Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 5. FX and capital controls › Licensing an exchange agent or remittance business in the Dominican Republic: capital, approval and ongoing costs
Licensing an exchange agent or remittance business in the Dominican Republic: capital, approval and ongoing costs
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Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Changing
Exchange agents and remittance agents must be sociedades anónimas approved by the Junta Monetaria, with minimum paid capital of RD$11.5 million or RD$23 million. They pay a yearly supervision fee of 0.5% of capital and cannot take deposits, lend or use derivatives. They report every trade daily.
USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar for 29 October 2026, as shown on its home page on the verification date, rounded to the cent.
Key facts
| Minimum capital, Category A exchange agent | 23000000 DOPReglamento Cambiario art. 16, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
|---|---|
| Minimum capital, Category B exchange agent | 11500000 DOPReglamento Cambiario art. 16, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
| Minimum capital, remittance and exchange agent | 23000000 DOPReglamento Cambiario art. 16, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
| Yearly supervision fee | 0.5 % of paid capitalReglamento Cambiario art. 27, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
| Sub agent certificate fee | 200 USDReglamento Cambiario art. 9 paragraph I, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
The rule
1. An exchange agent must be a company by shares with habitual exchange intermediation as its sole object, and needs prior Junta Monetaria authorization.Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, art. 30, 2002-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
2. Applicants must be sociedades anónimas with agente de cambio or agente de remesas y cambio in the name. The application goes to the Junta Monetaria through the Superintendencia de Bancos with company documents, RNC, criminal record certificates, the remittance contract where relevant, a manual, the bank certificate for capital and sworn statements.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 5 and art. 6, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
3. Shareholders, directors and controllers must meet fitness tests covering integrity, past sanctions and regulatory history.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 7, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: The 2025 text added fitness requirements after public consultation.
4. After approval, the certificate is published within 30 calendar days and operations start within 90 calendar days, extendable once. Authorization may be cancelled after six months without activity.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 8 and paragraph III, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
5. Minimum capital is RD$23.0 million for Category A agents, RD$11.5 million for Category B and RD$23.0 million for remittance and exchange agents, in registered, fully paid shares, adjustable each January on annualized inflation.
Cost to do it: Category A or remittance RD$23,000,000 (about US$377,663.97); Category B RD$11,500,000 (about US$188,831.98). Amounts in the regulation of September 2025. A January 2026 adjustment was not found.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 16, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: The Quinta Resolución of 24 March 2025 updated capital, with 90 working days to comply.
Cost to do it: Category A or remittance RD$23,000,000 (about US$377,663.97); Category B RD$11,500,000 (about US$188,831.98). Amounts in the regulation of September 2025. A January 2026 adjustment was not found.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 16, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: The Quinta Resolución of 24 March 2025 updated capital, with 90 working days to comply.
6. Category B agents buy and sell spot currency and keep accounts. Category A agents may also borrow, up to twice paid capital. Remittance and exchange agents add sending and receiving remittances.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 17 and art. 18, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
7. Intermediaries may not take deposits or lend, in form or effect, write derivatives, or act for unauthorized entities.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 19, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
8. Sub agents need Superintendencia de Bancos authorization through the contracting entity, which pays a one off fee of US$200 in pesos for the certificate.
Cost to do it: US$200 one off per first certificate, about RD$12,180.14 at the reference rateReglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 9 and paragraph I, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
Cost to do it: US$200 one off per first certificate, about RD$12,180.14 at the reference rateReglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 9 and paragraph I, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
9. Share transfers below 30% of paid capital go to the Superintendencia de Bancos, decided in 30 calendar days. Transfers of 30% or more need Junta Monetaria authorization.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 10 and art. 11, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
10. Agents pay a yearly supervision fee of 0.5% of subscribed and paid capital, quarterly, shared equally by the Superintendencia de Bancos and the Banco Central.
Cost to do it: On RD$23,000,000: RD$115,000 (about US$1,888.32) a yearReglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 27, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
Cost to do it: On RD$23,000,000: RD$115,000 (about US$1,888.32) a yearReglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 27, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
11. Agents report all trades daily, file a capital certificate from external auditors within 60 days after year end and publish audited accounts by 31 March.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 54, art. 55, art. 60 and art. 62, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
12. Records are kept for up to 10 years, and entities must report purchases and sales of cash and other means of payment of US$15,000 or more, with payer, beneficiary and purpose.Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución JM 250911-01, art. 14 literal h and art. 59, 2025-09-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30
13. Intermediaries were brought under the Reglamento sobre Riesgo Operacional, in a title written specifically for them.Resolución JM 251127-04, recitals and scope article, 2025-11-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: The Cuarta Resolución of 27 November 2025 approved the new text and extended operational risk rules to exchange intermediaries.
| Type | Minimum capital | Yearly fee at minimum | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category B | RD$11,500,000 (about US$188,831.98) | RD$57,500 (about US$944.16) | Spot FX, no short position |
| Category A | RD$23,000,000 (about US$377,663.97) | RD$115,000 (about US$1,888.32) | Spot FX, borrowing up to twice capital |
| Remittance and exchange | RD$23,000,000 (about US$377,663.97) | RD$115,000 (about US$1,888.32) | Category A plus remittances |
Licence types compared
Worked example
- A remittance and exchange agent at minimum capital pays RD$115,000 (about US$1,888.32) a year in supervision fees, split quarterly into RD$28,750 (about US$472.08). It must also fund external audit and the operational risk build out, which vary by firm.
Step by step
- Form a sociedad anónima with the required name and exclusive object.
- Deposit the minimum capital and get the bank certificate.
- Prepare the manual, fitness documents and technology evidence.
- Apply through the Superintendencia de Bancos.
- After approval, publish the certificate within 30 days and start within 90 days.
- Join the Plataforma Cambiaria BCRD as the Banco Central requires.
Common traps
- Buying and selling currency habitually without a licence is unauthorized activity, and the Superintendencia de Bancos must stop it.
- The capital must stay in place at all times, and the auditor's certificate tests it each year.
- Category B may never hold a short position.
- The capital figures can move each January for inflation. Check the Superintendencia de Bancos before relying on them.
Sources
- Ley 183-02 Monetaria y Financiera, Superintendencia de Bancos copy
- Reglamento Cambiario, Primera Resolución de la Junta Monetaria of 11 September 2025
- Superintendencia de Bancos, Reglamento Cambiario page
- Resolución JM 251127-04, Reglamento sobre Riesgo Operacional
- Superintendencia de Bancos Carta Circular CCI-REG-202500007 on minimum capital
Related pages
- fx/fx-penalties-and-enforcement
- fx/cash-and-border-reporting
- entities/sociedad-anonima
- fx/fx-market-and-exchange-rate
Related: Dominican Republic country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X · where Argentina is involved, see The Argentine Thread guide
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