The Journal 9 min read
Punta Cana entry requirements for U.S. and Canadian travelers
Passport rules, the e-ticket, fees, customs limits and what to have ready at the airport for Punta Cana.
By The One Happy Aruba Team · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · How we know
Bottom line: U.S. and Canadian citizens enter visa-free for up to 30 days with a passport valid for the stay (the DR's usual six-month rule is waived for U.S., Canadian and E.U. passports through December 31, 2026, so re-check it for 2027 trips) and the free Dominican Republic E-Ticket—an online form that's required both coming and going. The old US$10 tourist card is now bundled into airfare, so expect no surprise fees at the gate, and the customs line at PUJ moves fast—typically 20–30 minutes from landing to your transfer, even with checked bags.
Most first-timers stress over documents more than they need to. The system works. The actual issues that trip people up: fake e-ticket sites that charge for a free form, forgetting to fill out the exit form on the way home, and not having a screenshot of the QR code when airport Wi-Fi inevitably lags.
Entry requirements: U.S. vs. Canadian citizens
| Requirement | U.S. citizens | Canadian citizens |
|---|---|---|
| Passport validity | Valid for the length of stay (six-month rule waived for U.S. passports through Dec 31, 2026) | Valid for the length of stay (six-month rule waived for Canadian passports through Dec 31, 2026) |
| Visa for stays ≤30 days | No visa required | No visa required |
| E-Ticket | Required (entry and exit, separate forms, free at eticket.migracion.gob.do) | Required (entry and exit, separate forms, free at eticket.migracion.gob.do) |
| Tourist card fee | Bundled into airfare (was US$10, now included) | Bundled into airfare (was US$10, now included) |
| Proof of onward travel | A round-trip ticket has been officially required to board since April 2023; have the confirmation handy | Same |
| Travel with minors | Under 18 traveling without both parents need notarized consent letter | Under 18 traveling without both parents need notarized consent letter |
Both nationalities follow the same rules. There's no special paperwork, no arrival fees to worry about. Staying beyond 30 days means an extension fee on a sliding scale, paid online or at airport immigration when you leave—most visitors never need it.
The e-ticket: step by step
The Dominican Republic E-Ticket replaced the old paper customs form and tourist card. It's one combined digital submission covering immigration, customs and health questions. You'll fill it out twice: once before you land, once before you fly home.
Official site: eticket.migracion.gob.do. It's free, in English and Spanish, and takes about five minutes. The old 72-hour window is gone: fill it in as soon as you have flight details, and a family of up to seven can go on one form with a single QR code. You'll enter your flight details, passport info, address in the Dominican Republic (your resort works fine), and answer customs questions—alcohol and tobacco allowances, cash over US$10,000, restricted items.
At the end, you get a QR code. Screenshot it. Airport Wi-Fi at PUJ is spotty, and nobody wants to reload the form standing in line. Officers scan the code at immigration; no paper form, though keep a blank page because you may still get a stamp.
The scam you'll see: Search "Dominican Republic e-ticket" on Google and you'll hit polished sites charging US$35–75 for the exact same free form. They mimic the real site's layout and bury the word "service fee" in small print. One traveler last month paid US$50 thinking it was mandatory. It's not. Bookmark the .gob.do URL before you leave home or ask your resort for the link.
Exit e-ticket: Most people forget this one. You need a second e-ticket before departure. Same site, same process, different QR code. Airlines sometimes check at check-in; immigration always checks. Missing it means filling it out on your phone in the departure hall, which is doable but annoying when you're juggling bags and kids.
You can file the exit form any time before you leave; it's tied to the flight you enter and can be edited up to the day before, so the night before departure, from the resort Wi-Fi, is the easy answer.
Traveling with children, green-card holders and dual citizens
Minors under 18: If both parents are traveling together, bring the child's passport and you're done. If one parent is absent or the child is with grandparents, aunts, friends—you need a notarized consent letter from the absent parent(s) authorizing the trip. Dominican immigration rarely asks for it, but airlines sometimes do at departure, and U.S./Canadian border officers will ask on return. The letter should include the child's name, passport number, travel dates, destination and contact info for the parent giving consent.
Single parents traveling alone: bring the letter anyway. One mom reported being pulled aside at PUJ last year because the officers assumed she was traveling with her ex until she showed the consent form.
Green-card holders and permanent residents: Follow the rules of the passport you're traveling on. If you hold a non-U.S. passport, check whether your country of citizenship needs a visa for the Dominican Republic. Most don't for short stays, but nationals of certain countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East do. Canadians with permanent resident status but non-Canadian passports: same advice.
Dual citizens: Use the passport that matches your ticket and your entry into the U.S. or Canada. You can't switch mid-trip—if you booked as a U.S. citizen, enter and exit the Dominican Republic on your U.S. passport. Dominican immigration doesn't care which one you hold; they care that it's valid and matches your e-ticket.
Customs allowances and what's banned
The e-ticket asks what you're bringing in. Most travelers check "personal effects" and move on. But if you're hauling gifts, cigars or extra gear, know the limits.
Duty-free allowances (per adult):
- 20 packs of cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco
- 3 liters of alcohol (wine, beer and spirits combined)
- Personal electronics (one phone, one laptop, one camera—normal tourist gear)
- Gifts up to US$500 value
Exceed those and you may pay duty. In practice, enforcement is loose for tourists unless you're wheeling in five suitcases. Bags go through an X-ray; officers pull aside anyone who looks commercial. Families bringing baby formula, medications and personal toiletries have zero issues.
What you cannot bring:
- Meat, dairy, fresh produce (they're serious about this—no ham sandwiches from the flight)
- Plants, seeds, soil
- Drones without a permit (you'll need IDAC and CESAC approval in advance; it's a bureaucratic mess and most tour operators won't touch it)
- Firearms and ammunition (unless you've secured prior authorization from the Dominican military—not worth it)
- Narcotics, obviously
What you should declare:
- Cash or monetary instruments over US$10,000 (not illegal to bring, but must be declared)
- Expensive jewelry or equipment you're bringing back out (declare it on entry to avoid hassle on exit)
Bringing stuff home: U.S. citizens can bring back US$800 duty-free (including 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, 100 cigars if not Cuban). Canadians get CAD$800 after 48 hours abroad. The rum and cigars you buy in the resort gift shop fit comfortably under the limit. If you're buying a case of Brugal and boxes of Arturo Fuentes, declare it and pay the small duty—it's cheaper than shipping.
Officers at PUJ rarely open bags unless something on the X-ray raises a flag. The process is quick. One traveler clocked it at 22 minutes from wheels-down to the arrivals hall, bags and all.
Departure day: exit immigration and what to expect
You'll leave from Terminal A or B—same thatched-roof open-air vibe as arrival. Most resorts offer checkout times around 11 a.m. or noon; if your flight is late evening, ask about a day room or late checkout for a fee. Otherwise you'll be killing six hours in the terminal, which has restaurants, bars, duty-free shops and decent Wi-Fi but gets old fast.
Check-in: Airlines open counters three hours before international flights. If you prepaid for checked bags, have that confirmation ready—some carriers charge again at the counter if you can't prove it. Print or screenshot your boarding pass; PUJ agents prefer paper.
Exit e-ticket check: Show your QR code at check-in or at a separate immigration desk before security. If you didn't fill it out yet, there are kiosks and phone access in the terminal, but you'll waste 20 minutes. Do it from your resort the night before.
Security and immigration: Standard metal detectors, bag X-rays, passport stamp (or QR scan). Lines are longest between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. when the New York, Toronto and Miami flights bunch up. Budget 90 minutes from curb to gate during peak hours, 60 minutes off-peak.
Departure tax: There used to be a US$20 exit fee. It's now bundled into your ticket, same as the tourist card. You won't pay anything extra.
Duty-free shopping: Prices on rum (Brugal, Barceló) and cigars are decent, though not dramatically cheaper than U.S. Total Wine if you're near one. Larimar jewelry and local coffee (Santo Domingo brand) make better souvenirs than another bottle of Mama Juana.
One quirk: the departure area has no water fountains, and a 500ml bottle of water costs US$3–4. Bring an empty bottle through security and fill it at a restaurant.
If you've booked your airport transfer back to PUJ through your resort, confirm the pickup time the night before. Traffic from Uvero Alto or Macao can add 15–20 minutes if there's construction on the Autopista.
Mistakes travelers report
1. Paying for the "premium" e-ticket. Third-party sites dress up the free form with "VIP processing" and "fast-track guarantee" language. It's the same form. The only official site is the .gob.do domain. If it asks for a credit card before you've even entered your passport info, close the tab.
2. Not screenshotting the QR code. PUJ's Wi-Fi is functional but slow, and cell service inside the terminal is hit-or-miss depending on your carrier. Save the code as an image, email it to yourself, whatever—just don't rely on live browser access.
3. Forgetting the exit e-ticket. You need two: one for arrival, one for departure. The old 72-hour rule no longer applies, but the form is tied to the flight you enter, so if your return flight changes, update it (edits are allowed up to the day before the flight).
4. Arriving without a return ticket confirmation. Immigration rarely asks, but when they do and you can't produce it, you're stuck. Have the email, a screenshot, a printed copy—something that shows you're leaving.
5. Not bringing small U.S. bills for tips. Resorts accept cards and dollars, but housekeeping, bartenders and bellhops prefer cash. Ones and fives disappear fast; bring US$100–200 in small denominations. ATMs at the airport charge around US$7 per withdrawal and dispense only pesos.
6. Expecting Global Entry or TSA PreCheck to work. Global Entry speeds up your return to the U.S., not entry into the Dominican Republic. Dominican immigration has its own process. Same with PreCheck—it's a U.S. program and doesn't apply at PUJ. One traveler paid US$80 for "VIP customs service" during a labor disruption last year and ended up waiting longer than the standard line. The regular process is efficient enough.
7. Packing restricted items. That leftover sandwich from your connection flight? Toss it before you land. Officers pull bags with organic material. Drones are the other big one—travelers assume they can bring a Mavic for beach shots and end up surrendering it at customs because they didn't secure the permits in advance.
8. Not declaring cash over US$10,000. Bringing it isn't illegal, but failing to declare it is. If you're funding a big family trip or buying property, fill out the form. Getting caught with undeclared cash means confiscation and fines.
If you want a head start on what to do once you're through customs, the getting around guide covers transfers, and the first trip itinerary walks you through the first three days. For month-by-month weather and what to pack, check the seasonal breakdowns under Punta Cana in.