Yes — and specifically, you need one who works for you, not for the developer. In the DR, there’s no mandatory title insurance and no cooling-off period after you sign. Once you commit and make payment, your options narrow significantly. An independent attorney reviews the title, verifies permits, analyzes the contract, and tells you what you’re actually agreeing to. The key word is independent — your lawyer should earn the same fee whether the deal closes or not.

It can be — but only with proper legal due diligence before you sign anything. The risk isn’t that Punta Cana is dangerous. The risk is that the contract was written by the developer’s attorneys to protect the developer, and most foreign buyers sign without understanding what they’re agreeing to. Common issues we find include: missing permits, overloaded payment schedules, penalty clauses that let the developer keep your entire deposit, and delivery dates with no enforceable commitment. Most of these are fixable — if you catch them before you sign.

Yes. There are no restrictions on foreign individuals or companies owning or leasing real estate in the Dominican Republic. The process is the same as for Dominican citizens. You don’t need residency, and you can manage the entire purchase remotely through a Power of Attorney if needed.

The typical process: you find a property, negotiate terms, sign a Promise of Sale or Purchase Agreement, make payments according to the schedule, and close with a title transfer. What most guides don’t tell you is that the critical decisions happen before you sign — not after. Getting an independent legal review of the title, permits, developer background, and contract before you commit is the single most important step. Everything else is paperwork.

It depends on whether the property qualifies for CONFOTUR (the tourism incentive law). If it does, expect closing costs of approximately 1–1.5% of the purchase price, because the 3% transfer tax is waived. If it doesn’t, closing costs typically run 3–4.5%, including the transfer tax, notary fees, and legal fees. Always verify CONFOTUR status independently — developers sometimes market projects as “CONFOTUR approved” when the resolution hasn’t actually been issued.

CONFOTUR (Law 158-01) is the Dominican Republic’s tourism incentive program. Properties with approved CONFOTUR status are exempt from the 3% transfer tax at closing and from the annual 1% property tax for 15 years. The savings are significant — on a $300,000 property, that’s $9,000 at closing plus $3,000/year in tax exemptions. The critical detail: “CONFOTUR pending” is not the same as “CONFOTUR approved.” Always verify the resolution number before factoring these benefits into your purchase decision.

A 1% annual tax applies to the cumulative appraised value of all real estate owned by an individual, but only on the amount exceeding approximately US$160,000. If your property is valued at $200,000, you’d pay 1% on the $40,000 above the threshold — about $400/year. Properties with active CONFOTUR approval are exempt from this tax for 15 years.

It’s the official document that proves ownership of a property, issued by the Dominican Republic’s Title Registry (Registro de Títulos). Before buying any property, you need to verify that the Certificado de Título is registered in the seller’s or developer’s name and shows no liens, mortgages, or encumbrances. If the developer is building on land held through a “promise of sale” from the original owner rather than a registered title, that’s not automatically disqualifying — but it changes the risk profile and needs to be addressed in the contract.

The clauses that create the most buyer risk: the penalty for buyer default (anything above 20% retention is a red flag; 100% forfeiture is abusive under Dominican consumer protection law); the force majeure clause (check if it includes routine events like “supply chain issues”); the delivery date language (conditional phrasing like “approximately” gives you no real protection); and whether the final payment is tied to title transfer to your name. If you’re paying before the title transfers, you lose your primary leverage.

Four permits: (1) Municipal Construction Permit from the local Ayuntamiento, (2) Environmental Permit from Medio Ambiente for coastal or large-scale projects, (3) MIVED Development License for all residential pre-construction sales, and (4) MITUR Tourism License for projects in tourism zones. A missing permit doesn’t automatically mean “don’t buy” — the risk depends on the construction stage. A project at 5% without a MITUR license is very different from one at 80%.

It’s an independent legal review of a specific property transaction in the Dominican Republic — covering title verification, permit compliance, developer background investigation, and a full 17-checkpoint contract analysis. It’s delivered in 5 business days with a plain-language recommendation: GO, GO WITH CONDITIONS, or NO-GO. The fee is flat — the same whether we find nothing or everything. Every Property Check is personally reviewed and signed by Gonzalo Sánchez.

Because a percentage-based fee creates a conflict of interest. If your attorney earns more when you buy a more expensive property — or earns nothing if you walk away — their advice isn’t structurally independent. Our flat fee means we have no financial incentive tied to whether you buy. We make the same whether you proceed with the purchase or decide to walk away. That’s the only way to give you an honest opinion.

No. You can manage the entire purchase remotely through a Power of Attorney (POA). Your attorney can handle all paperwork, verify monetary transactions, and represent you at closing. CanaLaw operates 100% remotely — we work with buyers from the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe who complete their transactions without traveling to the DR.

The developer’s attorney drafted the contract to protect the developer. That’s their job. CanaLaw reviews the contract to protect you. We’re not affiliated with any developer, real estate agency, or brokerage. We don’t earn a commission. We don’t get a referral fee. Our only financial relationship is with you, and it’s a flat fee that doesn’t change based on the outcome.

We review transactions across the Dominican Republic, including Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Bávaro, Santiago, Las Terrenas, Samaná, Santo Domingo, La Romana, and other regions. The legal due diligence process is similar across regions, though each area has specific regulatory nuances — for example, coastal projects require environmental permits that inland properties don’t.