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Company setup costs and timeline in the Dominican Republic: 1% tax until 2026, chamber fees by capital band, ONAPI name and RNC

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

Setup runs through the Cámara de Comercio y Producción of the domicile for the Registro Mercantil, DGII for the tax and RNC, and optionally ONAPI for the trade name. The application is due within one month of signing. In 2026 the 1% tax is usually the largest official cost, and it disappears from 2027, while chamber fees depend on capital and on the chamber. Formalízate offers an online route.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana spot reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar for 29 October 2026, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Tax on incorporation, 20261 % of authorized capitalLey 173-07 art. 10, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Minimum tax on incorporation, 20261000 DOPLey 173-07 art. 10 paragraph I, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Year the tax is repealed from2027 Ley 30-26 art. 58, as of 2026-10-30 · pending
Deadline to apply for registration1 month Ley 479-08 art. 15, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Santo Domingo formation fee, capital up to RD$100,0002500 DOPChamber schedule in force from 1 December 2022, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Registry renewal cycle2 yearsLey 3-02 art. 12, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
ONAPI trade name registration4755 DOPONAPI service sheet, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Rate used for USD conversions60.9007 DOP per USDBanco Central spot reference selling rate, 29 October 2026, as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. The Registro Mercantil is public, mandatory and enforceable against third parties (art. 2), and is run by the chambers of commerce under ministry supervision (art. 3). A company files at the chamber of its domicile (art. 7) within one month of the constitutive meeting (art. 5). Each chamber sets its own fees (art. 8).Ley 3-02 sobre Registro Mercantil, art. 2, art. 3, art. 5, art. 7 and art. 8, 2002-01-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30
2. The application to register must be made within one month of signing the constitutive act or the meeting (art. 15), at the chamber of the registered domicile (art. 16). The registry may reject a filing or give time for a corrective writing (art. 17).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 15 to art. 17, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30
3. Trading for more than a month without registration carries a fine of up to three minimum salaries, not applied if the business comes forward voluntarily (art. 23). Failing to report changes is fined 50% of the minimum salary (art. 25). False data is punished under art. 150 of the Penal Code (art. 24).Ley 3-02 sobre Registro Mercantil, art. 23 to art. 25, 2002-01-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30
4. Formation of companies by shares and partnerships limited by shares bears a tax of 1% of authorized capital, and the same rate on capital increases. Accidental and de facto companies pay on the agreed capital. The tax is never below RD$1,000 and is paid to DGII, whose receipt the Registro Mercantil requires. Constitutive documents are exempt from the stamp tax of Ley 2254 and the 12% of Ley 5113.
Cost to do it: 1% of authorized capital; RD$1,000 minimum (about US$16.42).Ley 173-07 de Eficiencia Recaudatoria, art. 10 (restating art. 9 of Ley 1041), 2007-07-17 official text · verified 2026-10-30
5. From 2027, art. 10 of Ley 173-07 is repealed. Contributions of capital assets to form a company or increase capital will bear the transfer taxes for the type of asset.
Cost to do it: RD$0 tax on formation or capital increase from 2027; asset transfer taxes may apply to in kind contributions.Ley 30-26, art. 58 and paragraph, 2026-06-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 30-26 of 18 June 2026 repeals the tax from 2027. DGII's calendar lists the repeal for fiscal year 2027.
6. DGII registers a legal entity with form RC-02 and annexes, the Registro Mercantil certificate, the ONAPI certificate if held, identity documents of shareholders (passport for foreigners without a cédula), and the registered bylaws and constitutive meeting, which must name the natural person responsible for tax duties and record that person's acceptance. Registration can also be made through Oficina Virtual and Formalízate.DGII, steps to register a legal entity (June 2026), under art. 50(c) of the Código Tributario, Steps 1 and 2, 2026-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30
7. Trade name registration with ONAPI costs RD$4,755 with a listed time of one working day; a prior rights search costs RD$600 and five working days. An applicant without a domicile or establishment in the country must appoint a natural person domiciled there. The chamber lists the ONAPI certificate only if the company has one.
Cost to do it: RD$4,755 (about US$78.08) plus RD$600 (about US$9.85) for the search.ONAPI service sheets under Ley 20-00, Registro de Nombre Comercial; Búsqueda de Antecedentes, 2026-10-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30
8. Santo Domingo requires a RD$50 contribution to the Colegio de Abogados on each document for registrations, modifications, renewals and transformations, citing art. 66 of Ley 3-19.
Cost to do it: RD$50 (about US$0.82) per document.Cámara de Comercio y Producción de Santo Domingo, requirements citing Ley 3-19, Common requirements, 2026-10-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30
Capital bandFormationRenewalModification
RD$1 to RD$100,000RD$2,500RD$1,700RD$800
RD$100,001 to RD$500,000RD$5,000RD$3,300RD$1,500
RD$500,001 to RD$1,000,000RD$8,000RD$4,300RD$2,000
RD$1,000,001 to RD$5,000,000RD$14,500RD$9,500RD$4,400
RD$5,000,001 to RD$50,000,000RD$23,000RD$15,000RD$6,900
RD$50,000,001 to RD$100,000,000RD$34,500RD$22,500RD$10,400
RD$100,000,001 to RD$300,000,000RD$47,500RD$30,900RD$14,300
RD$300,000,001 to RD$500,000,000RD$57,500RD$37,400RD$17,300
RD$500,000,001 to RD$1,000,000,000RD$67,500RD$43,900RD$20,300
RD$1,000,000,001 to RD$5,000,000,000RD$87,500RD$56,700RD$26,300
RD$5,000,000,001 to RD$10,000,000,000RD$97,500RD$63,100RD$29,300
RD$10,000,000,001 and aboveRD$102,500RD$66,300RD$30,800
Foreign company without capitalRD$15,000RD$9,800RD$4,500

Santo Domingo chamber fees, in force from 1 December 2022 (file named 2024). Other chambers set their own.

Case1% tax in 2026ChamberONAPI search and nameTotal in 2026Total from 2027
S.R.L., capital RD$500,000RD$5,000RD$5,000RD$5,355RD$15,355 (about US$252.13)RD$10,355 (about US$170.03)
S.A.S., RD$3,000,000 authorizedRD$30,000RD$14,500RD$5,355RD$49,855 (about US$818.63)RD$19,855 (about US$326.02)
S.A., RD$30,000,000 authorizedRD$300,000RD$23,000RD$5,355RD$328,355 (about US$5,391.65)RD$28,355 (about US$465.59)

Official costs at the Santo Domingo chamber, excluding professional fees; USD at the page rate.

Worked example

  • The S.R.L. row above totals RD$15,355 in 2026: tax RD$5,000, chamber RD$5,000, ONAPI RD$4,755 and search RD$600. From 2027 the same set of steps costs RD$10,355. Add RD$50 per document and any lawyer, translator or notary fees, which are not set by law.

Step by step

  1. Week one: name search and bylaws. The ONAPI search lists five working days.
  2. Sign, then deposit S.R.L. cash within eight days.
  3. Pay the tax if forming in 2026.
  4. File at the chamber within one month of signing.
  5. Request the RNC. Formalízate says delivery comes in a few days after payment.
  6. Register as employer with the Tesorería de la Seguridad Social and the Ministerio de Trabajo if you hire, as Formalízate describes.
  7. Open the bank account and request authorization for fiscal receipts.

Common traps

  • The fee table is for Santo Domingo only; Ley 3-02 lets every chamber set its own.
  • The schedule says capital without defining it, so ask the chamber which figure it uses for S.A. and S.A.S.
  • Timing matters: a company formed in late December 2026 pays the tax, and one formed in 2027 does not, but do not delay a filing past the one month limit.
  • No statutory fee exists for lawyers on company formation, so get a quote.

Sources

Related pages

Related: Dominican Republic country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X

← Branch of a foreign company in the Dominican Republic: registering in the Registro Mercantil, the RNC and the 10% tax on remittances to head officeBeneficial ownership in the Dominican Republic: the 20% test, Annex D at the RNC, IR-2 annexes and the end of bearer shares →

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