The title centrosymmetric dinuclear dysprosium(III) complex, [Dy(2)(C(10)H(11)O(4))(6)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)] or [Dy(L)(3)phen](2), is comprised of six 3,4-dimethoxy-phenylacetate (L) anions, two 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) mol-ecules and two Dy(III) ions. The Dy(III) atom is nine-coordinated by seven O atoms from five L ligands and two N atoms from the phen mol-ecules. The L ligands are coordinated to the Dy(III) ion in three coordination modes: chelating, bridging and bridging-tridentate. C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions consolidate the crystal packing.