How to Get Dominican Republic Citizenship
Key facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 2 years
- Language
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- No criminal record condition in the law
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Americas
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in the Dominican Republic, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
- Residence
- 2 years
Person has been resident in the DR for at least 2 years uninterrupted.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- No language requirement
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- No criminal record condition in the law
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
This route covers people married to a citizen of the Dominican Republic, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is the male spouse of a female citizen and has been resident in the country for at least 6 months uninterrupted (no requirement of common household during that period). The female spouse of a male citizen is exempt from the residence requirement.
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in the Dominican Republic. Under the law of the Dominican Republic, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in the DR to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen. If person also obtains another citizenship at birth, citizenship can either be retained or renounced by declaration when he/she reaches the age of majority.
Birth in the country
For people born in the Dominican Republic, the rules below show when birth there leads to citizenship. Under the law of the Dominican Republic, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.
Person is born in the DR. Unless born to foreign diplomats, foreigners 'in transit', and those residing illegally in the country.
Child of a new citizen
For children whose parent becomes a citizen of the Dominican Republic, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is the minor, unmarried and legitimate or recognised child of a male parent who is acquiring citizenship by naturalisation. Citizenship can be renounced after reaching the age of majority (time limit: 1 year). The provision applies to children of a female parent who is acquiring citizenship by naturalisation only if the father is unknown or if the mother is their legal guardian.
Person is the adult child of a father who acquires citizenship by naturalisation, has been resident in the DR for 1 year and submits his/her request together with that of the mother.
Adoption
Adoption by a citizen of the Dominican Republic is the basis of this route. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is a minor who is adopted by a citizen. Person can definitively opt for Dominican citizenship within 2 years after reaching the age of majority. No further requirements.
Other family members of citizens
For certain relatives of citizens, former citizens or new citizens of the Dominican Republic, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is the female spouse of a man who acquires citizenship by naturalisation. No further requirements apart from presence in the country at the time of the application.
Special achievements
Special achievements, or a national interest in granting citizenship, are the basis of this route in the Dominican Republic. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person is, with exemption from all ordinary naturalisation requirements, granted citizenship by the President for having rendered eminent services to the country or to humanity in general. Maximum of 5 persons per year to which this form of citizenship can be granted.
Public or military service
For people with public or military service for the Dominican Republic, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person has been resident in the DR for 6 months and rendered technical or special services to the country's armed forces. No further requirements.
Investment
This route concerns people who make a qualifying investment or contribution in the Dominican Republic, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.
Person has been resident in the DR for at least 6 months uninterrupted, and has founded urban or rural industries or owns real estate in the country. No residence requirement if person owns more than 30 hectares of land in the country, but permission must be granted to establish domicile in the country.
Not available in the Dominican Republic: Former citizens (reacquisition), Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Stateless persons. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is accepted in the Dominican Republic for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
The Dominican Republic sets a requirement of 2 years, fewer years than the most common requirement of 6 years across the Caribbean.
Check where Dominican Republic sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Antigua and Barbuda | 6 years | None | Accepted |
 Barbados | 6 years | None | Accepted |
 Cuba | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Grenada | 6 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Haiti | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Jamaica | 5 years | None | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Legal basis: Constitution Art. 18(7), Nationality law Art. 1, 5, 7.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Dominican Republic Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/dominican-republic/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/dominican-republic/">How to Get Dominican Republic Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Dominican citizen?
Ordinary naturalisation in the Dominican Republic requires 2 years of residence, plus the other conditions in the law.
Does the Dominican Republic allow dual citizenship?
Yes. The Dominican Republic accepts dual citizenship in both directions, as coded in the data.
Do I need a language test for Dominican citizenship?
No, Dominican citizenship does not require a language test.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Dominican citizenship?
No civic knowledge test is required for Dominican citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Dominican citizenship?
You are not required to renounce your current citizenship to get Dominican citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Dominican Republic citizenship by marriage?
Yes. Marriage to a citizen is a route to citizenship in the Dominican Republic. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Dominican Republic citizenship by descent?
Yes, the Dominican Republic has a descent route. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Dominican Republic citizenship by investment?
Yes, the data codes an investment route for the Dominican Republic. Check the current programme terms with the official authority.
Related pages
Also see: Dominican Republic passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.