Car and driving licence in the Dominican Republic: five years old is the limit, and you convert your licence in Santo Domingo

A used car may only enter the Dominican Republic if it is at most five years past its build. That is in article 179 of the traffic law, Ley 63-17. Your Dutch driving licence is valid in the country, and as a resident you convert it at the INTRANT, the traffic institute.

Three things to know in advance:

• The "vehicle year" closes every year on 30 June. A car that arrives a day too late counts as a year older.
• Pensionados and rentistas under Ley 171-07 may import one car with a partial exemption from import duties.
• If you export your car from the Netherlands to the Dominican Republic, you get no BPM back.

Subject	Rule	Source
Importing a used car	at most five years after the build; vehicle year closes on 30 June	Ley 63-17, DGA
Salvage or total loss	never allowed	Ley 63-17, DGA
Pensionado or rentista	one car with a partial exemption; no sale for five years	Ley 171-07
Converting your licence	RD$ 1,900, valid for four years	INTRANT
Renewing the Dutch licence	through the RDW, € 36.40	RDW

May your car come along?

It depends mainly on the year of manufacture. The traffic law only admits light vehicles up to five years after the build. Customs, the Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA), explained in 2019 how it counts. The vehicle year closes on 30 June. After 1 July 2019 only cars from 2014 or later could enter the country. By the same calculation, since 1 July 2026 only a car from 2021 or later may enter. Check this with the DGA before you ship.

A salvage car, meaning a car written off after damage, may never enter the country. A car that is not roadworthy in its country of origin is also refused.

Only ship your car when you are sure it will clear customs before 30 June, or that it will still be young enough afterwards. A car that arrives too old may no longer enter the country.

What does the pensionado law save you?

Ley 171-07 gives pensionados and rentistas, and their partners, the right to the scheme for a partial exemption from import duties on cars. It applies to one car. You apply to the DGA, with a copy of your residence card. If your residence has been approved but the card is not ready yet, you can use a certified copy of the approval letter from the migration service.

Two conditions matter. You may not sell or transfer such a car for five years, unless you first pay the difference in duties. And the DGII writes that every tax exemption first goes through the Ministry of Finance (Hacienda). How much the exemption saves exactly is not in Ley 171-07 itself. Ask the DGA in writing.

Would you rather buy locally? Then under the same law a car you buy in the country is exempt from ITBIS (VAT) and from the selective excise. That too is an exemption you apply for first.

And the BPM in the Netherlands?

The Dutch Tax Administration refunds part of the BPM when you export a used car, but only if it is then registered in another EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. The Dominican Republic is not among them. So do not count the BPM still in your car as proceeds.