Travel

Papers required to enter the Dominican Republic

With few exceptions, a passport or equivalent national identity document is required to travel to the DR.

Citizens of the US and Canada can enter with a tourist card (entry tax) purchased at the port of entry.

Citizens of countries for which visas are required can enter the DR with the purchase of a tourist card if the traveler already has a visa for legal entry to the US, Canada, European Union or Great Britain.

Others need to request a visa at the closest Dominican consulate.

Entry without visa or tourist card

Diplomat and government officers travel

Countries with which the Dominican Republic has agreements for diplomats and government officers to travel without visa are:

Argentina, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.

Travelers from Canada

The DR allows travelers from Canada to enter without a passport or visa by purchasing a US$10 tourist card. Proof of citizenship - either an original birth certificate or certified copies with raised seal, an expired passport (if photograph still clearly resembles the bearer), US naturalization certificate or a signed US voter registration card needs to be presented at entry.

Non-resident travelers

All non-resident travelers need to show a round trip ticket as proof of their departure.

More on passports

A passport is the preferred document for international travel to the DR. In these days of enhanced security considerations, travelers are highly recommended to go abroad with passports as their identification document. Note you will need a passport to cash travelers checks, rent a car, to make large credit card purchases, and sometimes even as a security deposit for equipment such as golf clubs. Carry your passport when you go into the city, in case you want to make a large credit card purchase or change a travelers check. Otherwise keep it locked in your safe and carry the Xerox copy. If you do carry your passport on your travels, it is always a good practice to keep a copy of it in a safe place. This will expedite replacement should it get lost.

Entering with a tourist card

Nationals from the following countries may enter the DR with a passport and US$10 tourist card purchased upon entry:

Akrotiri and Dhekelia (United Kingdom),American Samoa (United States), Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda (United Kingdom), Bolivia, Botswana, Bouvet Island (Norway), Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands (United Kingdom), Cocos Islands (Australia), Cook Islands (New Zealand), Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, El Salvador, Estonia, Faeroe Islands (Denmark), Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia (France), Germany, Gibraltar (United Kingdom), Great Britain (United Kingdom), Greece, Greenland (Denmark), Grenada, Guadeloupe (France), Guam (United States), Guatemala, Guyana, Hawaii (United States), Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong (valid for Hong Kong passport holders), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jan Mayen Island (Norway), Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (valid for Macao passport holders), Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Malvinas (Falkland) Islands (United Kingdom), Marshall Islands, Martinique (France), Mauritius, Mayotte (France), Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Montserrat (United Kingdom), Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niue (New Zealand), Norfolk Island (Australia), North Ireland (United Kingdom), North Mariana Islands, Palau Island (United States), Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Polland, Portugal, Puerto Rico (United States), Qatar, Reunion (France), Romania, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Sandwich Islands (United Kingdom), Scotland (United Kingdom), Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, St. Croix (United States), St. Helena (United Kingdom), St. John (United States),St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas (United States), St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Svalbard (Norway), Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tokelau (New Zealand), Tokelau Islands, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turk & Caicos Islands, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arabian Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Vatican City (Holy See), Venezuela, Wales (United Kingdom), Wallis and Futuna Islands (France).

All legal residents in the United States, Holland, Italy, Canada, Venezuela, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, with some exceptions, may enter the country with the purchase of a tourist card as long as they bear an up to date passport or national identity papers and have purchased a tourist card.

Citizens of countries for which visas are required may enter if they can present a passport with a valid entry (visa) to the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain.

The US$10 tourist cards allow you to stay for 30 days. An additional RD$300 is charged to prolong the stay to up to 90 days. Thereafter, scaled charges from RD$500 to RD$15,000 (for five years and more) apply. If you will be driving in the DR for more than the 15 days of your tourist card, you will need to pay for an extension at the Department of Migration in order for your license to be valid, and the insurance coverage to be maintained.

Countries for which visas are required:

Abkhazia (a facto independent republic within Georgia)