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
Argentina, Chile, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Peru, Liechtenstein and Uruguay.

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)
Afghanistan
Albania
American Samoa
Angola
Argelia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Benin
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Camboya
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Colombia
Comoros
Congo (Brazzaville)
Congo (Kinshasa)
Cuba
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
East Timor
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Jordan
Kenya
Kosovo (Serbia)
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (Burma)
Nagorno-Karabakh (a de facto independent republic within Azerbaijan)
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island (Australia)
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestina
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Pitcairn Islans (France)
Popular Republic of China
Rwanda
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon Islands (France)
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Somaliland (a de facto independent within Somalia)
South Georgia (United Kingdom)
South Ossetia (a de facto independent republic within Georgia)
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Swazilandia
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Togo
Transnistria (a de facto independent republic within Moldova)
Tunez
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Western Cyprus
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zaire
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Note that citizens of countries that are required to have visas to the Dominican Republic are exempt from the visas if they have a valid entry (visa) to the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain in their passport.

In case you need a visa and there is no Dominican consulate in your country, you should request one from the nearest consulate or Dominican Embassy.

Children travelers
If you will be traveling to or from the DR with a child who does not have your same surname or if you cannot prove you are the parent or the legal guardian, you will need special documentation. You should contact the nearest Dominican consulate for information on the paperwork required. These include a notarized statement from the absent parent or parents giving permission for the child to leave the country of residence with you. If the child is traveling with an airline, you will need a notarized statement authorizing the airline to carry the children.
Note the Dominican Republic has multi-step rules in place to prevent international abductions of children by adults who do not have legal custody. Children traveling without both parents need to present extra documentation. If there is a difference in surnames, you should travel with a birth certificate that confirms the parentage or guardianship.