Dominican Republic Import Regulations

Shipping and Vehicle Type

• • Main destination port is Roseau.
• • Vehicles must be right-hand drive because traffic drives on the left side of the road.
• • No inspection is required before importing used cars.

Required Import Documents

• • Certificate of title and registration.
• • Purchase/commercial invoice and Bill of Lading.
• • Driver’s license and bill of sale.
• • Foreign registration and export documents.
• • Insurance certificate and proof of payment.
• • Police certificate of registration.
• • Consular invoice stamped by the Dominican consulate.
• • Shipping documents from ASYCUDA.

Customs Clearance Procedure

• • A broker submits an IM4 customs declaration in ASYCUDA with all documents.
• • Import duties and taxes are paid to customs.
• • Customs officers verify the documents and perform a physical examination of the vehicle.
• • Once approved, a release order is issued so the vehicle can be collected.

Special Cases

• • Vehicles can be stored in a bonded warehouse with approval from the Comptroller of Customs.
• • Vehicles older than 10 years cannot be bonded without special permission.

Returning Residents

• • Lived abroad for 7 continuous years.
• • Owned the vehicle in the country they lived in.
• • Agree not to sell or transfer the vehicle for 5 years without paying duties.

Taxes on Imported Vehicles

• • Import Duty: 40% of customs value.
• • Customs Service Charge: 3%.
• • Environmental Surcharge: $3,000 for vehicles older than 5 years (or 1% if newer).
• • Excise Tax: 28% of customs value plus other charges.
• • VAT: 15% on the total value including duties and taxes.