Key takeaways
- For most foreign founders, the SRL is the default vehicle — flexible, low minimum capital, limited liability.
- The order of operations is fixed: ONAPI trade name → bylaws → Mercantile Registry → RNC tax ID.
- A clean incorporation typically takes 2–4 weeks once documents are ready.
- Foreigners can own 100% of a Dominican company — no local partner required.
- You cannot invoice or open a corporate bank account until the RNC exists.
Registering a company is the first legal act of almost every business story in the Dominican Republic — and it is more mechanical than mysterious. Under Law 479-08 on Commercial Companies, the process runs through three institutions in a fixed order. Here is the route our company formation desk walks every week, with the decisions that actually matter flagged along the way.
Step 0 — Choose the right vehicle
Most of the consequences of incorporation are decided before any form is filed:
- SRL (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) — the workhorse. Two or more partners, modest minimum capital, limited liability, light governance. Right for most SMEs and subsidiaries.
- SA (Sociedad Anónima) — the corporation. Higher capital and a commissaire (statutory auditor); built for larger ventures and structures that may raise capital.
- SAS — a simplified corporation offering wide statutory freedom for sophisticated shareholder arrangements.
- EIRL — a single-owner limited-liability entity for solo founders.
- Branch of a foreign company — no new entity, but local registration of the parent; sometimes right for contract-driven projects.
Step 1 — Reserve the trade name at ONAPI
The company name is cleared and registered at the National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI). A quick availability search before applying avoids the most common first delay: a name too close to one already on the register. Note that a trade name is not a trademark — if the brand matters, see our guide to trademark registration in the DR.
Step 2 — Draft the bylaws and corporate documents
Bylaws set the capital, management and decision rules; subscription and payment of capital are documented alongside. Foreign shareholders sign supporting documents that must be apostilled abroad and officially translated — the step we start earliest, because courier and consular time is the part nobody can compress later.
Step 3 — File at the Mercantile Registry
The Chamber of Commerce’s Mercantile Registry is where the company is legally born. Registration fees scale with the declared capital. The certificate it issues is the document banks, landlords and counterparties will ask to see.
Step 4 — Obtain the RNC at DGII
The RNC (Registro Nacional de Contribuyentes) is the company’s tax identity, issued by the tax authority DGII. Until it exists, the company cannot invoice, hire formally or open a corporate bank account — so we file for it the moment the Mercantile Registry certificate issues.
How long, how much
With documents in order, a standard incorporation lands in two to four weeks. Government costs are driven mostly by registry fees tied to capital; our quotes are fixed-fee, so the legal side is a known number before you start.
After incorporation: staying in good standing
The registry trail needs upkeep: mercantile registration renewals, corporate books and minutes, and tax filings from day one. If your capital is coming from abroad, registering the investment under Law 16-95 adds repatriation comfort and can anchor investor residency. Ready to incorporate? Request a free consultation and we’ll map your exact route and quote it in writing.
Put this guide to work
The Company Formation desk that wrote it offers a free first consultation — plain answers and a written fixed-fee quote for most matters.
Every situation has its own facts — for guidance on yours, book a free consultation with the desk that wrote this guide.