How to buy or sell property in the Dominican Republic without travelling

1. A special power, not a general one

The General Regulation of Title Registries (Resolution 788-2022) provides that registrations are requested by the owner or by a representative holding a special power of attorney. A general power may work for other acts, but a property transfer calls for a power drafted for that specific transaction.

• Full identification of the grantor and of the attorney-in-fact. For a non-resident foreigner, your passport or official identity document.
• Description of the property by its cadastral designation, municipality, province and registration number, exactly as shown on the certificate of title.
• The authorised acts, stated precisely: signing the contract, receiving or paying the price, paying taxes, filing the transfer and collecting the new certificate of title.
• If you are married, your spouse's participation when the property is marital property or the family home.

2. Where to sign it: three options

• Before a notary in your country, with an apostille. The Dominican Republic has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 30 August 2009, so a power granted in another member country only needs that country's apostille. The exception is Germany: the apostille is not accepted between the two countries, and the document must be legalised through the consulate.
• In a country that is not a party to the Convention: the power must be legalised through the consulate and endorsed by the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under article 21 of Notary Law 140-15.
• Before a Dominican consul. Dominican consuls act as notaries for acts to be carried out in the Dominican Republic (Law 716 of 1944 and Law 140-15). They usually ask for your ID, the details of your attorney-in-fact, a copy of the title and witnesses.

3. Translation into Spanish

Any document in a language other than Spanish must be translated by a competent interpreter to be valid before the Property Registry. In practice, the translation is done by a court-certified interpreter (intérprete judicial) in the Dominican Republic, and the power is filed together with its translation.

4. Tax authority requirements and transaction taxes

• If the seller is a non-resident acting through an attorney-in-fact, the DGII requires a duly apostilled power (General Rule 03-2024).
• The sale contract must bear signatures certified by a notary, and the notary's signature must be certified by the Attorney General's Office.
• The buyer pays the 3% transfer tax on the property value (Law 173-07). The DGII uses the higher of its recorded value and the contract price, and payment must be made within six months of the transfer to avoid surcharges.
• The seller must be current on the annual property tax (IPI). In 2026, individuals whose total real estate holdings do not exceed RD$10,695,494 are exempt.

5. How we handle a remote closing

1. We verify the title and the legal status of the property before any payment. See how to verify a property title.
2. We draft the power for the specific property and transaction, and tell you where and how to sign it in your country.
3. You sign it, have it apostilled or legalised, and courier the original to us.
4. We sign the contract on your behalf with certified signatures.
5. We pay the taxes and file the transfer with the Title Registry.
6. We send you the new certificate of title in your name.