The Dominican Republic's General Directorate of Passports ( DGP ) has not included electronic passports in this year's budget, owing to budget strains following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, plans are underway to convert traditional travel documents into electronic passports by 2022. This will enable the Republic to achieve standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) where it is a member.
Dominican citizens currently use older style passports which cannot be fast read by machines. This has in the past caused discontent at Dominican airports, as persons with European and Canadian passports receive faster service.