Cap Cana · 2026 figures
The price is not the number you need. On a cash purchase without CONFOTUR, plan on roughly 4% to 5% on top. Here is every line, with 2026 figures and two worked examples.
If you buy in Cap Cana in cash and the project has no CONFOTUR, budget about 4% to 5% of the price on top of what you agree to pay. If the project does have CONFOTUR, the biggest line disappears and you are closer to 1% to 2%. If you finance, add 2% of the loan.
Cap Cana does not have its own tax rules. What changes is the price level: on a US$1,000,000 villa, a 3% tax is US$30,000, so getting these numbers right before you sign matters more here than almost anywhere else in the country.
Paid once, when the property is put in your name. It is calculated on whichever is higher: the price in your contract, or the value the DGII assigns to the property. Buying below market does not lower it if the DGII value is higher. It is normally paid by the buyer (Law 288-04).
This covers the title review, the purchase agreement, the notarial act and the filing at the Registro de Títulos. Most attorneys charge 1% to 1.5% of the price, depending on complexity, usually with a minimum. It is negotiable: comparing two or three written quotes is normal, and you should have the number in writing before work starts, not at closing.
Before you put money down, the property's legal status has to be verified at the Registro Inmobiliario: who owns it, whether there are liens or mortgages, and whether the survey is approved. Budget roughly US$300 to US$1,500 depending on the case. It is the cheapest line on the list and the one that protects all the others.
Registering a mortgage carries a 2% tax on the loan amount, plus the bank's appraisal, roughly US$250 to US$700. If you pay cash, neither applies.
Closing costs end at signing. The HOA does not, and in Cap Cana it is the line people underestimate. In the Punta Cana area, condo fees run from about US$100 a month in simple buildings to US$600 or more in resort-style developments with pool, gym, security and beach access. Villas run higher.
Three questions to ask in writing before you sign:
Projects approved under tourism Law 158-01 are exempt from the 3% transfer tax and from the annual IPI for 15 years. On a US$1,000,000 villa that is US$30,000 at signing alone.
But CONFOTUR belongs to the project, not to the property and not to the seller. Ask for the resolution number and verify it. Being in Cap Cana does not make a project CONFOTUR, and "it is in process" is not the same as "it is approved".
| Without CONFOTUR | With CONFOTUR | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax (3%) | US$9,000 | US$0 |
| Legal fees (1%–1.5%) | US$3,000 – 4,500 | US$3,000 – 4,500 |
| Title study | US$300 – 1,500 | US$300 – 1,500 |
| Total at closing | US$12,300 – 15,000 4.1% – 5.0% | US$3,300 – 6,000 1.1% – 2.0% |
| Without CONFOTUR | With CONFOTUR | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax (3%) | US$30,000 | US$0 |
| Legal fees (1%–1.5%) | US$10,000 – 15,000 | US$10,000 – 15,000 |
| Title study | US$300 – 1,500 | US$300 – 1,500 |
| Total at closing | US$40,300 – 46,500 4.0% – 4.7% | US$10,300 – 16,500 1.0% – 1.7% |
These are examples, not quotes. The transfer tax uses the DGII value if it is higher than your price, and the legal fee depends on the attorney and the case. Add HOA prepayments and any developer fees from section 5.
Not a closing cost, but it belongs in the budget. The annual property tax is 1% of the value above RD$10,695,494 (the 2026 exemption, roughly US$170,000), paid in March and September. A Cap Cana villa will usually be above it; with CONFOTUR it is exempt for 15 years. Properties held in a trust (fideicomiso) pay on the full value, with no exemption.
In the Dominican Republic the agent's commission is paid by the seller or the developer. You pay the same price with or without one.
Law 288-04 (transfer tax), Law 158-01 (CONFOTUR), DGII 2026 IPI exemption; legal fee range as published by Dominican real estate law firms; HOA ranges from sector publications for the Punta Cana area, 2026.
Frequently asked
On a cash purchase without CONFOTUR, roughly 4% to 5% of the price: the 3% transfer tax, 1% to 1.5% in legal fees and a few hundred dollars for the title study. With CONFOTUR the transfer tax drops to zero and the total falls to about 1% to 2%.
Most attorneys charge 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price, depending on complexity, usually with a minimum fee. Ask for the quote in writing before you start; it is common to compare two or three.
No. It is the same national 3% (Law 288-04), calculated on whichever is higher: the agreed price or the value the DGII assigns to the property. Only projects approved under CONFOTUR are exempt.
Yes. Registering a mortgage adds a 2% tax on the loan amount, plus a bank appraisal of roughly US$250 to US$700.
The seller or the developer. The buyer pays the same price with or without an agent.