Resume rules in the Dominican Republic
What employers in the Dominican Republic expect on a Currículum Vitae, what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for the Dominican Republic, a resume for the Dominican Republic, or Currículum Vitae: it's the same document.
This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.
Law and practice, side by side
The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.
Photo: Expected
Expected - professional headshot with neutral background is customary, particularly for local Dominican companies
What the law says: No legal requirement on CV; protected under Law No. 172-13 (data protection law, 2013)
Date of birth: Expected
Expected - typically included in personal data section alongside name, address, contact details
What the law says: No legal requirement; protected under Law No. 172-13 (habeas data action applies to employment-related data per Article 17)
Marital status: Expected
Expected - commonly included in personal data section, sometimes including number of children
What the law says: No legal requirement; not to be used as hiring factor
Sex or gender: Optional
Optional - sometimes indicated in personal data section
What the law says: Protected under labor law; no requirement to disclose
Nationality: Optional
Optional - may be listed by foreign applicants to clarify work eligibility
What the law says: No CV requirement; work authorization requirements separate (visa/work permit for non-citizens)
National ID number: Uncommon
Uncommon - not standard practice
What the law says: No requirement on CV; cédula typically held separately
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- Currículum Vitae
- Language to submit in
- Spanish; English acceptable for multinational employers and tourism/education sectors
- Typical length
- 1-2 pages
- Address detail expected
- Full address or city typical in personal data section
- Signature and date
- Not standard for electronic submissions
- Officially prescribed form
- None officially prescribed; domestic forms sometimes used in public-sector hiring
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- No requirement; protected under employment law
- Health, disability or pregnancy
- Not to be disclosed on CV; handled post-hire if relevant
- Other customary attachments
- Certifications and academic diplomas often required separately; references may be requested; criminal clearance may be required for certain positions
- Employer may not ask for
- Age, disability, family status should not be hiring factors per Law 172-13 and labor law
- Named statutes
- Ley No. 172-13 (Law 172-13 on Personal Data Protection, December 13, 2013); Código de Trabajo (Labor Code, Law 16-92)
- Data protection regime
- Law No. 172-13 (Personal Data Protection, 2013) with habeas data action (Article 17 covers employment-related data); Penal Code updates (coming August 2026) add offenses against private information in databases
- Anti-discrimination statutes
- Código de Trabajo (Labor Code, Law 16-92); Law 172-13 (data protection includes anti-discrimination provisions for employment data)
- Local language source
- Spanish
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.
Notes: Dominican Republic follows Latin American CV convention with personal data and photos expected for local positions. Law 172-13 provides data protection framework with specific protections for employment-related data. Contrast between legal minimization principles and local practice is notable.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this