Before you land: the electronic entry and exit form
The Dominican Republic runs a free electronic form, the e-ticket, for all travellers entering or leaving the country regardless of nationality. According to the tourism ministry, it gathers general details such as address and transport, migration data including passport number and flight, and a customs declaration. The traveller signs by typing a name and receives a QR code that can be saved to a phone or printed.
The official tourism site's FAQ says the form no longer has to be completed 72 hours ahead; it recommends finishing it before reaching the airline desk. Save the QR code as a screenshot, because airline staff may ask for it before you board and the first signal in the arrivals hall is not guaranteed.
What the tourist board says about phones
The tourist board's FAQ says an unlocked GSM phone can be used with a local card, that a SIM bought from Claro or Altice costs under US$5 with a passport, and that call credit is bought separately. It also notes the country code, +1, and the three area codes 809, 829 and 849.
The FAQ is a general consumer note, not a price list, so treat the figure as indicative. Operators change their promotions often. Their own pages are the place to confirm plan shapes at the counter.
Why a passport matters: the 2025 prepaid validation
In 2025 INDOTEL ordered mobile providers to validate the identity of everyone with an active prepaid line, using an official document such as a Dominican ID card, a passport or a residency card. According to the government press release, lines that were not validated within the period would be suspended for up to two months and then cancelled. The stated aim, reported by Diario Libre, was to keep records current and stop fraud and harassment committed by phone.
Diario Libre reported that more than 8 million prepaid users were affected, with deadlines of 28 September 2025 for Claro and 29 September for Altice. It listed the Claro route as dialling *456# or visiting a shop with identification, and the Altice routes as calling *555, visiting a store or using a validation page on altice.com.do. For a visitor the lesson is simple: a prepaid line without a registered passport behind it is the kind of line the regulator has just acted against, so register at the shop and keep the receipt.
Claro and Altice at the counter
Claro describes its prepaid service as contract-free and carried on a nationwide 5G and 4G network. Its prepaid page also lists roaming packages for more than 20 destinations and USSD codes such as *112# for managing internet packages and *111# for balance. Those features are aimed at residents, but the *112# route is how most prepaid data packages are bought after the SIM is active.
Altice's prepaid page advertises free data and minutes on activation and free 5G browsing, and it describes a free SIM for people who port a number. It does not give prices or the activation documents. Altice has a separate eSIM page: eSIMs are issued at Altice retail locations, existing customers go to a store and new customers are told to call (809) 859-6000. The page lists compatible phones from the iPhone XR upwards and does not say whether an eSIM can be bought as a prepaid visitor, so ask in store.
We did not find a published tourist-specific plan on either operator's pages. If you want the certainty of data on landing, the practical route is to arrange a line before departure or buy at a city shop after checking in.
Punta Cana airport: Wi-Fi yes, SIM shop no
Punta Cana International Airport's own FAQ says it does not sell SIM cards and points to stores at Blue Mall Puntacana, about five minutes away. The airport does offer free Wi-Fi in its terminals, with a connection guide published on its site. In practice, a visitor flying into the resort coast should expect to get online over airport Wi-Fi first, and to buy a physical SIM later, or to install an eSIM in advance.
If your hotel is a transfer away, ask the hotel or tour operator whether a stop at the mall fits the route. Keep your passport accessible, since it is what the shops will ask for.
The stolen-phone blacklist and second-hand handsets
INDOTEL's Series Negadas system, in force since 9 March 2022 under Resolution 041-2020 according to Claro's explainer, blocks handsets whose IMEI is duplicated, altered or reported stolen or lost nationally or internationally. Owners can check an IMEI at gsma.indotel.gob.do, and *#06# shows the number on the phone. Claro says devices with duplicated or invalid IMEIs are sent an SMS and given five days to validate, while stolen devices are disabled at once.
For a visitor the risk is mostly about a second-hand or borrowed phone. If you plan to carry a handset you did not buy new, check its IMEI before travelling. If you carry your own, keep the purchase receipt or the box label available.
Emergency numbers and keeping a phone safe
The UK Foreign Office gives 911 for ambulance, fire and police, but warns that the service does not cover the whole country, and gives a tourist police number for emergencies outside the capital: +1 809 200 3500. Its safety page says crime is high, including bag-snatching and thieves on motorcycles, and advises against displaying valuables and keeping electronic devices out of sight. It also notes that hurricane season runs from June to November.
Use a plan with a voice line if you need that, and save the tourist police number and your hotel's number offline. Carry a copy of your passport photo page and entry stamp, as the same advice recommends for drug-law checks.
Networks our Dominican Republic plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Dominican Republic, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Altice4G
- Altice Dominicana5G
- ALTICE Dominicana5G
- Altice Dominicana, S.A.4G
- Claro4G
- CLARO GSM4G
- Compa?ia Dominicana de Telefonos S.A. (Claro)4G