Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find plenty of useful information. The knowledge we have collected here will allow you to take decisions more easily and pre-arrange an individual purchase plan for your dream property. We will expand this section, but today you can read here about: taxes, legal aspects, costs of house maintenance and other important issues regarding the life in the Dominican Republic, its climate, famous places or all those elements that may affect your decisions.

The purchase and investment in real estate in the Dominican Republic differs in some aspects from European or US/Canada procedures. We describe below the most important elements of the specifics of this market

Purchasing procedures that we must go through in the Dominican Republic on the example of the location in the tourist area Punta Cana:

  1. In the first place in the court in Higüey (capital of the province) we check / confirm the legal status of the property – you can do it yourself or ask our lawyer. This is an absolute formality, because before we offer real estate to the customer we check its status. Fees are about 2000 RD$ – Dominican pesos, that is about 150 PLN (40 $ or 35 EURO).
  2. We confirm the plot boundaries by the surveyor (agrimensor) – GPS coordinates are plotted
  3. We Checked IPI status (Impuesto al Patrimonio Immobilario – property tax). Is it paid on a regular basis, is there no debt and no exemptions.
  4. After obtaining and confirming the above, we prepare a credit approval or option to purchase real estate. If the credit approval is for a company, a copy of the company’s registry (Registro Mercantil) and a copy of the company’s statute are required. In the case of individuals, only a copy of the passport is required. Depending on the value of the plot, stamp duty on the transaction is from 0.5 to 1%.
  5. For the construction and obtaining of all permits (Permisology), the construction engineer is always responsible (in Europe and US/ Canada the construction manager). Permits from the Ministry of the Environment are required – the impact on the investment environment, the Ministry of Tourism – will the investment not affect the tourist values of the region and the Ministry of Public Works – will the investment endanger the safety of the population. Relevant applications are completed by the construction engineer based on the project. In this situation, to avoid complications, the designer works on the spot in consultation with our designer in the country.

From 0.5 to 1% is the fee that we must pay for the lawyer and the notary tax. To this should be added 3% tax (Tax on civil law transactions). In addition, we must remember about the real estate tax of 1% per annum (cadaster) if the value of all properties owned by one owner exceeds USD 150,000. The landlord pay this tax twice a year for 0.5%.

Purchase for a company – we must be prepared for little more documents than when private person is purchasing. Depending on the type of activity, we will prepare a list for you to submit documents. There is not a lot of paperwork, but it may take so the decision about choosing the form of purchase is as early as possible.

Purchasing an apartment, building or a house for rent is also an excellent investment. If we do not intend to live a round year, a short and long-term lease is a great solution. In the tourist areas of the Dominican Republic, the profit from renting is relatively very high in relation to the costs of construction or acquisition of real estate. Therefore, you can treat the purchase of an apartment or real estate as an investment with a certain and large profit.

A purchased apartment or residence at a time when you will not be able to live can be taken 24 hours a day under the care of our managers. We will fully take care of your of your home. We will settle all formalities, help you find the right tenant and prepare the property for tenant changes every time.

Purchasing real estate is a serious decision, especially when we do it outside of your country. We are aware of this, hence we offer support from the advisor, but also care during the investment visit.

We will advise on the purchase of airline tickets

We will pick you up from the airport for free and provide you with free transport during the viewings selected properties.

The time between visits can be filled by showing the most beautiful and interesting places on the island, using the offer of our partners who organize the best individual VIP trips.

We are at your disposal at all times during your entire stay in Dominican Republic.

A –

Accommodation – dozens of hotels in the area of Punta Cana or other popular resorts. Dominican Republic lives on tourism, so you can find apartments and rooms for rent at every step in tourist places. Our company will of course help you find the most convenient place to relax during your stay in Dominican Republic.

B –

C –

Capital – SANTO DOMINGO. The city is the first in the New World created since the discovery of America. It was founded by brother Christopher Columbus, Bartolomeo, on August 4, 1496. It quickly became an important Spanish base for the conquest of the Americas and the administrative center, because to explore new areas, better facilities were needed than a makeshift camp. In 1990, the colonial district of Santo Domingo was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Climate and weather – Wonderful weather and mild climate is one of the main arguments for the purchase of real estate in the area of Punta Cana. There are hot summers and mild winters here. The sun shines throughout the year, and the temperature does not fall below 25 degrees Celsius even in winter.

Cuisine – Dominican cuisine is mainly a mix of Spanish, Thai and African. A typical kitchen is quite similar to that found in other Latin American countries, but many dishes are different. One breakfast dish consists of eggs and platanos. Another version of this dish (manga) is the addition of deep-fried meat (usually Dominican salami), cheese or this and that one at a time. Lunch is usually the largest and most important meal of the day, usually consisting of rice, meat, beans and salad. “La Bandera” (literally “Flag”) is the most popular dinner dish; It consists of meat and red beans on white rice. Sancocho is a stew often made with several types of meat.
Other favorite Dominican dishes include chicharrón, yuca, casabe, pastelitos (empanadas), sweet potato, yam, pasteles en hoja, chimichurris and tostones.
Some of Dominican favorite meals are arroz con leche (or arroz con dulce), bizcocho dominicano (dominican cake), habichuelas con dulce, flan, frío frío, dulce de leche and caña (sugar cane). Dominican drinks are Morir Soñando, rum, beer, Mama Juana, batida (smoothie), jugos naturales (freshly squeezed fruit juices), mabí, coffee and chaca (also called maiz caqueao / casqueado, maiz con dulce and maiz con leche).

Currency – Dominican Peso (DOP or RD $). In tourist places, the US dollar (USD) and euro (EUR) are commonly accepted.

D –

Dominican Republic – It is the second largest (after Cuba) country in the Caribbean Sea. It covers about 2/3 of the island area of Haiti, dividing it with the western state of Haiti.

Dominican Republic in the international arena – Dominican Republic has close relations with the USA. The Dominican Republic has very strong ties with Puerto Rico. The relationship of the Dominican Republic with neighboring Haiti is strained by mass Haitian migration to the Dominican Republic, and Dominican citizens blame the Haitians for increased crime and other social problems. The Dominican Republic is a permanent member of the organization of the International Organization of Francophonie. The country has a free trade agreement with the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua and economic partnership with the European Community and the Caribbean.

E –

Economy – Dominican Republic is the ninth largest economy in Latin America and is the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central America. Over the last two decades, Dominican Republic has had one of the fastest growing economies in the Americas – with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.4% in 1992-2014. GDP growth in 2014 and 2015. It reached 7.3 and 7.0% respectively, the highest values in the western hemisphere. In the first half of 2016, the Dominican Economy increased by 7.4%, continuing the trend of rapid economic growth. Recent increases have been driven by construction, production, tourism and mining. Private consumption was strong due to low inflation (on average below 1% in 2015), job creation as well as high level of remittances.

Electricity – Dominican Republic is supplied with 110 V and 60 Hz. Therefore, when planning to use the mains power supply, an appropriate power supply and adapter (American type sockets) should be provided.

Embassies and consulates in Poland – There is no Embassy or Consulate of the Dominican Republic in Poland. The Embassy of the Dominican Republic is in Brussels and the Consulate of the Dominican Republic is in Prague. These offices are responsible for Polish affairs

Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Santo Domingo
Address: Avenida Sarasota # 20, Torre Empresarial AIRD, 4to. piso Apartamento 4 noroeste, Ensanche, La Julia, Santo Domingo;
Telephone: (00-18-09) 472-20-72;
Emergency telephone number: (00-18-09) 224-04-12;
E-mail: g.vega@codetel.net.do

Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Puerto Plata
Address: Guayacanes 15, Costambar, Puerto Plata
Phone: +180 99707303
Emergency telephone: +180 99746393
E-mail: konsul@dominikana.konsulat.gov.pl

The consulate is open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 8.00 – 12.00. Before visit call first please at +180 99746393.

Embassies and consulates in Dominican Republic – from November 1, 2017, the territories of Panama, Dominican Republic and Haiti form part of the consular district of the Polish Embassy in Panama. Therefore, the Dominican Republic is subject to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Panama.

Environmental protection – Over the last 10 years, the Dominican Republic has become one of the world’s most progressive countries in terms of recycling and disposal. The UN report said that in the last 10 years, efficiency grew by 221.3%. Especially in connection with the opening of the largest open-air landfill in the north, 10 km from the Haitian border.

Export goods – coffee, cocoa, cigars, sugar and rum, and above all music and Dominican unique atmosphere

F –

Flights from Poland – Direct flights from Poland offer travel agencies, among others TUI as part of the package tours offered together with the hotel. TUI also sells direct connections without having to buy any accommodation.

Free time – In the Dominican Republic, there are several Polish-language travel agencies offering optional trips to the most interesting attractions of the island. At your request, we will help you choose the most interesting of them and we will contact you with the operators. In addition, there is the only Polish-language diving center “Scuba Dominicana” in the Dominican Republic.

G –

Geography – In terms of area, it is in the 130th place in the world and having 48.442 km² is more than 6 times smaller country than Poland. The farthest points are more than half a thousand kilometers apart. Both the Dominican Republic and the entire island of Haiti are flooded by two water basins: the Caribbean Sea in the South and the Atlantic Ocean in the North. The coastline of the Dominican Republic is well developed, it is diversified by a series of bays and numerous headlands and peninsulas. On the Atlantic coast, the largest bay is the Bahía de Samaná, which extends latitudinally to the land for almost 50 km. From the Caribbean Sea, the main bays are the Bahía de Ocoa and the Bahía de Neibá, which are wide, open bays. Dominican Republic also has a small island Isla Saona – one of the most beautiful small islands in the world and by far the biggest attraction of this country.

H –

Health and medical care – Just as with any foreign trip, it is really worth buying an insurance policy for the duration of your stay in Dominican Republic, which includes reimbursement of treatment and medical transport costs. The level of services in hospitals for non-citizens is comparable to those we know from Europe or the United States, but also prices similar to the rates of “western” countries, so to avoid surprise when paying for even a small service, you should take out appropriate insurance before you start your journey.

History – The island was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, who gave it the name Hispaniola; originally inhabited by Arawak and Caribbean, who were basically wholly minted during the early years of colonization; 1496 Brother Columbus Bartolomeo founded Santo Domingo, 1521 the first bishopric was created here, 1538 a university; originally a Spanish estate, in the 16th century it was developed as a sugar cane plantation area based on imported black slaves; in the seventeenth century, French influence intensified, 1697 France took over west part of the island, known from now as a Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), part of the east remained in Spain under the name Santo Domingo; 1794 France abolished slavery in its part, 1795 it took briefly (until 1808) the rest of the island, 1801. The outbreak of the black population under the leadership of F.D. Toussaint Louverture from Haiti, fought by the French a penal expedition (1802 with the participation of the Dąbrowski Legions); 1808 with the support of the British insurgents led by J.S. Ramirez drove the French out of the whole island, which returned to Spain; 1821 an anti-Spanish uprising broke out, the so-called independence was proclaimed so called spanish Haiti; 1822 joining Dominican Republic to the independent republic of Haiti founded in 1820; from 1844 a separate state which Haiti tried to subordinate; in the second half The nineteenth century, frequent struggles for power, ended during the dictatorship of General U. Heureaux (1882-99), political stabilization, development of education, communication infrastructure, etc .; in the beginning of Twentieth century growing dependence on the US, which 1916-24 occupied the Dominican Republic area; 1930 military coup, introduction – with US support – of the dictatorial rule of the Trujillo Molina family, 1941 accession to the World War II on the side of the Allies; 1960 under pressure from the world public opinion – elections, gradual moderation of the regime, president J. Balaguer; 1962 electoral victory of J. Bosch (founded by the Dominican Revolutionary Party, PRD); 1963 – a military coup, power struggles going into a civil war, ending in 1965 with US armed intervention, restoration of democratic order; 1966 – introduction of the constitution, electoral victory of the leader of the Christian Democratic Reformist Party (PRSC), J. Balaguer; 1978-86 PRD government, 1986-96 again J. Balaguer (in the last term accused of falsifying election results); in the 1980s and 1990s, the country accused of inhuman exploitation of Haitian emigrants on sugar cane plantations; 1996-2000 and from 2004 President Leonel Fernández Reyna (PRD); 2000-04 President Hipolito Mejia; 2005 the signing of a free trade agreement with the USA and Central America (DR-CAFTA) entered into force in III 2007.

J – 

K –  

L – 

Language – In the Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish. This language differs somewhat from this (or those – as there are also many different dialects in Spain), which is used on the Iberian Peninsula, but not so much that it creates problems with communication. The population of the Dominican Republic is mainly Spanish-speaking. The local variant of the Spanish language is called the Spanish Dominican, which closely resembles the other Canarian Spanish. In addition, it has an influence of African languages ​​and borrowed words from indigenous Caribbean languages ​​specifically on the island of Hispaniola. Schools are based on the Spanish educational model; English and French are mandatory foreign languages ​​in both private and public schools, although the quality of foreign language teaching is unfortunately bad. Creole is the largest minority language in the Dominican Republic and is used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants. There is a community of several thousand people whose ancestors spoke Samaná English on the Samaná peninsula. Tourism, American pop culture, the influence of Dominican Americans and economic ties between the country and the United States motivate other Dominicans to learn English. The Dominican Republic ranks second in Latin America and 23rd in the world in terms of using English language.

M – 

Mobile phones and the Internet – roaming is simply expensive (6 PLN / minute outgoing call). The same applies to the Internet. We recommend buying a pre-paid card to your phone to have free access to the network outside the WIFI zone.

Musically, the Dominican Republic is known for the creation of the musical style called merengue, a type of lively, fast-paced rhythm and dance music consisting of a tempo of about 120 to 160 beats per minute (it varies wildly) based on musical elements like drums, brass, and chorded instruments, as well as some elements unique to the music style of the DR

Bachata, a form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and rural marginal neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic, has become quite popular in recent years. Its subjects are often romantic; especially prevalent are tales of heartbreak and sadness. In fact, the original name for the genre was amargue (“bitterness”, or “bitter music”, or blues music), until the rather ambiguous (and mood-neutral) term bachata became popular. Bachata grew out of, and is still closely related to, the pan-Latin American romantic style called bolero. Over time, it has been influenced by merengue and by a variety of Latin American guitar styles.

Salsa music has had a great deal of popularity in the country. During the late 1960s Dominican musicians like Johnny Pacheco, creator of the Fania All Stars, played a significant role in the development and popularization of the genre.

Particularly among the young, a genre that has been growing in popularity in recent years in the Dominican Republic is Dominican rap. Also known as Rap del Patio (“yard rap”) it is rap music created by Dominican crews and solo artists.

N – 

O – 

P – 

Political system – According to the constitution of 1966 (modified 1994 and 2002), the Dominican Republic is a republic, with the president, elected for a 4-year term in the general election, as head of state and head of government. The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the police. Together with the government he has appointed, he exercises executive power; has broad powers, including the right to declare a state of emergency and a state of siege. Legislative power belongs to the 2-chamber National Congress with a 4-year term, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies (149 people) and the Senate (30 people), elected by universal suffrage. The Senate has representatives of individual provinces and the capital’s district.

Population – (according to Wikipedia) Most Dominicans fall within three major ethnic racial groups. The last census conducted in the country estimated the population as 73% mixed race (mulatto and mestizo), 16% white, and 11% black.

R – 

Religion – 57% of the population (5.7 million) are Catholics and 23% (2.3 million) are Protestants (in Latin America, Protestants are often called Evangelicals because they emphasize personal and public evangelism, and many of they are evangelical Protestants or Pentecostals). Three percent of the 10.63 million inhabitants of Dominican Republic are Seventh-day Adventists.

Renting a car – No international driving license is required. Car rental prices and general conditions are similar to those in Western Europe or the USA.

Retail prices – The currency that is valid in the Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso (RD$). You can pay in US dollars around Punta Cana, but in other parts of the island you should use the local currency. It is best to take the dollars and exchange them at the exchange office or to withdraw from the ATMs from the pesos. In tourist destinations such as Punta Cana and Bayahibe, it may happen that you get a USD menu with bigger prices, and if you ask for a menu in a pesos – RD$, prices will be lower.

The cheapest food is at the market and supermercado (supermarket). However, in small stores usually there are no prices on the products and you have to ask the seller about everything.

100 pesos = 2 $ = 7.5 PLN (December 2018).

A large beer 110/120 pesos

Pizza – 350-400 pesos

Lunch (except tourist enclaves such as Bayahibe or Bavaro) – 200-350 pesos

Bottled water – 20 pesos

Drink on the beaches – 120 pesos

“Santo Domingo” coffee packaging – 110 pesos

Road transport – The country has three national highways that connect every major city. These are DR-1, DR-2 and DR-3, which diverge from Santo Domingo to the north (Cibao), south-west (Sur) and east (El Este) respectively. These motorways have been consistently improved thanks to the extension and reconstruction of many sections. Two other national alternative highways are DR-4 and DR-5. Public transport – There are two main bus transport services in the Dominican Republic: one controlled by the government, through the Oficina Técnica de Transito Terrestre (OTTT) and Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA) and the other controlled by private business, including Federación Nacional de Transporte La Nueva Opción (FENATRANO) and Confederacion Nacional de Transporte (CONATRA). The governmental transport system includes large routes in metropolitan areas such as Santo Domingo and Santiago. There are also many private bus companies, such as Metro Servicios Turísticos and Caribe Tours, which run every day. Metro Santo Domingo – This is the most extensive subway system in the island region of the Caribbean and Central America according to the length and number of stations. Metro Santo Domingo is part of the larger “National Captain Plan” to improve transport in Santo Domingo, as well as in the rest of the country. The first line was aimed at easing traffic jams on Máximo Gómez and Hermanas Mirabal Avenue. The second line, which was opened in April 2013, aims to ease the congestion of the Duarte-Kennedy-Centenario corridor in the city from west to east. The current length of the subway, with sections of two lines open since August 2013, is 27.35 km (16.99 miles). Before the opening of the second line in 2012, 30,856,515 passengers traveled in Santo Domingo Metro. After opening both lines in 2014, the number of passengers increased to 61,055,054 passengers.

S –

Safety – Many myths have grown around this topic. Dominican Republic is one of the safest countries in the region. Myths are replicated mainly by hotel employees and taxi drivers, who simply live out of the fact that tourists will stay in hotels, and outside of them will move with the taxi. As in any country where there is a large social stratification, accidents or unpleasant situations can happen, but they do not change the general picture about the safety of Dominican Republic. This is a safe country, and if we keep common sense, absolutely nothing can threaten us.

Sport – Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic. There is a baseball league in the country consisting of six teams. Its season usually starts in October and ends in January. After the United States, the Dominican Republic has the second largest number of players in Major League Baseball (MLB).

T – 

Time zone – Local time in Dominican Republic is set based on UTC time – 4 hours. This means that during our winter the difference between the time in Poland and the Dominican Republic is -5 hours. In the Dominican Republic, the time for summer time is not changed, so that during the summer we set the clock precisely, we should subtract 6 hours.

Tourism – Dominican Republic is the most visited place in the Caribbean. All-year-round golf courses are the main attractions. Geographically diverse nation, the Dominican Republic is home to the highest Caribbean peaks, Pico Duarte and the largest lake in the Caribbean and the lowest elevation point, Lake Enriquillo. Ecotourism has also become an increasingly important topic in this country, with cities such as Jarabacoa and neighboring Constanza, and places such as Pico Duarte, Bahia de las Aguilas and others have become more significant in seeking to increase the direct benefits of tourism. Most residents from other countries are required to obtain a tourist card, depending on the country in which they live.

U – 

V –

Visa – Upon arrival in Dominican Republic, you must pay a $ 10 travel card fee. It entitles you to stay in the Dominican Republic for up to 90 days and is then part of the passport. A stay of up to six months does not require a visa. The required period of validity of the passport upon entry is 6 months.

W – 

XYZ –

Compare Listings

Title Price Status Type Area Purpose Bedrooms Bathrooms