POP Airport

[rellosk]

It seems I wasted my time buying the Green Tourist Card then, I wish they put something on their UK Embassy website about this new card. But again, it is a source of a few ??, so why should they ?!

I'd be inclined to think that the DR is culpable and did not give anyone prior notification of the pending change.

 

[daydream]

Quick update:

I had prepurchased a green old style tourist card for my trip to the DR at xmas - I contacted the Dominican Embassy in London yesterday to ask about the new blue tourist card and this is what they had to say:

'The Government recently detected several cases of fraud regarding the cards and took a swift decision to change them to avoid security delays at the airports. Unfortunately, we were only notified of this at the same time as the old (green) cards stopped being valid, so a number of people will travel with the old ones we had previously issued. We understand that cards are being replaced free of charge at the airport upon arrival. If this is not the case, we will be happy to refund your unused card upon your return.

We expect to receive the new cards by the end of this week. We would be happy to exchange your card for a new one if it can be done in time.'

So for any of you who have already purchased an old style green card to avoid queing at the airport, you can send it back to the embassy in London and they will send you the new blue form. You can also go in and exchange your old style card in person Mon - Fri 10am-2pm - they are based in Bayswater, London (www.dominicanembassy.org.uk).

I will be doing the latter at some point next week!

Thanks
Daydream

 

[laurapasinifan]

on my last trip I thought I was smart and so i bought TWO tourist cards. One for the present trip and one for speedy passage on the next subsequent trip( dec 23) that plan looked foiled. Forthermore I may be out the $10 for the card as well. Unless i can convince the guy the exchange the green card for a blue one. YOU KNOW that wont happen with the way the dominicans dont deviate from the rules( unless they are trying for a bribe, then thats ok)

bob

 

[rellosk]

An update on the ever changing Tourist Card procedures:

Last week I flew into POP and out of STI. In POP I tried to exchange the old green tourist card for the new computer card; just as I had done at the end of December. It seems they are no longer exchanging the cards. No matter how much I complained, I was still required to pay an additional $10US for the new card.

As other posters had noticed, they collected the new cards shortly after they issue them. (Since I was bit sloshed at the time, I can?t tell you exactly when they collected it).

Upon leaving STI, I expected some problems because it seems they didn?t stamp my passport on the way in. As other posters have noted, they didn?t even bother to check my passport for my entry stamp. As a matter of fact, they almost forgot to stamp my passport with an exit stamp.