Carta de ruta: the emergency travel document
The carta de ruta is a temporary passport for returning to the Dominican Republic when yours is lost, stolen or expired and the trip cannot wait.
The best part: same day
It is handed over on the day you apply. It is one of the few Dominican consular documents that does not force a second visit, which makes it the emergency route when a flight is close.
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What it costs
50 dollars, according to the Consulate General in New York.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | 50 USD |
| Delivery | same day |
| Validity | one trip to the DR |
- Passport, even expired or damaged
- Birth certificate
- Cédula
- For minors, both parents present
What to bring
The passport, even expired or damaged, the birth certificate and the cédula. If the document was lost or stolen, bring the police report as well if you have one.
For minors
Both parents have to be there. If one of them cannot come, a handwritten letter from the absent parent is required, along with the child's passport, birth certificate and both parents' cédulas.
What it is not for
It is a single-journey document with the Dominican Republic as its destination. It does not replace a passport for traveling elsewhere or for proving identity generally.
Once on the island, the new passport is applied for there.
If the trip can wait
Then the ordinary passport is what you want. It takes longer and lasts six years. The carta de ruta is for genuine emergencies.
When they will not issue one
The carta de ruta covers an emergency with the Dominican Republic as its destination. If you need to travel to a third country, or your passport has simply expired and you have time, the ordinary passport application is what you want.
It also does not stand in for an identity document for anything in the United States.
If your passport was stolen
File a report with the local police before going to the consulate. It is not always required for the carta de ruta, but it does two things: it shows the document was not simply mislaid, and it protects you if somebody uses it.
Take the report with you even if nobody asks.
Once in the Dominican Republic
The carta de ruta gets you there and its job ends. The new passport is applied for on the island, at the Directorate General of Passports, under the requirements that apply in the country.
Go with the birth certificate and cédula ready: they are the same documents you were asked for here.
And the e-Ticket still applies
Traveling on a carta de ruta does not exempt you from the e-Ticket, which is mandatory for every passenger entering and leaving the country.
It is the only Dominican consular document handed over the same day.Details verified on 8 September 2026.
consuladosdominicana.us is a private guide. We do not represent the Dominican State and we take no part in any consular procedure.
The information is reviewed regularly and comes from official sources, which sometimes disagree. Confirm by phone before turning up.