VisaDominica’s free arrival card: three-day submission window and extension requirements
Current guidance explains the government declaration portal, separate visa checks and the in-person steps needed before a visitor’s permitted stay expires.
Official source date: 2026-10-29
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Use the Commonwealth of Dominica’s own declaration
Travellers to the Commonwealth of Dominica should use the government’s free online immigration and customs declaration and keep their visa and stay-permission checks separate. Dominica is a different destination from the Dominican Republic, whose electronic ticket system and visitor rules do not apply. This current guide reviews the established Dominica process rather than announcing a new October border measure.
A government notice dated 20 December 2024, posted on its portal in January 2025, identifies edcard.dominica.gov.dm as the sole official platform and confirms that the government charges no fee for completing the online declaration. Use that notice to verify the website before entering passport details. A request for an intermediary payment does not make the declaration an official visa fee or provide evidence of immigration approval.
Complete the form within the travel window and retain the QR code
The operating ED-card portal says submission should be no more than three days before travel. It requests flight information and a valid passport or other government-issued travel document, and distinguishes visitors from residents and returning nationals. Complete the status section accurately rather than selecting resident simply because accommodation has been rented for several months.
After submission, the portal provides a confirmation and QR code to save on a mobile device or print. Present these with the passport when requested by Immigration or Customs. An offline copy is useful where a connection is unavailable at the port. The portal also provides the tourism concierge contact for assistance. The QR code records the declaration process; it does not identify how many days a particular passenger may remain or replace an advance visa where required.
Check the nationality rule rather than assuming a universal stay
The government’s visa-exemption guidance describes different durations for nationality groups and separately covers certain genuine tourists and transit passengers intending no more than twenty-one days with a return ticket, subject to the officer’s satisfaction. Its published list places Commonwealth and CARICOM countries among six-month exemptions and lists other countries under three-month treatment. The page also contains overlapping entries, including the United Kingdom, so it should not be used to resolve every individual case without checking.
For full British-citizen passport holders, the UK government’s current entry advice states visa-free admission for six months, a passport valid for six months after arrival and possible requests for onward or return travel. Use that passport-specific resource for the ordinary British visitor position, while other nationalities should obtain confirmation of their own route. The period actually granted on entry remains the deadline to track; the declaration confirmation is not a substitute for that record.
Prepare an advance visa file when the exemption does not fit
The government visitor-visa checklist requests an application form, passport, two recent passport photographs, sponsor invitation and bank statement, employment or self-employment evidence, and civil-status records where applicable. It requires English information or translations and notarisation or certification of relevant documents and signatures. Use that checklist to identify the sponsor evidence needed before arranging submission.
The page lists a $200 Treasury application fee without spelling out its currency in that line. It also uses unclear six-month wording for passport and medical-certificate validity. Confirm the currency and acceptable document dates with the Ministry of National Security before paying or obtaining medical evidence; do not infer an expiry rule from the ambiguous text. No confirmed processing guarantee is given in the reviewed checklist, so travel plans should allow for a decision rather than assume immediate clearance.
Extend an existing visit before its permission expires
The extension service requires an in-person application or interview with the Inspector-in-Charge of Immigration before the time granted at the port expires. Bring a valid passport, return ticket, evidence of sufficient funds and a local address. Its fee schedule distinguishes CARICOM nationals, at EC$25 for less than a month or EC$50 for one to three months, from non-CARICOM nationals, at EC$50 or EC$100 respectively. Payment follows the interview at Treasury, and the receipt is required as proof.
A separate residence-permit checklist expressly says applicants remain visitors until their status changes and must maintain an extension while the residence application is processed. That resource is particularly useful for a person moving from a visit to a longer-term application: submitting residence paperwork does not eliminate the immediate visitor deadline. The UK guidance also warns against work without a work permit. Establish the relevant permission before beginning employment, and resolve any uncertain nationality exemption or document wording with Immigration rather than relying on the free arrival card.
