Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 3. Investing › Project permits in the Dominican Republic: the environmental licence and the investment single window

Project permits in the Dominican Republic: the environmental licence and the investment single window

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

Any project that may affect the environment needs a permit or licence from the Ministry of Environment before it starts, and big projects need an impact study. The developer pays for the studies and posts a bond of 10% of the cost of the environmental management program. ProDominicana's Ventanilla Única de Inversión brought together 50 procedures from 26 institutions as of September 2026.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar for 29 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Environmental compliance bond	10 % of management program costLey 64-00 art. 47, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Procedures on the investment single window	50 proceduresPresidencia note, as of 2026-09-30 · in force
Institutions on the single window	26 institutionsPresidencia note, as of 2026-09-30 · in force

The rule

1. Every project, infrastructure work, industry or activity that may affect the environment must get a permit or licence from the ministry before execution, by the size of its effects.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, art. 40, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Listed projects need an impact assessment, including ports, dams, high voltage lines and substations, power plants, airports, highways, urban development and industrial plants. The ministry can widen the list.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, art. 41 and paragraph I, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. A permit calls for a declaration of environmental impact, and a licence calls for an environmental impact study. The ministry sets the criteria and exclusions. Activities with neither still follow its environmental rules.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, art. 41 paragraphs IV and V, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. The developer pays for the studies, which are public and subject to discussion. Those who prepare them must be registered with the ministry.
Cost to do it: Consultant cost depends on scope. No ministry fee schedule was found.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, art. 42, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. The ministry runs the process with other bodies and consults sector bodies and municipalities, with citizen participation.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, art. 43, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. The permit or licence includes a management and adaptation program. The holder takes on administrative, civil and criminal liability for damage and allows inspection.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, arts. 44 and 45, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. The holder must post a compliance bond of 10% of the total cost of the physical works or investment needed for the management program.
Example: A program costing RD$30,000,000 needs a bond of RD$3,000,000. / A program of US$492,605.18 needs US$49,260.52.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente, art. 47, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Natural resources may be used only under the conditions of the law, and protected area limits can only be cut by law with two thirds of each chamber.Constitución de 2024, arts. 16 and 17, 2024-10-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Beaches, rivers and coasts are public domain with free access, respecting private property.Constitución de 2024, art. 15 paragraph, 2024-10-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. The Ventanilla Única de Inversión, coordinated by ProDominicana, integrates 50 procedures from 26 institutions, including municipalities, as of September 2026.Presidencia note on FDI and exports, official note, 2026-10-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. Tourism projects need the environmental licence for final classification, and free zone parks are subject to the Council's site and feasibility file.Decreto 372-14; CNZFE service sheet, art. 18, 2014-10-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Point	Environmental permit	Environmental licence
Study	Declaration of environmental impact	Environmental impact study
When	Lower effects, by ministry criteria	Larger effects
Paid by	Developer	Developer
Bond	10% of program cost	10% of program cost

Permit or licence

Worked example

A 200 room hotel plans a management program with works of RD$30,000,000 (US$492,605.18). Its bond is RD$3,000,000 (US$49,260.52). Without the licence, the project cannot get final CONFOTUR classification.

Step by step

Ask the ministry early which instrument applies.
Hire a registered consultant.
Plan consultation with the municipality and the public.
Use the Ventanilla Única to track procedures.
Keep monitoring reports current.

Common traps

Starting works before the permit breaches art. 40.
The law leaves the term of each permit to ministry rules, so check the expiry date in the document.
This guide found no official fee schedule or current ministry processing times, so ask for them in writing.
A licence does not replace municipal and planning approvals.

Sources

← Acquiring a Dominican company: no general merger filing, sector approvals and share transfer rulesInvestment treaties of the Dominican Republic: DR-CAFTA protections and the bilateral treaty network →

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