Tag Archives: payphone

Helps – Telephone

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.

Funny looking payphone in Dominican Republic.
Funny looking payphone.

*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.

Police-Phone-Internet

Important Telephone Numbers (Police and Emergency) – Telephone – Internet Servers

When visiting or living in the Dominican Republic it is important to know the emergency phone numbers and telephone and internet servers that are so important for communicating.

Important phone numbers | Phone Calls | Internet / Cable TV / Telephone Service Providers

Important phone numbers

to carry with you while visiting the Dominican Republic:

Sistema Nacional de Atención a Emergencias y Seguridad / National System of Attention to Emergencies and Security – 911
Police, Fire, Civil Defence, Reporting Excess Noise and Emergencies – 911 will now be available in the Santo Domingo and Santiago areas. The 911 service is growing to cover more and more of the Dominican Republic.

*Dirección Nacional de Emergencia/ Direction National Emergencies 809-566-6648.

*If you have an incident involving police (for example, they pull your vehicle over while driving or riding and ask you for money or harass you in any way) this can be reported to the Internal Affairs Department of the National Police at 809 688-1777.

If you are coming to Dominican Republic on vacation or are a long-term tourist CESTUR (the tourist police) has a free app you can put on your phone available on Google Play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ferreirapablo.CESTURAPP

policia-nacional
Policía Nacional / National Police Av. Leopoldo Navarro #402, Santo Domingo, R.D. – 809-682-2151 – TWITTER @PoliciaRD

CESTUR-Cuerpo-Especializado-Securidad-Turística

CESTUR Police (Policía Turística/ Tourist Police) Cuerpo Especializado Securidad Turística http://cestur.gob.do/

If you are coming on vacation or are a tourist CESTUR (the tourist police) has a free app you can put on your phone available on Google Play.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ferreirapablo.CESTURAPP

1-809-200-3500 (free call)
809-222-2026 ext 2123.

Their web site has all the contact numbers on a google map.

Santo Domingo
There is a conveinent office on Calle el Conde.
*Cede Central C/ Gustavo M. Ricart No. 121 / c/Theodoro Chasseriau, El millon Sto Dgo. Tel: 809-222-2026 Ext. 0
*C/Juan Parra esq. Caamaño, edificio Plaza La Cultura No.136, Ciudad Colonial. Tel: 809-754-3025, 809-754-3025
*A small office at Port San Souci – Modulo de Asistencia al Turista, Avenida España Muelle San Souci Tel: 809-754-3123, 809-754-3048

Authoridad Metropolitana de Transporte (AMET)
Authoridad Metropolitana de Transporte (AMET) / Metropolitan Transportation Authority – 809-686-6520 – TWITTER:@AMETRD

Cuerpo de Bomberos de Santo Domingo
Cuerpo de Bomberos de Santo Domingo / Fire department – 809-682-4545

Corporacion de Acueducto y Alcantarillados de Santo Domingo (CAASD)
Corporacion de Acueducto y Alcantarillados de Santo Domingo (CAASD) / Corporation of Aqueducts and Sewers of Santo Domingo – 809-562-3500 – TWITTER: @rdcaasd

Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Eléctricas Estatales (CDEEE)
Corporación Dominicana de Empresas Eléctricas Estatales (CDEEE) / Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies – 809-535-1100 –
TWITTER: @CDEEE_RD

Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE)
Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE) / Emergency Operations Center – 809-472-0909 – TWITTER: @COE_RD

Cruz Roja Dominicana
Cruz Roja Dominicana / Dominican Red Cross – 809-682-4545 – TWITTER: @crdominicana

Defensa Civil
Defensa Civil / Civil Defense – 809-682-1749 – TWITTER:@DefensaCivilRD

Oficina Nacional de Meteorología (ONAMET)
Oficina Nacional de Meteorología (ONAMET) / National Meteorological Office – 809-788-1122 – TWITTER: @onamet

*Directory Assistance: 411

*Dominican Republic Yellow Pages/ Páginas Amarillas. For English click on the top. http://www.paginasamarillas.com.do/Default.aspx

*A private nationwide ambulance service, ProMed, operates in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata and La Romana; Telephone number is 809-412-5555. ProMed expects full payment at the time of transport.
Ambulance Service – Movimed 809-255-0394

*Any complaints arising from a casino should be directed to the Office of Casinos at the Secretary of Finance. To register a complaint with this office, call 809-687-5131, ext. 2120.

The Consular Section and the U.S. Embassy

moved (June 2014) to Arroyo Hondo sector, north of the Botanical Gardens between Av. Republica de Colombia and Carretera La Isabela. The address is: Av. República de Colombia #68, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. The Consular Section entrance is on Republica de Colombia Avenue located at the corner of Calle César Nicolás Penson and Avenida Máximo Gómez.

The American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit can be reached by telephone at 809-731-4294, or via email at acssantodom@state.gov. ACS Unit office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, Friday 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., except on U.S. and Dominican holidays. The Consular Section entrance is on República de Colombia Avenue. is located at the corner of Calle César Nicolás Penson and Avenida Máximo Gómez. The telephone number is 809-221-2171.

There is a Consular Agency in the north coast city of Puerto Plata at Calle Villanueva esq. Avenida John F. Kennedy, Edificio Abraxa Libraria, 2nd floor, telephone 809-586-4204, 809-586-8017, 809-586-8023; office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

One type of Payphone used in
One type of Payphone used in Dominican Republic

Phone Calls

To make a phone call to a Dominican Republic telephone number from the United States or Canada it is the same as calling any US or CA number because they are all part of the North American Numbering Plan – NANP. There is no International code. The area code for the Dominican Republic is 809, 829 and 849. So when You call dial
1 + 809 (or 829 or 849) + the 7 digit number.
It is the same when calling to USA or Canada from Dominican Republic. Just dial as you would if you were in USA.
1 + Area Code + the 7 digit number.

Payphones here can be a little different. Usually, you wait until the call connects and drop your coin into the slot. Some phones you drop the coin and there is a button to push when the call connects. Most phones have a display of how much time you have or they will beep. Make sure to deposit another coin before the time runs out or you will be disconnected.

Internet / Cable TV / Telephone Service Providers

Proveedores de Servicios de Internet / Telecable / Telephono

*Codetel / Claro – provides internet and cable television.
*Altice – offers mobile Internet access to customers (used to be Orange).
*Wind Telecom – provides telephone, television and internet services.

More information and Helps when using or purchasing a phone in Dominican Republic.