Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 9. Trade and customs › Customs service fees in the Dominican Republic: flat charges per container, not a percentage of value

Customs service fees in the Dominican Republic: flat charges per container, not a percentage of value

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

Aduanas fees must be specific, not ad valorem, and limited to the cost of the service. The published schedule took effect on 2 January 2024, with US$110.31 for a 20 foot container and US$147.07 for a 40 or 45 foot one. It adjusts each year for inflation, so check for a later notice.

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

Fee per imported 20 foot container	110.31 USDNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Fee per imported 40 or 45 foot container	147.07 USDNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Fee per vehicle	147.07 USDNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Fee for consolidated cargo	0.37 USD per kgNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Fee for loose or bulk cargo	0.74 USD per metric tonNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Import declaration fee	258.26 DOPNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Export declaration fee	300 DOPNorma General 01-2023, as of 2024-01-02 · in force
Fee basis	Specific, cost based, not ad valorem textLey 168-21 art. 13, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Customs fees are limited to the approximate cost of service, must be specific and not ad valorem, and may not protect local goods or tax trade.Ley 168-21 de Aduanas, art. 13 numerals 2 and 3, 2021-08-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. The 2024 schedule sets the amounts below, and dollar fees are paid in pesos.
Cost to do it: See the table on this page.Norma General 01-2023 de la DGA, First and Second, 2023-12-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Fees adjust automatically each year by Banco Central inflation or US inflation as relevant, published 15 calendar days before taking effect in two newspapers and on the Aduanas site. The schedule took effect on 2 January 2024.Norma General 01-2023 de la DGA, Third and Fourth, 2023-12-11 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: New fee schedule from 2 January 2024 with an annual automatic adjustment.

4. The base decree set the charge per container, for consolidated cargo with a US$60 cap per transport document, for bulk cargo with a US$500 cap per transport document, and per unit for vehicles, equipment and machinery. It uses the official rate at the time of the declaration.Decreto 627-06, art. 1 and art. 2, 2006-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. The fee applies to all customs regimes but is not charged on imports exempt from this type of tribute.Decreto 627-06, art. 3, 2006-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Courier shipments had a charge of US$0.25 per kilo, capped at US$10 per guide, under the base decree.Decreto 627-06, art. 4, 2006-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. VUCE fees must also be specific, cost based and not used to tax trade.Decreto 755-22, Reglamento General de Aplicación de la Ley 168-21, art. 283, 2022-12-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Service	Fee	USD or RD$ equivalent
20 foot container	US$110.31	RD$6,713.40
40 or 45 foot container	US$147.07	RD$8,950.59
Vehicle	US$147.07	RD$8,950.59
Consolidated cargo per kilo	US$0.37	RD$22.52
Loose or bulk cargo per metric ton	US$0.74	RD$45.04
Import declaration	RD$258.26	US$4.24
Export declaration	RD$300.00	US$4.93
EUR 1 movement certificate	RD$450.00	US$7.39
Origin certificate form, EUR 1, CARICOM or Panama	RD$300.00	US$4.93
Free trade agreement form	RD$450.00	US$7.39
Tariff classification certification	RD$750.00	US$12.32
Digital certificate	RD$4,000.00	US$65.73
Correction, 1 to 5 declarations	RD$6,450.00	US$105.98
Correction, 6 to 10 declarations	RD$12,900.00	US$211.96
Correction, more than 10 declarations	RD$53,644.00	US$881.44
Manifest correction within 10 days of arrival	RD$2,682.20	US$44.07
Manifest correction after 10 days	RD$13,411.00	US$220.36
Registration of IP right holders	RD$1,500.00	US$24.65
Border crossing, truck, Dominican Republic to Haiti	RD$700.00	US$11.50
Border crossing, container, Dominican Republic to Haiti	RD$1,000.00	US$16.43

Selected Aduanas fees in force from 2 January 2024, with USD equivalents for peso fees

Worked example

A shipper imports ten 40 foot containers: 10 x US$147.07 = US$1,470.70, or RD$89,505.92.
The same value on a percentage basis would not change this fee, since customs fees are flat. A US$1 million shipment in one 40 foot container pays the same RD$8,950.59.

Step by step

Check the Aduanas site for the current annual adjustment before pricing a shipment.
Budget the fee per container or per kilo in pesos at the rate on the declaration date.
Add operator and private charges such as ports, warehouses and brokers, which are not in this schedule.

Common traps

This page lists the January 2024 amounts. No later published adjustment was found on the Aduanas site at verification, though the norm allows a yearly update.
The caps in Decreto 627-06 are not restated in the 2024 table, so confirm whether they still apply and at what amount.
A correction request has its own fee, so errors in many declarations cost RD$53,644 once more than 10 are involved.
Port and terminal charges are separate from customs fees.

Sources

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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