Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Dominican Republic Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our The Dominican Republic Property Pack
If you're a foreigner thinking about buying property in the Dominican Republic, one of your first questions is probably whether you can actually get a mortgage there.
The good news is that Dominican banks do lend to foreigners, but the terms, requirements, and approval process work differently than what you might be used to back home.
This guide breaks down exactly how mortgages work for foreign buyers in the Dominican Republic in early 2026, from eligibility rules to which banks are most likely to say yes.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in the Dominican Republic.
Can foreigners get a mortgage in the Dominican Republic right now?
Can a foreigner get a residential mortgage in the Dominican Republic right now?
Yes, foreigners can get residential mortgages in the Dominican Republic in early 2026, though banks will ask for more paperwork and a bigger down payment than they would from a local borrower.
Foreign buyers who already have residency in the Dominican Republic, or those with stable USD income from countries like the United States or Canada, typically have the easiest path to mortgage approval.
The most common condition banks impose on foreign applicants in the Dominican Republic is requiring a larger down payment, usually between 30% and 40% of the property price, compared to the 20% that residents often qualify for.
By the way, we have a whole document dedicated to mortgages for foreigners in our property pack about the Dominican Republic.
Can I get a mortgage in the Dominican Republic without residency?
Yes, non-residents can obtain mortgages in the Dominican Republic, though banks treat them as a separate category with stricter requirements than resident borrowers.
Permanent residents get the smoothest processing, but temporary residents, work visa holders, and even non-residents living abroad can all qualify for a mortgage in the Dominican Republic if their documentation is strong enough.
Banks in the Dominican Republic typically require non-resident applicants to provide extensive foreign documentation, including certified tax returns from their home country and proof of consistent income over at least two years.
By the way, we've written a blog article detailing residency and citizenship options that exist when you buy property in the Dominican Republic.
Do banks require a local work contract in the Dominican Republic right now?
No, banks in the Dominican Republic do not strictly require a local work contract for mortgage approval, though having one does make the process easier and faster.
If you don't have a local work contract, Dominican banks will accept foreign employment income as long as you can provide certified tax returns, employment contracts, payslips, and bank statements that all tell the same story.
When a local work contract is present, banks in the Dominican Republic usually want to see at least six months to one year of continuous employment with the same employer before they feel comfortable approving your mortgage.
Can self-employed foreigners qualify for a mortgage in the Dominican Republic?
Yes, self-employed foreigners can qualify for a mortgage in the Dominican Republic, but banks will scrutinize your income documentation much more carefully than they would for a salaried employee.
Banks in the Dominican Republic typically require self-employed applicants to show at least two years of stable business activity in the same industry, with tax returns and bank statements that clearly demonstrate consistent income.
Is foreign income accepted for mortgages in the Dominican Republic right now?
Yes, banks in the Dominican Republic accept foreign income for mortgage applications, especially when that income comes from a stable salary paid by a reputable employer abroad.
When your income comes from outside the Dominican Republic, banks typically require certified tax returns from your home country, employment contracts, recent payslips, and bank statements that match your stated income.
Can I buy a primary home (and an investment property?) with a mortgage in the Dominican Republic as a foreigner?
Yes, foreigners can obtain a mortgage for a primary home in the Dominican Republic, and this is actually the most common scenario banks see from foreign buyers looking at areas like Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Las Terrenas, Cabarete, or upscale Santo Domingo neighborhoods like Piantini and Naco.
Foreigners can also get mortgages for investment or rental properties in the Dominican Republic, though banks typically require more equity upfront and apply stricter affordability tests because they consider vacancy risk as part of their assessment.
If you're buying for investment, you might want to check our blog article about buying and renting out in the Dominican Republic.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in the Dominican Republic versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
What are the eligibility rules banks actually use in the Dominican Republic?
What minimum monthly income do I need in the Dominican Republic as of 2026?
As of early 2026, banks in the Dominican Republic typically require foreign borrowers to demonstrate a minimum monthly income of around 2,500 to 4,000 USD (roughly 2,300 to 3,700 EUR, or 145,000 to 235,000 DOP) to qualify for a mortgage on a modest property.
In practice, most foreign buyers who get approved in the Dominican Republic have monthly incomes in the range of 4,000 to 8,000 USD (3,700 to 7,400 EUR, or 235,000 to 470,000 DOP), which gives them a comfortable cushion above the minimum threshold.
The minimum income requirement in the Dominican Republic scales directly with the loan amount, so if you're buying a more expensive property, banks will expect your monthly income to be proportionally higher to keep your debt payments manageable.
Yes, banks in the Dominican Republic allow combining household incomes from multiple applicants, such as spouses or partners, which can help you meet the minimum threshold and qualify for a larger loan than you could alone.
What debt-to-income limit do banks use in the Dominican Republic right now?
Banks in the Dominican Republic typically allow a maximum debt-to-income ratio of 30% to 40%, meaning your total monthly debt payments including the new mortgage should not exceed that percentage of your provable net income.
When calculating your debt-to-income ratio, Dominican banks include all existing debts such as credit card minimum payments, car loans, personal loans, and any other mortgages you already have.
Do I need a local credit score in the Dominican Republic right now?
No, you don't need an established local credit score to apply for a mortgage in the Dominican Republic, but you do need to provide a credible "credit story" through documentation of your financial history.
Banks in the Dominican Republic will consider foreign credit reports as helpful supporting evidence, though they place more weight on your banking relationship, income documentation, and down payment size than on credit scores alone.
Do banks require a local guarantor in the Dominican Republic right now?
No, banks in the Dominican Republic do not usually require a local guarantor for a standard mortgage because the property itself serves as collateral for the loan.
However, Dominican banks are most likely to request a guarantor or co-borrower when the applicant has a thin local financial footprint, complex income sources, or is asking for a higher loan-to-value ratio than their profile would normally support.
If a guarantor is requested, that person typically needs to be a Dominican resident with stable income, a clean credit history, and sufficient financial standing to cover the loan payments if you default.
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How much cash do I need upfront in the Dominican Republic as of 2026?
What's the minimum down payment in the Dominican Republic right now?
Banks in the Dominican Republic typically require foreign buyers to put down a minimum of 30% to 40% of the property price, which is higher than the 20% that resident borrowers often qualify for.
Across different banks and buyer profiles in the Dominican Republic, down payment requirements realistically range from 20% for well-qualified residents up to 50% for non-residents with complex income or riskier investment properties.
Foreign buyers with strong documentation, stable USD income, an existing relationship with a Dominican bank, or residency status may be able to negotiate a lower down payment closer to 25% or even 20%.
What loan terms can I realistically get in the Dominican Republic as of 2026?
What mortgage interest rates are typical in the Dominican Republic as of 2026?
As of early 2026, typical mortgage interest rates in the Dominican Republic range from about 11% to 13% for Dominican peso loans, while USD mortgages for strong foreign profiles often come in at high single digits to low double digits.
The factors that most influence your interest rate in the Dominican Republic include your down payment size, the currency of the loan, your income stability, and whether you have an existing banking relationship with the lender.
Foreigners in the Dominican Republic sometimes pay slightly higher rates than local residents, typically 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points more, though this gap narrows significantly for well-qualified applicants with strong documentation and larger down payments.
The interest rate is one of the factors we look at when assessing whether now is a good time to buy a property in the Dominican Republic.
Are fixed-rate mortgages available in the Dominican Republic right now?
Yes, fixed-rate mortgages are available to foreigners in the Dominican Republic, with several major banks offering products where your interest rate stays the same for a set period or even the full loan term.
Banks in the Dominican Republic typically offer fixed-rate periods of 5, 10, or 15 years, though you should always confirm the exact reset terms because "fixed" sometimes means fixed for a portion of the loan rather than the entire duration.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of the Dominican Republic. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
How do I maximize approval chances in the Dominican Republic right now?
What financial profile gets "yes" fastest in the Dominican Republic right now?
The financial profile that gets mortgage approval fastest in the Dominican Republic is someone with simple, stable, salaried income, clean bank statements with no unexplained deposits, minimal existing debt, and a property that has clean title and no legal issues.
Banks in the Dominican Republic consider an ideal applicant to have monthly income of at least 4,000 to 5,000 USD (around 3,700 to 4,600 EUR or 235,000 to 295,000 DOP) and a debt-to-income ratio below 30%.
The employment type most favored by Dominican banks is a stable salaried position with at least one to two years at the same employer, though well-documented self-employment with a clean two-year track record can also work.
A down payment of 35% or more signals a strong applicant profile in the Dominican Republic and can help you secure better terms, faster processing, and higher approval odds.
We give more detailed tips in our pack covering the property buying process in the Dominican Republic.
What mistakes make foreigners get rejected in the Dominican Republic right now?
The most common mistake that leads to mortgage rejection for foreigners in the Dominican Republic is submitting documents that don't tell a consistent story, such as payslips that don't match bank statements or tax returns that don't align with stated income.
The financial red flag that most often disqualifies foreign applicants in the Dominican Republic is unexplained large cash deposits in bank statements, which triggers anti-money laundering concerns and causes banks to reject the application outright.
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Which banks say yes to foreigners in the Dominican Republic right now?
Which banks are most foreigner-friendly in the Dominican Republic as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the banks considered most foreigner-friendly for mortgages in the Dominican Republic include Banco Popular Dominicano, Scotiabank Dominican Republic, Banco López de Haro, APAP, Banreservas, Banco BHD, and Banesco.
What makes these banks more accessible to foreign applicants is that they explicitly publish requirements for non-resident borrowers, accept foreign documentation like certified tax returns, and in some cases offer USD-denominated loans that match foreign income currencies.
Which banks accept non-resident borrowers in the Dominican Republic right now?
The banks that accept non-resident borrowers for mortgages in the Dominican Republic include Banco Popular Dominicano (which publishes explicit requirements for foreigners living abroad), Scotiabank Dominican Republic, Banco López de Haro, and APAP.
These banks typically require non-resident applicants to provide more extensive documentation including certified foreign tax returns, larger down payments of 30% to 40%, and clear proof of income consistency over at least two years.
Do international banks lend more easily in the Dominican Republic right now?
International banks like Scotiabank can sometimes make the process smoother for foreigners in the Dominican Republic because they are more accustomed to handling foreign documentation and working with buyers who earn income abroad.
Scotiabank is the main international bank with a strong mortgage presence for foreigners in the Dominican Republic, actively marketing products that include vacation property financing.
The main advantage of using an international bank for a mortgage in the Dominican Republic is their familiarity with foreign income verification processes, though they still apply the same strict affordability tests and anti-money laundering checks as local banks.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in the Dominican Republic compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about the Dominican Republic, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can, and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Banco Central de la República Dominicana (BCRD) | The Dominican Republic's central bank and primary publisher of official monetary statistics. | We used it to anchor mortgage rate data for early 2026. We also used it for macro context explaining current mortgage pricing. |
| Superintendencia de Bancos (SB) | The banking supervisor that oversees all Dominican banks and publishes regulatory guidelines. | We used it to validate which banks operate under supervision. We also referenced it for KYC requirements and credit information society oversight. |
| DGII (Tax Authority) | The official source for property transfer taxes and related costs in the Dominican Republic. | We used it to confirm the 3% property transfer tax rate. We also used it to build realistic closing cost estimates beyond the down payment. |
| Registro Inmobiliario | The official property registry authority that sets title registration procedures. | We used it to explain why clean title matters for approval speed. We also referenced it for the registration steps in the buying process. |
| Banco Popular Dominicano | One of the country's largest banks with explicit foreigner mortgage documentation. | We used their requirements checklist to answer what foreigners actually need to apply. We also used it to map typical documentation requirements across lenders. |
| Scotiabank Dominican Republic | A major international bank actively offering mortgages including vacation property financing. | We used it to support claims about foreigner-friendly lending. We also referenced it to show that vacation home mortgages are explicitly marketed. |
| Banco López de Haro | A Dominican bank that explicitly mentions USD mortgage availability for foreign income earners. | We used it to confirm USD-denominated mortgages exist. We also used it to expand the list of foreigner-friendly lenders beyond the biggest names. |
| Banco BHD | A major Dominican bank with a broad mortgage lineup including fixed-rate products. | We used it to confirm fixed-rate mortgages are available. We also referenced their product pages to show the range of mortgage options in the market. |
| Listín Diario | A national newspaper that explicitly attributes mortgage rate data to the central bank. | We used it to translate BCRD statistics into reader-friendly market snapshots. We only cited it where it clearly referenced official BCRD data. |
| Oficina Nacional de Estadística (ONE) | The official statistics agency publishing nationally recognized wage and income data. | We used it to anchor income context and what typical earnings look like. We used this as a sanity check so our minimum income estimates stay realistic. |
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