Tourist Card Info

I will be visiting Punta Cana in January and have read about a $10.00 tourist card that you should purchase at the airport. What is the card for? Do you really need it? My travel agent does not seem to know anything about this card. Help!!!

The card is required. You will not be permitted into the Dominican Republic without it and either a passport or picture id accompanied by a birth certificate with a raised seal. (I am assuming from your ISP address that you are a citizen of the US.)

Are you flying a charter or scheduled air? Often charter flights include the tourist card. If not, it is easily purchased in some US airports or in the DR.

You will also need to be prepared to pay a departure tax of $10 US unless you are flying from La Romana. The tax there is $15 US.

Yes you need it. It is required to enter the DR. But don't panic, if you can't find one, you will be able to purchase one at immigration when you arrive.

The tourist card on arrival is actually your tourist visa which is what you are paying for.
On your departure you are paying a Departure tax.
No big deal,a lot of countries have this requirement.
Sometimes the airlines will give you the card ahead of time to fill out,if not you will receive it usually from the immigration officer upon entry.
Try to have the exact amount ready upon arrival,they tend to frown upon anything larger than a twenty dollar bill.
Enjoy your trip.

Tony

that is pretty sad if your travel agent doesn't know anything about it........it is required to enter and leave the country.
Just make sure when you pay for it when you get there, that you get some sort of receipt(I think it is a yellow piece of paper) because they didn't give me it after I paid for it. When I was leaving the country, I had to talk to some guy that was part of immigration, I think. Well, the plane was waiting for me, it was not a pleasant situation.

Suggestion - buy the Tourist Card at the airport on the US side if possible before you leave. It'll save you time standing in line to purchase it when you get to the DR.

FYI regarding the Departure Tax - in the past, they have accepted $10US cash ONLY, not RD Pesos or any other form of currency. However, twice this year at Las Americas in Santo Domingo they've taken pesos or dollars. Perhaps they've changed the rule. But just to be on the safe side, keep $10US per person handy until the end of your trip for the Departure Tax.

Re: Tourist Card Info *PIC*

See www.BocaChicaBeach.net/transport.html for a picture of a tourist card, the front and back of a customs form, and some photos of the Punta Cana Airport, which is one of the most interesting airports I've ever visited (it looks like a giant grass hut, complete with thatch roof and walls made of coral). Don't forget to bring a pen along.

If you are flying into Punta Cana, the chances are 80% that you are coming in on a charter. Ask your travel representative if the tourist card is included in the price of your ticket, because they often are with charter flights. Ditto for the departure tax.

If you are flying in on a regularly scheduled commercial flight (that would have to be American Airlines if originating in the USA and flying into Punta Cana or La Romana airports), check at both the ticket counter and gate to see if one if available for purchase ahead of time. They usually are, and you avoid waiting in line upon arrival.

Jim Hinsch
JimHinsch@CSI.COM

We just came home last Friday from Punta Cana. We flew UPS Charter. When you enter the airport you are required to purchase a $10 Tourist Visa for each person. Then you must fill it out before clearing immigration. Its no big deal. On the way out of Punta Cana we weren't required to pay anything. I assume our departure tax was included in our vacation package.

It's no a receipt. It's a copy (yellow) of the tourist card which you have to give them back upon departure.