans of beer or ale, each containing 355 ml. You may also

bring back up to 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or cigarillos, 200 tobacco sticks and 200 grams of

manufactured tobacco. Provincial age restrictions apply to liquor and tobacco products.

Certain goods are restricted from entering Canada. If you are considering importing meat or dairy

products, plants, weapons, vehicles, exotic animals or products made from their skins or feathers, contact

the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency or the Canadian Firearms Centre beforehand for guidance.

Obscene materials, hate propaganda, most weapons, and goods harmful to the environment are

prohibited from entering Canada.

If you have any questions about what you can bring home, contact the Canada Customs and Revenue

Agency or call your local Customs border service office.

ILLEGAL SOUVENIRS

Before you purchase an animal or plant, or a product made from animals or plants, be sure you know what rules and regulations apply. Many attractive items sold in foreign countries are made from endangered plants or animals. Live cactus and orchid plants, ivory bracelets and carvings, marine turtle shells and turtle-shell products, whalebone carvings, and cat skins, teeth and claws are some of the more common items illegally brought back to Canada. These items are included in the more than 30,000 species of wild animals and plants regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). A violation of CITES could lead to seizure of your purchase, as well as a fine and/or prison term.