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Courier and low value imports in the Dominican Republic: US$200 and the splitting rule

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

Courier parcels up to US$200 CIF for personal use are free of duties and taxes, parcels to US$2,000 pay them, and higher values clear normally. Commercial goods, restricted goods and split shipments cannot use the low value category, and customs may regroup similar parcels. Couriers need a license with a RD$10 million minimum guarantee.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.8594 per US dollar for 28 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date and the rate Aduanas lists for 29 October 2026, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Duty and tax free courier threshold200 USD CIFDecreto 755-22 art. 177, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Ceiling of the low value taxed category2000 USD CIFDecreto 755-22 art. 177, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Splitting presumption window30 daysNorma General 01-2018, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Courier minimum guarantee10000000 DOPDecreto 609-24 art. 52, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Deferral for OEA couriers on Category C15 calendar daysDecreto 755-22 art. 220, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Decreto 755-22 sorts express shipments into categories. A is documents with no commercial value. B is low value up to US$200 CIF, free of duties and taxes. C runs from there to US$2,000 CIF, subject to duties and taxes. D is above US$2,000, or anything excluded from the other categories, and follows normal clearance.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21, art. 177, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30
2. Excluded from B: prohibited or restricted goods, goods of free zone or special regime companies, unmanifested goods, split goods, shipments without an invoice, goods in commercial quantity or for commercial purposes, and suspected IP infringements.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21, art. 177 paragraph II, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30
3. Customs may regroup shipments of identical or similar goods that together pass the threshold.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21, art. 177 paragraph III, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30
4. Article 49 of Ley 253-12 had taxed low value parcels, but Ley 277-12 repealed it. Aduanas confirms that personal courier shipments under US$200 may enter without taxes.Ley 277-12; Ley 168-21 FAQ, Artículo Único, 2012-11-19 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Tax on low value courier parcels in Ley 253-12 art. 49 was repealed by Ley 277-12 in November 2012.
5. Splitting is presumed when identical, similar or complementary goods reach one consignee or related persons through one or several guides or a series of filings within 30 days or less, to hide a commercial purpose.Norma General 01-2018 de la DGA; Decreto 609-24, Norma art. 1; Decreto art. 56 numeral 24, 2018-02-08 official text · verified 2026-10-30
6. Customs can hold a Category B parcel for an absent or false invoice among other grounds.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21, art. 227, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30
7. Courier users must register in the Registro Único Aduanero with cédula, RNC or passport, and no one may use courier services without that registration.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21; Decreto 609-24, Reglamento de Operadores Aduaneros, Decreto 755-22 art. 231; Decreto 609-24 art. 8, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30
8. Parcels are declared in the guide by the sender, with content and value. If there is no invoice, or customs rejects it, the valuation rules apply.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas, art. 316, 2021-08-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30
9. Couriers are companies established in the country, serving only third parties or final recipients, with Aduanas registration and a minimum guarantee of RD$10,000,000, reviewed every 6 months and indexed yearly.
Cost to do it: Guarantee RD$10,000,000.00 (US$164,313.15) and application fee RD$42,900.00 (US$704.90) in the 2024 schedule. Premium is private.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas; Decreto 609-24, Reglamento de Operadores Aduaneros, Ley art. 63; Decreto art. 49, 50 and 52, 2024-10-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30
10. Couriers answer for duties and fines from their own acts unless an excuse applies.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas, art. 65, 2021-08-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30
11. OEA rated couriers may defer duties on Category C shipments for up to 15 calendar days with no guarantee.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21, art. 220, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30
12. Ley 168-21 did not change the treatment of consumer online purchases, per Aduanas.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas; Aduanas questions, FAQ, 2021-08-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

  • A consumer buys a US$180 CIF device: RD$10,954.69 with no duty or ITBIS if personal and with an invoice.
  • A shop orders five US$150 parcels of the same item in 20 days. Together they are US$750, so customs may regroup them. At a 20% line with 18% ITBIS, tax is RD$18,988.13 (US$312.00).

Step by step

  1. Register in the RUA before ordering.
  2. Keep the invoice and the payment proof, in the buyer's name or with cardholder consent.
  3. Confirm the goods are not restricted, since permits come first.
  4. For commercial stock, skip Category B and import normally.

Common traps

  • The law measures Category B by CIF value, while older sources and Decreto 609-24 art. 56 mention FOB. Use CIF as the safer test.
  • A business buying stock through courier in small lots can be treated as splitting even at US$199 per parcel.
  • Older guides say low value parcels are taxed under Ley 253-12 art. 49. That article was repealed.
  • Payment by someone else's card without consent excludes the parcel from Category B.

Sources

Related pages

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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