Every passenger entering or leaving the Dominican Republic on a commercial flight has to complete a digital form called the E-Ticket. It is free, it takes about ten minutes, and it produces a QR code you show at the airport. That is genuinely the whole thing — but there are a handful of details that trip people up, most notably that a round trip needs two separate forms, and that a number of paid look-alike websites will happily charge you for a government service that costs nothing. This guide covers what you need, how to do it, and the specific mistakes worth avoiding.
One note before anything else: entry requirements change, and this is a summary rather than an authority. Always confirm current rules on the official government site before you travel.
What the E-Ticket Actually Is
The E-Ticket is a single digital form that combines what used to be three separate paper documents: the immigration card, the customs declaration, and the public health form. It is administered by the Dirección General de Migración together with Customs and the Ministry of Public Health, and it is completed at eticket.migracion.gob.do. Paper forms were phased out in 2021 and the digital version has been mandatory since.
It applies to everyone — foreign visitors and Dominican nationals alike, arriving and departing. It is not a visa and not a tourist card. The tourist card is a separate thing, and for almost all visitors it is already included in the price of your airline ticket, so it needs no action from you. The E-Ticket does.
The Two-Forms Rule
This is the single most common mistake, so it goes near the top. A round trip requires two E-Tickets: one for arrival and one for departure. You will end up with two separate QR codes. People routinely complete the entry form, have a great holiday, and then discover at the airport on departure day that they need another one.
The practical fix is to do both before you leave home, while you have reliable internet and your flight details in front of you. Save both QR codes to your phone, and screenshot them rather than relying on an email you'd need a connection to open. Filling out the departure form at the airport is possible but adds friction on a morning when you don't want any.
Before You Start: What to Have Ready
Gather these first and the form takes ten minutes instead of thirty. Your passport, for the number, issue and expiry dates, and exact name spelling. Your flight details — airline, flight number, and booking reference — for both arrival and departure. Your accommodation address: the hotel name is usually enough for a resort, but for a rental or private address you'll need province, municipality and sector. And if you're travelling as a family, the passport details of everyone you're including.
That last point is a genuine convenience: one person can complete a single form covering up to seven family members travelling together, rather than filling out separate forms for each. The customs declaration section only applies to adults; children are exempt from it.
How to Fill It Out
Go directly to eticket.migracion.gob.do. Check the address bar shows the .gob.do domain — this matters and we'll come back to it. Use the language selector in the top-right; English, Spanish, French and Italian are available. Choose "New E-Ticket" to begin.
You'll indicate whether you're travelling with others and add their details if so, then work through personal and passport information, flight details, and accommodation. If your hometown isn't in the dropdown, select the nearest major city — this is a known quirk and not a problem. Adults complete the customs declaration; you're asked about currency over the declarable threshold and restricted goods.
The system generates an application code as you go. Save it. If you need to stop partway, or return later to correct something, that code is how you get back into your form — use the consultation or access option on the homepage rather than starting over. When you submit, you get a QR code. Screenshot it and, if you like, print it. Then repeat the whole process for your departure form.
Timing: When to Do It
There used to be a rule requiring completion 72 hours before travel. That requirement has been removed — you can now fill it out as soon as you have your flight information, even months ahead. What still holds is that it must be done before you reach the airline counter, because the airline will ask to see it at check-in.
Our suggestion is to complete both forms a few days out rather than months ahead, simply because flight numbers occasionally change and it's easier to enter correct details than to go back and amend them. A week before departure is a sensible window.
The Copycat Site Problem
Search for the Dominican E-Ticket and you'll find third-party sites offering to complete it for you for a fee, some of which look convincingly official. The form is free. There is no processing charge, no expedite option, and no legitimate reason to pay anyone for it.
The reliable test is the domain. Official Dominican government sites use .gob.do, .gov.do or .mil.do. If the address is anything else, you're not on the government site. And the simplest rule of all: if you are asked for credit card details at any point, stop — you're on a site that is charging you for something free, and you're handing card details to an operator with no reason to have them.
Some airlines send passengers a link to the form ahead of travel. Those are generally fine, but it costs nothing to check the domain before entering anything.
Other Entry Details Worth Knowing
A few things around the E-Ticket that come up regularly. On passports: a temporary measure introduced in December 2024 and in force until 31 December 2026 allows tourists from the EU, UK, Canada, US, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador to enter on a passport valid for the duration of their stay, rather than the six-months-beyond-departure rule that otherwise applies. Because that is a dated measure, confirm it on the official tourism entry requirements page before you travel.
The departure tax is US$20 and is already built into your airline ticket, so there is nothing to pay at the airport. Passport cards are not accepted for international flights — you need the book. And if you overstay your permitted period, there's a fine, payable either in advance to the immigration office or at the airport on departure.
Arrival at Punta Cana Airport
Punta Cana International (PUJ) is an unusual airport — open-air, thatched-roof terminals, and generally a pleasant arrival. You'll show your E-Ticket QR code along with your passport at immigration. Have it open on your phone before you join the queue rather than searching for it at the desk.
A screenshot is better than a link. Airport wifi is inconsistent and if you've just landed you may not have working mobile data yet — which is a good reason to read our guide to sorting out cell service and eSIM before you fly. Arrival queues at PUJ can be long when several wide-bodies land together, so allow for it if you have a pickup waiting.
The Bottom Line
The E-Ticket is free, mandatory, and takes ten minutes at eticket.migracion.gob.do. Fill out two forms per round trip — arrival and departure — before you leave home, screenshot both QR codes, and save the application code in case you need to go back in. One form can cover up to seven family members. Never pay for it, and never enter card details; check the domain ends in .gob.do. The 72-hour advance requirement no longer applies, but it must be done before airline check-in. If you're planning dives with us and want to line up dates while you're sorting your paperwork, message us through our contact form with your travel dates and hotel.
