Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 4. Entities and setup › Sociedad anónima simplificada (S.A.S.) in the Dominican Republic: RD$3 million authorized capital, free internal structure, share classes and no public offering

Sociedad anónima simplificada (S.A.S.) in the Dominican Republic: RD$3 million authorized capital, free internal structure, share classes and no public offering

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

The S.A.S. keeps shares and share classes but lets the bylaws design the governance: one president can run it, no board or comisario de cuentas is mandatory, and transfers can be tightly restricted. Capital is RD$3 million authorized with 10% paid in, far below the S.A. It needs two shareholders at formation and cannot offer securities to the public, which suits joint ventures and funded private companies.

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

Minimum authorized capital, S.A.S.	3000000 DOPLey 479-08 art. 369-6, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Capital subscribed and paid at formation	10 %Ley 479-08 art. 369-6, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Minimum shareholders, S.A.S.	2 shareholdersLey 479-08 art. 369-1, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Board required	No Ley 479-08 art. 369-2 and art. 369-3, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Comisario de cuentas required	Only if the bylaws provide it or private debt is issued Ley 479-08 art. 369-4 and art. 369-8, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Public offering of securities	Not allowed Ley 479-08 art. 156 paragraph, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Bearer shares allowed	No Ley 479-08 art. 369-4, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Rate used for USD conversions	60.9007 DOP per USDBanco Central spot reference selling rate, 29 October 2026, as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. An S.A.S. is formed by two or more persons, liable only for their contributions, with legal personality. The name carries Sociedad Anónima Simplificada or SAS, and the bylaws must expressly opt in (art. 369-1). If it later ends up with one person it must regularize (art. 369-1, paragraph I). It cannot be used where a special law requires another form (art. 369-1, paragraph II).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-1, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. The bylaws freely set the structure, but S.A. rules still apply, especially on minority protection, equal treatment, creditors and penalties. Art. 160, art. 208 to art. 263, art. 299(g) and art. 304 to art. 369 do not apply. If the shareholders choose a board, art. 208 to art. 240 apply as a fallback (art. 369-2).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-2, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Authorized capital may not be below RD$3,000,000 or the equivalent in convertible foreign currency, and subscribed and paid capital may not be below 10% of authorized capital (art. 369-6). Shares may be paid in cash or by contributions, and classes and series are allowed, including preferred shares with or without votes (art. 369-6, paragraph I).
Cost to do it: In 2026 the 1% tax on RD$3,000,000 of authorized capital is RD$30,000 (about US$492.61); repealed from 2027 by Ley 30-26 art. 58.
Example: RD$3,000,000 authorized requires RD$300,000 subscribed and paid. / About US$49,260.52 authorized and US$4,926.05 paid in.Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-6, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. The president represents the company and may be its sole administrator or the principal member of a collegiate body (art. 369-3). Limits on the president's powers do not bind third parties (art. 369-3, paragraph II). A corporate president or administrator is allowed, and its own directors carry the same liability (art. 369-3, paragraph IV). The disqualifications in art. 211 and duties in art. 227 to art. 229 apply (art. 369-3, paragraph V).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-3, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Related party agreements are allowed without approval if they are ordinary business on market terms and do not exceed 5% of net assets, alone or over 12 months. Others need prior approval of the board or, if there is none, the shareholders (art. 369-3, paragraphs VI and VII). If the company has become single shareholder, contracts with that shareholder must be in writing and filed with the Registro Mercantil within 120 days of year end, and loans or guarantees to that shareholder cannot exceed 25% of net equity in total (art. 369-3, paragraph VIII).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-3 paragraphs VI to VIII, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Shares are always nominative (art. 369-4 and art. 369-6, paragraph II). The bylaws regulate transfers and may require prior approval, grant preference rights or similar clauses; transfers that breach them are void (art. 369-6, paragraphs II and III). An S.A.S. may not issue securities by public offering (art. 156, paragraph). It may issue private debt, but then the shareholders must appoint a comisario de cuentas (art. 369-4, paragraph).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 156, art. 369-4 and art. 369-6, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. The bylaws decide which matters go to shareholders and how, including written consultations with at least 15 days to answer. Capital changes, transformation, appointment of comisarios where applicable, annual accounts and declaring profits must always be collective decisions (art. 369-5). A comisario is required only if the bylaws provide one (art. 369-8).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-5 and art. 369-8, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Any company may transform into an S.A.S., and an S.A.S. into another type, with at least one year between transformations (art. 369-9). An S.A. that becomes single shareholder through a transfer may keep its personality as an S.A.S. and must regularize within 180 days, or within 12 months if the holder is a natural person, by transforming or dissolving (art. 369-1, paragraph III). Two consecutive years of disuse lets any interested person seek dissolution; holding shares or real estate rights does not count as disuse (art. 369-10).Ley 479-08, General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada, as amended by Ley 31-11, art. 369-1, art. 369-9 and art. 369-10, 2011-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

A venture backed company with a Dominican founder and a foreign fund sets RD$3,000,000 authorized and RD$300,000 paid, with preferred shares for the fund and an approval clause on transfers. In 2026 the tax is RD$30,000 (about US$492.61) and the chamber fee RD$14,500 (about US$238.09) if the band is applied to authorized capital; in 2027 only the chamber fee and document charges remain.

Step by step

Write the bylaws around the president's powers, share classes, transfer clause and which decisions go to shareholders.
State in the bylaws that the company is an S.A.S.
Pay in at least 10%; in 2026 pay the tax on authorized capital.
File at the chamber within one month and request the RNC.

Common traps

A single founder cannot form an S.A.S. at the outset: art. 369-1 needs two persons.
Do not assume the S.A.S. skips annual accounts: approval of accounts is always a shareholder decision (art. 369-5).
Check sector laws first; where a law requires an S.A. the S.A.S. is unavailable (art. 369-1, paragraph II).
The fee schedule says only capital, so confirm with the chamber whether the band is applied to authorized capital before budgeting.

Sources

← Sociedad anónima (S.A.) in the Dominican Republic: RD$30 million authorized capital, 10% paid in, a board of three and a mandatory comisario de cuentasEmpresa individual de responsabilidad limitada (E.I.R.L.) in the Dominican Republic: one natural person, a separate estate and no minimum capital in the law →

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