Employment and labor laws vary from country to country. This guide is intended to provide the most up to date information available. We will update this guide as needed when changes are made to the laws.
Employment Contracts
Employers are legally required to provide formal written contracts for all employees that include salary/wage, termination terms, job title, etc. The contracts must be written in Spanish and use the Dominican Peso currency (DOP).
Working Hours
The standard workweek in the Dominican Republic consists of 44 hours per week or 8 hours per day.
Part-time employees must not work over 29 hours in a single week.
Overtime
Work in excess of the standard weekly working hours is considered overtime and is regulated by the employment contract or collective bargaining agreements.
All overtime hours in excess of 44-68 hours per week are paid at the rate of 135% of the regular pay. Any overtime above 68 hours per week is paid at the rate of 170% of the regular pay.
Overtime hours performed on a weekend or public holiday are paid at 200% of the employee’s regular pay rate, and overtime hours working during the night are paid at the rate of 115%.
Public Holidays
Paid Time Off
Full-time employees who have been employed for at least one year are entitled to 14 days paid annual leave. After 5 years of employment, this increases to 18 days.
Sick Leave
There are no statutory laws on sick leave or pay.
Maternity and Paternity
Maternity Leave
Female employees are entitled to receive 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, generally seven weeks before the due date and seven weeks after.
Maternity leave paid is split equally between the employer and social security.
Paternity Leave
New fathers are entitled to 2 days of paternity leave.
Paternal Leave
No legal requirement.
Other Leave
Employees receive paid leave for:
- Death of family member or grandparent: 3 days
- Marriage: 5 days
Employee Severance and Terminations
Termination Process
Employers can terminate a fixed-term contract for the following:
- Business
- Personal
- Misconduct
It requires written notice and an explanation for the termination.
Notice Period
The length of notice depends on the employee’s seniority:
- Up to 6 months of employment: 7 days’ notice
- 6 months-1 year of employment: 14 days’ notice
- Over 1 year of employment: 28 days’ notice
Severance Pay
Severance pay is also determined by seniority:
- 3 – 6 months: 6 days’ salary
- 6 – 12 months: 13 days’ salary
- 1 – 5 years: 21 days’ salary
- Over 5 years: 23 days’ salary
All payments of severance pay must be made within ten days of notification of termination.
Probation Period
The probation period depends on the type of role and is stipulated within the employment agreement. In general, probation periods are up to three months.
Payroll Cycle
The payroll cycle is monthly or bi-weekly.
Minimum wage in the Dominican Republic varies based on the size of the company:
- 21,000.00 DOP in large companies
- 19,250.00 DOP in medium-sized companies
- 12,900.00 DOP in small companies
- 11,900.00 DOP in micro-enterprises
13th Salary
There are no provisions in the law regarding 13th salaries. However, employers will often offer a Christmas bonus equal to one month’s salary and paid around December 20th.
Contributions
Employer Payroll Contributions
VISA
Foreign nationals require a business visa to conduct business activities in the Dominican Republic. Business Visas are either issued for 60 days for a single entry or multiple entries which is valid for 1 year. The authorized period of stay is granted at the discretion of the admitting officer and corresponds to the duration of the activity but typically does not exceed 30 consecutive days.
Business visa holders may apply for an extension of stay, usually granted for a maximum of 30 additional days.
Foreign nationals who intend to work in the Dominican Republic require either a business visa for employment purposes for assignments of one year or less (issued by consular post with authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), or a Temporary Residence Permit for assignments exceeding one year.
VAT
The standard rate of VAT in the Dominican Republic is 18%.