Dominican Republic Entry Requirements for U.S. Citizens

The 3 requirements

• Valid passport — official rule is validity for the duration of stay; many sources and airlines push 6 months, so don't gamble on a passport expiring within the season
• E-Ticket — mandatory online form, free, one per traveler (family groups can file together). Generates a QR code shown at both arrival AND departure
• No visa for tourist stays up to 30 days — extensions available at Migración offices in-country

That's genuinely it — no visa fee, no tourist card (the old $10 card was absorbed into airline tickets years ago), no proof-of-funds ritual at the border for standard tourism.

The E-Ticket everyone forgets

The E-Ticket is free and takes ~10 minutes at e-ticket.migracion.gob.do — it's the merged immigration + customs + health declaration. Two separate submissions: arrival and departure. The QR code gets scanned at immigration both ways.

Do it within 72 hours before each flight. Airport kiosks exist if you forget, but they mean queues, spotty Wi-Fi, and stressed family logistics — don't be that person filling it out on a phone at the check-in counter.

Punta Cana vs. everywhere else

Roughly 80% of U.S. visitors land at Punta Cana (PUJ) on resort packages — immigration there is fast and built for volume. Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Santiago (STI) are equally simple for tourists. Whatever the airport, the rule set is identical.

What catches people

• Forgetting the departure E-Ticket — you need a fresh QR code to leave, and hotel check-out mornings are not the time to discover this
• Passport damaged or expiring this month — airline check-in in the U.S. is where trips die, not Dominican immigration
• Overstaying 30 days — DR fines overstays at exit (fee scales with days over); extension at Migración is cleaner and cheap
• Assuming resort package = paperwork handled — the E-Ticket is on you, not the tour operator

Money, safety, and the practical layer

The peso is the currency but USD is accepted tourist-wide — cards work everywhere resorts operate. Level 2 advisory (exercise increased caution) — standard big-city awareness in Santo Domingo; resort corridors are heavily touristed and calm. Emergency number: 911 works nationwide.