$10 Dominican Republic Tourist Visa

Have you noticed on the invoice for your plane ticket to the Dominican Republic that it includes an additional tax? That tax of $10 is called a “Tourist Visa” or a “Tourist Card” While not all airlines charge you that tax some do, even if you are exempt from the tax. There is a way to get your money back though if the $10.00 is worth the effort to you. On the official site Tourist Tax Refund Form there is a link to a form you can fill out and send in.

In case you can’t read Spanish here is the rundown of the page I am linking too. This page explains the procedure and who qualifies for the refund based on Article 2 of the degree numbered 430-17.

Who Qualifies for the Tourist Card Refund

1. Dominican Citizens who purchased a ticket from a vendor outside of the Dominican Republic after April 25, 2018.
2. Foreigners that have completed the residency process and have a valid Dominican Republic residence card
3. Foreigner that have a valid Dominican Visa and are accredited diplomats of the country.
4. Citizens of foreign countries where the country is part of a bilateral agreement ratified by the Dominican National congress that makes them exempt of the tourist tax.

Your application must be made after the ticket is purchased and within 30 days of entry into the Dominican Republic. The offices of the DGII then have 15 days to process the request and deposit it into your credit card or debit card account.

These are the documents required in order to request this refund of the Tourist Visa

1. A copy of the general data page of your passport
2. A copy of the airline ticket with a breakdown of the taxes and fees which shows the Dominican Republic tourist visa tax.
3. In the case of a Dominican Republic Resident you will need to have a copy of your residency card or valid Dominican Republic Visa.
4. In the case of Foreign Diplomats you will need to provide a cop of your diplomatic credentials for the Dominican Republic.

While that seems like a lot of work for $10.00 at leas they give you the opportunity to decide whether it is worth it to you or not. So if you have a strong aversion to paying unnecessary taxes here is your opportunity to get your Tourist Visa tax refunded.