Dominican Republic - Fees

Arrival Fees:

The only official fees that cruisers must pay when clearing into the DR are:

• Boat Fee: 3000 pesos (approx. USD $53) - this is a one-off fee to keep your boat 3 months in the DR
• Immigration: 500 pesos per person (approx. USD $9)
• Tourist Card: USD $10 each (30 days)
  When  you check out of DR you pay the overstay fee for any time spent here over 30 days, which works out cheaper the longer you stay (these fees increased substantially December 2023), i.e.:
  30 days - 90 days = 3500 pesos;
  3-9 months = 5,600 pesos;
  9-12 months = 7000 pesos
  Then it continues up to 10 years.  This happens at the airport too if you fly out.
• Agriculture: USD $20 (one time payment)

Fees are paid to Immigration and a receipt issued. Most ports of entry don't accept cards, so payment will have to be in cash. It is recommended to arrive with some US dollars on board.

Domestic Clearance Fees:

Despachos from port to port will be required and will be administered by the Navy/Armada. Officially, there is no charge for them. In the past however it was customary in many ports for officials to request a tip for this service of $15 (for port to port despacho), $25 (for an international despacho) and US$50 for an international despacho to the US or US possession. Any “tips” asked for by the Armada are being taken very seriously now and can be reported to the comandante or via the FB Dominican Republic cruisers group.

Navigational Permit:

After the first 60 days in the country, if you wish to stay longer you must apply for a Provisional Navigational permit for six or twelve months with the Armada. Costs are as follows:

• Yachts 10 - 49 feet: LOA ft x 155 plus 7,910 pesos, for a period of 6 months.
• Yachts 50 - 99 feet: LOA ft x 200 plus 9,345 pesos, for a period of 6 months.
• Yachts 100 - 149 feet: LOA ft x 258 plus 13,660 pesos, for a period of 6 months.

Other Fees:

Whilst overall the authorities in the DR are now showing greater compliance with the official rates, there are some ports where a number of unofficial fees are still being charged – such as pet landing fees, etc.  Up-to-date feedback can be found on the FB Dominican Republic cruisers group.

• Crew Lists: There is a fee to enroll or disenroll crew if they want to leave the boat and fly out.
• Harbor Charges: Individual harbors may assess fees for such services as garbage collection or for agricultural inspection, or for entry into the bay. Luperon, for example, charge USD$10 for entry into the bay (this is a one-off charge).
• Department of Ports: The DOP will request a harbor fee for boats on the water which is now formally published on their rates sheet plus they also charge for use of the government dock. Harbor fees for Luperon are paid after 7 days at anchor: USD $15/month for boats <35ft and USD $20/month for boats >35ft.

Last updated:  December 2023