Telephone – Cellphones
If you want to make phone calls when in Dominican Republic there are many options. You can use a land phone using a calling card or change. You can also purchase a SIM card for your own phone or buy an inexpensive phone to use when you are here. REMEMBER – use caution when using an expensive phone. Theft of phones is rampant and happens often.
Update About Activating a New Phone or Phone Number – Thursday, 14 January 2021
The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) announced the procedure to activate a cell phone line, in compliance with Resolution 070-19. The person activating the phone must go to the office of the service provider or authorized distributor in person. These measures are used to help reduce cell phone theft and enhance personal safety.
-Present an identity card, passport or residence permit, and data be validated with the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and other authorized databases. Businesses are required to have a National Taxpayer Registry (RNC) number.
-A photograph of the person will be taken with the ID card.
-The IMEI, the international identity number of the mobile device, will be registered and associated with the number of the phone’s SIM card.
-Applicant must sign a contract and the signature will be compared to the provided ID document.
*Purchase a calling card. Most stores and restaurants have them. Claro – Verizon is the most used. You can add this card to your own phone or use it when making calls from any phone.
*If you use the phone in the hotel it could be quite expensive. Get a calling card and use a payphone. If you have time left on your card when you leave give it to someone. Make them happy.
*In many places, restaurants and Colmados there are funny looking payphones. You cannot use calling cards there. You have to use change. Insert a few pesos, then dial the number. Watch the little meter window. When the time is running down add more coins for as long as you want to talk. Do not wait too long to add the coins or the call will be disconnected. Most of these phones will not permit you to call a cell phone number. Go to a street payphone (use a calling card) and they should work to call cellphones.
*In the Dominican Republic a cell phone charges for the person making the call and not for the person receiving the call. If you call a cellular from a landline the landline pays for the call by the minute.
*If you are going to be in the country for any length of time one option is to buy an inexpensive cell phone, load it with a calling card.
*The best option is to purchase a SIM card for your existing phone (make sure to get your phone unlocked beforehand). You will need to follow the new regulations to purchase a SIM Card (linked to information above). Claro is the most popular company. It usually costs around $100-$200 Dominican Pesos. You can load money – minutes into the phone as needed. When you leave just put your old SIM card back in your phone. It is good for safety to have a phone on hand with the emergency and contact numbers loaded. Here is a list of important numbers in Dominican Republic that you might want to load into your phone. 911 emergency is available in some of the larger cities.
