Buying property in the
Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is one of the more straightforward Caribbean jurisdictions for a foreign buyer. There are no ownership restrictions, the registry is reliable where a property is properly surveyed, and the process is familiar to anyone who has bought in the United States or Europe. The pitfalls are specific and avoidable.

1. Foreign ownership

There are no restrictions on foreign ownership of Dominican real estate. You do not need residency, a local partner, or a Dominican company. Foreign buyers take the same freehold title as nationals and have the same recourse to the courts.

Many buyers still hold through a company — Dominican or foreign — for estate planning, privacy or tax reasons. That decision changes your annual tax treatment, so make it with advice before you sign, not after.

2. Title and the Deslinde

The Dominican Republic uses a Torrens-style registry: the state registers title, and the register is the record. The key document is the Certificado de Título, and the key process behind it is the Deslinde — the survey that fixes an individual parcel's boundaries and produces its own registered title.

Land that has never been deslindado sits inside a larger, older parcel with shared title. It can be bought and it can be resolved, but it is where most Dominican title disputes begin. Insist on a completed Deslinde. Costa Verde 3's cadastral survey is published in full on the floor plans and survey page.

3. The purchase process

• Offer and promise of sale. A Contrato de Promesa de Venta sets price, deposit and timetable, and is signed before a notary. Deposits are commonly 10%.
• Due diligence. Your attorney searches the title at the registry, confirms the Deslinde, checks for liens, mortgages and unpaid taxes, and verifies the seller's authority to sell. This is the part that protects you; do not compress it.
• Deed of sale. The Contrato de Venta is signed and notarised, and the balance is paid.
• Tax and registration. Transfer tax is paid to the DGII, and the deed is filed with the Registry of Title, which issues a new Certificado de Título in your name.

A clean cash purchase typically takes four to eight weeks end to end, with the registry step being the least predictable part.

4. Costs and taxes

The figures below are the ones in force at the time of writing and are given as a planning guide only. Dominican rates, thresholds and exemptions change, and the tax authority's assessed value can differ from your purchase price. Verify every number with a Dominican attorney or tax adviser before you rely on it.

• Property transfer tax — 3% of the value assessed by the DGII, payable on registration.
• Legal fees — commonly 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price.
• Notary and registration — modest by comparison; budget with your attorney.
• Total acquisition cost — most buyers plan for roughly 4% to 5% of value.
• Annual property tax (IPI) — 1% on the portion of an individual's total property value above an inflation-adjusted exemption threshold. Company-held property is treated differently.
• Rental income — taxable in the Dominican Republic, and likely reportable in your home country. Take cross-border advice if you intend to let the property.

5. CONFOTUR

CONFOTUR, under Law 158-01, is the Dominican tourism incentive regime. Approved developments can carry exemption from transfer tax and from annual property tax for a defined period, which is why you will see it advertised heavily on new-build listings.

The benefit belongs to the approved project, not to the buyer, and its availability on a resale is specific to that property and its remaining term. Treat any claimed CONFOTUR benefit as unconfirmed until your attorney has seen the paperwork.

6. Residency

Buying property does not by itself grant residency. The Dominican Republic does operate an investor residency route, with a commonly cited qualifying threshold of US$200,000, which can lead to an expedited path to permanent residency and, in time, citizenship. It is a separate immigration process with its own requirements, and those requirements move — take current advice.

7. Practical advice

• Use your own Dominican attorney, not the seller's and not the developer's.
• Confirm the Deslinde exists and matches the ground before you pay a deposit.
• Ask for a DGII tax-status certificate showing no outstanding IPI on the property.
• If the property is staffed, understand Dominican labour law obligations before completion — severance rules are meaningful and inherited staff arrangements are a real liability.
• If you are buying a rental business, ask for operating statements, not projections.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. It reflects our understanding at the time of writing and may not be current. Dominican law, tax rates and exemption thresholds change. Always instruct a qualified Dominican attorney and take tax advice in your own jurisdiction before committing to a purchase.