The Dominican Republic operates nine commercial airports with Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo, Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), and Cibao International Airport (STI) in Santiago de los Caballeros handling 94 percent of international arrivals according to 2023 data from the Junta de Aviación Civil. Punta Cana receives approximately 3.8 million passengers annually and serves the eastern resort corridor. Las Américas handles 2.6 million passengers and connects to Santo Domingo and the southern coast. Cibao serves the northern region including Puerto Plata with 800,000 annual passengers. Gregorio Luperon International Airport (POP) in Puerto Plata processes 600,000 passengers primarily from North America and Europe. La Romana International Airport (LRM) operates limited commercial service but accepts charter flights for cruise passengers and resort guests. Samaná El Catey International Airport (AZS) opened in 2006 and serves the Samaná Peninsula with seasonal flights from Canada and Europe. Barahona María Montez International Airport (BRX), La Isabela International Airport (JBQ) near Santo Domingo, and Arroyo Barril International Airport (EPS) near Samaná handle domestic routes and limited international charter traffic.
Punta Cana International Airport operates as a privately owned facility under Grupo Puntacana management with six terminals designated alphabetically A through F. Terminal B handles most United States arrivals. Terminals A and C process European flights. The airport completed a $100 million expansion in 2022 adding biometric immigration gates that reduced average processing time from 35 minutes to 18 minutes during high-volume periods. The facility sits 15 kilometers from the hotel zone at Bávaro and Punta Cana. Pre-arranged transportation through hotel providers costs $25 to $45 per vehicle. Licensed airport taxis charge fixed rates posted at official stands outside each terminal with $40 to Bávaro and $50 to Cap Cana. Uber operates legally at Punta Cana Airport as of January 2023 with pickup at designated zones in parking areas. Rental car agencies maintain desks in Terminal B including Avis, Budget, Hertz, National, and local operator Nelly. Standard sedan rentals begin at $32 daily with mandatory third-party liability insurance adding $18 to $25 daily. The airport prohibits unofficial taxi solicitation inside terminals with violators subject to police removal.
Las Américas International Airport lies 25 kilometers east of Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial via Highway 3. The single terminal building underwent renovation in 2019 with expanded immigration facilities and 18 additional passport control booths. Average wait time at immigration during morning arrival banks between 9 AM and 11 AM runs 25 to 40 minutes. Afternoon arrivals after 2 PM typically process in 15 to 20 minutes. The airport maintains one official taxi cooperative with fixed-rate service to zones throughout Santo Domingo. Fares to Zona Colonial cost $35. Service to the eastern districts including Boca Chica runs $15. Transportation to Punta Cana from Las Américas costs $120 by official taxi or $85 through pre-booked shuttle services. Uber and Cabify operate at Las Américas with pickup locations in the parking structure 150 meters from the terminal exit. The metro system does not connect to Las Américas. Public bus service operates from the highway 800 meters from the terminal with routes to Santo Domingo for 50 pesos but requires walking along an unlit road segment. Rental car counters include Budget, Europcar, and local operators Sunshine and MCars with economy vehicles starting at $28 daily before mandatory insurance.
Cibao International Airport serves Santiago de los Caballeros from a location 15 kilometers southeast of the city center near the town of Licey al Medio. JetBlue operates daily service from New York JFK and Fort Lauderdale. Spirit Airlines connects to Fort Lauderdale. Copa Airlines provides connections through Panama City. The terminal completed expansion in 2021 adding four gates and increasing capacity to 1.2 million annual passengers. Immigration processing averages 20 minutes for international flights. Official airport taxis charge $20 to central Santiago and $25 to outlying districts. The airport parking area includes Uber pickup zones marked with signage. No public bus service connects directly to the terminal. Highway access requires the Autopista Duarte toll road with $2.50 in tolls between the airport and Santiago center. Rental car agencies include Avis, Budget, and local operator Sunshine with rates comparable to Santo Domingo facilities.
All Dominican Republic airports except La Isabela require payment of a $10 tourist card fee for visitors from countries without visa exemption agreements. The fee processes as part of electronic ticket taxes for most airlines since 2018. Passengers who purchased tickets before electronic integration must pay cash in US dollars or Dominican pesos at airport banking windows before immigration. Citizens of the United States, Canada, European Union member states, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, Japan, Peru, South Korea, and Uruguay enter without advance visa requirements for stays up to 30 days extendable to 120 days. Visitors receive a white immigration card upon entry requiring retention until departure. Loss of the immigration card incurs a $10 replacement fee at migration offices. Departure taxes of $20 apply to all passengers but airlines include this in ticket prices for flights booked after June 2013.
Immigration officers at all Dominican airports may request demonstration of onward travel and proof of accommodation. Officers exercise discretion and enforcement varies. The Dirección General de Migración policy states visitors must show a return ticket or onward travel document plus hotel reservation confirmation or invitation letter from a Dominican resident. Immigration officers typically ask questions in Spanish with English-speaking officers available during peak hours at Punta Cana, Las Américas, and Cibao. Officers rarely request financial proof but maintain authority to require demonstration of $50 daily spending capacity. The immigration form requires declaration of amounts exceeding $10,000 in currency or monetary instruments. Customs inspection follows immigration with passengers selecting green "nothing to declare" or red "goods to declare" channels. Dominican customs law permits duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, two liters of alcohol, and personal effects. Officers conduct random baggage inspections in the green channel with particular attention to passengers arriving from South American origins. Agricultural products including fruits, vegetables, and meat face import restrictions under plant and animal health regulations.
Punta Cana Airport maintains 24-hour currency exchange windows operated by Banco Popular and Banco BHD León with rates approximately 8 percent below mid-market value. ATMs from Banco Popular, Banco BHD León, and Scotiabank dispense Dominican pesos with withdrawal limits of 10,000 pesos per transaction and daily limits of 20,000 to 30,000 pesos depending on card issuer. Foreign transaction fees from US banks average 3 percent plus $5 per withdrawal. The airport includes rental car fuel stations charging 15 percent above standard Santo Domingo rates. Terminal restaurants and cafes accept US dollars at an exchange rate roughly 12 percent below official rates. Pre-paid SIM cards sell at Claro and Altice counters in all major airport terminals. Claro offers 5GB data packages for 500 pesos. Altice sells 10GB packages for 700 pesos with 30-day validity. Airport SIM card prices run 100 to 150 pesos higher than city retail locations.
Transportation booking counters in airport arrival halls include established operators Bavaro Runners, Booking Dominican Republic, and Caribic Tours. These services offer shared shuttles and private transfers with pricing typically 20 to 40 percent above pre-booked rates through online platforms. Shared shuttle service from Punta Cana Airport to Bávaro hotels costs $15 per person at airport counters versus $12 when booked 24 hours in advance through company websites. Private transfers run $45 at airport counters versus $35 for advance bookings. Representatives from major resort properties including Barceló, Iberostar, and Meliá maintain desks in arrival areas and provide included transfers for package guests. Independent travelers should confirm transfer inclusion when booking as some resort packages charge separately for airport transportation.