Dominican Republic visa for UK citizens: 30 days visa-free and the E-ticket

Yes, for a holiday. A British citizen can visit the Dominican Republic for tourism without a visa for 30 days, according to GOV.UK. Before you fly you complete a free online entry and exit form, called the E-ticket, and keep its QR code (Quick Response code) ready. Until 31 December 2026 your passport only needs to be valid for the whole visit, and GOV.UK says the rules may change after that date.

This guide is for travellers leaving the UK on a full British citizen passport, the group that GOV.UK's entry requirements for the Dominican Republic are written for. It covers the 30-day stay, the passport rule, the E-ticket, the fees we could find, cash and customs, and the safety and health points from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Work, study and long stays are outside it: the Dominican Republic Immigration Service can confirm those.

What this page rests on: GOV.UK, plus two Dominican sources we could read on 3 November 2026, the Ministry of Tourism's entry requirements page and the Customs Directorate's traveller manual. The Immigration Service's own website and the E-ticket portal refused our request that day, so we could not read the form itself. The Ministry page carries no update date. Where sources differ or say nothing, the page says so.

GOV.UK gives one figure: 30 days for tourism without a visa. Stays for work, study or business must meet the Dominican government's entry requirements, which this guide does not cover. GOV.UK adds that you can pay to extend your visit up to 120 days by contacting the Dominican Republic Immigration Service, and it gives no fee.

The Ministry of Tourism page describes a charge from a different angle. It says that if you stay beyond 30 days you should 'expect an additional fee upon departure', 'determined on a sliding scale according to the total length of your stay'. We found no amount on either page. We also cannot tell from the sources whether that departure fee and the paid extension are the same thing, so ask the Immigration Service before you plan to stay longer than 30 days.

Because that is the date the current measure ends. GOV.UK says that up until 31 December 2026 British passport holders can enter and leave the Dominican Republic for tourism as long as the passport remains valid for the duration of the visit. It adds that the rules may change after that date.

The Ministry of Tourism describes the same thing as 'exceptional measures on the validity of tourist passports', valid from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2026, for nationals of the EU, the UK, Canada, the US, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador travelling only for tourism. Its general list of requirements for foreign tourists names a passport valid for at least six months, and presents the 2026 measure as an exception to it. Neither page says what applies from 1 January 2027, so we state no rule for that date. If you fly in 2027, read GOV.UK again before you book and renew a passport that is close to expiry.

Two other passport points come from GOV.UK. You will be denied entry without a valid travel document, or with a passport reported lost or stolen. And if you hold another nationality as well, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement when returning to the UK.

The E-ticket is the Dominican Republic's electronic entry and exit form. GOV.UK says you must fill in an entry and exit form before arriving in and leaving the country, that it covers a customs declaration and an international boarding and disembarking form, and that you get a QR code you may be asked to show at check-in, on arrival or when leaving. GOV.UK does not use the word E-ticket, it links to the form's online portal. The Ministry of Tourism does call it the E-ticket, and says the electronic entry and exit form is free.

On timing the two pages use different words. GOV.UK says you can fill the form in up to 7 days before you arrive. The Ministry says it is no longer required 72 hours before the trip and must be completed before you reach the airline check-in counter. We read them together as: open the form in the week before you arrive and finish it before you check in. That is our reading, not an official sentence.

Families get a single QR code, according to the Ministry, and it suggests printing the arrival and departure QR codes or taking a screenshot of each. It also says passengers arriving on private flights, non-commercial vessels, ferries or cruise ships do not need to fill in the E-ticket. The Customs Directorate's own site lists the same portal under its combined migration and customs passenger declaration, and the Dominican embassy in London calls the electronic entry and exit form mandatory before travelling.

We could not open the portal to read the form, so we do not list its questions. Type the address shown on GOV.UK and the Ministry page, eticket.migracion.gob.do, yourself rather than following a link from a search result.

We found no tourist card. GOV.UK's entry requirements do not mention one, and the word does not appear on the Ministry of Tourism's requirements page either, so we say nothing about a card or its price. If a website asks you to pay for one, check it against those two pages first.

The fees the sources do name are few. The Ministry says the departure tax is US$20 (about £15) and 'already included in your airline ticket fare'. GOV.UK does not mention a departure tax, so this rests on the Ministry alone. The other charges are the ones in the stay section: an additional fee on departure after 30 days, and a paid extension, with no amounts given.

GOV.UK says you may be refused entry if you cannot show proof of onward or return travel, and that border officials take your fingerprints and a photograph before letting you in.

The Ministry of Tourism lists wider requirements for foreign tourists: air, sea or land tickets for entry and return, a permanent address in the Dominican Republic, and proof of enough funds to cover the stay. GOV.UK mentions only the ticket. Neither page says which of these officers check in practice for British passports, or what counts as proof, so as our own suggestion carry the address where you are staying and a way to show your return booking.

For children aged 17 and under travelling alone, GOV.UK tells parents to check the requirements with the airline and the Dominican Republic Immigration Service before the trip.

The Customs Directorate's traveller manual, written in Spanish, says cash of US$10,000 (about £7,450) or its equivalent in Dominican pesos or another currency, and bearer securities, must be declared to its officers when you enter or leave. The same manual allows gifts worth up to US$500 (about £370) once every three months, and tobacco of 20 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams. The translation is ours.

Alcohol is where two official sources disagree: the Customs Directorate and the Ministry of Tourism give different allowances for adults, so we quote neither. Ask the Customs Directorate before you pack spirits. The Ministry also says medicines for personal use are allowed in quantities that justify the passenger's own use. GOV.UK's wording is general: there are strict rules on goods, and you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

GOV.UK's safety and security page for the Dominican Republic opens bluntly: the crime rate is high, from opportunistic bag-snatching to violent crime and carjacking. It says assault, rape and sexual aggression against foreigners have occurred, including at beach resorts, and that foreigners have been mugged at gunpoint or knifepoint in the daytime.

Its most recent change, in the advice updated on 7 August 2026, concerns outdoor activities and adventure tourism. GOV.UK warns that providers of recreational and adventure tourism may not meet UK safety standards, and asks you to check standards with the operator before you take part in water sports and similar activities.

For getting around, GOV.UK says taxis can be cheap but many are in poor condition, and recommends an official airport or hotel taxi service or a registered provider. Political demonstrations sometimes happen, though not usually near tourist areas: avoid large gatherings and follow the authorities' instructions. The hurricane season in the Caribbean normally runs from June to November, and hurricanes can cause localised flooding and damage to buildings.

GOV.UK says there are severe penalties for all drug offences, and that possessing even small quantities of any drug can lead to a fine and a prison sentence. It also says to carry copies of the photo page of your passport and your entry stamp.

A UK photocard driving licence lets you drive in the Dominican Republic for up to 3 months, according to GOV.UK. If you still have a paper licence you may need to update it or get the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP), and hire companies often set stricter conditions of their own. GOV.UK points out that the country has a high death rate from road traffic accidents, and gives +1 829 689 1000 as the national roadside assistance number. Same-sex sexual relations are legal, but same-sex marriages are not legally recognised.

Check the latest vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before you go, using TravelHealthPro's Dominican Republic country page and the National Health Service (NHS) travel vaccinations page. GOV.UK says what you need depends on your circumstances and may include a yellow fever certificate. Its health page lists malaria, Oropouche virus disease and dengue as risks, and says tap water is not drinkable.

On care, GOV.UK says public medical facilities are generally limited, while private hospitals offer good standards of care although they can be expensive. It also says that in some cases visitors who cannot pay their hospital bills are stopped from leaving the country until the debt is paid. In an emergency, call 911 and ask for an ambulance if you are in Santo Domingo. Outside Santo Domingo, GOV.UK gives the tourist police, known as Politur, on +1 809 200 3500.

Six points, in this order. Read the FCDO advice again the day before you leave, because it can change without notice.

1. Check that your passport is valid for the whole visit, and read GOV.UK again if you travel after 31 December 2026.
2. Complete the E-ticket on the official portal in the week before you arrive, and save the QR code on your phone and on paper.
3. Keep your return or onward booking ready for the airline and the border.
4. Plan for 30 days at most, or ask the Immigration Service about an extension before you go.
5. Declare cash of US$10,000 (about £7,450) or its equivalent, and ask Customs about alcohol if you plan to carry any.
6. Save copies of your passport photo page and entry stamp once you arrive.

Our entry requirements hub lists every destination we have checked for British passports, and the rules for each one are dated.

• Do I need a visa for the Dominican Republic with a British passport?

  Not for tourism. GOV.UK says you can visit without a visa for 30 days (GOV.UK, checked on 3 November 2026).

• What is the Dominican Republic E-ticket?

  It is the electronic entry and exit form. GOV.UK says you must complete it before arriving in and leaving the country and keep the QR code it gives you. The Ministry of Tourism says it is free.

• How early can I complete the E-ticket?

  GOV.UK says up to 7 days before you arrive. The Ministry of Tourism says it must be done before you reach the airline check-in counter and is no longer needed 72 hours ahead.

• Is there a Dominican Republic tourist card?

  The sources we read, GOV.UK and the Ministry of Tourism, do not mention one, so we state no card and no price.

• How long must my passport be valid?

  For travel up to 31 December 2026, GOV.UK says it must remain valid for the duration of your visit. It says the rules may change after that date, so check again if you fly later.

• How long can I stay, and can I extend?

  30 days without a visa. GOV.UK says you can pay to extend up to 120 days through the Dominican Republic Immigration Service, and gives no fee.

• Is there a departure tax?

  The Ministry of Tourism says it is US$20 (about £15) and already included in your airline ticket fare. GOV.UK does not mention it.

• How much cash can I bring in?

  The Customs Directorate says cash of US$10,000 (about £7,450) or its equivalent must be declared when you enter or leave.

• Can I drive on my UK licence?

  A UK photocard licence is valid for up to 3 months, according to GOV.UK. A paper licence may need updating or the correct IDP.

• Do cruise passengers need the E-ticket?

  The Ministry of Tourism says passengers arriving on cruise ships, ferries, private flights and non-commercial vessels do not need to fill it in. GOV.UK does not give that exception, so confirm it with your cruise line.