General
Money? Do we bring cash? Convert it? Bring a debit card?
Bring cash. Bring debit/credit card. When bringing cash, I would recommend you bring a bunch of smaller bills. Especially $1 & $5 bills to tip Haitians. Make sure to bring nice bills that are not ripped and marked on. Otherwise, the Haitians won’t take them. Though, they take worn & torn Haitian Goude – go figure 
How to get around Port Au Prince Haiti? Hire a driver?
This is one of the hardest questions to answer because public transportation around Port-Au-Prince is difficult for first time visitors and groups.
The local transportation is by far the cheapest way to travel. You take can take local Tap-Tap’s or a Moto-TapTap’s almost anywhere in PAP. TapTap’s are about $0.12 (5 HGT) and have set routes. Moto-TapTap’s are more money they take you on a motorcycle directly to where you want to go.
Most American’s usually want a taxi where they take you from point A to point B. In that case there are a number of available drivers you can call to arrange this type of transport.
When calling drivers you will want to keep the following in mind:
- Expect to negotiate a price! Price varies depending on how far you need a ride, the number of people, the difficulty of the terrain, etc.
- Does the driver speak English? French? This may or may not be important to you if you are hiring translators separately.
- What type of vehicle do you want to drive in? Do you want air conditioning? Do you need a tough off-road vehicle?
- How many people do you need to transport? Depending on the size of your group you could smash 15 people in a TapTap or you could consider taking additional vehicles.
To get the list of drivers we use please send us an email or comment and we will give you the password to our Haiti Driver’s Phone Numbers page.
Should we take malaria medication in Haiti?
We get this question over and over again from friends, visitors, and strangers. I wish I could give you more information regarding malaria medication but the truth is there is to much liability at stake.
It’s a good idea to meet with your family doctor or a travel doctor at least a couple months before visiting Haiti.
You should check out the CDC’s malaria page for travelers: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/
What Type of Phone Should I Use or Buy in Haiti?
If you know you will be visiting more then once a year or maybe you are planning to live down in Haiti then here is some good options:
Simple Phone
- You can buy cell phones for very cheap. Some $5. I would recommend one that is a standard brand you recognize like Nokia or otherwise. You will pay a bit more but it will be worth it.
- When you buy the cell phone you will also purchase the SIM card that goes with it (only $1-2 for the SIM)
Unlock Your Phone
- If you have a phone that is not on contract or you are canceling your current contract because you are moving down to Haiti then I would recommend taking the extra step to get it unlocked with the carrier. All carriers should give you an unlock code for your phone if you are outside of contract.
- Once you have your phone unlocked you will just need to buy a SIM card upon arriving in Haiti (only $1-2 for the SIM).
Buying Minutes
- Most Haitians buy phone minutes on the street. They will give you cards in the amount of HGT (Goudes). You can buy a 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000… Goude cards. A fee of 10% is added onto what you buy. Just to give you an idea. For most people, 500 HGT will be more then enough for a whole month of talking. Total one would pay 550 HGT to the person selling the cards.
- Digicel and Viola allow you to buy minutes from logging into their website. This is good option.
- Internet. All providers offer internet plans. Personally I am using Natcom. I pay 400 HGT ($10)/month for 500mb. There are unlimited plans available with all carriers as well. NOTE: I would recommend something else if you are looking for internet for your home computer.
- To activate internet for Natcom you can follow this setup.
- The internet is usually paid at the beginning of the month. You would just need enough money on your account before the month begins and then that money would be deducted and used for paying the internet. Any money left over after that would go to pay for talking phone-to-phone.
Moving to Haiti
- If you feel brave and you are tech savvy. I took the extra step of transferring my current cell phone number to Google Voice. I did this so that I could keep my old phone number. I can also use Google’s app to still text friends in the state with my old phone number for free.
- What phone should I bring/buy? I would recommend a smart phone with GPS! Doesn’t even matter which smart phone. If you are moving to Haiti one of the hardest things is not knowing where you are or where you are trying to go. I use the GPS capability of my Android phone much more then I thought I would. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or Android – I would highly recommend it if you will be driving. I even brought down a GPS and no realized quickly that I wasn’t going to use it. In my opinion, I want to leave as little technology visible in the car as much as possible and a GPS just sits so obviously in the car. Also, I have found that the “directions” the GPS give you are not very accurate. It is easier to just see the map view of where I currently am located on the smart phone. I could honestly give you a hundred more reasons why a smart phone is soooo incredibly useful down in Haiti but I will save them
Is there a good English to French Translator in Haiti?
Recommended by Rebecca:
Schneider Dorcela
22, Rue Jumelle
Delmas 33 prol,
Delmas, Haiti, W.I.
.
Office: +1-954-903-0523
Cell: (011) 509-3454-7402
schneider.dorcela@hotmail.
[email protected]
Is it SAFE in Haiti?
We have many people ask us this question. It can be a tough question for people. I would ask people to consider the words from the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. He writes:
“Haven’t we all prayed the following prayer? Lord, we pray for safety as we travel. We ask that no one gets hurt on this trip. Please keep everyone safe until we return, and bring us back safely. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. The exact wording may vary a bit, but that is the standard prayer we recite before leaving on mission trips, retreats, vacations, and business trips.
We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it, actually. Now, I’m not saying it is wrong to pray for God’s protection, but I am questing how we’ve made safety our highest priority. We’ve elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God’s best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world.
Would you be willing to prayer this prayer? God, bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes…”
In no way could we ever guarantee safety in Haiti. I can not guarantee safety even in the United States. The safety we cling to isn’t safety in the traditional sense, it is a safety in knowing that we are following God.
I may not live tomorrow but today I know this is where God wants me to be. – RA
How to Call the United States from Haiti?
There are many, many, many options for calling the U.S. from Haiti. They are all great options. Here are the ways we prefer to do it.
Check out the following post:
http://ryanandmelissaalberts.com/2485/top-3-ways-to-call-the-united-states-from-haiti/
What books should I read before visiting Haiti?
Maybe you are coming on a mission trip or maybe just coming to visit Haiti. Here are some book ideas.
When Helping Hurts. Great book to get your mind into the right perspective before you come. It brings missions down to earth a bit with some bold honesty and practical advice. It’s pretty dry book, in my opinion, but it’s truth rings true for Haiti.
This book does an excellent job of extolling the virtues of Jesus’ mission statement. Love the Lord, care for others as yourself. Told on the personal level.
We have had a number of groups read this before their journey down to Haiti and it is immediately apparent that they have done some research. Great recommendations for this book.
Good optional read. Some history, some knowledge about what Paul Farmer has done. A popular book that others have read. The content gets a little specific into the medical side which may be interesting to some but not to others.
Electricity? Do we need special converters to plug in computers, charge cell phones, etc.?
We have electricity at the Heartline Guest House. Most places in Haiti will use the US type outlet for power.
Be aware that places loose city power a few-to-many times during the day. We run with batteries and have a generator backup when we loose city power.
At the guest house, we will always have some sort of electricity. You do not need any special converters to charge computers, cell phones, etc.
Dress code? (What to wear, what not to wear?)
In Port Au Prince there is no need to be worried about a dress code. If you will be attending a Haitian church service or going out into rural areas then you will need to wear the following: Men – nice slacks and collared shirt and Women – long dresses.
Moving to Haiti
What do I need in order to get Residency in Haiti?
You need residency if you are going to live in Haiti over 3 months. When you enter the country, the green piece of paper they give you at customs is basically your 3 month visa. After that you are technically illegal citizen of Haiti. I have heard people staying over this 3 month limit and not having any issues exiting the country. Though, I recently heard they will be cracking down on this. So what do you do?
You can either:
- Leave the country every 3 months and re-enter so that your passport is stamped again and thus being legal.
- Get your residency in Haiti.
What you’ll need
From the states we brought:
- Birth certificate
- Passport (obviously)
- Police report (local or state)
- We brought our college transcripts but they weren’t needed
Here in Haiti we did the following:
- Bank account
- Doctor visit
- Letter thanking them for considering us
We used a guy to help us through the process. If you go this route you will pay double the cost but it is exponentially easier. At the time, we paid around $300/person.
*Update* Found this page which seems very accurate: http://haiti.usembassy.gov/service/useful-information/information-on-obtaining-a-permis-de-sejour.html
Suggestions on what to bring or not to bring down to Haiti
For a fun read – Top Ten Things to Know Before Visiting Haiti.
What to bring:
- Smart phone! You spend so much time in traffic and waiting. It is just so helpful. Make sure it has GPS capability. This was a god-send for me just traveling everyday as it’s easy to get lost or turned around in Port Au Prince.
What not to bring:
- Lose the Clothes! It gets incredibly hot (especially as a Minnesotan) we didn’t realize how hot it was and how we brought down the **wrong type** of clothes. For example, Melissa thought that Capri’s would be fine here… but they are still way to hot to wear. They only really work in Dec/Jan but for the other 10 months of the year they don’t!
What Type of Phone Should I Use or Buy in Haiti?
If you know you will be visiting more then once a year or maybe you are planning to live down in Haiti then here is some good options:
Simple Phone
- You can buy cell phones for very cheap. Some $5. I would recommend one that is a standard brand you recognize like Nokia or otherwise. You will pay a bit more but it will be worth it.
- When you buy the cell phone you will also purchase the SIM card that goes with it (only $1-2 for the SIM)
Unlock Your Phone
- If you have a phone that is not on contract or you are canceling your current contract because you are moving down to Haiti then I would recommend taking the extra step to get it unlocked with the carrier. All carriers should give you an unlock code for your phone if you are outside of contract.
- Once you have your phone unlocked you will just need to buy a SIM card upon arriving in Haiti (only $1-2 for the SIM).
Buying Minutes
- Most Haitians buy phone minutes on the street. They will give you cards in the amount of HGT (Goudes). You can buy a 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000… Goude cards. A fee of 10% is added onto what you buy. Just to give you an idea. For most people, 500 HGT will be more then enough for a whole month of talking. Total one would pay 550 HGT to the person selling the cards.
- Digicel and Viola allow you to buy minutes from logging into their website. This is good option.
- Internet. All providers offer internet plans. Personally I am using Natcom. I pay 400 HGT ($10)/month for 500mb. There are unlimited plans available with all carriers as well. NOTE: I would recommend something else if you are looking for internet for your home computer.
- To activate internet for Natcom you can follow this setup.
- The internet is usually paid at the beginning of the month. You would just need enough money on your account before the month begins and then that money would be deducted and used for paying the internet. Any money left over after that would go to pay for talking phone-to-phone.
Moving to Haiti
- If you feel brave and you are tech savvy. I took the extra step of transferring my current cell phone number to Google Voice. I did this so that I could keep my old phone number. I can also use Google’s app to still text friends in the state with my old phone number for free.
- What phone should I bring/buy? I would recommend a smart phone with GPS! Doesn’t even matter which smart phone. If you are moving to Haiti one of the hardest things is not knowing where you are or where you are trying to go. I use the GPS capability of my Android phone much more then I thought I would. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or Android – I would highly recommend it if you will be driving. I even brought down a GPS and no realized quickly that I wasn’t going to use it. In my opinion, I want to leave as little technology visible in the car as much as possible and a GPS just sits so obviously in the car. Also, I have found that the “directions” the GPS give you are not very accurate. It is easier to just see the map view of where I currently am located on the smart phone. I could honestly give you a hundred more reasons why a smart phone is soooo incredibly useful down in Haiti but I will save them
How to Call the United States from Haiti?
There are many, many, many options for calling the U.S. from Haiti. They are all great options. Here are the ways we prefer to do it.
Check out the following post:
http://ryanandmelissaalberts.com/2485/top-3-ways-to-call-the-united-states-from-haiti/
Can You Watch TV in Haiti?
First and foremost… I would recommend against watching TV in Haiti especially if you are first moving to Haiti. After you have learned the language then I give you permission . Ok, so obviously you don’t need me to tell you if you can watch TV or not!
Here are some options:
Haitian public TV - This is using standard TV antenna’s. Most programming is in French and Creole. Lots of soccer, music videos, news, and French soap opera’s. I once watched Home Alone in French .
Streaming TV Over Internet – This is probably the most popular option. Natcom/AccessHaiti/Others have good enough bandwidth to at least allow you to start streaming an episode, hit pause, and come back later to start watching. I have been finding recently that service has been better then that but it all depends on the way the wind is blowing.
- USTVNow (http://ustvnow.com) gives you the ability to stream live tv. So far it’s been working in Haiti as long as you have good enough bandwidth.
- Netflix is limited. Though they restrict your access of movies from the PC. The iPad will show you all available movies.
- Hulu does not work. By default you cannot use Hulu.
- iTunes works. You are able to download movies, tv shows, and music without issues.
- Pandora does not work.
How to Stream Netflix, Hulu, Pandora? You can stream Netflix and Hulu using Hola Unblocker. It is an extension you can download when using Chrome browser from Google.
Satellite TV – Some companies are offering satellite. I can’t speak to how good or reliable it is because we don’t order this.
What books should I read before we move to Haiti?
These are some of my recommended books to read about preparing to enter the mission field of helping the poor. To be honest, if you are moving to Haiti or anywhere for that matter, the best thing you can do is invest in your marriage and your family. Nothing can take the place of spending time reading the Bible, praying, and investing in your family.
African Friends and Money Matters. The Haitians here today were originally brought over as slaves from Africa and you find many similarities between the two cultures.
To get a taste here is a post on a summary of 3 points in the book: http://ryanandmelissaalberts.com/3006/3-mind-blowing-learnings-about-haitians/
When Helping Hurts. Great book to get your mind into the right perspective before you come. Brings Missions down to earth a bit.
Radical. This will make you want to jump out of your chair and do something! Great inspirational book.
Ladies. Melissa read this book and really speaks highly of it. Even though this couple was in Africa, it rings true to Haiti.
Whether you are intrigued by the stories of foreign missionaries and how they adapt to a new culture or are heading towards the mission ?eld yourself, you will ?nd this book enlightening and inspiring. It is not your traditional missionary autobiography read. Be prepared. It’s honest.
This is my all-time favorite book. He tells the story of his life but more importantly he gives an example of living out faith. Love, love this book!
The most important thing you can do is to dig deeper into prayer and hearing from God. As cheesy as this books title sounds, it is the most practical guide to pressing into and learning how to spend time with him.
Telephones and Internet
We Paid For Digicel Internet on our iPhone, How Do I Get it to Work?
I can’t speak much to this one as I use Natcom but here are some tips:
> We paid for Internet on our iPhone 4s on digicel network, does anyone know how to get Internet to work?
Go into your General Settings > Cellular > scroll down and go into Cellular Data Network (some phones it’s under Network). When you open that there will be a Cellular Data section with a line for APN. In that line type in web.digicelha.com. You should be able to connect with that. If you scroll down in that screen to Tethering and put the same code in the APN line, then turn on your Bluetooth the you can activate the Personal Hotspot on your phone and use your phone data plan for your other Bluetooth devices – like a computer or iPad.
Will an iPhone 3GS work in Haiti?
Any unlocked phone will work with Natcom/Digicel. We have an iPhone 3GS working great. You can jailbreak an iPhone and also get it working in Haiti as well.
What Type of Phone Should I Use or Buy in Haiti?
If you know you will be visiting more then once a year or maybe you are planning to live down in Haiti then here is some good options:
Simple Phone
- You can buy cell phones for very cheap. Some $5. I would recommend one that is a standard brand you recognize like Nokia or otherwise. You will pay a bit more but it will be worth it.
- When you buy the cell phone you will also purchase the SIM card that goes with it (only $1-2 for the SIM)
Unlock Your Phone
- If you have a phone that is not on contract or you are canceling your current contract because you are moving down to Haiti then I would recommend taking the extra step to get it unlocked with the carrier. All carriers should give you an unlock code for your phone if you are outside of contract.
- Once you have your phone unlocked you will just need to buy a SIM card upon arriving in Haiti (only $1-2 for the SIM).
Buying Minutes
- Most Haitians buy phone minutes on the street. They will give you cards in the amount of HGT (Goudes). You can buy a 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000… Goude cards. A fee of 10% is added onto what you buy. Just to give you an idea. For most people, 500 HGT will be more then enough for a whole month of talking. Total one would pay 550 HGT to the person selling the cards.
- Digicel and Viola allow you to buy minutes from logging into their website. This is good option.
- Internet. All providers offer internet plans. Personally I am using Natcom. I pay 400 HGT ($10)/month for 500mb. There are unlimited plans available with all carriers as well. NOTE: I would recommend something else if you are looking for internet for your home computer.
- To activate internet for Natcom you can follow this setup.
- The internet is usually paid at the beginning of the month. You would just need enough money on your account before the month begins and then that money would be deducted and used for paying the internet. Any money left over after that would go to pay for talking phone-to-phone.
Moving to Haiti
- If you feel brave and you are tech savvy. I took the extra step of transferring my current cell phone number to Google Voice. I did this so that I could keep my old phone number. I can also use Google’s app to still text friends in the state with my old phone number for free.
- What phone should I bring/buy? I would recommend a smart phone with GPS! Doesn’t even matter which smart phone. If you are moving to Haiti one of the hardest things is not knowing where you are or where you are trying to go. I use the GPS capability of my Android phone much more then I thought I would. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or Android – I would highly recommend it if you will be driving. I even brought down a GPS and no realized quickly that I wasn’t going to use it. In my opinion, I want to leave as little technology visible in the car as much as possible and a GPS just sits so obviously in the car. Also, I have found that the “directions” the GPS give you are not very accurate. It is easier to just see the map view of where I currently am located on the smart phone. I could honestly give you a hundred more reasons why a smart phone is soooo incredibly useful down in Haiti but I will save them
How do I sign-up for Natcom internet and get it working?
Check out this page: http://ryanalberts.com/494/natcom-haiti-phone-setup/.
If you are having trouble getting the Natcom Haiti internet working it may be because you need to enter the Natcom APN.
Natcom APN: natcom
MCC: 372
MNC: 03
*You may or may not need to enter the MCC and MNC. Some phones seem to find it automatically.
My phone is searching for a signal. I used it a year ago. Any advice?
Depending on the carrier the cell phone SIM card will expire. As of this writting:
Natcom will expire after 3 months
Digicel will expire after 1 year
You can usually post-pone your expiration date by adding minutes to your SIM number. Many people traveling back and forth between Haiti will do it online. Both Digicel and Natcom have online sites to top up minutes.
Can I Use an iPad Mini with Cellular Data GSM 4g/3g in Haiti?
You can use an iPad mini! If you want to use 3g or 4g you will need to make sure you have the wifi + cellular data iPad. They have a SIM card slot on the side.
Natcom, for example, will work with nano. In fact, the regular SIM card can be cut down to a micro (which I have done before) or to a nano! The good news is that it will work either way!
You can buy a special cutter to cut a regular sim down to a nano. I have heard that cell places in Haiti can cut them for you. If they cannot, the SIM cards themselves are cheap ($2) so if you try to cut it down yourself and mess it up, you can try again 
There are a bunch of youtube videos that can show you how to cut down the SIM card.
Good luck!
Hi Ryan and Melissa,
Hope you didn’t get too flooded by the hurricane and that things are drying out.
I met you briefly at Kaliko on July 4 (my wife and I have 2 kids we are in the process of adopting). Your blog is very helpful and informative! I had some questions about cell phones in Haiti. We are coming again next weekend and I just want to verify a few things. Can you please email me back when you get a chance? …Thanks!
Hi Melissa and Ryan
I am planing my fourth trip to the village of Bassin in the Artibonite Department. I will be traveling in January with two others. I hope to arrange transportation so the pastor of our sister parish does not need to borrow a vehicle and make the long journey to pick us up. I would love to check out your list of Haiti drivers phone numbers.
I did find an Avis car rental site and for under $400 can rent a small SUV for 6 days. Honestly, I would rather pay a Haitian the money to drive us if the cost is comparable. I don’t need to have a car while in Bassin!
Great question! I will reply via email with information for you.
Hi Ryan and Melissa,
I am so very grateful for your blogs & all the helpful information you have made available. I am comming to Haiti on the 9th in order to get a house ready for my family to move into. We will be living at an orphanage in Fermathe. We would like very much to meet you and Melissa some time. Our plan is to move some time in early March.
In Christ alone,
Charlie
Ahh!! Just saw this comment! So glad we were able to meet you guys! Don’t worry if you are overwhelmed at this point in your journey. Maybe you are not – which is great – BUT – if you are, no worries. It is totally normal! Just prayed a short prayer for you.
I am going to haiti for my bday…and i wanted to spend the night in wahoo bay and i was wondering if you could help me find a driver.
Yaz – Head over to this page: http://ryanandmelissaalberts.com/haiti-drivers-phone-numbers/ and use the password “haiti”. You will find phone numbers of drivers there. Have fun!