2023-08-07 04:00:00
A total of 187 foreigners acquired 160 properties in the Dominican Republic during the first six months of 2023, 93 percent while in transit or non-resident status.
The buyers come from 40 countries, occupying the first place nationals of Haiti, who acquired a total of 33 properties, 17.64 percent; followed by the United States, with 31, 16.57 percent.
Other foreigners who have bought goods in Dominican territory are natives of Italy, with 24 goods, corresponding to 12.83 percent; from France, with 15, 8.02 percent; Canada, with 10, 5.34 percent; Venezuela, with 7, 3.74 percent; Russia with 7, 3.74 percent. From another 33 countries that are not specified, they acquired the remaining 60, corresponding to 32 percent.
93 percent of the buyers (174) appear with a non-resident immigration status, which is only in transit in the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, only 7 percent (13) have residence and domicile in the country.
The data was revealed in the audit carried out by the Vice Ministry of Management and Naturalization of the Interior and Police, directed by the lawyer Juan Manuel Rosario, corresponding to the first semester of 2023.
The documents provided by foreigners to buy the properties were passport, temporary and permanent residence card, driver’s license from their country of origin, and foreigner identity card or ID, according to information provided to Listín Diario by Juan Manuel Rosario, Vice Minister of Management and Naturalization of the Interior and Police, and Laura Mariñez, in charge of the Immigration Department.
The investments made by these people amount to RD$994, 574,711.95 in the 160 properties.
51.3 percent of the transactions were made in Dominican pesos, 45.6 percent in dollars and 3.1 percent in euro.
69 percent of the goods purchased by foreigners are located in the province of La Altagracia, in the eastern region of the country; 24.7 percent in the Samaná province, in the North, and 6.9 percent in San Cristóbal, in the South.
Registration obligation
Lawyer Juan Manuel Rosario, Vice Minister of Management and Naturalization of the Interior and Police, explained that through Decree 21-98, foreigners are required to register with the Ministry of the Interior and Police the goods they acquire on Dominican soil.
But Rosario considered that there is a problem with this issue, because before there was an obligation for each foreigner to have some kind of ties to the Dominican Republic, before buying, including having a residence.
He specified that in 1998 this changed, arguing that foreign investment was needed.
“We have many of those people who buy here who are illegal,” Rosario pointed out.
He also highlighted the data revealed by the audit, that Haitian nationals, among all the nationalities that have bought real estate, have come first, in the last semester of 2023.
He stressed that the participation of Haitian foreigners who have been buying real estate is growing.
For her part, Laura Mariñez, in charge of the immigration office, highlighted that 93 percent of these buyers simply arrived with their passports and purchased a property. “After they acquire a property, that makes it even more difficult for Immigration to make a deportation, because they are going to claim a property right, that they have already acquired real estate, but 93 percent do not have a legal immigration status,” she indicated.
Like Rosario, he also emphasized that Haitian nationals occupy the first place among foreigners who have bought real estate and that they are located above Americans, who traditionally were in the first position.
“In this first semester, the United States is in second place, and Haiti is in first place,” said Mariñez, the person in charge of the Migration area.
What the decree says
Decree 21-98 provides that the Registrars of Titles and the Directors of the Civil Registries and Mortgage Conservatories of the country, must send to the Secretary of State (now the Ministry) of the Interior and Police, a copy of any act or document through the which any foreign natural or legal person acquires one or more properties located in the Dominican Republic, regardless of whether they have residence or not.
The act of the Executive Branch establishes that the sending of this documentation must be carried out within 15 days of receiving the document of transfer of ownership.
“The Secretary of State (Ministry) for the Interior and Police will keep a record of all real estate located in the Dominican Republic, which are acquired by foreigners, even those residing or domiciled in the country,” says article 3 of Decree 21- 98. The decree was issued on January 9, 1998, by then President Leonel Fernández.
That decree repealed number 2543, dated March 22, 1945 on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners. And this, in turn, repealed number 101, of July 6, 1942, which required foreigners to have authorization from the Executive Power to invest funds in urban and rural real estate.
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