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Pathway

Dominican Republic Temporary Labor Residence

Dominican Republic Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

The Dominican Republic's RT-3 permit lets you live there for one year to work for a qualifying employer. You need a notarized contract lasting at least one year or indefinitely, plus the Ministry of Labor documents required by DGM. You can renew annually while the employment continues.

Job
A qualifying Dominican employment arrangement
Entry visa
NM1 visa for work purposes
After arrival
Report to immigration within 30 days to complete residence

Summary

The Dominican Republic’s employment-based residence route covers an approved job and is renewed in one-year periods while that work basis continues. It is not an open work permit and does not automatically convert to permanent residence. DGM treats a later change from RT-3 to ordinary temporary status and an eventual permanent-residence application as separate processes.

First obtain the MIREX Business Visa for Work Purposes (NM1). After entering the country, report to DGM within 30 days to complete the residence application.

Employment documentation leads to NM1 entry and RT-3 residence
  1. Prepare the employer and contract approvals Check the contract term, Labor Ministry evidence and applicable workforce rules.
  2. Obtain the correct NM1 work-purpose visa Use the consular subcategory matching the employer and assignment.
  3. Complete RT-3 after entry Report to DGM within the required period and maintain the approved employment and annual residence conditions.

RT-3 is not an open work permit or direct permanent residence. Repeated RT-3 renewals do not automatically replace the separate ordinary-residence history needed for PR.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The applicant needs an actual Dominican employment arrangement. An interview, search for work, foreign freelance client, or plan to incorporate a one-person company is not enough. The core employment evidence is:

MIREX’s private-company NM1 process uses an employer request and proof of the offered work. The Ministry of Labor also publishes a certification service that validates the employer’s SIRLA registration, foreign-worker offer, and compliance with Article 135 of the Labor Code for a consular work-visa request.

Labor-market rules

Articles 135 and 136 of the Labor Code establish two related 80% rules: at least 80% of a company’s workers generally must be Dominican, and Dominican workers’ combined salaries generally must represent at least 80% of total payroll. The rules have exceptions and special calculations. For example, technical, managerial, and executive salaries are excluded from the payroll rule, and Article 138 lists specified foreign-worker exceptions. Small employers use a separate headcount table.

This means “the 80/20 rule” is not a universal ban on the fifth foreign hire and is not proof that every skilled role qualifies. The employer should obtain the Ministry of Labor certification or exception that fits its facts rather than relying on an informal ratio calculation.

Immigration documents

The current DGM RT-3 page lists:

DGM can request records for a name change or acquired nationality. Documents submitted online must also be deposited in the required original form. The current page lists a 90-calendar-day service target, but that is not an approval guarantee.

Renewal and family

The RT-3 card lasts one year. DGM’s renewal page asks for a renewal request, current labor certification, passport, RT-3 card, Dominican criminal record, guarantee policy, and other current evidence. The renewal should be started 45 days before expiry under the current page.

DGM publishes a separate RT-7 temporary-dependent category for dependents of an RT-3 holder. Family members need their own civil, visa, and admissibility records. A dependent card should not be described as automatic permission to work.

What This Route Allows

RT-3 allows the holder to reside in the Dominican Republic for the approved employment purpose during the one-year validity period. The holder receives a DGM residence card. Official information about a Dominican personal identity card (cédula) conflicts: the RT-3 service page says none is issued, while Resolution DGM-04-2022 covers identity cards for temporary residents from RT-2 through RT-9. Confirm the current procedure with DGM and the JCE. The NM1 is multiple-entry while valid, but it remains important to keep both visa and residence documentation current and to follow DGM re-entry rules if a card is expired or under renewal.

The permit can be renewed while the employment basis continues and the employer provides the updated records. A change of employer, loss of the job, or move to self-employment can require a new filing or change of migration category; it should not be treated as covered automatically by the old contract.

What This Route Is Not

This is not an open work permit. It does not authorize work for any employer, freelance work for local clients, or continued residence after the qualifying employment basis ends.

It is not direct permanent residence. DGM has stated in its official guidance that an RT-3 holder generally must first change to ordinary temporary residence (RT-9) before seeking the ordinary permanent-residence category. The current DGM permanent-residence service is framed around qualifying RT-9 history. Do not promise automatic PR after “five RT-3 renewals.”

It is also not citizenship after seven total years. Ordinary naturalization currently requires a DGM certificate showing more than two years of permanent residence and a separate MIP application. Temporary labor residence, a later category change, permanent residence, and naturalization are distinct decisions.

Finally, an NM1 visa alone is not RT-3 residence. The holder must complete the DGM process after entry within the official deadline.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the employer, contract term, salary, job duties, and intended start date in writing. The contract must last at least one year or be indefinite for RT-3.
  2. Have the employer register the offer and contract through the Ministry of Labor process, obtain the required SIRLA/foreign-offer certification, and address the Labor Code nationality rules.
  3. Identify the correct NM1 subcategory—private company, multinational, free zone, public/international body, or another official category—and use MIREX’s live checklist.
  4. Obtain the birth and criminal records early, but coordinate timing so they remain valid through the visa and DGM stages. Complete the required apostilles/legalization and accepted Spanish translations.
  5. Do not make non-refundable travel plans until MIREX decides the visa. MIREX expressly says a complete checklist does not guarantee approval.
  6. Enter with the NM1 and submit the RT-3 application to DGM within 30 days. Complete the medical examination, guarantee policy, online uploads, and appointment to submit original documents.
  7. Keep the contract and employer records current. Start renewal around the current 45-day advance window and do not let the employment or residence documents expire.
  8. For a spouse or child, review the separate RT-7 process. For a future permanent-residence plan, obtain written DGM guidance on changing from RT-3 to RT-9 rather than assuming RT-3 converts automatically.

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