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Port-au-Prince Entry Requirements

Port-au-Prince Entry Requirements

Visa, immigration, and customs information

Important Notice Entry requirements can change at any time. Always verify current requirements with official government sources before traveling.
The jet doors open at Toussaint Louverture International Airport and Caribbean humidity slaps your skin while kompa drifts from the terminal, muffling the roar of engines. Inside Port-au-Prince immigration hall, harsh fluorescents bounce off gleaming counters and the sharp tang of disinfectant wrestles with charcoal smoke drifting in from street grills. Officers in pressed khaki flick through passports, landing a decisive stamp that sets your clock ticking. Most arrivals pick up a 90-day tourist card on the spot. Yet when two wide-bodies touch down back-to-back at midday the queue can coil for 30, 40 minutes. Slide through at dawn or after dark and you'll shave the wait. Keep passport, return ticket, and hotel address in one hand, English is thin on the ground and answers are expected short. Once the gate lifts, porters swarm the baggage hall, calling in Creole over the rattle of suitcases, ready to haul for a small tip.

Visa Requirements

Entry permissions vary by nationality. Find your category below.

Visa-Free Entry
90 days

Tourists from these countries receive a free entry card on arrival

Includes
United States Canada United Kingdom France Germany Australia Brazil Argentina Japan South Korea

Entry card is stapled into passport. Keep it for departure or extension

Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA/eVisa)
90 days single entry

Citizens of countries not on the visa-free list must apply online before boarding their flight to Port-au-Prince

Includes
China India Nigeria South Africa Philippines Egypt
How to Apply: Apply through the Haitian eVisa portal. Approval email usually arrives within 3 business days
Cost: Mid-range fee payable by credit card

Print the approval letter. Airline check-in staff in Port-au-Prince-bound flights will ask for it

Visa Required
30, 90 days depending on consular decision

Travelers whose countries lack eVisa agreements must visit a Haitian embassy

How to Apply: Apply in person at the nearest Haitian embassy with passport photos, itinerary, and invitation letter if visiting friends

Processing can take up to two weeks. Plan accordingly

Arrival Process

Expect a three-step sequence from plane door to curb in Port-au-Prince: health screening, immigration, customs.

1
Health Screening
Staff in blue scrubs aim thermal cameras at every face. Anyone flagged with a fever is steered to a side cubicle for a quick oral temperature check.
2
Immigration Desk
Slide your passport, the filled blue arrival form, and return ticket across the counter. The officer tears off the entry card and staples it beside your visa or stamp.
3
Baggage & Customs
Grab bags from the lone carousel, then line up for red or green channels. Officers tap random travelers aside to pop open suitcases.

Documents to Have Ready

Passport valid 6 months
Officers in Port-au-Prince turn back passports expiring within six months.
Return or onward ticket
Proof you plan to leave Haiti within the allowed stay.
Tourist address
Hotel name or host address in Port-au-Prince; a phone screenshot is acceptable.

Tips for Smooth Entry

Bring a pen, arrival forms are handed out on the plane but few passengers carry pens and the hall stocks only three shared ones.
Swap a small stack of cash at the booth just past customs. The rate lags town by only a hair and you will need gourdes for the taxi.

Customs & Duty-Free

Haitian customs in Port-au-Prince allows modest duty-free quantities and strictly bans certain agricultural and pharmaceutical items.

Alcohol
1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine
Must be 18+; sealed bottles only
Tobacco
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars
Opened packs are counted toward the limit
Currency
Declare amounts over USD 10,000 equivalent
Form must be completed on arrival. Keep copy for departure
Gifts/Goods
Up to USD 250 value duty-free
Electronics over this threshold face 10% duty

Prohibited Items

  • Fresh meats and unpasteurized cheese, risk of anthrax and foot-and-mouth disease
  • Drones without prior authorization, security concern over Port-au-Prince airspace

Restricted Items

  • Prescription narcotics, bring original labeled bottles plus doctor's letter

Health Requirements

Yellow fever vaccination matters only if arriving from affected countries. Otherwise focus on routine shots before landing in Port-au-Prince.

Required Vaccinations

  • Yellow fever (if arriving from endemic country)

Recommended Vaccinations

  • Hepatitis A
  • Typhoid
  • Tetanus-diphtheria
  • Hepatitis B for longer stays

Health Insurance

Port-au-Prince hospitals demand payment up-front; pack travel insurance with evacuation coverage.

Current Health Requirements: As of June 2024, no COVID-19 test or vaccination is demanded for entry. But airlines may impose their own rules.

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Important Contacts

Essential resources for your trip.

Embassy/Consulate
Find your country's embassy or consulate
Check your government's travel advisory website
Immigration Authority
Direction de l'Immigration, 18 Rue Capois, Port-au-Prince
For visa extensions and official information
Emergency
Dial 114 for police, 116 for ambulance, 118 for fire in Port-au-Prince
English-speaking operators are rare. Ask a Creole speaker to help

Special Situations

Additional requirements for specific circumstances.

Traveling with Children

Carry a notarized consent letter from the absent parent; Haitian officials in Port-au-Prince sometimes challenge single adults traveling with minors.

Traveling with Pets

Bring a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of arrival and proof of rabies shot; Port-au-Prince airport vet inspects animals on arrival for a small fee payable in gourdes.

Extended Stays

Drop by the immigration office on Rue Capois before your 90 days run out. Bring passport photos, a letter explaining the reason, and expect a same-day stamp extending stay up to 90 additional days.

Know What to Pack

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