Buying property in the Dominican Republic as a foreigner

Can foreigners own property in the Dominican Republic?

Yes. The Dominican Republic is one of the more open property markets in the Caribbean. Foreign individuals and companies can hold titled real estate directly, and generally enjoy the same ownership rights as Dominican citizens. There's no special permit to apply for and no cap on how much a foreigner can own.

That's a big part of why Sosúa, Cabarete and Puerto Plata have such established international communities. Gated communities like Casa Linda, Sosúa Ocean Village and Hispaniola are popular with buyers from Canada, the US and Europe, who buy in exactly the way this page describes.

What you don't need to buy:

• Dominican residency
• A Dominican spouse or business partner
• A local nominee owner or a trust simply because you're foreign

You can buy in your own name, jointly, or through a company. Each option has different tax, inheritance and liability consequences, so the right structure is a conversation for your attorney and tax advisor before you sign.

How the buying process works, step by step

Every deal is a little different (a resale villa, a new-build condo and a piece of land all have their own wrinkles), but a typical North Coast purchase follows this path:

1. Decide what the property is for. A full-time home, a vacation home, a short-term rental and a long-term investment point you toward very different areas and property types.
2. View properties and make an offer. Price is only one term. Payment schedule, closing date, furniture, repairs and what happens if either side backs out all matter.
3. Hire your own attorney. Your lawyer should work for you, not the seller or the developer. It's worth choosing one independently rather than simply using whoever the other side suggests.
4. Legal and physical due diligence. Your attorney checks the title and the paperwork; an inspector or engineer checks the building itself.
5. Sign a Promise of Sale (contrato de promesa de venta). This sets the price, payment schedule, deadlines and default terms, and it's normally when a deposit is paid.
6. Pay according to the contract. Every payment should match a step in the signed agreement.
7. Sign the final Deed of Sale before a notary.
8. Pay the transfer tax and register the title in your name at the Title Registry.

What your attorney should check before you sign

This is the step that protects you, and it should happen before meaningful money changes hands. At a minimum, ask your attorney to confirm:

• The Certificate of Title, and that the registered owner is the person actually selling
• That the property has a completed deslinde (a formal survey and its own individual cadastral number), where applicable
• Liens, mortgages or other claims registered against the property
• That property taxes and any HOA fees are paid up to date
• The seller's legal authority to sell, including company documents if a corporation owns it
• Building permits for new construction, and CONFOTUR approval if the property is marketed with it
• HOA rules, especially whether short-term rentals are actually allowed

One point worth underlining: a listing and a registered title are not the same thing. Buying a "portion of rights" in a larger parcel is not the same as buying a separately titled lot, and it's exactly the kind of detail good due diligence catches.

Deposits, payments and moving money

There's no single standard deposit in the Dominican Republic. Resales, pre-construction purchases and owner-financed deals all use different payment structures. Whatever the amount, the conditions for releasing it (and getting it back if something goes wrong) should be written into the Promise of Sale and reviewed by your attorney before you pay.

Most foreign buyers pay by international wire. Expect your bank, the attorney and the notary to ask where the money came from; Dominican anti-money-laundering rules require it. Having bank statements or sale documents ready saves time.

Currency matters too. Prices on the North Coast are normally quoted in US dollars, but taxes are assessed in Dominican pesos and many running costs are paid in pesos. If you earn in Canadian dollars, euros or pounds, build your budget in your own currency.

How long does it take?

A straightforward resale with clean paperwork can move from accepted offer to signed deed in a matter of weeks. Registering the title in your name at the Title Registry takes additional time after closing, and the physical certificate may arrive later still. Your attorney should track registration through to completion. New construction follows the developer's build schedule instead.

Do you need residency to buy?

No. You can buy and own property on a tourist entry. Owning property doesn't automatically give you the right to live in the country long term, though. If you plan to spend much of the year here, talk to an immigration attorney about the residency options rather than relying on repeated tourist stays.

Mistakes we see foreign buyers make

• Paying a deposit before due diligence. Get the title checked first.
• Using the seller's lawyer. Their job is to protect the seller.
• Assuming Airbnb is allowed because other owners do it. Read the HOA rules.
• Trusting rental projections. Ask for real booking history, not a spreadsheet.
• Forgetting the running costs: HOA fees, electricity, insurance and the annual IPI property tax.
• Taking "CONFOTUR" on faith. Ask to see the actual approval. Here's how CONFOTUR works.

For a town-by-town look at Sosúa, Cabarete and Puerto Plata, see our North Coast buying guide.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information for buyers, current to the best of our knowledge as of September 2026. It is not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice. Dominican laws, tax thresholds and procedures change, so confirm the details of your own purchase with an independent Dominican attorney and a qualified tax advisor.