The Dominican Republic is still working to get the European Union to grant visas for travel. President Luis Abinader and President Sergio Mattarella of Italy recently met to talk about perhaps removing the need for visas for citizens of the Dominican Republic.

President Abinader used the occasion to address the visa issue, even though it was not the primary reason for his travel to Italy. President Abinader said that although there has been no formal announcement from Italian officials, Italy supports the Dominican Republic’s efforts to obtain Schengen visa exemption. Portugal and Spain have also stated that they agree with the situation.

President Abinader will now hold talks with France and Germany. The Dominican Republic will make an official request after receiving backing from most Schengen Area nations. Although the proposal’s exact contents are unknown, it is anticipated to include an explanation of why Dominican nationals should be allowed access without a visa as well as precautions against migration concerns.

As of right now, holders of Dominican passports are unable to enter the EU without a valid Schengen visa. Schengen Statistics indicates that 52,699 Schengen visa applications were filed by Dominicans in 2023. Of these, 13,268 were rejected and 38,091 were authorized, for a rejection percentage of 25.8%.

With 32,068 applications, Spain obtained the greatest number of applications from Dominicans in 2023. With 7,314 and 5,166 applications, respectively, Italy and France came next.