Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) — The Complete Master Guide 2026

🛫 Two Passenger Terminals — Different Carrier Mix

Terminal A handles most US, Canadian and Latin American carriers — American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Southwest, Avianca, Gol, Air Canada, Air Transat and Air Caraibes (and Spirit before its 2026 collapse). Terminal B handles European and other international carriers such as Iberia, Air Europa, TUI Airways and Condor, plus additional charter traffic. A separate domestic terminal and a private-aviation (VIP/FBO) terminal complete the site.

Layout: Each terminal has its own check-in, security and gates. You don’t walk between terminals airside for departures — once you’re past security in one, you stay there. For connecting flights between terminals, exit one terminal landside and walk/shuttle to the next (5–15 minutes depending on which two). Most travellers don’t connect through PUJ — it’s a destination airport, not a hub.

📥 Spirit Airlines Collapse — What Changed in May 2026

Spirit Airlines ceased operations in May 2026. Pre-collapse, Spirit was a major US–PUJ carrier with multiple daily FLL/EWR/MIA/DTW/PHL rotations carrying budget all-inclusive vacationers. Frontier and Allegiant absorbed most of Spirit’s budget market; JetBlue and Avianca picked up the rest; Southwest Airlines launched FLL–PUJ in early 2026 as Spirit was clearly failing.

Practical impact: US–PUJ fares from Spirit’s former hubs are 15–25% higher in mid-2026 than the Spirit-era floor. Reliability is back. Old Spirit PUJ tickets are essentially worthless; check your travel insurance for airline-insolvency coverage.

90-Day Visa-Free Stamp + Tourist Card In Ticket

EU/UK/US/CA/AU/NZ get up to 90 days visa-free on arrival. The US$10 Tarjeta de Turista (Tourist Card) has been included in airline tickets since April 2018; no separate purchase or stamp on arrival. The officer at immigration enters days granted on the passport stamp (typically 30 days for short stays, 90 for longer). Stays can be extended by paying a Migración Surcharge on exit (RD$3,500 / ~US$60 for stays up to 6 months; rising scale beyond). Most travellers exit before this matters.

USD & DOP — Both Work in Tourist DR

USD is widely accepted in Punta Cana resorts and tourist DR (Bávaro, Cap Cana, Uvero Alto, Punta Cana proper) at reasonable rates — usually 1–3% mark-up over the daily rate. Cards work in resorts and tourist establishments. For non-tourist transactions (food carts, public buses, smaller restaurants in non-tourist neighbourhoods), use Dominican Pesos. ATMs at PUJ dispense both DOP and (some) USD; ~RD$200–300 in fees plus your home bank’s.

The Dominican Republic is not in any visa-waiver scheme requiring online pre-registration. There is no tourist VAT/ITBIS refund at PUJ. The 18% ITBIS on goods is included in retail prices and stays in DR. Brugal rum, Cuban-style cigars, larimar jewellery and amber are duty-free standouts; we cover them in Section 5.

⭐ Resort Transfer (Private/Pre-Arranged) — The Default

Most all-inclusive packages include a private resort transfer. If yours doesn’t, pre-arrange one through your hotel or a trusted operator like Punta Cana Transfers, Tropical Caribbean Tours, or Dominican Shuttles. Pricing depends on your destination resort zone: Bávaro 5–15 km / US$30–55, Cap Cana 15–25 km / US$40–70, Uvero Alto 25–35 km / US$60–80. Most operators include 1 piece of luggage per passenger.

🚚 Public Cooperativa Taxi — The Backup

PUJ has licensed cooperativa taxi desks immediately past Customs in each terminal. Pay at the desk, get a slip, dispatcher pairs you with a yellow taxi. The price is fixed by destination zone; no haggling. Yellow cars only, all licensed by the Dominican taxi cooperative.

📱 The Uber Problem — Why It Doesn’t Operate at PUJ

Uber operates in Santo Domingo and some other DR cities, but is effectively blocked from operating at PUJ airport due to local taxi-cooperative protections. There’s no designated Uber pickup zone, drivers risk fines if they pick up passengers airside, and the cooperatives have local political muscle. InDriver and Cabify face similar restrictions. If you have an Uber app and want to use it, you’ll need to walk significantly outside the airport boundary — impractical with luggage. The cooperative public taxi or pre-arranged resort transfer is your only realistic option.

🚌 Public Bus / Caribe Tours — Cheap But Don’t

There’s a Caribe Tours bus from outside the airport boundary connecting PUJ to Santo Domingo (~RD$300–400, ~US$5–7) for the brave. Skip it for the airport-to-resort use case. No air conditioning, no luggage racks, drops you at the Caribe Tours terminal in Bávaro (still need a taxi from there to your resort). Useful only for backpackers heading to Santo Domingo with light luggage; not for resort vacationers.

✨ VIP Lounge PUJ (Terminals A & B airside, Priority Pass)

La Bandera Dominicana (the Dominican Flag) is the standard everyday meal: white rice, red beans, stewed chicken or pork, sliced tomato salad, and fried green plantains (tostones). Mar y Sol at the T1 food court does it for ~US$10–15 a plate. The McDonald’s and Burger King are in the same food court — you can have those anywhere; la bandera is the Dominican Republic you came for. Pair with a Presidente beer (the unofficial Dominican beer).

The Dominican Republic produces excellent specialty coffee in the central highlands — the Cordillera Central produces beautiful arabica. Café Santo Domingo at the PUJ food court does proper espresso for US$3–5. The smaller Café Monte Real kiosk in T1 international concourse offers single-origin Cibao for US$5–8. Order a cafecito (sweet and strong, the Dominican default) for the most local experience. Skip the airport Starbucks — the local options are real coffee, not airport-tier filler.

Brugal Añejo, Brugal 1888, Brugal Extra Viejo — the export-gift defaults at duty-free for US$15–55, ~30% cheaper than US import. Mama Juana — a Dominican rum-based herbal infusion sold in attractive bottles for US$15–30 — is the souvenir locals push, with claims of medicinal properties. Dominican cigars are the world’s second-best (after Cuban) since the 1990s when many top Cuban masters defected to DR; La Aurora, Quesada, and Carrillo at the duty-free for US$8–25 per cigar. Larimar jewellery (a sky-blue mineral found only on the south coast of DR) at the airport jewellery kiosks for US$20–200 depending on quality. Amber from Cordillera Septentrional, often with prehistoric inclusions, at US$30–500. Avoid airport-priced Haitian crafts — the Bávaro flea markets are 60% cheaper.

The Piña Colada was invented in Puerto Rico in 1954, but the Dominican Republic and Cuba both claim earlier prototypes. The airport VIP Lounge bar makes a credible airport rendering (free with your access). Order it made with Brugal Añejo or 1888 for the best version. There’s also a Mama Juana shot on offer at most lounges — try once for the cultural experience; warning: it tastes like a herbal medicine cabinet exploded.

Spirit Airlines collapsed in May 2026 and no longer operates any flights, including FLL/EWR/MIA/DTW/PHL – PUJ. Frontier and Allegiant absorbed most of Spirit’s budget market; JetBlue and Avianca picked up the rest; Southwest Airlines launched FLL–PUJ in early 2026 as Spirit was failing. Old Spirit PUJ tickets are essentially worthless — check your travel insurance for airline-insolvency coverage. Re-bookable on JetBlue, Frontier, Allegiant, Southwest, American or Delta.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30; peak risk is mid-August through October. The Dominican Republic gets hit roughly every 2–4 years by a major storm. If you’re booking June–November, get travel insurance with hurricane / weather-event coverage; book directly with airlines and hotels rather than third parties for easier rebooking. Resort areas (Bávaro, Cap Cana, Uvero Alto) have well-rehearsed evacuation and storm-shelter procedures. December–May is dry season with consistent sunshine and lower humidity; a better time to visit if hurricane risk concerns you.

Dominican Republic tap water is not safe to drink, including airport washroom taps. Bottled water airside runs US$2–4 for 500 ml. All-inclusive resorts use bottled or filtered water for drinks, ice and food preparation; this is verified by the Dominican Tourism Ministry. Hot drinks (coffee, tea) are safe because boiling kills bacteria. For excursions outside the resort — Saona Island, Catalina, Higuey city — bottled water is mandatory.

For Punta Cana and tourist DR: Airalo, Holafly, GigSky and Saily all work fine in Bávaro and Cap Cana — ~US$10–20 for 5–10 GB / 14 days. For travel beyond — Higuey city, La Romana, Samaná, Santo Domingo — buy a local SIM. Claro has the best Dominican rural coverage; Altice is second. The Claro kiosk at PUJ arrivals takes a passport and 8 minutes; ask for the “Plan Turista” bundle (~US$15–25 for 30 days unlimited domestic data).

Punta Cana resorts and the Bávaro tourist strip are among the Caribbean’s safer destinations for solo female travellers, with active resort security and tourist-zone police presence. Avoid: Higuey city after dark, the Avenida Estados Unidos strip late at night (some bars push hard for unwilling drinks). The single biggest rule: do not hail street taxis; use official cooperativa or pre-arranged transfers only. Resort beach-strolling is universally fine in daytime. For evening activities outside the resort, book through your hotel’s concierge for vetted transport.

USD is widely accepted in Punta Cana — resorts, restaurants, taxi cooperatives all take it at ~1–3% mark-up over the official rate. Cards work in resorts and tourist establishments. For non-tourist transactions (food carts, smaller restaurants, public buses), use Dominican Pesos (~RD$60 per USD). Tipping in resorts: 10% added automatically on most bills; an extra US$1–2 per drink for the bartender, US$3–5 per day for housekeeping, US$5–10 for excursion guides. Don’t over-tip in USD coins — staff prefer paper bills (US$1, US$5).