Country topic
Visas in Dominican Republic
US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens can visit as tourists without a visa. DGII's list of nationalities that must apply for a visa names none of the four, so you enter with the tourist card: US$10, single entry, up to 30 days. Since 25 April 2018 the card has been included in air tickets issued outside the country, and by land or sea you buy it at the border. Smartraveller's archived page still says Australians buy it on arrival, so check what your ticket includes. [V1] [V2] [V3] [V4] DGM's stay-extension page (archived October 2025) says a stay can be extended up to 120 days, at RD$3,500 for 30 to 90 days and RD$5,600 for 90 to 120 days; the request itself is free and made online. The Government of Canada says to ask at the Migration Department in Santo Domingo before your card expires, while the Montreal consulate's FAQ says an extra month is charged at the airport on exit at RD$2,500 (about US$50), so the pages disagree on the charge. Overstaying can mean deportation or refusal of re-entry. [V5] [V2] [V6]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens can visit as tourists without a visa. DGII's list of nationalities that must apply for a visa names none of the four, so you enter with the tourist card: US$10, single entry, up to 30 days. Since 25 April 2018 the card has been included in air tickets issued outside the country, and by land or sea you buy it at the border. Smartraveller's archived page still says Australians buy it on arrival, so check what your ticket includes. [V1] [V2] [V3] [V4]
- DGM's stay-extension page (archived October 2025) says a stay can be extended up to 120 days, at RD$3,500 for 30 to 90 days and RD$5,600 for 90 to 120 days; the request itself is free and made online. The Government of Canada says to ask at the Migration Department in Santo Domingo before your card expires, while the Montreal consulate's FAQ says an extra month is charged at the airport on exit at RD$2,500 (about US$50), so the pages disagree on the charge. Overstaying can mean deportation or refusal of re-entry. [V5] [V2] [V6]
- The e-ticket is a free electronic entry and exit form that every passenger completes for each entry and each exit, before boarding (the Atlas Visa Map's record of DGM's portal, May 2026; the Government of Canada and Smartraveller say the same). It does not replace the tourist card. At entry you may be asked to show funds for your stay, the address where you will stay and a return or onward ticket, and the Government of Canada says a Canadian passport must be valid for 6 months after arrival. [V7] [V2] [V4]
- We found no remote-worker or digital nomad residence route in force. A January 2026 newspaper interview says a project had been presented but names no decree or law, and a June 2026 opinion piece asks the president when a framework will come. MIREX lists residence visas (RS) only for family ties, investors, and pensioners or rentistas. Whether a visitor may work remotely is unknown; DGII says the right of entry on the tourist card is lost if the holder takes up gainful activity in the country. [V8] [V9] [V10] [V1]
- The pensioner route (Law 171-07) asks for a pension of at least US$1,500 a month, or the peso equivalent (to be safe, more than US$1,600), plus about US$300 a month for each dependant (to be safe, more than US$300 each). DGM asks for a certificate from the foreign government, agency or private company that pays it, translated by a judicial interpreter and apostilled. Salary does not count. The law sets no minimum age (article 4). [V11] [V12] [V10]
- The rentista route asks for a permanent monthly income of at least US$2,000 (to be safe, more than US$2,100) from a foreign company or body, plus about US$300 a month for each dependant (more than US$300 each). The law (article 6) asks for proof that the rent is stable and has run at least five years, and copies of cheques or transfer notices showing it entering the country. DGM lists dividends from a foreign company, foreign property contracts or foreign bank investments held for five years. Salary does not count. [V13] [V12] [V10]
- Residence has two steps. First an RS residence visa from a Dominican consulate (US$200 for rentistas and retirees; MIREX gives 10 to 20 working days, valid 60 days for one entry). Then you apply to DGM through its online portal and deposit the originals within 30 days of arriving: passport valid 6 months on DGM's current pages (an archived English rentista page says 18), a federal police certificate for the last five years, a Dominican bank letter, a guarantee policy from a DGM-authorised insurer and medical exams at an authorised institution. DGM's pages give 90 working days (Law 171-07 says 45) and fees of RD$28,800 for the file, RD$3,500 for the card and RD$6,300 for exams, RD$38,600 in all; the policy premium is unknown. [V10] [V14] [V11] [V13] [V15] [V16] [V12]
- How long the status lasts is unconfirmed. DGM's pages describe residence for one year, and Law 171-07 (article 8) says renewal brings a card valid for two years. Law 285-04, in a law firm's copy, lists pensioners and rentistas among permanent residents (article 33) and gives a definitive card after 10 years of legal residence (article 46). Ordinary temporary residence (RT-9) lasts one year and asks for a bank certification of at least RD$300,000 (to be safe, more than RD$310,000) or a property title, all Dominican; an archived May 2025 page of DGM named no amount. Permanent residence (RP-1) otherwise follows five years of RT-9 renewals. [V12] [V17] [V18] [V19] [V20]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades visas, by passport.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for CA passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for AU passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for NZ passports is being checked
The country
More on Dominican Republic.
Topics
More about Dominican Republic.
Questions about Visas in Dominican Republic.
Do I need a visa to visit the Dominican Republic as a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand citizen?
No visa is needed for a tourist visit. DGII's list of nationalities that need one names none of the four, so you enter with the US$10 tourist card, which is included in air tickets issued outside the country. You must also complete the free e-ticket entry and exit form before each flight.
How long can I stay in the Dominican Republic as a tourist, and can I extend?
The tourist card allows up to 30 days. DGM says a stay can be extended up to 120 days: RD$3,500 for 30 to 90 days and RD$5,600 for 90 to 120 days. Official pages differ on where and how the charge is paid, so confirm with DGM. Overstaying can mean deportation or refusal of re-entry.
Is there a digital nomad visa in the Dominican Republic?
We found none in force. A January 2026 newspaper interview says a project had been presented, and a June 2026 opinion piece asks for a framework. MIREX lists residence visas only for family ties, investors, and pensioners or rentistas. Whether a visitor may work remotely is unknown.
What income does the Dominican pensioner or rentista residence need?
A foreign pension (to be safe, more than US$1,600 a month), or foreign rents, dividends or similar income (more than US$2,100 a month), plus a further amount per dependant (more than US$300 each). Salary does not count, and there is no minimum age.
How do I apply for residence as a pensioner or rentista?
First an RS residence visa from a Dominican consulate (US$200, valid 60 days for one entry). Then apply to DGM within 30 days of arriving, with a police certificate, a Dominican bank letter, a guarantee policy and medical exams. DGM's pages give 90 working days and RD$38,600 in fees.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [V1] About the tourist card (Tarjeta de Turista), Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V2] Dominican Republic travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V3] Dominican Republic international travel information (entry, exit and visa requirements), US Department of State, Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V4] Dominican Republic travel advice (archived copy), Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Smartraveller), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V5] Stay extension for foreigners (Spanish page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V6] Frequently asked questions (Spanish), Consulado General de la República Dominicana en Montreal (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V7] E-ticket: mandatory electronic entry and exit form (Atlas Visa Map record), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), as recorded by the Atlas Visa Map. Checked 18 May 2026.
- [V8] Visa de nómada digital: qué es, cómo funciona y a quiénes beneficia, El Día (Dominican newspaper; private). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V9] A data-driven case for a digital nomad visa (opinion piece), Dominican Today (news site, opinion by the organiser of a digital nomad summit; not official). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V10] Visas: types, requirements and fees for tourist, business and residence visas (Spanish), Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX), Servicios360. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V11] Residencia por inversión en calidad de jubilado o pensionado, Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Dominican Republic. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V12] Law 171-07: special incentives for foreign-source pensioners and rentistas (full text), Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII), official law text. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V13] Residencia por inversión en calidad de rentista, Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Dominican Republic. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V14] Consular fees, including residence visas, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX), Servicios360. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V15] Residence by investment as a retiree or pensioner (English page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V16] Residence by investment as a rentista (English page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V17] Ley General de Migración No. 285-04, Congreso Nacional de la República Dominicana (copy published by the law firm DrLawyer.com; private copy). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V18] Residencia temporal (RT-9), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Dominican Republic. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V19] Ordinary temporary residence (RT-9) (English page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.
- [V20] Permanent residence application (RP-1) (English page), Dirección General de Migración (DGM), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026.