Dominican Republic Entry Requirements

The following information is offered to help guide you in planning your vacation with us here in the Dominican Republic. If you have any questions, please contact your travel agent or airline for more specific information.

Valid Passport

Effective Dec 31, 2005 the United States will enact new travel document restrictions on travel from the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Central & South America. At that time, all travelers willbe required to have valid passports to return to the United States. This same restriction will go into effect for Mexico and Canada the following year. [read more at: travel.state.gov]

Until then, all nationalities require a valid passport from their country of residence with the following exceptions:

• Citizens of the United States and Canada can stay up to 90 days using a valid identification such as Birth Certificate and a Driver's License to prove citizenship and ;
• Citizens of Germany holding their National Identity Card

Something to remember here is that using non-passport documents such as birth certificates and drivers licenses can delay your entry into the country. Mostly this is because the quality of these documents vary widely making it difficult for the Dominican immigration officials to tell the difference between valid documents and forgeries. It is always best to have a passport if you have time to get one.

Entry and Tourist Visas

Visas are required for every nationality EXCEPT for the following:

• Citizens of Argentina, Ecuador, Iceland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein and Uruguay as tourists for a maximum of 90 days
• Citizens of the following countries require a Tourist Visa (card) if holding a valid passport as described above: Albania, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Curaçao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France and French Overseas Territories, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovak Rep, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, the UK, the USA (including Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Hawaii), Venezuela and Yugoslavia Fed Rep
• Travelers who are foreign nationals and legal residents of the following countries, with a valid passport from that country, may also travel on the Tourist Visa (card): Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK, the USA and Venezuela in possession of a valid passport are also entitled to travel on Tourist Cards.

In a nutshell, the Dominican Republic makes it very easy to visit for an extended period of time to enjoy their country and culture. Make sure you bring the necessary documentation, however, to help make the entry and exit process smooth for everyone. If you have any questions regarding Passport or Visa requirements, please contact the Ministry of Tourism for the Dominican Republic.

Ministry of Tourism
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Office
(809) 541-5652
Atlanta, United States Office
(404) 577-7747

or (if a U.S. citizen)
Embassy of the United States: Dominican Republic
César Nicolás Penson and Máximo Gómez
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Telephone: (809) 221-2171 | Fax: (809) 685-6959