Planning travel can be a fun and exciting venture, especially in 2021. We plan outfits, adventures, and activities, but we might be forgetting one important detail: tourist cards and visas. Traveling to the Dominican Republic does not exclude us from having to concern ourselves with these details; luckily it doesn’t have to be as confusing and burdensome as one might expect.
A visa is a type of authorization given to a foreigner, allowing them to enter, remain, or leave a country. Visas typically restrict access to the country in which you are planning to travel to, setting limits on dates and times you are able to remain within the country, as well as possible restrictions on areas you are allowed to visit. Every country has its own requirements for travel visas, so planning your trip well ahead of time is necessary to avoid complications getting in or out of a particular country.
2021 e-Ticket for Dominican Republic
As of February 1, 2021, the use of digital forms will be mandatory in the Dominican Republic. The form can be accessed through the following link: https://eticket.migracion.gob.do. Passengers will need to fill out a form for arrival and another one for departure and the system will generate two QR codes. Dominican airports have free internet access so that passengers who did not fill out the form before flying can do so when they arrive in the country.
To save time during the arrival procedure, we recommend filling out the form 72 hours before the trip, printing or making a screenshot of the QR code, and keeping it on hand until arrival, where it will be scanned by the authorities when passengers go through Customs.
The QR code will not be scanned during departure, but it is a confirmation that the form was completed correctly. If passengers need to make any changes to the form, they must fill out a new form.
Jan 2021 Traveler’s Health Affidavit:
Until January 31st, 2021, as part of the immigration and customs forms provided by the airline or by Dominican authorities, passengers will be required to fill out and submit this printed form Traveler’s Health Affidavit. Through this form, passengers declare they have not felt any COVID-19 related symptoms in the last 72 hours and provide contact details for the next 30 days.
As of February 1, 2021, the use of digital forms (E-Ticket) will be mandatory.
2018 – 2020 Visa Updates
When it comes to the Dominican Republic, fortunately, their visa system has changed as of April 2018, making it easier than it previously was to facilitate travel to the island. Before April, the Dominican Republic’s “visa” was known as a “Dominican Republic Tourist Card”. However, it is now referred to as the “tourist entry tax.” This new tax is now incorporated into your airline ticket. This means that at the time of purchasing your airfare, a minimal special tax is added to the final price of your airline ticket.
Seeing as a tourist card is not a physical card you need to carry, there are no worries about misplacing this important piece of your travel puzzle!
Most visitors who plan on traveling by air, including those from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the European Union, Mexico, and many South American countries will only need a valid passport with at least one blank page, aside from the tourist entry tax that will have been paid previous to entering the country. However, those having citizenship from other countries, such as Colombia, Egypt, India, and Cambodia, among others, will need to actually apply for a tourist card before traveling to the island.
The Dominican Republic, which boasts eight international airports, various ecological zones, and world-class beaches, is more appealing and easier to explore than ever before, due to the lax restrictions on foreign travelers.
Next time you find an exotic beach vacation at the top of your adventure list, consider the Dominican Republic. With minimal pre-planning and budget-friendly destinations, the D.R. is a place definitely worth adding to your list.