Importing Personal Effects into Dominican Republic: Documents & Customs Rules

Source: FIDI Customs Guide · Updated 2024 · Download the Dominican Republic Import Guide (PDF)

Removal Goods - Non-Citizens

• Passport copy.
• The Dominican Republic resident carnet or documentation of the Migration Office certifying that the residence is in process if the shipper chooses to apply for Law 14600.
• Original bill of lading or airway bill.
• Inventory list in Spanish or English.

• Foreigners that have Dominican Republic resident permit or have started the process to get one and have been outside the country for more than 2 years with less than 180 days visited to the country in that time may import used household goods with duty partial reduction. These rules only apply for foreigner who wants to apply the taxes partial reduction.
• New and used electric appliances are subject to taxes and duties charges.

• The shipper presence is not required during the inspection of the shipment, unless he asks for it or he has a Dominican residence and wants to be exempted from taxes and duties payment on used household electric appliances and furniture.
• The exoneration is partial.
• The Dominican Republic resident permit is not necessary for the importation of household goods.
• All shipments, without exception must pay demurrage charges for the use of the container including storage in the port/airport/warehouse, fumigation fee, marine line charges.
• Time of the Dispatch: two to three weeks after the arrival of the shipment.

Returning Residents

• Valid passport and proof of residence abroad for two years or more.
• Original bill of lading or airway bill.
• Inventory list in Spanish or English.
• Residence carnet or Dominican ID.

• Returning residents with more than 2 years outside the country and less than 180 days visited to Dominican Republic at the time of household goods arrival can apply for the law 146-00 to obtain a partial reduction of taxes and duties.

• The exoneration is partial
• All shipments, without exception must pay demurrage charges for the use of the container including storage in the port/airport/warehouse, fumigation fee, marine line charges.
• Time of the Dispatch: two to three weeks after the arrival of the shipment.

Diplomats Removals

• Original Ocean Bill of Lading or A.W.B.
• Detailed inventory in Spanish or English.
• Letter of transfer.
• Contact at the embassy.

• Duty free entry provided Foreign Embassy or Consulate requests appropriate exemption through the Dominican Foreign Relations Office.

• The consignee must be the name of the embassy along with their RNC.
• All shipments, without exception must pay demurrage charges for the use of the container including storage in the port/airport/warehouse, fumigation fee, marine line charges.
• Time of the Dispatch: three to four days after diplomatic entity manage the tax exemption.

Wedding trousseaux

• Same as removal goods.
• Certificate of marriage.

• Duty free entry.

Inheritance

• Same as removal goods.

• Subject to payment of duties.

New furniture and household goods

• Commercial Invoice.

• Subject to payment of duties.

Works of Art & Antiques

• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List with pictures.
• No documents required if sent as part of the household goods shipment.

• Same as removal goods.

Household Appliances

• Same as removal goods.

• Same as removal goods.

Electrical Appliances

• Same as removal goods.

• Must have declared the serial, brand of each item.
• Subject to payment of duties if new

Presents, souvenirs

• No documents required if sent as part of the household goods shipment.

• Same as removal goods.

Carpets

• No documents if part of household goods.

• Subject to payment of duties.

Other vehicles (bicycle, water vehicle)

• Same as removal goods.
• Original Bill of Lading
• Original of title of ownership for motor only.
• Registration (if applicable) for motor only.
• Commercial Invoice for motor only.
• Vehicle technical specifications sheet
• Photographs of the vehicle, including the interior, exterior, engine, and chassis number.

• Motorboats will pay taxes even if they are used.

• Bicycles (non-motor) are part of household effects.

Machines, appliances, spare parts

• Commercial Invoice.

• Subject to payment of duties on customs valuation.

Wine& Alcohol

• No documents if part of household goods.
• Must have detailed inventory list of the number of bottles if more than 10 bottles (type, alcoholic content, value, capacity, etc.).

• Quantities for personal consumption only.
• Some exceptions may apply for diplomats regarding the number of bottles. Check with your Embassy before shipping.

Tins & can food

• Restricted item.

Prohibited items

• Firearms, ammunitions, explosives, guns, dangerous goods.
• Pornographic articles, pornographic or subversive material.
• Precious metal objects (jewellery).
• Money.
• Gas, gasoline and batteries.
• Chemical products.

• Customs will seize shipment if any found in household goods shipment and shipper could be sent to jail.

Medicines, narcotics and drugs

• Doctor's prescription.

• Duty free entry if prescribed by the doctor.
• Otherwise totally forbidden and if found shipper could be deported from the country after trial.

• See sections ‘Plants’, ‘Medicines, narcotic and drugs’

Plants

• Phytosanitary Certificate at Origin.
• Dominican Agriculture permit obtained after shipper's arrival

• Should not be sent in household goods shipment as customs will confiscate and destroy.

Other animals

• Veterinary certificate at origin mentioning ‘free of disease’.

• Kind of animal must be advised in order to seek for the Department of Agriculture and Nation Zoo authorization.

Fumigation of Imported and Exported Wooden Crates

• The government has adopted the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures - NIMFNº15, with the purpose of almost eliminating in its totality the risk of entrance of most of pests that are in quarantine and considerably reducing the risk of other pests.
• The Phytosanitary measure approved for the
• treatment of wood packing should be treated as follows:
• Heat Treatment (HT) to a minimum wood core temperature of 56ºC for a minimum of 30 minutes or
• Fumigation with Methyl Bromide (MT). The minimum temperature should not be less than 10ºC and the minimum exposure time should be 16 hours.
• The wood packing material must be marked in a visible location on each article, on at least two opposite sides of the article, with a legible and permanent mark.
• The mark can be painted with permanent black painting. The colours red and orange do not have to be used as colour of the mark.
• Labels or adhesive are not allowed.
• The approved format for the mark is as follows, where XX would be replaced by the country code, 000 by the producer number, YY by the treatment type (HT or MB) and AAA by the inspection agency logo.

Dominican Republic Moving Guide: Documents, Duties & Shipping Notes

Source: IAM Country Guide · Updated 2026-09-05 · Download the Dominican Republic Country Guide (PDF)

Documents

Documents required for importing used household goods, personal effects, and related shipments.

• Passport copy
• Dominican Republic resident carnet, or documentation from the Migration Office certifying that the residence application is in process (if applying for the Law 146-00 partial tax reduction)
• Original bill of lading (OBL) or air waybill (AWB)
• Inventory list in Spanish or English

• Valid passport and proof of residence abroad for 2 or more years
• Original bill of lading (OBL) or air waybill (AWB)
• Inventory list in Spanish or English
• Residence carnet or Dominican ID (cédula)

• Original bill of lading (OBL) or AWB
• Detailed inventory in Spanish or English
• Letter of transfer
• Contact at the embassy
• The consignee must be the name of the embassy along with their RNC (tax registration number)

• Marriage or divorce certificate (if applicable)
• Commercial invoice (if new furniture and household goods are included)

Specific Information

Shipper presence: The shipper's presence is not required during shipment inspection unless the shipper requests it, or the shipper has Dominican residency and is applying for an exemption from taxes and duties on used electrical appliances and furniture.

Demurrage charges: All shipments without exception must pay demurrage charges for use of the container, including storage at the port/airport/warehouse, fumigation fee, and marine line charges.

Works of art and antiques: Require a commercial invoice and packing list with pictures if shipped separately. No additional documents required if included as part of the household goods shipment.

ISPM 15: Wood packaging materials must comply with ISPM 15. Heat treatment (HT) to a minimum core temperature of 56°C for 30 minutes, or fumigation with methyl bromide (MB) at a minimum temperature of 10°C for a minimum 16-hour exposure. The mark must be visible, legible, permanent, in black ink (not red or orange), on at least two opposite sides. Labels and adhesives are not allowed.

Currency: Dominican peso (DOP). Approximately 1 USD = 60 DOP.

Duties & Taxes

Partial tax exemption (Law 146-00): Both foreigners and returning Dominican residents who have been outside the country for more than 2 years with less than 180 days visited to the Dominican Republic during that time may apply for Law 146-00 to obtain a partial reduction of taxes and duties on used household goods. The Dominican Republic resident permit is not necessary for the basic importation of household goods, but is required to apply for the Law 146-00 tax reduction. The exoneration is partial, not full.

Taxes on appliances: New and used electric appliances are subject to taxes and duties. Electrical appliances must have serial number and brand declared on the inventory.

New furniture and household goods: Require a commercial invoice and are subject to full payment of duties.

Inheritances: Subject to payment of duties (same documents as removal goods plus inheritance documentation).

Wedding trousseaux: Duty-free entry, same documents as removal goods plus marriage certificate.

Carpets: Subject to payment of duties even if part of household goods.

Prohibited & Restricted Items

• Firearms, ammunition, explosives, and dangerous goods — customs will seize the entire shipment if any are found, and the shipper could face imprisonment
• Pornographic and subversive materials — prohibited
• Illegal drugs — strictly prohibited; severe criminal penalties including deportation
• Precious metal objects (jewelry) within shipments — prohibited
• Money/currency within shipments — prohibited
• Gas, gasoline, and batteries within shipments — prohibited
• Chemical products within shipments — prohibited

Per VisaHQ:

• 200 cigarettes, or 1 box of cigars (not exceeding 50)
• 2 litres of alcoholic beverages
• Gift articles not exceeding USD 100 in value
• Perfume for personal use
• Personal belongings in reasonable quantities

• Alcohol and wine within shipments — only small quantities for personal consumption permitted; if more than 24 bottles, a detailed separate inventory is required listing type, alcoholic content, value, and capacity of each item; diplomats may have exceptions regarding bottle limits (check with embassy before shipping)
• Food items and tinned goods — restricted; only small quantities for personal consumption permitted
• Medicines, narcotics, and drugs — duty-free entry if prescribed by a doctor (prescription required); otherwise strictly prohibited and the shipper may face criminal prosecution, penalties, or deportation
• Live plants — phytosanitary certificate from origin required prior to arrival plus a permit from Dominican Agriculture after arrival; plants should NOT be sent as part of the household goods shipment or risk confiscation/destruction upon arrival
• Firearms — military permit for personal firearms must be obtained in person after the owner's arrival but prior to shipment arrival; unauthorized firearms found in the shipment will result in criminal prosecution and penalties PERMIT REQUIRED
• New furniture and household goods — commercial invoice required; subject to duties
• New electrical appliances — subject to duties
• Appliances, spare parts, and machines — subject to duties on customs valuation
• Precious metal objects (jewelry) — prohibited within shipments
• Money/currency — prohibited within shipments
• Gas, gasoline, and batteries — prohibited within shipments
• Chemical products — prohibited within shipments

Consignment Instructions

Contact the destination agent to ensure all requirements have been met prior to import, especially for differences regarding air/sea shipments.

Demurrage is unavoidable: All shipments without exception must pay demurrage charges for container use, port/airport/warehouse storage, fumigation fees, and marine line charges. These costs should be factored into every relocation quote.

Clearance timeline: Expect 2-3 weeks from shipment arrival to dispatch for standard shipments. Diplomatic shipments clear in 3-4 days once the exemption is processed.

Inventory detail for electrical appliances: Every electrical appliance must have its serial number and brand declared on the inventory. Failure to do so will delay clearance and may result in additional duties.

Alcohol inventory requirements: If alcohol exceeds 24 bottles, a detailed separate inventory is mandatory listing type, alcoholic content, value, and capacity for each item.

Do not ship plants with household goods. They require separate phytosanitary certification and a Dominican Agriculture permit obtained after arrival. Including them in the household goods shipment risks confiscation and destruction.

Do not ship firearms without prior arrangement. The military permit must be obtained in person after the owner's arrival but before the shipment arrives. This requires careful timing coordination with the destination agent.

Vehicle shipping requires advance coordination. Contact the destination agent before shipping any vehicle. The 5-year age limit is strictly enforced.

Apostille requirement for pet health certificates (U.S. origin): Per BringFido, the health certificate must be certified by the Agriculture Department of the originating state and apostilled. This adds processing time that must be planned for.