A month on the Malecón is a different trip from a long weekend. You need groceries, a phone plan, a place to work, a sense of what things cost and how to pay, and a plan for the tourist card if you stay past 30 days. This guide covers the practical side of a longer stay in Santo Domingo.
The 30-day limit
The tourist card that most visitors get with their airfare allows a stay of up to 30 days. Longer stays are possible: the Dirección General de Migración takes extension requests online, with a scan of your passport and your ticket out, and says it answers in about 24 to 48 hours.
An extension does not cancel the fee for the extra time. Visitors who stay past their authorized time pay a stay fee when they leave the country, at the airport, port or land border. The entry requirements page has the details and the migration office's address.
Choosing an apartment for a long stay
Several of Potenza's apartments are set up with long stays in mind. Their listings show a dedicated workspace, a kitchen, and the option of a long-term stay, and some list their internet speed: one one-bedroom lists 40 Mbps and a studio lists 20 Mbps. Each apartment page shows exactly what that unit has.
If you will cook most nights, look for a full kitchen rather than a kitchenette, and for a separate bedroom if two of you will work from home on calls; the one-bedroom apartments have one.
Money and paying
The currency is the Dominican peso, written RD$ or DOP. The Banco Central publishes the reference exchange rate every business day; in mid-October 2026 it was a little over RD$61 to the US dollar. Banks and licensed exchange houses set their own rates around it.
Two charges show up on most bills, and it helps to know them before your first dinner out:
- ITBIS, the Dominican sales tax, at a general rate of 18%. Some foods carry a reduced rate of 16%.
- The legal tip, or propina legal, of 10%. The Labor Code requires hotels, restaurants and other places that serve food and drink to add it to the bill when you eat or drink on the premises, and it is shared among the staff.
Together they add 28% to the menu price at a sit-down restaurant. Pro Consumidor, the consumer protection agency, has said that the 10% should not be charged on take-away or delivery orders. Anything you leave beyond the 10% is up to you.
A phone and data
The two big mobile networks are Claro and Altice. Both sell prepaid lines and data packages in their stores. If your phone takes an eSIM, several international eSIM sellers also offer data plans that run on Claro's network.
Groceries
Two large groups run many of Santo Domingo's supermarkets. Centro Cuesta Nacional owns Supermercados Nacional and the Jumbo hypermarkets, and Grupo Ramos runs the Sirena hypermarkets, with about 70 stores across 13 provinces.
If you would rather not carry bags along the Malecón, PedidosYa runs an app-only supermarket, PedidosYa Market, in Santo Domingo, with orders picked by its own shoppers and brought by its couriers.
Tap water is not safe to drink, so buy bottled water: the corner shops, called colmados, and the supermarkets sell plenty of it. The Dominican food guide covers the food worth buying.
Working from the Malecón
Many of the apartments list a dedicated workspace and wifi, and the larger units add a living room for a second desk. For calls, choose an apartment that lists its internet speed and test it on your first day.
When you need a change of scene, the Colonial Zone is about 5 minutes away by car, and the things to do guide has a section for business travelers.
Exercise and fresh air
The Malecón is a promenade running along the shore, and the Malecón guide covers walking, running and cycling on it. To the west, Parque Mirador Sur runs about 8 km parallel to the coast, from Avenida Winston Churchill to Avenida Luperón, and is a favorite of runners, cyclists and skaters in the early morning and evening.
Getting around for a month
The getting around guide compares ride-hailing, taxis, the metro and renting a car, and the day trips guide has ideas for your weekends.
Public holidays during your stay
A month will usually include at least one public holiday. Some holidays move to a Monday under Law 139-97 to make a long weekend, and others never move, such as January 1, February 27 and December 25. The best time to visit guide lists them.
Staying a month on the Malecón
A month by the sea goes quickly. Tell the Potenza team your dates when you book direct and they will suggest the apartment that suits a long stay.