Discovering Paradise
Discovering Paradise
A complete guide to the Dominican Republic's four main international airports — Punta Cana (PUJ), Santo Domingo (SDQ), Santiago (STI), and Puerto Plata (POP) — with immigration tips, ground transportation, VIP lounges, and which airport to choose for your destination.
The Dominican Republic has four main international airports spread across the country, each serving different resort areas and regions. Choosing the right airport can save you hours of ground travel, hundreds of dollars in transfers, and significant frustration. Yet most travelers default to Punta Cana (PUJ) without considering whether another gateway would actually get them to their destination faster.
This guide covers every detail you need for each airport — from immigration wait times and terminal layouts to taxi fares, VIP lounge access, and the best ground transportation options. Whether this is your first trip to the DR or your tenth, you will find practical, current information that guidebooks skip.
The four main international airports handle the vast majority of tourist arrivals:
There are also smaller airports at La Romana (LRM), Samaná (AZS/El Catey), and Barahona (BRX), but they handle limited international service and are primarily used for domestic flights and private aviation.
Punta Cana International is unique among major airports: it is privately owned and operated, which explains both its efficiency and its unusually high airport taxes. The open-air terminal design — with thatched-roof structures and tropical landscaping — makes it feel more like a resort lobby than an airport. That said, during peak season (December through April), the volume of arriving passengers can overwhelm immigration and create significant waits.
PUJ has two main terminals: Terminal A (the older, larger terminal handling most international flights) and Terminal B (newer, handling some charter and overflow traffic). Both share the same basic design — open-air check-in counters, immigration halls, and gate areas with limited air conditioning. A new terminal expansion completed in 2024 added more immigration counters and reduced bottlenecks, though peak-hour waits still persist.
After clearing immigration, you will walk through a duty-free shopping area before reaching the baggage claim. The duty-free shops here offer competitive prices on rum (Brugal Añejo for US$12-15, Barceló Imperial for US$25-30) and Dominican cigars. After collecting your bags, you pass through a brief customs inspection — typically a red-light/green-light system — and emerge into the arrivals hall.
Immigration at PUJ is the biggest variable in your arrival experience. Best case: 15-20 minutes when only one or two flights have landed. Worst case: 60-90 minutes when four or five widebody jets arrive simultaneously between 2 PM and 5 PM, which is the daily peak window. The afternoon crush is real — multiple flights from New York, Miami, Toronto, and European cities all converge in a two-hour window.
Pro tip: If your airline offers morning flights, take them. Passengers arriving before noon almost never wait more than 25 minutes. The electronic immigration kiosks (e-Ticket) can speed things up — fill out your digital entry form at eticket.migracion.gob.do before you fly to skip the paper form queue.
The arrivals hall exits into a gauntlet of transfer companies, taxi touts, and resort representatives. Here are typical transfer costs and distances:
Pre-booked transfers through your hotel or a reputable service (Cocotours, Tropicasa, or the resort's own transfer desk) are strongly recommended over negotiating with taxi drivers in the arrivals hall. Prices are fixed, vehicles are tracked, and you will not have a bilingual argument about the fare at 11 PM after a long flight.
Las Américas (officially José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport) is the country's traditional main airport, located about 25 kilometers east of downtown Santo Domingo along the coastal highway. It is less polished than PUJ but more functional than its reputation suggests, especially after recent renovations added new immigration counters and improved signage.
SDQ has a single terminal building with two levels — departures upstairs, arrivals downstairs. The layout is straightforward: immigration, baggage claim, customs, then the arrivals hall. The terminal is fully enclosed and air-conditioned, which is a notable improvement over PUJ's open-air design during hot months. Duty-free shopping is limited compared to PUJ — a handful of shops selling rum, cigars, and souvenirs at reasonable prices.
SDQ handles fewer passengers than PUJ, so immigration is generally faster — 15-30 minutes on average. Peak times coincide with evening arrivals from Miami and New York (typically 6 PM to 9 PM). The e-Ticket digital entry form works here as well and shaves 5-10 minutes off the process.
Uber at SDQ: This is one of the few DR airports where Uber reliably works. Walk out of the arrivals hall, cross the pedestrian lane, and request your ride from the pickup area. Drivers usually arrive within 5-10 minutes. The savings versus a taxi are significant — RD$900 (US$15) to the Colonial Zone versus RD$2,000+ (US$33+) for an airport taxi.
Cibao International serves Santiago de los Caballeros, the Dominican Republic's second-largest city and economic hub of the Cibao Valley. The airport is modern, efficient, and refreshingly uncrowded compared to PUJ or SDQ. If you are heading to the central mountains — Jarabacoa, Constanza, or Valle Nuevo — STI is your best gateway.
A compact, single-terminal airport with clear signage and fast processing. The terminal was rebuilt after Hurricane Georges in 2002 and remains in good condition. Immigration has 8-10 counters, and waits rarely exceed 20 minutes even during busy periods. Duty-free is minimal — one shop with rum, tobacco, and coffee. The departures lounge is small but clean with a VIP lounge option.
STI primarily handles flights from the US (JetBlue from JFK and Fort Lauderdale, Spirit from Fort Lauderdale), seasonal charters from Canada, and a handful of routes from Panama and other Caribbean islands. Domestic connections via Sky Cana and Arajet are growing but still limited. If your airline does not fly directly to STI, connecting through SDQ or PUJ and taking a domestic flight or ground transfer is an option — though flying into SDQ and driving (3 hours) is often simpler for Santiago-bound travelers.
Gregorio Luperón serves the north coast — Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete, and the Amber Coast resorts. The airport is small, functional, and handles a fraction of PUJ's volume. It is the only realistic option if you are staying on the north coast; the alternative (flying into STI and driving 75-90 minutes) only makes sense when POP flights are significantly more expensive.
POP has a single terminal with an open-air design similar to PUJ but much smaller. Immigration is fast — typically 10-20 minutes. The duty-free selection is limited to a small shop between immigration and baggage claim. The arrivals hall is compact with taxi desks and a few car rental counters.
Uber does not operate reliably in the Puerto Plata area. Pre-booked transfers or official airport taxis are your best options. Some hotels in Sosúa and Cabarete arrange free airport pickup for stays of 5+ nights — always ask when booking.
POP receives direct flights from New York JFK (JetBlue), Fort Lauderdale (Spirit, JetBlue), Toronto (WestJet, Sunwing seasonally), and several European charter routes (Condor from Frankfurt, TUI from London Gatwick seasonally). Flight options are more limited than PUJ, which is why fares to POP are sometimes higher despite the airport being smaller. Check STI as an alternative — the additional drive time may be worth the fare savings. Arajet, the Dominican low-cost carrier, has been expanding routes to POP and may offer competitive fares from select US cities.
This is the question that matters most, and the answer depends entirely on where you are staying:
For multi-destination trips, consider open-jaw tickets — fly into one airport and out of another. For example, fly into PUJ for three days in Punta Cana, drive to Santo Domingo for two days, and fly home from SDQ. This avoids backtracking and maximizes your time.
Getting from the airport to your hotel involves four main options, each with trade-offs:
Official airport taxis operate on fixed-rate zones. Prices are posted on signs in the arrivals hall (usually in both USD and DOP). The rates are non-negotiable — which is actually a benefit, since it eliminates haggling. Taxis are metered in Santo Domingo but fixed-rate at PUJ, POP, and STI for airport transfers. Vehicles are typically mid-size sedans or minivans. Air conditioning works in most but not all — check before getting in.
Uber operates throughout the Dominican Republic, but availability at airports varies dramatically. SDQ has reliable Uber pickup with a designated area. PUJ has Uber, but drivers often wait in the parking lot and take 10-15 minutes to reach the pickup zone. STI and POP have inconsistent Uber coverage — you may wait 20+ minutes or not find a driver at all. When available, Uber is 30-50% cheaper than official airport taxis.
The most stress-free option. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a sign, helps with luggage, and drives you directly to your hotel in a pre-arranged vehicle. Costs are comparable to or slightly more than airport taxis, but the convenience — especially after a long flight — is worth the premium. Reputable companies include Cocotours, Tropicasa Transfers, and Happy Transfers DR. Most resorts also offer their own transfer service for US$30-50/person each way.
All four airports have rental car counters from major brands (Avis, Hertz, Budget, National) and local companies (Nelly, Europcar local). Expect to pay US$35-70/day for a compact car, US$55-100/day for an SUV. International licenses are accepted. Important considerations: Dominican driving is aggressive, road signage is inconsistent, and GPS navigation is essential. Fuel costs approximately RD$300 (US$5) per gallon. Rental is excellent for multi-destination trips but unnecessary if you are staying at a single resort.
VIP airport lounges in the DR serve a practical purpose beyond comfort — they offer fast-track immigration, which alone can be worth the price during peak season at PUJ.
PUJ offers a VIP arrival service (US$75-150/person) that includes a personal greeter at the aircraft door, fast-track immigration (bypassing the main queue entirely), assistance with baggage, and a private lounge with drinks and snacks while your transfer is arranged. During the December-April peak, when regular immigration can take 60-90 minutes, this service pays for itself in time alone. The main provider is VIP Lounge PUJ (bookable through most travel agents or directly online). For departures, the Primeclass Lounge offers comfortable seating, food, and drinks for US$40-60/person.
Las Américas has the Copa Club (near Gate 4) and the VIP Lounge SDQ, both offering food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating for US$35-50/person. Fast-track immigration on arrival is available through a separate VIP service (US$50-80/person). Given that SDQ immigration is usually fast anyway, the VIP arrival service here is less essential than at PUJ.
Both airports have small VIP lounges in the departure area (US$25-35/person) with basic amenities — drinks, snacks, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. Neither airport offers a fast-track immigration service, but immigration at both is typically fast enough that it is unnecessary.
The Dominican Republic's immigration process has modernized significantly. Here is exactly what to expect at any of the four airports:
Complete the e-Ticket (electronic entry and exit form) at eticket.migracion.gob.do within 72 hours of your flight. This replaces the old paper immigration form and generates a QR code that immigration officers scan on arrival. It takes 5 minutes to fill out and genuinely speeds up the process. You will need your passport number, flight details, and accommodation address.
Passport control: officers scan your passport and e-Ticket QR code, take a photo, and may ask one or two questions (purpose of visit, length of stay, hotel name). Citizens of most countries — including the US, Canada, UK, EU, and most Latin American nations — receive an automatic 30-day tourist visa stamped in their passport at no charge. The previous US$10 tourist card fee was eliminated in 2018 and absorbed into airline ticket taxes.
After immigration, collect your bags and pass through customs. The process uses a traffic-light system: green means you walk through; red means your bags are X-rayed and possibly inspected. Random red-light inspections are brief (2-3 minutes) and nothing to worry about unless you are carrying prohibited items.
Duty-free allowances: 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, and personal goods up to US$500 in value. Medications in original packaging with prescriptions are fine. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats are generally prohibited. Drone regulations are evolving — as of 2025, personal drones require prior authorization from the IDAC (Dominican Civil Aviation Institute).
Departing the Dominican Republic is generally smoother than arriving, but a few tips will keep the process stress-free:
One final note: if you are traveling with rum, cigars, or other liquids purchased in Dominican duty-free shops, keep them in the sealed duty-free bags with the receipt visible. US Customs allows 1 liter of alcohol duty-free per person (21+), plus up to 200 cigarettes. Any amount beyond these limits may be subject to US duty — though enforcement is inconsistent for modest overages.
PUJ (Punta Cana International Airport) — it is the only practical option. The airport is located directly in the Punta Cana resort zone, and transfers to Bávaro hotels take 20-35 minutes. SDQ (Santo Domingo) is a 3-hour drive and only makes sense if you are combining Punta Cana with time in the capital.
On average, 20-40 minutes. During peak afternoon arrivals (2 PM - 5 PM, December through April), expect 45-90 minutes. Morning arrivals (before noon) rarely exceed 25 minutes. Filling out the e-Ticket online before your flight and choosing a morning arrival are the two best strategies for minimizing wait time.
Yes. SDQ (Las Américas) is the most Uber-friendly airport in the DR. Uber drivers can pick up from the arrivals area, and rides to the Zona Colonial cost approximately RD$800-1,200 (US$13-20) — roughly half the price of an official airport taxi. Request your ride after exiting the terminal and walk to the pickup zone. PUJ also has Uber, but wait times are longer and less reliable.
No. The US$20 departure tax is included in your airline ticket price and has been since 2015. You do not need to pay anything extra at the airport when departing. Occasionally, scammers near the check-in area will claim you need to pay a "departure fee" — this is false. Report anyone making this claim to airport security.
This guide covers Punta Cana. Explore more about this destination.
View DestinationOur team includes contributors who live in the Dominican Republic year-round and travel the island extensively, from Santo Domingo to remote southwest villages.