Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 14. Disputes › Enforcing arbitral awards in the Dominican Republic: domestic awards, foreign awards and exequatur

Enforcing arbitral awards in the Dominican Republic: domestic awards, foreign awards and exequatur

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Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Foreign awards go through exequatur before the civil and commercial chamber of the First Instance Court of the Distrito Nacional, in a non contentious procedure, with refusal limited to New York Convention style grounds. Domestic awards are enforced by the first instance court of the seat, and awards from chamber of commerce courts need no recognition at all. Any contest of a foreign award order goes to the court of appeal in sole instance.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.8594 per US dollar for 28 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

New York Convention party	Yes yes/noNew York Convention, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
In force	2002-07-10 dateNew York Convention, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Reservations shown	None listed textUN status table, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Recognition court	Cámara Civil y Comercial, Primera Instancia, Distrito Nacional courtLey 489-08 art. 9 num. 6, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Inter-American Convention deposit	2008-07-07 dateOAS B-35, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Rate used for USD conversions	60.8594 DOP per USDBanco Central reference selling rate, 28 October 2026, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. Foreign awards are enforced under Ley 489-08 and the treaties in force.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 42, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Exequatur of foreign awards belongs to the civil and commercial chamber of the First Instance Court of the Distrito Nacional, and has effect across the country. It is granted in a non contentious procedure by court order.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 9 num. 6 and num. 7, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. The applicant files a petition with an original of the award and of the arbitration clause or contract.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 43, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. A contest of the order is heard by the competent court of appeal, in sole and last instance, as for annulment and as the applicable convention provides.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 44, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Refusal is allowed, wherever the award was made, only for incapacity or invalid clause, breach of due process, excess of the clause, irregular tribunal or procedure, an award not yet binding or set aside, a non arbitrable subject or public order.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 45, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. The court may raise on its own the grounds of due process, arbitrability and public order.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 45 par. 2, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. The first instance court of the place of the award handles forced enforcement of domestic awards. Interim measure awards also go through recognition.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 9 num. 4 and art. 41, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Awards of chamber arbitration courts are not subject to recognition for enforcement and have the force of second instance judgments.Ley 36-23, amending Ley 50-87, art. 7, new art. 17 par. II and III, 2023-06-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Parts of the regime reach arbitrations seated abroad: arts. 9 num. 3 and 6, 10, 12, 21 and the chapter on recognition.Ley 489-08 sobre Arbitraje Comercial, art. 1 num. 2, 2008-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. The New York Convention binds the country from 10 July 2002 and the UN table shows no reservation note. The Inter-American Convention of Panama 1975 was signed on 18 April 1977, ratified on 11 February 2008, and deposited on 7 July 2008.New York Convention 1958; Inter-American Convention 1975, status tables, 2008-07-07 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. Enforcing foreign awards in Dominican territory is an exclusive Dominican jurisdiction, and Ley 544-14 leaves commercial arbitration to Ley 489-08.Ley 544-14 de Derecho Internacional Privado, art. 2 num. 2 and art. 11 num. 5, 2014-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

12. The Supreme Court held in 2021 that a shareholder not party to the arbitration lacked interest to attack the exequatur over awards against the company, and pointed attacks on the merits to annulment in the seat.Suprema Corte de Justicia, Primera Sala, sentencia 253, 2021-07-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Award	Court	Step
Foreign	Cámara Civil y Comercial, Distrito Nacional	Exequatur order
Domestic, ad hoc or other center	First instance court of the seat	Enforcement under art. 41
Dominican chamber court	No recognition	Enforce directly

Enforcement by award type

Worked example

A New York seated ICC award orders a Dominican buyer to pay US$500,000 (about RD$30,429,700). The winner files the original award and contract in Santo Domingo. Once the order issues, it can seize assets anywhere in the country, and a contest goes to the court of appeal.

Step by step

Obtain an original or certified award and clause.
Add a Spanish translation and apostille, as a practical step.
File the petition.
Serve the order and enforce.
Answer any contest at the court of appeal.

Common traps

Art. 43 asks for originals, which can be hard to get from foreign institutions.
Ley 2-23 art. 10 names exequatur of foreign judgments, not awards, among automatic cassation matters, and art. 44 makes the appeal court ruling last instance. Expect argument on this.
The court can refuse on public order by itself. Do not assume the debtor must raise it.
If the debtor files for restructuring, enforcement stops under Ley 141-15 art. 54.

Sources

← Commercial arbitration in the Dominican Republic: Ley 489-08, chamber courts and the StateEnforcing foreign judgments in the Dominican Republic: exequatur under Ley 544-14 →

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