Buying property in Punta Cana
Editorial update:
Organize your offer, independent title and contract checks, payment conditions, closing and handover. Keep the filing reference and follow the ownership registration after closing. This checklist helps prepare your purchase file; your independent lawyer should confirm the legal sequence and requirements for your transaction.
Check the official sources
Buying a property with a tenant
Prepare your purchase file
1. Before making an offer
Keep the exact unit reference, seller identity, title copy, included furniture and parking, asking price and your written conditions together. Record unanswered questions and the professional responsible for checking each one.
2. Before releasing a payment
Ask your independent lawyer to confirm the contract milestones, recipient account, supporting documents, refund conditions and any outstanding checks. Never treat a marketing schedule as confirmation that a payment condition has been met.
3. At handover and after closing
Record the inspection, defects, meter readings, keys, access rights, warranties and HOA contact. Keep signed documents, receipts and the registry filing reference; agree who follows the title registration and how you receive updates.
Remote purchase and power of attorney
Seller mortgage and cancellation checks
Reservation deposit checklist
Preparation guides
The five steps
1. Offer
Agree price, payment schedule, what is included (furniture, parking, storage) and the due-diligence period in writing before any money moves.
2. Contract and deposit
A promise of sale (contrato de promesa de venta) sets terms and conditions. The deposit should be held under clear, refundable conditions if title or permits fail verification.
3. Independent lawyer: title, liens, permits
Your own lawyer verifies the certificado de título, checks for liens, mortgages, disputes and unpaid HOA, confirms the seller's authority to sell, and for off-plan checks construction permits, land title and the project's CONFOTUR resolution.
4. Closing
Confirm the conditions for final payment, the signed and notarised deed and an itemized closing statement. DGII's general transfer tax is 3% on the higher applicable property or sale-contract value. Your lawyer should confirm the assessment, charges and eligibility for any project-specific exemption before funds move.
5. Title in the buyer's name
The deed is filed at the Registro de Títulos and a new certificate of title is issued in your name (or your company's). Do not treat the transaction as finished until that certificate exists.
Off-plan adds two checks
For projects under construction, verify construction permits and land title in the developer's name, and verify the project's CONFOTUR resolution before relying on any tax exemption. Delivery track record matters more than renderings — this is the core risk in inland masterplans such as Vista Cana and Ciudad Las Canas.
What your lawyer should hand you
Title search result
A written confirmation of the certificado de título, its holder and any annotation against it.
Lien and arrears check
Mortgages, judicial annotations, unpaid HOA and unpaid IPI, in writing.
Contract review
A marked-up promise of sale with deposit conditions and a defined refund trigger.
Closing file
Notarised deed, proof of transfer-tax payment and the registry filing receipt.
In this section
- Delivery delays and extensions
Review a Punta Cana off-plan delay: agreed dates, progress evidence, proposed extensions and waiting costs. Prepare questions before signing or paying.
- Bank instructions and payment verification
Buying in Punta Cana? Verify the authorised recipient and bank instructions, recheck account changes and prepare payment controls with your bank and lawyer.
- Taking over an off-plan purchase contract
Taking over an off-plan purchase in Punta Cana? Check contract rights, approvals, credited payments, total costs and transfer documents before paying.
- Furnished handover checklist
Check furniture, defects, keys and evidence at a Punta Cana property handover with an inventory worksheet and a practical follow-up protocol.
Buying process — FAQs
- Can foreigners own property in the Dominican Republic?
- Yes. Foreign buyers can hold freehold title in their own name on the same legal footing as Dominican nationals, and no residency is required to buy.
- Do I need a Dominican lawyer?
- Yes — an independent one. Your lawyer verifies title at the Registro de Títulos, checks liens and encumbrances, confirms permits for off-plan projects and drafts or reviews the contract. The seller's or developer's lawyer does not represent you.
- How long does closing take?
- A straightforward resale typically closes within a few weeks once due diligence clears; title transfer at the registry can take longer. Off-plan purchases follow the construction schedule.
- What are the total closing costs?
- Request an itemized quote for your transaction: applicable transfer tax, legal work, registry and notary charges, plus any financing or currency-conversion costs. DGII states the general transfer-tax rate is 3% on the higher applicable property or sale-contract value. Have your lawyer confirm the assessment and any exemption; do not assume a standard legal fee or total closing percentage.
Go deeper
2026 orientation, not guarantees and not legal advice. No guaranteed ROI, no invented occupancy.