Comments on: Are “Tourist Cards” ripping off Caribbean cruise passengers?

By: Jorge

Jorge — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:32:54 +0000

Sorry, make that $131.

By: Jorge

Jorge — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:30:05 +0000

DR tourist cards used to be $20 and they used to be a duplicate form you fill out and have to keep with you and turn in on exit to “prove” how long you;ve been there and whether you owe any extra for overstaying. (They appear to have learned to read passport stamps now.)

I’m not sure what you mean by they are worthless. What is a stamp in a passport “worth”? Or to put it another way, you may think it’s worthless, but you ain’t getting in without it, making it worth just about the same as a visa (lying to get around it notwithstanding).

Is it just another scam to collect money from tourists? Sure, and so are the same fees charged everywhere. The US charges $100 for a visa appointment- regardless of whether you are granted a visa. How’s that for a scam?

By: Haley

Haley — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:32:04 +0000

I am an US citizen and been through the airport in Santo Domingo, DR four times in the past six months and purchased the $10 tourist card every time. For the next 10 months I will be living in the DR. You give a person $10 to get a card (make sure you have exactly $10 because even though the teller has change there is a good chance you won’t get change) then you walk a few feet to hand it to another person. I say to at least cut out the middle man and save paper!

I have also questioned if these cards were “worthless”. I believe you used to have to keep the tourist card and pay when you leave but that was recently changed. They now tack on a flat fee to your airline ticket (on most airlines) for your “exit fee” (yep, you pay an exit fee too). The tourist card is good for 30 days. If you stay after that time period you are required to pay an extra fine when you depart which can be between $10 for 90 days or up to $55 for a year. I believe this fine definitely beats the hassle of getting a visa if you plan to stay for an extended period of time – which is what I’m currently doing. After much research I’ve learned the only penalty you’ll have when I leave will be a fine.

So if you are just coming for a short visit then yes, I agree with Moll – they seem a bit worthless and just another way for them to get more money out of you. But for someone who wants to stay a bit longer, it is a painless process. I just don’t understand why they don’t tact on the fee for the tourist card with the airline fee?

By: Wrona

Wrona — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:34:29 +0000

John F, Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas is sailing out of Santo Domingo this winter.

By: Stewart Sheinfeld

Stewart Sheinfeld — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:52:52 +0000

I had a similar experience leaving Vancouver BC a number of years ago where I had to wait in line to purchase a coupon for an “airport improvement fee” than immediately had to wait in the next line to hand it in.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:00:34 +0000

I had to pay a fee for a tourist card when I went to Cuba. I don’t remember exactly how much it was since it was included in the all inclusive package we purchased, but it wasn’t more than $20/25 dollars.
I was given it at the airport, told to fill it out, then hand it to customs. They took one half of it, then the other half I kept in my passport and gave it back when I left. It had to be filled out exactly how they wanted otherwise you would have to PAY for a new one to fill out. Many Caribbeans countries have the tourist cards/departure tax. Just a way to make more money I suppose?

By: John F

John F — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:47:25 +0000

Tourist cards are all over the place. Many times (if not most) the fee is included in the price of your airfare when you buy a round trip ticket. Makes sense because then the gov’t knows you are coming and when you are going.

Sure it is a money grab by the DR and to be honest it is only collected when they have enough people to man the booths to do it. If not, no biggie. While it is policy, it is loose policy.

But I do question what cruise line was allowing passengers to disembark with the notion of staying overnight in the DR or flying home. I don;t know of any that terminate their itinerary in Santo Domingo.