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12. Sectors: Dominican Republic

Sectors in the Dominican Republic: the licences and limits that decide whether a project can go ahead. Covers electricity concessions, rooftop solar under the 2026 SIE regulation, mining concessions and State mining contracts, oil and gas contracts, fuel taxes and licences, telecoms and broadcasting, casinos and online gaming under Ley 86-26, tourism licences, ports, aviation, farm import licences and health products, each tied to the official text. For the Argentine side of trade or a treaty question, see The Argentine Thread guide.

Investor view. Open concession regimes, a large power tender with storage, a modern gaming statute and a mining reform in draft give the Dominican Republic a market friendly path for private capital to build growth in energy, tourism and logistics.

• Key sectors and regulatorsMost Dominican sectors are open to foreign capital, and each has one main licensing body. Hard limits are few: transmission and large hydro are State only, foreign states cannot hold mineral rights, b
• Electricity market and concessionsPrivate and foreign capital may own generation and distribution, but transmission and hydroelectric generation stay in State hands. Plants feeding the grid need a definitive concession from the Execut
• Distributed generation and rooftop solarResolución SIE-007-2026-REG of 19 January 2026 replaced the old rooftop solar rules. Distributors have 45 days to answer or the request is deemed approved, the 15% circuit cap is gone if studies suppo
• Mining concessionsMinerals belong to the State and are worked under concessions: 3 years for exploration, 75 years for exploitation. Foreign groups may explore after recognition of their legal existence, but exploitati
• Mining taxes, royalties and State contractsThe general regime has an annual patent, a 5% export royalty creditable against income tax in the same year, and income tax. Municipalities also get 5% of net profit from non renewable resources. The
• Oil and gas explorationThe country produces no hydrocarbons. Rights come through public tender and a contract approved by Congress. The only award found is block SP2 offshore San Pedro de Macorís to APA, under a production
• Fuels market and taxesThe country produces no oil, and fuels carry a per gallon tax under Ley 112-00, a 16% selective tax on import parity price and a RD$2 per gallon add on. Ley 30-26 of June 2026 added a US$174.50 per to
• Telecommunications and broadcastingLey 153-98 opens telecoms to competition under INDOTEL. Public services need a concession of 5 to 20 years, held by a Dominican company, and spectrum needs a licence, usually by public tender. Operato
• Casinos and slot roomsLey 86-26, in the Gazette of 2 October 2026, replaced the old casino laws and created the DGJA under the Ministry of Finance and Economy. Casinos run only in operating hotels of four stars or more, un
• Lotteries, sports betting and online gamingLey 86-26 licenses lottery shops for 5 years and sports betting shops, online gaming and electronic lotteries for 10 years. Online operators must be companies and pay 10% monthly on operations, or RD$
• Tourism operating licencesHotels, restaurants, bars, spas and timeshare firms need a Ministry of Tourism licence on top of company and sanitary papers, filed online. First time hotel filings need a no objection letter from the
• Ports and port concessionsAPORDOM, created by Ley 70 of 1970, runs commercial ports and oversees private ones. Its board may grant private national or foreign firms concessions for port services, terminals and marinas for 10 r
• Aviation and airlinesThe Junta de Aviación Civil grants economic rights and IDAC handles safety. A company is national at 35% Dominican capital and board, or up to 100% foreign if owned by a recognized foreign airline wit
• Agriculture and farm import licencesCommercial importers of listed farm goods must register in RIMPA and get a licence through the Ministry of Agriculture, approved by the Comisión para las Importaciones Agropecuarias. Sanitary no objec
• Medicines, food and health productsDIGEMAPS, under the Ministry of Public Health, regulates medicines, food, drinks, cosmetics and health products. Its service sheet for renewing a product's sanitary registration shows RD$21,000 for a

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