Haiti - Business Travel Haiti - Business Travel
Facilities for visiting business persons have improved significantly with the opening of two additional hotels in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. These hotels offer a full range of business services, including internet connectivity and voicemail. The hotels include Hotel Karibe, NH Hotels’ El Rancho, Kinam Hotel, Servotel, Visa Lodge, Royal Oasis, Marriott, and Best Western. Reservations can be made by telephone, fax, e-mail or online (only the Best Western, Marriott and Royal Oasis, Karibe, and Kinam hotel provides the online booking service).
Business Customs
Haitians are open to working with foreign investors and are particularly well disposed towards American investors. Most Haitian businesspeople speak English fluently. Appointments with Haitian business operators should be made in advance. Invitations to restaurants for meetings are appreciated and business is usually discussed in restaurants and hotels as much as in offices.
Travel Advisory
Visit the following site for the latest travel advisory on Haiti: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/haiti-travel-advisory.html
Visa Requirements
Visitors are required to have a valid passport. Visitors from the United States, U.K., France, and Germany may not require a visa. However, if a U.S. Citizen expects to be in the country for more than 90 days they need to apply for an extension of stay with the Haitian Immigration Service in order to obtain an exit visa. It is highly recommended to do this procedure prior to the 90 days expiration date. An airport tax of $55 is required from foreigners departing Haiti, and is included in the price of airline tickets.
A publication (“Guide for Business Representatives”) is available for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 20402, telephone 202-512-1800, or fax 202-512-2250. Business travelers to Haiti seeking appointments with U.S. Embassy officials in Port-au-Prince should contact the Economic Section in advance of their arrival date by calling 509-2229-8000 and asking to be transferred to the Economic section or via e-mail at Papecon@state.gov
Haitian Immigration Service
Avenue John Brown, Lalue
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tel: 2244-1737
More information may be found at:
http://www.travel.state.gov/
U.S. Companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should direct potential Haitian travelers to the following links.
State Department Visa Website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince Consular Section: http://haiti.usembassy.gov/visas.html
Currency
The Gourde is the national currency of Haiti, with HTG as the currency code. The currency symbol is G, and the top HTG conversion is USD/HTG.
Telecommunications/Electric
The number of telephones has significantly increased since 2007. The top cellular company is Digicel as they bought their biggest competitor Comcel. Digicel use GSM wireless cellular phone technology. Natcom a Vietnamese/Haitian state joint venture, created in April 2010, is Digicel’s main competitor. Natcom provides high-speed bandwidth through its network of 3,500 kilometers of fiber optic cable broadband throughout Haiti, which allows high-speed stability and a high-quality connection. The distribution of electricity is sporadic with only 5 to 15 hours of electricity on average on a daily basis.
Transportation
The major car rental agencies located in Port-au-Prince include Hertz, Avis, Budget, Dollar, and Secom. Air travel is possible from Port-au-Prince to most of the provinces. Though distances are short, travel in Haiti, including in the Port-au-Prince area, is extremely slow. Many national highways have been constructed making travel to the cities outside of Port-au-Prince much easier, but many more are in bad condition. Privately operated taxicabs and other public transportation vehicles are not recommended for use (U.S. Embassy officers are not allowed to use public transportation). Visitors are advised to hire a driver for ground transportation.
Language
French and Haitian Creole are the official languages of Haiti; however, English is widely spoken in the business community and Spanish is spoken to a lesser extent.
Health
Medical facilities are limited, particularly in areas outside of the capital. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health care services. U.S. medical insurance is not always valid or accepted outside the United States. Travelers should confirm the validity of their insurance coverage before departing the U.S. The Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide for payment of medical services outside the United States. It is prudent to have medical evacuation coverage.
Local Time, Business Hours and Holidays
Government and commercial offices typically open between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM and close between 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM. Retail businesses remain open until 6:00 PM. Supermarkets, depending on the area, may close at 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM, and observe their Sunday schedule on National holidays.
Haitian Holidays for 2019:
January 1, New Year’s Day
January 2, Ancestors’ Day
March 5, Carnival
April 19, Good Friday
May 1, Labor and Agriculture Day
June 20, Corpus Christi
August 15, Assumption Day
October 17, Death of Dessalines
November 1, All Saints’ Day
November 2, All Souls’ Day
November 18, Battle of Vertieres Day
December 25, Christmas
Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings
There is no fee for the entry of personal belongings. However, a 0.25 percent unique rate is applied to goods entering under diplomatic concessions and for those that are on "temporary entry."
Goods that will be in the country temporarily must be imported under the temporary entry regime. Temporary entry refers to goods that will be processed before being re-exported. These goods are subject to a security deposit equivalent to one and a half times the duties and taxes payable under the release for consumption regime. This deposit is paid in the form of a bank check that will be released once the goods are re-exported. Goods that enter the country under the temporary entry regime and are then used for consumption purposes are taxed on the amount of their depreciation when they are re-exported.
All imported goods are subject to verification fees and administrative costs.
Travel Related Web Resources
Ministry of Tourism
8, Rue Legitime
Champs de Mars
HT 6112 - Port-au-Prince - HAITI
Tel: (509) 2949-2010 / 2949-2011 / 2223-5633
E-mail: info@haititourisme.gouv.ht
Tourist Association of Haiti: http://athaiti.com