How to register a company in the Dominican Republic

Registration is a chain, not one government form

Dominican company registration connects several public records. ONAPI, the Oficina Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial, handles a proposed nombre comercial when that commercial sign is registered. The Cámara de Comercio y Producción for the company’s domicile records the constitutional package and issues the Registro Mercantil. The DGII assigns the Registro Nacional de Contribuyentes or RNC, the tax identifier. If the company hires staff, the TSS employer record and labor onboarding follow. One approval does not replace another.

DGII’s published legal-person route places the nombre comercial request first, followed by the constitution-tax payment when applicable, the Registro Mercantil filing and then the RNC request. A Chamber packet may treat an ONAPI certificate according to the name and filing used, but founders should resolve the legal and public-facing names before corporate documents are signed. Spelling, address, ownership, management and economic activity should remain consistent across each stage.

Who this service is for

• Dominican founders who need an SRL, SAS, SA or EIRL and want the records coordinated.
• Dominicans abroad who will sign through a carefully limited power of attorney.
• Foreign individuals or foreign companies investing through a Dominican entity.
• Businesses whose ownership, contributions in kind, regulated activity or negotiated governance does not fit a basic portal workflow.

What Proxario handles

• Confirms the entity, owners, registered domicile, activity, capital and governance before forms are prepared.
• Aligns the proposed nombre comercial, corporate name and activity descriptions.
• Drafts the acta constitutiva, estatutos sociales and ownership and management records required for the selected entity.
• Coordinates the applicable constitution-tax authorization and payment evidence. For a 2026 filing, DGII publishes a 1% charge on authorized capital, subject to a RD$1,000 minimum; Law 30-26 changes the statutory landscape beginning in 2027. We confirm the entity's filing-date treatment before payment.
• Files at the Cámara de Comercio y Producción with territorial responsibility and addresses in-scope comments.
• Prepares RC-02 and applicable RNC annexes, including beneficial-owner disclosure.
• Maps separate post-registration work: invoicing authorization, bank KYC, TSS and sector licenses.

The practical sequence

When Formalízate is useful

Formalízate is the government’s one-stop formalization portal. Its published workflow connects ONAPI, the constitution charge, participating Chambers and tax-registration data. It can be efficient for a straightforward SRL or EIRL with natural-person owners, a supported Chamber and standard documents. Its own instructions identify post-formalization work that remains, including the RNC certificate, fiscal receipts and TSS.

We recommend a channel after reviewing the facts. Separate filings can give better control when owners include a foreign entity, capital includes property or equipment, a shareholder agreement must coordinate with the bylaws, the activity is regulated, or portal-generated instruments do not express the negotiated governance. The newer Empresas en 24 Horas route has published eligibility limits concerning entity type, domicile, foreign or minor owners and contributions in kind. We confirm the selected platform, participating Chamber, eligibility and current published response standard before submission.

Documents to prepare

• Identity document for every natural-person owner and manager; passports for foreign persons without a Dominican cédula.
• Exact civil status, nationality, occupation and address data requested for corporate records.
• For a foreign corporate owner: constitutional documents, registry evidence, authorization and representative authority, with apostille or legalization and Spanish translation as applicable.
• Evidence for cash or in-kind contributions and title or valuation records when property is contributed.
• Registered-office evidence and a precise description of the intended economic activity.
• A limited power of attorney if counsel or another representative will sign or file within an authorized scope.

Government charges and professional fees

ONAPI, the Chamber and DGII maintain separate tariffs or tax rules. Chamber charges can depend on capital and document activity; ONAPI fees can change; corrections and certified copies may add costs. We confirm the official calculation before filing and separate it from the professional fee quoted in writing after scope review for analysis, drafting, filing and follow-up. No number here is a quote. The payment-date ONAPI, Chamber and DGII amounts are confirmed before the file is submitted.

Illustrative example

Example: two founders in New York plan a Santo Domingo consulting SRL. Before signing a power, we standardize their passport names, choose the registered domicile, define management and decide whether the public brand should be registered as a nombre comercial. The instruments use the same data. After the Chamber issues the Registro Mercantil, the RNC file identifies the natural-person beneficial owners and the person responsible for tax duties. TSS is scheduled only when the company is ready to employ staff. This is an illustration, not a promised result or timetable.

Page-specific questions

Official sources used

• DGII — Legal-person registration sequence
• DGII — RNC requirements for legal persons
• ONAPI — Trade-name registration
• Santo Domingo Chamber — Registro Mercantil requirements
• Formalízate — Detailed process
• TSS — Legal-person employer registration

General information, not legal advice. Using this page does not create an attorney–client relationship. Proxario attorneys are members of the Colegio de Abogados de la República Dominicana.