Registration in the Dominican Republic: residence card, cédula and RNC, in that order
In the Dominican Republic your paperwork revolves around three numbers: the residence card from the migration service, the cédula from the electoral board and the RNC from the tax authority. They follow one another, because each office asks for the document from the previous one. As a new resident the cédula costs RD$ 5,000 or RD$ 10,000, depending on your type of residence.
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In the Dominican Republic you need three numbers, and they come in a fixed order. First the residence card from the migration service, then the cédula, the identity card, and after that the tax number, the RNC.
Anyone who tries a different order ends up at the wrong desk. The electoral board asks for your residence card, and the tax authority asks for your cédula. This article goes through them one by one.
| Number | Where | What you bring | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carné de residencia (residence card) | Dirección General de Migración (DGM) | your visa and your file | depends on category |
| Cédula de identidad | Junta Central Electoral (JCE), Extranjería department | DGM certificate, residence card, passport, blood type | RD$ 5,000 or RD$ 10,000 |
| RNC (tax number) | Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII) | cédula, form RC-01 | — |
Step one: the residence card
With the residence visa from The Hague you have 30 days after arrival to report to the DGM. There you apply for your residence. Which desk and which documents depends on your route; see the residence routes.
The regulation to the migration law says what happens once your residence is settled. The DGM registers you and gives you a card, the carné. That card states your residence status. It is also the basis for your cédula. For pensionados and rentistas the regulation gives a deadline: the card follows within 45 working days after your file is complete and checked.
Step two: the cédula at the JCE
The regulation is clear about it. Anyone granted temporary or permanent residence must go to the Junta Central Electoral (JCE), the electoral board, for a cédula de identidad, the Dominican identity card.
The JCE has its own department for foreigners, Extranjería, with offices in Santo Domingo, Santiago and Bávaro. For a first cédula you bring:
- the constancia para expedición de cédula, a certificate from the DGM;
- your valid residence card, a copy of both sides;
- a copy of the photo page of your passport;
- a determination of your blood type;
- the proof of payment.
You must be there in person. Children with residence also get a cédula, with the same certificate from the DGM.
The JCE fees depend on your type of residence:
| Cédula | Valid | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| New, temporary residence | 1 year | RD$ 5,000 |
| New, permanent residence | 2 years | RD$ 5,000 |
| New, residence by investment | 2 years | RD$ 10,000 |
| Renewal, permanent residence | 2 or 4 years | RD$ 4,000 or RD$ 6,000 |
| Renewal, residence by investment | 2 or 4 years | RD$ 6,000 or RD$ 8,000 |
| Fine per month late | up to six months | RD$ 1,500 |
Pensionados and rentistas go through the DGM's investors' desk. Whether the JCE puts them in the "inversión" row, you ask at the counter. To renew your cédula the JCE wants to see a valid residence card. So renew your card first, and then your cédula.
The fine of RD$ 1,500 a month runs for up to six months. Put the expiry date of your card and your cédula in your calendar on the day itself.
Step three: the RNC at the DGII
The RNC is the Registro Nacional de Contribuyentes, the tax register of the DGII. The DGII has two kinds of registration for individuals:
- Contribuyente. Anyone with income in the country or a business registers with form RC-01 and their cédula.
- Registrado. Anyone who only needs to be registered uses their cédula, or without a cédula their passport. A registrado cannot issue tax invoices.
If you only have a Dutch pension, you mainly need the RNC for your tax return. Pensionados under Ley 171-07 are exempt from tax on their pension, but they do report it in the IR-1, the annual return, by 31 March at the latest. The DGII wrote this in September 2024. How this works for your AOW is explained in AOW, pension and tax.
What else do you need afterwards?
The cédula is the key to the rest. SeNaSa's voluntary health plan asks for a copy of it; see healthcare in the Dominican Republic. What a bank asks for is in bank and payments. You can convert your driving licence with your residence and your passport or cédula; see car and driving licence.
And on the Dutch side?
In the Netherlands you deregister from your municipality; see deregistering from the municipality. Do you then need proof that you live in the Dominican Republic, for example to renew your driving licence? Then you request a declaration of residence by e-mail from the Dutch embassy in Santo Domingo. For that you need your passport, proof of your address and proof of your legal residence. A tourist visa does not count, NederlandWereldwijd writes. So wait until your residence card has arrived.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Reglamento 631-11, articles 35 and 65 — the residence card and the duty to obtain a cédula (text published by the DGII) — dgii.gov.do
- Junta Central Electoral — the cédula for foreign residents, requirements and fees — jce.gob.do
- DGII — notice 23-21, the requirements for registration in the RNC — dgii.gov.do
- DGII — ruling of 23 September 2024, pensionados report their exempt pension in the IR-1 — dgii.gov.do
- MIREX — the visas, and the 30-day deadline to go to the DGM — servicios360.mirex.gob.do
- NederlandWereldwijd — a declaration of residence from the embassy in Santo Domingo — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
- SeNaSa — Plan Larimar asks for a copy of the cédula — arssenasa.gob.do
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