Dominican authorities automated airport fast-track migration AutoGate service is now available for free to Dominican e-passport holders. Dominican travelers holding the country’s new electronic passport (e-passport) no longer need to register beforehand to use the AutoGate rapid-pass system at participating international airports. Obtaining the e-passport (cost around RD$6,000) comes with AutoGate.
The measure was announced jointly by Lorenzo David Ramírez Uribe, director general of the Passports Agency (DGP) and Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester (ARD), director general of the Migration Agency (DGM). The automated system is operational at Las Americas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo and Cibao International Airport (STI) in Santiago. There are plans to expand the service across all terminals equipped with DGM electronic control gates.
Under the new workflow, citizens traveling with an e-passport scan their document directly at the automated kiosks for both entry and exit processing, bypassing migration inspector desks entirely. The process relies on real-time technological integration established through a joint technical working group formed two years ago. When an e-passport is scanned at an airport reader, the system automatically queries biometric data stored in the DGP database and cross-references it with DGM and Central Electoral Board (JCE) records. Migration Agency director Lee Ballester described the framework as “tripartite interoperability.”
Passport Agency director Ramírez Uribe noted that the e-passport was designed specifically to integrate with automated border infrastructure to reduce friction for travelers. DGM officials clarified that citizens holding legacy machine-readable passports can still access AutoGate by completing the standard pre-registration process at DGM offices or government service hubs (Puntos GOB). A fee is required, though. Citizens holding unexpired traditional passports can upgrade to the new e-passport ahead of schedule.
The press release from the Migration Agency announcing the new measures says that the automated border expansion operates under the Abinader administration’s Zero Bureaucracy initiative aimed at modernizing public sector services. Authorities also confirmed ongoing plans to establish passport renewal stations directly inside the nation’s international airports.
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Migration Agency
Noticias SIN
27 August 2026