Tourist Card

isabelle13 · May 8, 2006

Hi I will be traveling to Punta Cana soon and I had a question about the tourist card. When I visited in February when I went through customs they stamped the card and then some girls were picking them up. But then when I was leaving the custome person was asking for it and then since I didn't have it I had to show her in my passport when I had arrived.

Do you know if they are supposed to keep the card when you get there or should I insist on hanging on to it.

Thanks a lot

Rocky · May 8, 2006

Nobody knows for sure, thus the confusion.
It's one of the most ridiculous anomolies of this country.
They don't give you a copy of the tourist visa, yet ask you for it on the way out.

daydream · May 8, 2006

isabelle13 said:
Hi I will be traveling to Punta Cana soon and I had a question about the tourist card. When I visited in February when I went through customs they stamped the card and then some girls were picking them up. But then when I was leaving the custome person was asking for it and then since I didn't have it I had to show her in my passport when I had arrived.

Do you know if they are supposed to keep the card when you get there or should I insist on hanging on to it.

Thanks a lot

The tourist card come in two bits - one half they tear off and keep when you enter the country and the other half you hand in when you leave.

Rocky · May 8, 2006

If you're lucky.

daydream said:
The tourist card come in two bits - one half they tear off and keep when you enter the country and the other half you hand in when you leave.

It would seem that few ever receive the half ticket.

daydream · May 8, 2006

Rocky said:
It would seem that few ever receive the half ticket.

could you tear it in half yourself infront of them at customs when you enter? :cheeky:

isabelle13 · May 8, 2006

I have only 1/2 a ticket that I got with my plane ticket.

daydream · May 8, 2006

isabelle13 said:
I have only 1/2 a ticket that I got with my plane ticket.

now I have never been given only half a ticket before??

aranoid:

Tamborista · May 8, 2006

The new tourist card is a credit card sized card and has only one part.

There is NO consistancy in the new system.

Mine has been collected upon leaving the country, (2 trips) after they stamp my passport out of the country in immigration, another time it was collected upon arrival before leaving the airport.

I do not think there is an answer!
Just refuse to pay a second time if asked.

The only real purpose of this card is to show your stay was under 15 days, which your passport proves anyway.

boca chica dave · May 8, 2006

The tourist card you surrender after clearing immigration. The blue and white form you fill out you need to keep as you will need to surrender it when you leave after clearing immigration. If you don't have it you'll have to fill out another one.

FireGuy · May 8, 2006

The Process Has Changed

The Tourist Card is now a three step process.

(1) On arrival (or in advance with some Tour Operators, most notably from Canada) you get your Tourist Card for $10US per person and it now looks like this.

(2) With the Tourist Card you must fill out information on a blue form like this:

When you go through Migracion they take both in their entirety.

(3) On Departure before Migracion (sometimes at the check-in counter) you will be given another copy of the blue form (exactly as you filled in on the way into the country) and this is to be filled out and collected at Migracion when the examine your identification.

Does this make sense - not to me ; but it is the "new way".

As some have said - YMMV.

Gregg

daydream · May 8, 2006

FireGuy said:

These are the two parts I was talking about - whenever I have entered with this new style tourist card they have always ripped it in half and given me back the second half which I have handed in when I left the country.

However as you can see from all of the reponses - there is no ONE way!!! I guess it just depends who is checking you through customs......most important point to note is: whatever happens don't pay twice.....stand your ground.

Have a good trip
Daydream.

KeithUK · May 8, 2006

As I stated in an earlier posting. As per usual I got one from the DR Embassy in London to avoid the queue but all I received was the entry part nothing else. No exit part or blue forms. Acording to DR1 feedback the blue forms are given out on some charter flights. I arrive on 24th May and hope to get the blue form on the plane. Havent a clue about the exit part of the card?
This time I think my so called forward thinking and preparation was a waste of time and I will most probably have to queue and argue.

Regards
Keith

bigbird · May 8, 2006

FireGuy said:
The Process Has Changed

Nice post, especially the pics.

My last visit in March things happened so quick I don't recall what they did. I remember paying the $10. I must have had a dumb look on my face because a lady at a different booth motioned me over, looked at my passport and filled in some information on a form. After that I don't remember what happened next. All I know I exited the airport with $10 less and nothing to show for it. Just go with the flow.

The pics were nice because I had the tourist card in my possession for such a short time I actually never saw what the new one looked like. LOL

Estrella1 · May 8, 2006

Tourist cards

Be happy, you all coming from Canada. It seems that the French tourists have to pay 10 US dollars when entering the country and 20 US dollars when leaving....Does this make sense? (and for the customs : 1 euro = 1 dollar!!!)

Tamborista · May 8, 2006

EVERYBODY pays $20 departure tax!
It is just charged in the plane ticket on fares purchased from North America.

KeithUK · May 8, 2006

Estrella1 said:
Be happy, you all coming from Canada. It seems that the French tourists have to pay 10 US dollars when entering the country and 20 US dollars when leaving....Does this make sense? (and for the customs : 1 euro = 1 dollar!!!)

Appears to be similar in UK. If I travel Martinair via Amsterdam I dont pay the 20$ Departure Fee, I always thought it was because it was included in the fare. Every time I have travelled on direct charters from the UK I have had to pay it.

Keith

bigbird · May 8, 2006

Tamborista said:
EVERYBODY pays $20 departure tax!
It is just charged in the plane ticket on fares purchased from North America.

You just have to read the fine print on your ticket receipt.

Combined Tax/Fee Detail: U.S. Immigration User Fee: 7.00, U.S. Federal Transportation Tax: 29.00, U.S. Security Service Fee: 2.50, Dominican Republic Departure Tax: 20.00, Dom. Republic Airport Authority Fee: 25.00, Dom. Republic Airport Infrastructure Fee: 24.90, U.S. Passenger Facility Charge: 3.00, U.S. APHIS User Fee: 5.00

FireGuy · May 8, 2006

Tamborista said:
EVERYBODY pays $20 departure tax!
It is just charged in the plane ticket on fares purchased from North America.

Only from the USA.

From Canada the Departure Tax is paid on departure and is NOT included in the plane fare.

Gregg

FireGuy · May 8, 2006

FYI - here are the Norms...

BUT - YMMV.

Canada

- Tourist Card $10US pp included in Package Vacation; also included in charter Air Only; not included in scheduled Air Only. Edited after input from AnnaC.
- Departure Tax $20US pp not included.

USA

- Tourist Card $10US pp not included.
- Departure Tax $20US pp included.

Britain

- Tourist Card $10US pp not included.
- Departure Tax $20US pp not included.

Gregg

AnnaC · May 8, 2006

Gregg I'd like to add that air only on charters from Canada do include the tourist card unless it has changed resently.

Tourist Card

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