Most of our buyers close remotely. They never set foot in a notary's office in the Dominican Republic; they sign a power of attorney in their home country, instruct a local attorney, and receive a Título de Propiedad in their name weeks later. The mechanism is well-established, legally sound, and used routinely by foreign investors across the country.
This guide explains exactly how that process works — and what your attorney is doing on your behalf at each stage.
Your Legal Foundation: Full Foreign Ownership Rights
Before worrying about logistics, understand the legal baseline. Article 221 of the Dominican Constitution and Foreign Investment Law 16-95 grant foreign nationals identical property rights to Dominican citizens. No residency is required. There are no exchange controls; capital can be repatriated freely. You own the title directly in your name — no trust, no nominee, no special structure required.
This makes the Dominican Republic fundamentally different from Mexico, where foreigners cannot directly own coastal land and must use a fideicomiso trust, or Costa Rica, where a 200-metre maritime concession replaces true ownership along the coast.
Step 1: Due Diligence Before Any Money Moves
The single most important rule of a remote purchase: no deposit before due diligence is complete. Your attorney orders two documents from the Registro de Títulos:
- Certificación del Estado Jurídico — confirms the parcel's current legal status: who holds title, whether any liens, mortgages, or encumbrances are registered, and whether the parcel is subject to any legal disputes.
- Deslinde certificate — confirms that the mandatory GPS boundary survey (required since 2007 under Law 108-05) has been completed and registered. Approximately 40% of rural Dominican land still lacks a completed deslinde (estimate); buying undeslinded land means the parcel cannot be transferred in your name until the survey is done — an additional cost and delay that should be priced into any offer.
For coastal parcels, your attorney also verifies that the land sits entirely beyond the 60-metre maritime zone defined by Law 305-68. Land within that zone is state public domain; no private title has been issued since 1968, and any claim of oceanfront title within 60 metres of the high-water mark requires independent verification before you rely on it.
Your attorney also obtains the seller's RNC (tax identification number) and confirms there are no outstanding DGII tax obligations attached to the parcel.
See our guide on deslinde and the Torrens title system for a deeper explanation of how Dominican property registration works.
Step 2: Granting the Power of Attorney
Once due diligence clears, you grant a poder notarial (notarial power of attorney) to your Dominican attorney. This document authorises the attorney to sign on your behalf at every subsequent stage of the transaction.
The process depends on your country of residence:
- Apostille countries (most of Europe, the US, Canada, UK, and others signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention) — you sign the POA before a local notary, attach an apostille, and courier the original to the Dominican Republic. Consult your attorney on whether a certified translation is required; many attorneys accept English-language documents directly.
- Non-apostille countries — the document requires legalisation through the Dominican consulate in your country. Add two to four weeks for this step.
The POA should be drafted by your Dominican attorney and specify: the parcel's cadastral reference number, the transaction price, the attorney's authority to sign the Promesa de Venta and the final deed, and the authority to register the transfer. A well-scoped POA limits risk; a broadly drafted one increases it. Read the document before you sign.
Step 3: Promesa de Venta and the 10% Deposit
The Promesa de Venta (promise-of-sale agreement) is a binding bilateral contract that locks both parties into the transaction at an agreed price. Your attorney signs it on your behalf under the power of attorney.
At this stage, a deposit — typically 10% of the purchase price — is paid. The contract defines:
- The exact parcel (cadastral reference, area, boundaries from the deslinde).
- Total price and payment schedule.
- Conditions to closing (title clearance, any agreed remediation of defects found in due diligence).
- Penalties for default by either party.
- Closing deadline — typically 30 to 60 days from the Promesa de Venta date.
Funds transfer by wire to a Dominican attorney escrow account or directly per the contract terms. Your attorney confirms receipt and provides a signed copy of the agreement.
Step 4: Closing and Title Transfer
At closing, your attorney appears before a Dominican notary and signs the final deed of sale (contrato de compraventa) on your behalf. The deed is then submitted to the Registro de Títulos for registration.
Transfer tax (ITBIS/DGII): 3% of the DGII-assessed value of the parcel. This is calculated on the government's assessed value, which may differ from the contract price. Your attorney handles the DGII filing.
Total closing costs typically run 4.5–8% of the purchase price, covering transfer tax, attorney fees, notary fees, and registration fees. Get a written cost estimate before signing the Promesa de Venta.
The full process — from signed POA to registered title in your name — takes approximately 6 to 12 weeks under normal conditions.
For a complete breakdown of taxes and costs, see our buying process guide.
What Happens to the Title Once Registered
The Dominican Republic operates a Torrens title system under Law 108-05. Once your title is registered at the Registro de Títulos, it is conclusive and state-guaranteed. You receive a Certificado de Título with your name on it.
Annual property tax (IPI): For undeveloped land (solar sin construcción), the annual IPI tax is zero under current Dominican law. The 1% IPI applies only to built residential properties above approximately US$166,000 in assessed value (2025 threshold). This is a meaningful holding-cost advantage for raw land.
Future sale — capital gains: On a future sale, capital gains tax is 27% of the net profit. Factor this into long-term return calculations.
CONFOTUR: What It Does and Does Not Cover
Law 158-01 (CONFOTUR) offers a 15-year IPI exemption and waiver of the 3% transfer tax for approved tourism-sector projects. These benefits apply only to projects that have received formal CONFOTUR approval — they are not automatic for any land purchase near a tourism zone. Standalone raw land does not qualify by virtue of its location alone. If a seller or agent represents that a parcel carries CONFOTUR benefits, ask to see the approval decree before relying on it.
Residency by Investment
A purchase of US$200,000 or more in Dominican real estate qualifies you to apply for permanent residency under Law 171-07, with processing in approximately 45 business days. This is separate from the land purchase itself and requires its own legal process, but the same transaction can unlock both outcomes simultaneously if the investment threshold is met.
Choosing the Right Attorney
Because you will not be present, the quality of your local attorney is the single most important variable in a remote purchase. Look for:
- A lawyer whose primary practice is real estate transactions, not general law.
- Someone independent of the seller or developer — the seller's attorney represents the seller's interests, not yours.
- References from prior foreign buyers, preferably from your country.
- Clear written engagement terms with a fixed fee or capped hourly estimate.
We work with buyers who bring their own counsel and with buyers who ask us for referrals. In both cases, the due diligence steps above are non-negotiable.
A Note on Market Context
The Dominican Republic recorded GDP growth of 5.1% in 2024 (second in Latin America), FDI of US$5.03 billion in 2025, and 11.19 million tourist arrivals in 2024 — up 9% year-on-year. The north coast, including the Río San Juan corridor near Playa Grande, continues to attract institutional capital, including the Playa Grande International Airport project authorised by Decree 115-26 in early 2026.
Land in this corridor is priced at an estimated US$15–40/m² in the Río San Juan area (estimate, single source; verify with current listings). North coast land broadly trades at an estimated 30–50% discount to Cabarete and Sosúa comparable positions (estimate, local broker data). These are market observations, not guarantees.
Legal and investment disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Process timelines, tax rates, and cost estimates are based on current Dominican law and market observation as of 2026; they may change. All appreciation figures are estimates; real estate values can decline. Infrastructure projects referenced may be delayed or cancelled. Engage an independent licensed Dominican attorney before signing any document or transferring any funds.
Ready to review available parcels on the north coast? Browse our current listings at available parcels and contact us to begin the due-diligence process.