Haiti : Visas not Required for Dominican, Colombian, Panamanian Visitors

Dominican, Colombian and Panamanian, visitors no longer need to obtain visas to travel to Haiti, an initiative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent Lamothe.

According to Le Nouvelliste , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contexts the measure as part of the government policy to facilitate foreign investment and tourism.

"We decided, as of January 10, delete the obligation of every Dominican, Panamanian and Colombian for a visa to visit the country of Haiti," Minister Lamothe said during a press conference in the premises of the ministry.

The minister added that these nationals must hold a valid passport with a visa or American or Canadian or Schengen equally valid.

This decision was made ​​in consultation with the Ministers of Tourism and the Interior, said Laurent Lamothe. 

Investors will be one step ahead when exploring opportunities in Haiti, he said, noting that the same measure will encourage tourists to visit the more than 1700 kilometers of beaches available in the country.

The Minister of Tourism has agreed with the measuring to accommodate the potential tourists.

"Last Tuesday, I moved myself to go to Ouanaminthe with my various directors to see how we could build another shelter so as not to mix the tourists to traders ... 

By three months we will have this space..." said Stephanie Balmer Villedrouin, noting that the new bridge built in this area will be opened during the month of January.

Minister Villedrouin acknowledged that the measure to cancel the visa requirement for visitors from the neighboring Republic of Colombia and Panamá must be followed by the establishment of structures that can accommodate tourists in the country.

Dominican travel agencies had for some time emphasized the attention of the Tourism Association of Haiti that there was a Dominican middle class very interested in visiting Haiti, said the minister when she was a member of the ATH.

"All the tourist areas, hotels, restaurants, craft stores, airlines, transport will benefit from this measure. 

This will also allow better communication between the two countries share the island and an improving economy, especially that of Haiti," argued Pierre Chauvet.

Minister Lamothe did not say whether Panamanian and Colombian authorities reciprocate and extend the same measures to Haitians traveling to their territory.

Normally, a Haitian visa costs between $80 and $100 U.S. dollars.