Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 12. Sectors › Mining concessions

Mining concessions

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

Minerals 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 exploitation requires a Dominican company. Limits are 30,000 mining hectares to explore and 20,000 to exploit, and missing a start date, a report or a payment can end the title.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar, as shown on its home page on 30 October 2026, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Exploration concession term	3 years, plus up to 2 yearsLey 146-71 art. 31 and 41, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Exploitation concession term	75 yearsLey 146-71 art. 49, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum exploration area per holder	30000 mining hectaresLey 146-71 art. 32, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum exploitation area per holder	20000 mining hectaresLey 146-71 art. 43, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Grant of metallic exploitation concession	64000 DOPR-MEM-REG-035-2016, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Exploration, exploitation and processing of minerals are of public interest and take priority over other uses of the land, except in protected spots listed in art. 30.Ley 146-71 Minera, art. 7, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Foreign governments may not hold mining concessions, directly or through others. With congressional approval the Executive may reach special agreements with foreign companies partly or fully owned by a state.Ley 146-71, art. 9, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. All concession holders are subject to Dominican law and courts, and foreigners are taken to have waived any diplomatic claim on the concession.Ley 146-71, art. 8, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. A mining concession is treated as real property, including the assets devoted to it, and cannot be physically divided, only divided virtually in shares.Ley 146-71, art. 10 and 12, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Officials, legislators and top judges, mining officers and their spouses and close relatives cannot hold mining rights while in office and for six months after.Ley 146-71, art. 13, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Anyone may do surface reconnaissance outside existing concessions, but needs the landowner's permit, or an order from the mining directorate. A discovery report gives a 30 day priority inside a 2,000 meter radius.Ley 146-71, art. 22, 23 and 25, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. An exploration concession gives exclusive rights for 3 years, with extensions of up to one year at a time and no more than two extra years.Ley 146-71, art. 31 and 41, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. One person may hold no more than 30,000 mining hectares in exploration. A mining hectare is a solid of indefinite depth under a 100 by 100 meter square.Ley 146-71, art. 32 and 33, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. The explorer has an exclusive option to ask for exploitation concessions at any time during exploration.Ley 146-71, art. 35, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. An exploitation concession gives exclusive rights for 75 years, but every 25 years the holder must move to the tax regime of the mining law then in force.Ley 146-71, art. 49 and 93, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. One person may hold no more than 20,000 mining hectares in exploitation, and companies with the same owners may be treated as one person.Ley 146-71, art. 43, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

12. Foreign companies that apply for exploitation or processing plant concessions must set up as Dominican companies. Those exploring must prove their legal existence, with legalized and translated documents, an attorney with full powers and a local address.Ley 146-71, art. 109 and 110, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

13. If a foreign company has not set up a Dominican company within six months of the exploitation grant, barring justified delays, the concession can lapse.Ley 146-71, art. 98 g, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

14. No mining work may happen in towns, cemeteries or public parks, and near buildings, roads, power lines, canals, public works, monuments or military sites it needs express Executive authorization.Ley 146-71, art. 30, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

15. Holders must compensate owners and occupants for damage, who cannot block the work if the procedure in arts. 181 and 182 is followed. Exploitation holders may ask for expropriation of land they need, which requires an Executive decree.Ley 146-71, art. 37, 38, 66 and 87, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

16. Exploration must start within 6 months and exploitation within a year of the grant. Work may not stop for more than 6 months in exploration or 2 years in exploitation, on pain of lapse, with extensions for force majeure or market conditions.Ley 146-71, art. 69 to 71, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

17. Holders file half year reports within 30 days and annual reports within 90 days after the period, and repeated failure can end the concession.Ley 146-71, art. 72, 97 f and 98 h, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

18. The mining directorate reviews a request within 10 working days. After the second publication, opposition may be filed within 30 days, then a field check follows and the ministry issues the title resolution.
Cost to do it: Filing: RD$25,500 (about US$418.71) metallic or RD$12,800 (about US$210.18) non metallic exploration. Grant: RD$26,000 (about US$426.92) for either.Ley 146-71, art. 145, 146, 148 and 177, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

19. Exploitation requests add a deposit evaluation report and go to the Executive for approval. The applicant then has 30 working days to mark the boundary, unless more time is allowed, before the title resolution.
Cost to do it: Filing: RD$63,600 (about US$1,044.32) metallic or RD$31,800 (about US$522.16) non metallic. Grant: RD$64,000 (about US$1,050.89) metallic or RD$32,000 (about US$525.45) non metallic.Ley 146-71, art. 149 to 155, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

20. Mining rights can be transferred. Contracts must be entered in the Public Registry of Mining Rights to bind third parties, and also on the land title if the land is registered. Transfers of exploitation concessions need a transferee that qualifies, in the ministry's judgment.
Cost to do it: Registry of a sale, transfer, mining contract or change in company structure: RD$50,900 (about US$835.79) each.Ley 146-71, art. 106 to 108, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

21. Reserves may be declared for cadastre, for exploration or for special contracts. Exploitation inside a fiscal reserve goes by public tender and a special contract with the State, and no concession may be requested there.Ley 146-71, art. 17, 19 and 20, 1971-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30

22. The State reported three fiscal reserves in 2021 and 2022: La Cuaba, Montenegro and Ávila.EITI RD, Ministry of Energy and Mines, fiscal reserves section, 2022 official text · verified 2026-10-30

23. Ministry fees for mining services were set by a resolution of 5 September 2016 after a no objection from the Ministry of Finance.Resolución R-MEM-REG-035-2016, second resolutive point, 2016-09-05 official text · verified 2026-10-30

24. For non metallic quarries, environmental authorizations last at most four years.Resolución 001-2017, Ministry of Environment, via EITI RD, cost page, 2017-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

25. To cover rehabilitation of areas and waste disposal, the environment ministry requires insurance or a bond in favor of the State from mining concession holders. The law also sets a performance bond of 10% of the works in the environmental management program.Ley 64-00, art. 47 and art. 162 paragraph, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Service	Metallic	Non metallic
Filing, exploration	RD$25,500 (about US$418.71)	RD$12,800 (about US$210.18)
Filing, exploitation	RD$63,600 (about US$1,044.32)	RD$31,800 (about US$522.16)
Grant, exploration	RD$26,000 (about US$426.92)	RD$26,000 (about US$426.92)
Grant, exploitation	RD$64,000 (about US$1,050.89)	RD$32,000 (about US$525.45)
Registry of sale, assignment or transfer	RD$50,900 (about US$835.79)	RD$50,900 (about US$835.79)
Publication of request extract	RD$6,400 (about US$105.09)	RD$6,400 (about US$105.09)
Field check of connection points	RD$24,200 (about US$397.37) plus RD$70 per km round trip	RD$24,200 (about US$397.37) plus RD$70 per km round trip

Mining service fees, Resolución R-MEM-REG-035-2016 (latest found; check for updates)

Worked example

A Canadian junior files for a 5,000 hectare metallic exploration block. Official filing and grant fees are RD$25,500 and RD$26,000, or RD$51,500 (about US$845.64), plus the extract publication and the field check at RD$24,200 plus mileage. It proves its legal existence under art. 110 but has no need of a local company until it seeks exploitation.
The same junior later buys a neighboring title. Registry of the transfer costs RD$50,900 (about US$835.79), and without registry the deal cannot be opposed to third parties.

Step by step

Check the cadastre for overlaps, reserves and protected areas.
Foreign explorers legalize and translate company papers (art. 110).
File at the Dirección General de Minería with plan, work program and budget.
Publication, 30 day opposition window, field check.
Ministry resolution, entry in the registry, delivery of title.
Start work within 6 months, pay the patent, file half year and annual reports.
For exploitation: deposit report, Executive approval, boundary marking within 30 working days, Dominican company.
Obtain the environmental authorization and bond before work.

Common traps

The law still names the old Secretaría de Industria y Comercio. Under Ley 100-13 the Ministry of Energy and Mines takes that role.
The ministry's copy of the law starts at art. 7. Arts. 1 to 6 were not available in the official copy read.
EITI RD says an extension of the 75 year term can be requested. The law text read has no express extension, so do not rely on one without advice.
Registry fees of RD$10 and RD$100 in art. 175 are out of date. Use the 2016 resolution.
Environmental fees for metallic mines are set by a formula tied to the public sector minimum wage. We could not find that wage or the factor tables, so no amount is given.
A reform is in progress. The minister has said a draft is under discussion, but no bill was found filed in Congress at the verification date (press only).

Sources

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