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Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 10. Capital markets and finance › Banks and financial entities in the Dominican Republic: licence types, capital and limits

Banks and financial entities in the Dominican Republic: licence types, capital and limits

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

A deposit taker needs Junta Monetaria authorization, which can only be refused on legal grounds. Multiple banks need at least RD$275 million of paid in capital, savings and credit banks RD$55 million, credit corporations RD$15 million. The solvency floor is 10%, single borrower exposure is capped at 10% of technical capital and related party credit at 50%.

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

Key facts

Minimum paid in capital, multiple bank275000000 DOPResolución JM 140410-05, as of 2014-04-10 · in force
Minimum paid in capital, credit corporation15000000 DOPResolución JM 140410-05, as of 2014-04-10 · in force
Minimum solvency ratio10 %Ley 183-02 art. 46 literal e, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Single borrower or risk group limit, unsecured10 % of technical capitalLey 183-02 art. 47 literal a, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Junta Monetaria approval for share sale30 % of paid in capitalLey 183-02 art. 35 literal a, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Required legal formShare company with exclusive object textLey 183-02 art. 38, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Reference selling rate used for USD conversions60.9007 DOP per USDBanco Central reference rate, as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. The private accionary entities are multiple banks, savings and credit banks and credit corporations. Non accionary entities are savings and loan associations and credit cooperatives that intermediate.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 34, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
2. Multiple banks may take demand and current account deposits and do everything in the general catalogue. Credit entities fund through savings and term deposits only and may never take demand deposits or current accounts.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 36, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
3. Authorization to act as a financial entity comes from the Junta Monetaria and may be refused only on grounds of legality, not opportunity. It lapses if operations do not start within six months.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 35 literal a, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
4. The Superintendencia must complete its evaluation of the statutes and founders within 60 calendar days of receiving the application.
Cost to do it: No application fee appears in the law or regulation; budget for capital, legal and feasibility work.Reglamento de Apertura de EIF, Primera Resolución JM, art. 10, 2004-05-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
5. Prior Junta Monetaria authorization is also needed for mergers, conversion to another entity type, spin offs, sale of shares of 30% or more of paid in capital and transfers of all or a substantial part of assets and liabilities.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 35 literal a, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
6. Founding shareholders must show consolidated equity at least equal to the required minimum capital, prior financial experience and a team of experienced managers.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 37 literals a and b, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
7. Banks and credit entities must be share companies with an exclusive object. Paid in capital must be fully paid in cash, and for a new entity is deposited transitionally at the Banco Central for the initial investment plan.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 38 literals a, b and c, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
8. Minimum paid in capital was updated to RD$275 million for multiple banks, RD$55 million for savings and credit banks, RD$15 million for credit corporations and RD$17 million for savings and loan associations. New applications must meet these amounts.
Cost to do it: RD$275,000,000 (US$4,515,547.44) multiple bank; RD$55,000,000 (US$903,109.49) savings and credit bank; RD$15,000,000 (US$246,302.59) credit corporation; RD$17,000,000 (US$279,142.93) association.
Example: RD$275,000,000 for a multiple bank / US$4,515,547.44Resolución JM 140410-05, ordinals 1 and 4, 2014-04-10 official text · verified 2026-10-30
9. Acquiring more than 3% of paid in capital, directly or indirectly, must be communicated to the Superintendencia. For foreign investors, stakes from 3% to 30% need a request for non objection, and smaller stakes are reported within 10 working days of purchase.Reglamento de Apertura de EIF, Primera Resolución JM, art. 15; Ley 183-02 art. 38 literal e, 2004-05-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
10. The board has at least five individuals, and at least 40% must be professionals with financial experience or recognized economic, financial or business experience.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 38 literal f, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
11. The ratio of technical capital to risk weighted assets and contingencies may not be below 10%. An entity below it is in regulatory insolvency.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 46 literal e, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
12. Total exposure to one person or risk group may not exceed 10% of technical capital, or 20% if secured by first rank mortgages or similar real guarantees. A breach lets the Superintendencia require a capital increase equal to the excess.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 47 literal a, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
13. Credit to shareholders, directors, officers, employees, their close relatives and companies they control may not exceed 50% of technical capital in total. Shareholders holding under 3% are excepted.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 47 literal b, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
14. Banks may not lend to fund subscription of their own or related entity securities, take their own shares as collateral, hold stakes in insurers, pension fund managers or fund managers, or grant real security over their portfolio or total assets, save in favour of the Banco Central and for debt securities issues.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 45 literals a, b, f and g, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
15. Very serious infringements carry fines up to RD$10 million or loss of licence, serious ones up to RD$2.5 million plus a warning, and minor ones up to RD$500,000.
Example: RD$10,000,000 / US$164,201.73Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 70 literal a, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
EntityMinimum paid in capital (RD$)USDDemand deposits
Multiple bank275,000,000US$4,515,547.44Yes
Savings and credit bank55,000,000US$903,109.49No
Credit corporation15,000,000US$246,302.59No
Savings and loan association17,000,000US$279,142.93No

Minimum capital under Resolución JM 140410-05 and Ley 183-02 art. 36 and art. 75

Worked example

  • A bank with technical capital of RD$1,000,000,000 (US$16,420,172.51) may lend RD$100,000,000 (US$1,642,017.25) unsecured to one risk group, RD$200,000,000 (US$3,284,034.50) if secured by a first rank mortgage, and RD$500,000,000 (US$8,210,086.26) in total to related parties.
  • With risk weighted assets and contingencies of RD$5,000,000,000 (US$82,100,862.55), the 10% floor requires technical capital of RD$500,000,000 (US$8,210,086.26).

Step by step

  1. Prepare draft statutes, founder list and feasibility study.
  2. File through the Superintendencia de Bancos, which evaluates within 60 calendar days.
  3. The Superintendencia sends its opinion to the Junta Monetaria, which decides.
  4. After approval, report board members within 90 calendar days and complete the conditions within six months.
  5. Start operating before the authorization lapses at six months, with one extension of equal length available by Junta Monetaria decision.

Common traps

  • Art. 24 of the 2004 regulation still prints older capital figures; the 2014 resolution figures replaced them. No later update for these entity types was found on verification, so confirm with the Superintendencia before filing.
  • The word banco and the entity names are reserved by art. 38 literal b.
  • A share purchase that breaks the shareholder disqualification rules is void, and the shares must be sold within 15 days under art. 38 literal d.
  • Cooperatives are excepted from the law under art. 76 and fall under their own legislation, despite being named in art. 34.

Sources

Related pages

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

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