Dominican Republic APIS Requirements: What Is Confirmed for Business Aviation?
Recent industry communications have indicated that, effective August 10, Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) requirements would begin to be enforced for international business aviation flights arriving in and departing from the Dominican Republic.
However, the regulatory background and current operational application require a closer look.
APIS Is Not a New Requirement
The legal basis for APIS in the Dominican Republic dates back to 2012. Resolution DGM-04-12, issued by the Dominican General Directorate of Migration, established protocols for the electronic transmission of passenger and crew information for international transportation arriving in or departing from the country.
In July 2025, the Dominican Civil Aviation Board issued Resolution 156-2025, reinforcing the mandatory transmission of both APIS and Passenger Name Record (PNR) messages for international passenger transportation. Under this resolution, the National Department of Investigations (DNI) serves as the single point of entry for the information and is responsible for providing the applicable submission procedures.
What Remains Unclear
Although the two resolutions establish a regulatory basis for collecting passenger information, they do not independently confirm all the implementation details currently circulating.
Operational checks conducted by CST Flight Services have also indicated that implementation may not yet be uniform across all airports or business aviation operations. This does not eliminate the underlying regulatory framework, but operators may receive different instructions depending on the airport, authority or handling provider involved.
The e-Ticket Remains a Separate Requirement
The Dominican Republic’s e‑Ticket remains an active official entry and departure process.
Operators and passengers should remember that:
An APIS submission does not replace the e-Ticket.
Completing the e-Ticket does not satisfy an APIS requirement.
The e-Ticket must be completed for both entry into and departure from the Dominican Republic.
The official form is available through the Dominican Republic General Directorate of Migration.
What Operators Should Do
Until the Dominican authorities publish a standardized APIS procedure specifically addressing business aviation, operators should:
Continue collecting complete passenger, crew and flight information in advance.
Confirm the APIS requirement separately for each arrival and departure.
Verify the applicable submission channel, deadline and responsible party with the local handler.
Retain written confirmation when APIS is submitted on the operator’s behalf.
Ensure passengers complete the e-Ticket for arrival and departure.
Avoid assuming that the procedure followed for one flight will necessarily apply to a future operation.
CST Flight Services will continue monitoring the implementation of these requirements and coordinating with local resources and authorities to provide operators with verified information before departure.