How to Buy Property in the Dominican Republic as a Foreigner, Step by Step

Short answer. You agree a price, hire your own attorney, have the title checked, sign a binding promise of sale with a deposit, then sign the deed before a notary, pay the 3% transfer tax and register the sale. You own the property from the moment the registry records it, not from the signing. Plan for roughly 30 to 90 days; the registry step is the least predictable. General information; your attorney checks the individual case.

What is different about buying in the Dominican Republic?

The order of events is not the North American one. There is usually no written offer followed by a written acceptance. Buyer and seller agree the price verbally, and then an attorney or notary drafts a binding promise of sale (Guzmán Ariza). Notaries in the country are required to hold a law degree.

Nothing here requires you to live in the country. A valid passport is the core document, and the title is issued in your name (Instyle Investments). Ownership rights and the 60-metre coastal strip are covered in our short buying guide; this article goes through the steps in order.

Step 1: Who should you hire before you sign anything?

Your own attorney, before the first signature and before any deposit. Guzmán Ariza recommends retaining a real estate attorney before signing documents or paying money, because of "certain peculiarities of Dominican Real Estate Law" (Guzmán Ariza). The standard fee is 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price, with a minimum for properties valued at US$150,000 or less and a discount above US$1 million. A North Coast brokerage adds that the fee is typically invoiced with 18% ITBIS (sales tax) on top (Century 21 Perdomo). Ask for a written quote.

Whose lawyer it is matters as much as how good the lawyer is. A Punta Cana firm that acts only for buyers argues that a lawyer recommended by the seller, developer or agent has a structural conflict, because the fee depends on the deal closing. Its test questions are simple: how are you paid, and by whom; do you earn the same if I walk away; did the seller's side refer you (CanaLaw). That firm sells exactly this service, so weigh the tone accordingly. The questions themselves are reasonable for any lawyer, including one an agent suggests.

Step 2: Reservation and due diligence

In many deals the first paper is a reservation ("reserva"). It takes the property off the market for a set period, usually against a modest deposit, while the promise of sale is drafted (Rightmove Overseas, a 2018 page, so treat the details as general).

Due diligence runs either before the promise of sale or after it, as a condition. Guzmán Ariza describes both routes: the attorney checks first, or the promise of sale is signed first and the purchase is made conditional on the findings within a set period. The second route works only if the contract says what happens to the money when the findings are bad. What the attorney actually checks is a topic of its own: a title search at the Registro de Títulos, a survey, permits, possession, taxes and utilities.

Step 3: What does the promise of sale (promesa de venta) have to say?

It is a binding contract signed before a notary, and Guzmán Ariza calls it "more important than the Deed of Sale", because it describes the whole transaction until the price is paid in full. A well-drafted one has at least these provisions:

1. Full names and particulars of the parties. If the seller is married, the spouse must also sign.
2. The legal description of the property.
3. Price and payment terms.
4. A default clause.
5. The delivery date.
6. The due diligence required or already done.
7. The seller's representations and the remedies for misrepresentation.
8. The seller's obligation to sign the deed on receipt of the final payment.

The same firm lists the weak points it sees most often. Buyers pay a large share of the price with no security or direct interest in the property. Payments are not tied to clear title or, in construction, to progress. Escrow agents are rarely used, so the seller controls the funds as they arrive. For new construction, it describes the usual mechanism: the developer finances the build with buyers' money plus a bank loan, the bank takes a mortgage on the land, and if the developer fails, the bank forecloses and buyers lose both money and property.

How big is the deposit? The Instyle buying guide says about 10 to 20 percent at the promise of sale. A Sosúa and Cabarete brokerage describes 5% to 10% at signing, topped up to 10% in total, held in attorney escrow (Century 21 Perdomo). Both are descriptions of practice, not rules, and a developer's payment plan follows its own schedule. What matters more than the percentage is who holds the money and under what conditions it comes back.

Step 4: The deed of sale in front of the notary

The deed (contrato de venta, or compraventa) is the document that conveys the property. The remaining balance is paid at or around its signing. For a cash purchase, Guzmán Ariza says it is simpler and cheaper to skip the promise of sale and go from the verbal agreement straight to the deed. That only makes sense if the title review is finished first.

You do not have to attend. Many foreign buyers sign through a power of attorney that is notarized in the home country, apostilled and sent to the Dominican Republic. The brokerage above suggests allowing one to three weeks for it and starting international wires several business days early, since sending banks' compliance checks can add two to five business days (Century 21 Perdomo).

Step 5: What happens at the tax office?

The authenticated deed goes to the nearest tax office (DGII) with a request to appraise the property. The office checks that the seller is up to date with taxes and sends an inspector; the assessment can take a few days or a few weeks, depending on the inspector's availability (Guzmán Ariza).

The transfer tax is 3%, calculated on the higher of the contract price and the DGII's assessed value. It must be paid before the registry accepts the file, and by law within six months of the deed; late payment brings a 10% penalty in the first month, 4% for each further month and monthly interest (1122 Real Estate). Guzmán Ariza puts total taxes and small expenses at about 3.1% of the assessed value. One brokerage lists registration fees of about 0.5% of the price on top. These two figures do not obviously fit together, so ask your attorney for an itemized list rather than a single percentage.

Step 6: The registry and the certificate of title

The attorney files the deed, the seller's certificate of title and the tax documents at the Registro de Títulos for the district. The sale is recorded and a new certificate of title is issued in your name. Under Guzmán Ariza's description, the property belongs to the buyer from the time the sale is recorded. That has a practical consequence: until the record exists, the paper you hold is a contract, not a title.

The same source says issuing the new certificate can take "from a few days to a few months" depending on the registry office. One brokerage quotes one to two weeks after submission, which probably describes a smooth case.

How long does the whole purchase take?

Sources give ranges. Century 21 Perdomo, a North Coast brokerage, describes 30 to 60 days for a straightforward purchase and up to 90 days when something goes wrong. The Instyle buying guide gives 45 to 90 days from the promise of sale. Here is the brokerage's schedule, with Guzmán Ariza's caveat attached to the last row:

Stage	Days (one brokerage's schedule)	What happens
Criteria and viewings	1 to 14	Shortlist, visits in person or by video
Promise of sale	14 to 21	Binding contract, first deposit
Title verification	21 to 35	Registry search, survey, permits
Deed before the notary	35 to 45	Balance paid, deed signed
Registration	45 to 60	Transfer filed, new certificate issued

Treat the last row with caution. Guzmán Ariza says the certificate can take months in some offices, and the other stages stretch whenever documents are missing.

Where do purchases stall?

Missing paper on the seller's side is the usual cause. Inheritance cases where not all heirs have signed, building permits missing for later additions, and boundary descriptions that do not match the land all show up in the title review and take time to fix (Century 21 Perdomo). A married seller whose spouse has not signed is another way a promise of sale can fail.

Then come three practical problems:

• Pressure. Guzmán Ariza notes that agents or sellers sometimes press buyers into a hurried closing against their lawyer's advice. A rushed promise of sale with vague conditions is the most expensive kind.
• Employees, tenants and utilities. The seller should settle severance for any staff, otherwise the buyer may become liable. Dominican law is protective of tenants, and removing one is slow and costly. Unpaid utility bills are checked with each provider.
• Remote paperwork. An unapostilled power of attorney or a wire stuck at a compliance desk can cost a week or two.

Budget for the transfer tax and legal fees on top of the price; our guide to financing property in the Dominican Republic covers payment plans and mortgages. To see what is on the market, start with Sosúa, Cabarete or Puerto Plata, then talk to an agent.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be in the Dominican Republic to close?

No. Foreign buyers close through a notarized power of attorney that is apostilled in the home country and sent to the Dominican Republic. Allow one to three weeks for it, and tell your bank about the incoming wire in advance.

Is the promise of sale required?

It is not mandatory by statute, but it is used in almost all transactions and it is binding. Guzmán Ariza says a cash buyer can go straight to the deed, provided the title review is done first.

How much deposit do I pay?

Sources describe about 10% to 20% in total at the promise of sale stage, and one brokerage describes 10% held in attorney escrow. The right amount depends on the deal and on who holds the money.

When do I actually own the property?

When the sale is recorded at the Registro de Títulos and a new certificate of title is issued in your name. Signing the deed is a step toward that, not the moment itself.

Who pays the agent's commission?

Under standard Dominican practice, the seller pays the real estate agent's commission. Confirm it in the listing agreement; you pay your own attorney, taxes and registry costs.

Sources

1. Guzmán Ariza, "Buying Real Estate in the Dominican Republic": https://drlawyer.com/buying-real-estate-in-the-dominican-republic/
2. Century 21 Perdomo, "Buying Property in the Dominican Republic: 8 Steps": https://c21perdomo.com/blog/buying-property-dominican-republic-foreign-buyers/
3. Rightmove Overseas, "Legal Advice, Buying Overseas, Dominican Republic" (2018): https://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-magazine/legal-advice-buying-overseas/dominican-republic/
4. CanaLaw, "Do You Need a Lawyer Who Is Independent from the Transaction?": https://cana.law/blog/independent-lawyer-real-estate-dominican-republic/
5. 1122 Real Estate, "Tax of transfer real estate in RD": https://1122.com.do/en/blog/impuesto-transferencia-inmobiliaria-rd-calculo-documentos
6. BuyDRProperty, "Dominican Republic Closing Costs, Property Tax & CONFOTUR" (seller pays commission): https://buydrproperty.com/dominican-republic-closing-costs-taxes-a-foreign-investors-guide/
7. Instyle Investments, "Buying property in the Dominican Republic" (deposit and timeline ranges): https://instyleinvestments.com/buying-property-dominican-republic

Last reviewed: October 1, 2026