UPDATE
You no longer need to buy this card at the airport. The airlines are applying an extra $10 to your plane tickets on behalf of the dominican government, this should greatly decrease the time you spend in customs.
For some travelers buying a tourist card is a necessary purchase when visiting Punta Cana. You have a choice of buying the card at customs at the airport or online before your trip.
As you are entering the Dominican Republic, it is necessary to have a tourist card to exit from the airport.
Punta Cana International Airport Information
According to the of Punta Cana customs and immigration desk, you’ll receive a 30-day tourist card, instead of a visitor’s visa. The cost is $10. (There is also a departure tax when you are leaving; this cost is usually included in your airfare.
You should check with the carrier regarding this fee.)
The tourist card is valid for a year; requirements when purchasing it at the airport include a valid passport and payment of the $10 fee.
Be prepared to wait in line if you choose to buy the card at the airport. If the transfer to your resort involves other people, you will also have to wait for them.
If you are carrying things, are with others and the airport is busy, it just makes sense to have the tourist card before you arrive. You can read some advice here.
Buying the Card Online
Update
You no longer need to buy this card at the airport. The airlines are applying an extra $10 to your plane tickets on behalf of the dominican government, this should greatly decrease the time you spend in customs.
It is smart to buy the tourist card before you get to the Dominican Republic; you can buy it online here. Why wait in line when you can purchase it from the comfort of your home before you leave?
As you were entering the Dominican Republic it is necessary to have a tourist card, so why not be prepared and have it ready when you arrive? Traveling is stressful enough, and being prepared is one of the best ways to cut down on the stress of standing in line and waiting for entry into the country.
Additionally, you will not be holding up others if your resort includes the transfer and there are others going with you.
You can go to the airport website and scroll down to the icon that says, Tourist Card. Click on it; if you see Spanish text, just click on the green bar and you will get to a page that can take your order.
Just select the number of cards that you want to purchase, pay, and you will have that out of the way before you even board the plane.
Buying the card online is a good decision. Then, relax and have fun on your Punta Cana vacation.
My fiancée , Australian, has been conducting a Government job in Dominican Republic for the past 7 weeks, now completed. He was at the airport today, ticket & baggage paid for & booked, but was advised by the airlines he had to pay $2000 AUD for a travel ticket. He has US $’s but they declined stating he MUST pay in AUD!
This is a very urgent matter can you please advise ASAP
REGARDS Renee Stubbs
I am from Zambia traveling to Dominican end of this month as a tourist do I need a visa to go to Dominican republic
If your plane ticket was purchased with credit card points, do you then have to purchase the tourist card separately?
I don’t think so since the tourist card should be already fixed on the ticket price regardless of payment method.
How would we verify that the fee was already added to airfare? Call the airline? Traveling via Copa Airlines. Thanks!
Yes, you can call the airline and ask them if that tax is included; if you purchased your tickets recently it’s more likely than not that it is already included since the airlines even automatically charge this tax to dominicans and we then have to ask for a refund to our tax authority.
Do you need to buy a tourist card if you have a valid passport?
Hi Debra, yes, the tourist card is like a visa to visit the DR, or more like a tax.