Explore: Dominican Republic - Formalities
Clearance
The SailClear advance web notification service for clearance is now operational here. Completing the online forms prior to checking in may save a lot of time at Customs. For a full explanation of this service and other web clearance services in the Caribbean see report: Eastern Caribbean Cruising: Clearance Procedures Simplified
In all DR ports, no departure is permitted after 1800 hours. Arrivals can arrive at any time, but it is preferred that you arrive between 8 AM and 4 PM if possible.
In all ports, you must announce your arrival to the commandancia by VHF channel 16. If no answer, report directly to the Commandancia on arrival. The Commandancia is the office of Marina Guerra, which is the Coast Guard. You must check in with them as well as Immigration. Some Ports require Customs as well.
Fly the yellow Quarantine Flag when you arrive and also the Dominican Republic Courtesy flag. Wait to be boarded, as it is illegal to land before clearance.
Ports of Entry
To enter the Dominican Republic you must arrive at a “Puerto Habilitado” (Ports that have a clearing in and out facilities).
On the North Shore, this includes Manzanillo, Luperon and Puerto Plata. If you arrive at Monticristi, they will send to Manzanillo for Immigration for you.
On the East Coast, you can clear in or out at Santa Barbara de Samana, as well as Cap Cana and Punta Cana.
On the South Coast, you can clear in or out at Santo Domingo, Boca Chica and Casa de Campo. At Las Salinas, although a Port of Entry, it is best just used for clearing out.
Clearance Procedure
Officials to see are:
- Immigration for the Visa
- Coast Guard for papers from previous harbour and despacho to next harbour
- Department of Drug Enforcement to check for illegal drugs
- M-2 which is Intelligence and who goes along with the drug inspection officer
- Customs may appear and require a form to be filled out. This does not occur in every port and not all the time. The requirement exists but is inconsistent as most customs work is directed to commercial yachts.
All officials will ask for tips throughout the DR. There are places where one clearance fee can be paid that covers all, including tips. In other places, there are various “invented” fees, which are outlined on the individual port pages. This custom is a form of “direct tax” as the officials get paid so little per month. The entire country works on tips and commissions, so in short, get accustomed to it or don’t sail to the DR.
A 90-day cruising permit will be granted on arrival (and can be renewed for an additional 90 days). For details of charges to pay to see Fees. Some marinas will offer a clearance service with an all-inclusive charge. Sometimes this is much simpler than visiting all the various offices, which for some can be lengthy and complicated.
Any boat that comes into a DR harbour is under DR jurisdiction. If they do not want to stay, the authorities may permit them to depart provided they have not set foot on land. If they have set foot on land, then they must clear in and clear out.
The DR is concerned about illegal emigration and drug smuggling and monitors ports closely. Most cruising boats are not searched. However, if a boat meets the profile, such as coming from Jamaica and /or an all-male crew, it is likely it will be searched. Additionally, the DR has agreements with the USA. If a vessel is clearing out to the US mainland or Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands, usually an additional step that requires that dogs come on your boat, will be required.
Moving Harbour to Harbour within the DR
The Coast Guard (Marina Guerra) issues the Despacho from harbour to harbour. Despachos are issued only to “Puerto Habilitado” (Ports that have a clearing in and out facilities). Stopping between official ports may be done with your Despacho provided you have a reason, such as needing to take a rest, mechanical work etc. Whilst there is no official charge for a local despacho to go to the next DR harbour, the Coast Guard usually expects $20 to $25 to “clear out to a local destination”.
Departure Clearance
When you are ready to leave the DR, you must get an International Despacho from Marina Guerra. Depending on where you are clearing to, you will be asked to pay a “tip” (not voluntary) for the time involved. The most expensive departure would be to the US mainland, Puerto Rico or the US Virgins, as the staff and dogs must be brought in from Santo Domingo. This to comply with US requirements imposed on the DR. For an easier check-out, pick a non-US destination and then take it from there.
Note that once you have been issued with a Despacho, you must depart within 1 hour or your Despacho will be taken away and you will have to obtain a new one the next day.
In some ports, Despacho conditions might be more relaxed if you are simply moving to the next port with a domestic Despacho.
If the weather is “strong”, the Coast Guard may refuse to allow you to depart as at times they close down the coast (including commercial craft). Your departure Despacho will be withheld until conditions are deemed safe. Some cruisers have expressed anger about this in the past, but the DR has their own reasons for maintaining the safety of their coast and the security of their environment. There have been occasions in the past when boats have been lost, in particular on the north coast in heavy weather, where the vessel has ended up on the coast, leaking fuel into the sea.
Notes
- All harbours in the DR are on heightened alert as the vigilance against drug runners has increased, which can at times cause a short delay when clearing in or out.
- Several ports are best to avoid, unless one has special permission (e.g., Puerto Plata’s commercial harbour and Azua).
- Some of the intermediate ports get more traffic and the officials at those ports are easier to deal with. Some ports or anchorages like Punta Macao on the east end have a reputation for asking for a fee for stopping, although such requests do not have to be honoured.
- See this Useful Clarification of Fees in the DR by Frank Virgintino, which explains very well how the system works here for visiting cruising yachts.
If wishing to stay for more than 6 months
For stays of longer than 90 days, foreign-flagged yachts may have to apply for a “Certificate of Navigability” in order to obtain a despacho to leave the country. The cost for the Certificate is more or less $20 US per foot. Once the fee is paid, a “Certificate of Navigability” is issued for one year which is renewable.
The best way to get this Certificate is in Santo Domingo at the central Coast Guard Office (expect to pay a tip), not at the local port.
In certain cases the issuing of this certificate includes a criminal records background check, therefore your departure is likely to be delayed if an application for it is not made at the right time.
No such certificate is required for stays of less than 90 days.
See DR Crusing Guide for more information.
Last updated May 2017.
Immigration
All visitors must have a valid passport.
For most nationals, a 30-day Tourist Card is issued on arrival. It is easily renewable. Citizens of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, Japan, Perú, South Korea and Uruguay do not require a Tourist Card or a visa.
See here for a list of countries covered by a Tourist Card.
If wishing to renew the Tourist Card after 30 days, fees are payable depending on how long you wish to stay in the country. See Fees below for details.
If a visa is required, all applications must be authorised by the authorities in the Dominican Republic.
Last updated May 2017.
Customs
Customs may appear when you clear-in to the DR and require a form to be filled out. This does not occur in every port and not all the time. The requirement exists but is inconsistent as most Customs work is directed to commercial yachts.
Firearms are checked by the boarding officer. One should have certificates of ownership.
Last updated May 2017.
Health
Cases of ciguatera have been reported on the north coast between Samana and Puerto Plata.
In some of the inland communities, and rural communities, where there are standing water and poor drainage, there have been some reported cases of malaria.
ZIKA VIRUS ALERT: (September 2016) There have been recent safety alerts from the US State Department, UK Foreign Office, and Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding travel to parts of Central and South America, Africa, southern Asia, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific islands. The Dominican Republic is an area of interest with reported cases and possible active virus transmission. There is growing concern about the rapid spread of the ZIKA Virus and the impact of the virus on pregnant women and babies. ZIKA is transmitted by mosquitos in tropical and sub-tropical climates, and there is currently no cure or vaccine. This situation is evolving rapidly, so please refer to the CDC’s dedicated website if you are intending to cruise in one of the affected areas.
Documents
If you want to re-flag your boat under the DR, you will have to pay import tax. It is high because there is a tax of about 30% followed by a selective import tax on top of that of another 20%. With sales tax then added of 16%, this is a pricey option. Most well off Dominicans that are in the yacht clubs, have their boats with an American Flag. They pay $43 to bring their boat into the country and then every year they pay a foreigner renewal fee of $300 or so.
Fees
Arrival Fees
The only official fees that cruisers must pay when clearing into the DR are:
- US$73 – a one-off fee per boat (for the 90-day cruising permit).
- US$18 for a 30-day Tourist Card per person.
Fees are paid to Immigration and a receipt issued.
The coast guard, along with M-2 (Intelligence) and Department of Drugs may board on arrival. There is no charge for their services or for that of Customs (however it is normal to give a tip).
Renewal Fees
Tourist cards can be renewed as follows:
30 days to 3 months: $2,500 pesos
3-9 months: $4,000 pesos
9-12 months: $5,000 pesos
And so on, up to 10 years.
Domestic Clearance Fees
Despachos from port to port will be required and will be administered by the Coast Guard. Officially, there is no charge for them, however, we have been advised that a tip for this service of $15 (for domestic zarpe) and $25 (for an international zarpe) is customary and normally requested. For an international zarpe to the US or US possession, a higher tip of US$50 is the norm as this is a more complicated procedure.
Other Fees
Whilst overall the authorities in the DR are showing greater compliance with the official rate list, there are some ports (such as Samana and Luperon) where a number of unofficial fees are still being charged – such as harbor entrance fees, anchoring fees, garbage disposal, pet landing fees, etc.
Crew Lists: There is a fee to enroll or disenroll crew if they want to leave the boat and fly out: US$20. This is only charged for the crew who were on board on arrival in the DR.
Harbour Charges: Individual harbors may assess fees for such services as garbage collection or for agricultural inspection, or for entry into the bay (US$10).
Department of Ports: The DOP may also request an anchoring charge although they have no jurisdiction to do so. They can only charge for use of a government dock. This fee is US$.70 cents per foot for every 24 hours, whether you stay for one hour or 24 hours.
Last updated May 2017.
Local Customs
Working for tips (“Cielito” or “propinita”) is a very big part of the Dominican culture. Sometimes cruising sailors complain about having to give a tip or refer to it as a request for a bribe. It is, however, part of the culture here, so get used to giving a small reward/gift graciously and if necessary smile nicely and just say ‘no’.
Avoid being dismissive or rude if you are asked. Respect and courtesy are highly valued at all levels of Dominican culture.
Pets
Pets must have a Health Certificate issued and signed by a licensed Veterinarian. The Certificate should contain the name and address of the owner, the complete identification of the animal (name, breed, sex, and age).
The pet must have:
(1) been examined within 30 days and not more than 365 days prior to departure and found to be free of any infectious diseases.
(2) Been vaccinated against rabies. The Rabies Vaccination Certificate (which should have been given between one month and twelve months prior to entry) should include the date of vaccination, product name, and serial number. Triple vaccination (distemper, leptospirosis, hepatitis) and parvo-virus vaccine certificate.
(3) The Dominican Republic Veterinary Health Certificate issued within 15 days of travel.
For more information contact the Office of Animal Health – tel (809)542-0132. For animals other than cats or dogs, they have to be authorized by Direccion General de Ganadara Tel: 809 542 2858. Forms from www.pettravel.com
