Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and European Union member states do not require visas for stays up to 90 days in Dominica. A passport valid for six months beyond arrival date is mandatory. The official government portal for visa requirements is immigration.gov.dm. Cruise ship passengers receive same-day visitor permits processed on arrival. The country issues citizenship through its Citizenship by Investment Programme, established in 1993, requiring a minimum government contribution of 100,000 USD for a single applicant.
The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD) serves as legal tender, pegged to the United States Dollar at a fixed rate of 2.70 XCD to 1.00 USD since July 1976. United States Dollars circulate alongside the Eastern Caribbean Dollar in most commercial transactions. The National Bank of Dominica, established in 1978, operates alongside branches of the First Caribbean International Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada in Roseau. The Roseau Cooperative Credit Union serves as the largest credit union. ATMs dispense both currencies at Douglas-Charles Airport and throughout Roseau, Portsmouth, and larger villages. Credit cards acceptance remains limited outside Roseau and major hotels.
Douglas-Charles Airport, formerly Melville Hall Airport, located on the northeast coast 64 kilometres from Roseau, handles regional turboprop aircraft up to 50 passengers. The runway measures 1,219 meters, prohibiting wide-body jet service. Canefield Airport, 5 kilometres north of Roseau, accommodates smaller aircraft with its 792-meter runway. LIAT, formerly the regional carrier, ceased operations in 2020. Winair operates service from Sint Maarten. The ferry service Express des Îles connects Roseau to Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Lucia during operational seasons. The main port at Roseau accommodates cruise ships at the Bayfront and Woodbridge Bay terminals. A coastal road connects Roseau and Portsmouth, requiring approximately 90 minutes. Interior roads access most villages, though conditions vary substantially after heavy rain. No railway system exists or has existed on the island.
Roseau contains approximately 15 hotels ranging from 20 to 100 rooms. Fort Young Hotel operates 73 rooms in a converted 18th-century fortress. Portsmouth offers smaller guesthouses and budget lodging near Ross University School of Medicine. Jungle Bay Resort, located on the southeast coast near Delices, provides eco-lodge accommodations. Calibishie on the northeast coast contains villa rentals and boutique properties. The Kalinago Territory offers homestays through community tourism initiatives. Camping is permitted in designated areas within Cabrits National Park with advance permission from the park authority. Dominica records approximately 90,000 stay-over tourist arrivals annually, substantially lower than neighbouring islands. Hurricane Maria in September 2017 destroyed or damaged approximately 90 percent of structures, requiring years of reconstruction. Many accommodations rebuilt between 2018 and 2022.
Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau serves as the primary referral facility with 202 beds. Portsmouth has the smaller Marigot Hospital. Health centres operate in larger villages including Marigot, Castle Bruce, Grand Bay, and Soufrière. The island reports one physician per approximately 1,000 residents. Ross University School of Medicine, a private American medical school relocated to Barbados after Hurricane Maria, returned limited operations to Portsmouth in 2019. No hyperbaric chamber exists on the island—dive emergencies require evacuation to Martinique or Guadeloupe. Private clinics in Roseau provide outpatient services. Pharmacies in Roseau stock standard medications. Travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage addresses infrastructure limitations.
Cable and Wireless operates the main telecommunications network under the brand Flow. Digicel provides mobile service. Internet connectivity reaches Roseau and larger towns through DSL and fiber installations. Mobile coverage extends across most inhabited areas, excluding remote interior valleys. The emergency number is 999 for police, fire, and ambulance services. Dominica adopted the North American area code 767 for international dialing. Most hotels and restaurants in Roseau provide WiFi access. The government launched a national WiFi initiative installing public access points in Roseau and Portsmouth beginning in 2019.
Dominica receives between 2,000 millimeters annually on the coast to 9,000 millimeters in mountain interior zones, making it among the wettest locations in the Caribbean. The official dry season spans February through May. Hurricane season extends June through November, with peak activity August through October. Hurricane David struck August 29, 1979, killing 56 people. Hurricane Maria made landfall September 18, 2017, as a Category 5 storm with winds of 260 kilometres per hour, causing 65 deaths and damage estimated at 1.3 billion USD—equivalent to 226 percent of GDP. Daily temperatures range 25 to 32 degrees Celsius year-round at sea level. Mountain temperatures drop to 15 degrees Celsius at higher elevations.