Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program
Established in 1993, the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program (or ‘CBI’) allows foreign individuals to obtain Dominica citizenship in exchange for an economic contribution.
You can apply for a Dominica passport through an investment in pre-approved real estate projects or a non-refundable donation to the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF).
Visa free countries
Application Process
Minimum investment
Validity of Passport
Why to invest in Dominica?
GDP (per capita)
One of the oldest CBI Programs
Member of International organizations
Population
What are the benefits for Dominica passport holder?
Life without obstacles
- The Commonwealth of Dominica has visa-free treaties with South American countries, the Caribbean, the Schengen Area, French overseas territories, Singapore, China, and many others.
- You can get a permanent residence permit in any other Caribbean country that is a member of CARICOM. Those countries include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Fast application process
- The citizenship by investment program of Dominica offers one of the fastest ways to apply for a second passport. Usually it takes between 6 and 8 months to get an approval for a Dominica passport.
- The whole duration of the Dominica CBI application process depends on many factors, including the inability of the applicant to provide the requested documents on time.
No residency requirements
- You can apply for a Dominica Commonwealth passport remotely. There is no requirement to live on the island prior to or after obtaining Dominica citizenship. Once your passport is ready, we will send it to you by a courier via mail to the address of your choice.
- Upon becoming a citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the prolongation of the passport could also be done 100% remotely.
Favorable tax Environment
- Dominica is a safe haven for high-net-worth individuals, since this island does not have wealth tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax.
- Dominica has a progressive tax system. The personal income tax rate fluctuates between 15 and 35%, depending on the amount of income.
Inclusion of family members
- Dominica’s CBI program allows you to include 4 generations of your family.
- Your Dominica passport application can include a spouse, children, your parents, and even grandparents.
Dual citizenship
- According to the Dominican dual citizenship principle established by the local laws, you do not need to renounce your current nationality.
- The passport of the Commonwealth of Dominica allows you to travel without limitations and visa requirements to 145 countries worldwide.
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DOMINICA INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Economic Diversification Fund (EDF)
Real Estate Investments in Dominica
- Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment program offers a non-refundable cash donation to the EDF aimed at financing public and private projects on the island of Dominica.
- Dominica’s CBI program is considered by far the best minimum investment option for a single applicant compared to other similar Caribbean programs.
- The approximate estimation of the cost of a Dominican passport under this investment route is given in the table below.
* The Dominica CBI cost indicated below does not include professional legal fees, administrative fees for issuance of a paper passport, fees for issuance of a certificate of naturalization, courier and bank charges, as well as adding additional dependents.
| Fees (in USD) | Single applicant | Married couple | Married couple with two kids below 16 y.o. |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDF contribution | $ 200,000 | $ 250,000 | $ 250,000 |
| Due Diligence Fee | $ 7,500 | $ 11,500 | $ 11,500 |
| Application Fee | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 |
| Interview Fee | $ 1,000 | $ 2,000 | 2 3,000 |
| Total * | $ 209,500 | $ 264,500 | $ 264,500 |
- Investing in the Dominica citizenship real estate option allows you to become an owner of luxury resorts, villas, or eco-lodges.
- Dominica CBI programs allow you to invest in the approved real estate objects only. The list of approved real estate could be found on the official website of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
- An investor should not resell or dispose in any way of the ownership in the purchased real estate object within the first 5 years since obtaining a Dominica passport.
* Getting Dominica citizenship by investment through real estate requires each applicant to pay an additional government fee once the application is approved in principle. The amount of the government fee differs depending on the composition of the family.
** The total Dominican passport cost indicated below does not include legal fees, stamp duties, administrative fees for issuance of a paper passport and certificate of naturalization, as well as adding additional dependents.
| Fees (in USD) | Single Applicant | Married couple | Married couple with two kids below 16 y.o. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Investment | $ 200,000 | $ 200,000 | $ 200,000 |
| Due Diligence Fee | $ 7,500 | $ 11,500 | $ 11,500 |
| Application Fee | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 |
| Interview Fee | $ 1,000 | $ 2,000 | $ 2,000 |
| Government Fee * | $ 75,000 | $ 100,000 | $ 100,000 |
| Total ** | $ 284,500 | $ 314,500 | $ 314,500 |
DOMINICA CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Good health
All applicants seeking to apply for a Dominica Commonwealth passport should be in good health and not experience any contagious diseases or any serious medical conditions.
Clean Criminal Record
The Commonwealth of Dominica offers citizenship by investment only to those who have a clean criminal record. The recorded minor traffic offenses should not be counted.
No ongoing criminal Investigation
One of the key Dominica citizenship requirements is that a person cannot be under criminal investigation during the application process.
Restricted countries
Applications are not accepted from the citizens of Russia, Belarus, Yemen, and Northern Iraq. Applications might be accepted from the citizens of North Korea and Sudan, provided (1) an applicant does not reside in the said countries for at least 10 years and (2) has no economic connections with those countries.
No denial in visa or citizenship
The main applicant or their family members could participate in the program if (1) they have never been denied citizenship in any country and (2) they have never been denied a visa by a country with which the Commonwealth of Dominica has a free visa treaty.
Investor
- Financial Stability: The applicant must show proof of legal and sufficient funds for investment, ensuring they can meet Dominica CBI program requirements.
- Age: at least 18 years old.
Children
- Both biological and adopted children could be included in the application.
- Children below 18 years of age;
- Children above 18 years of age, if he/she is physically or mentally challenged;
- Children between 18 and 30 years old, single, and pursuing an educational degree and fully supported by the applicant;
- Female unmarried child under 25 years of age who is fully supported by the applicant.
Grandparents
- One of Dominica’s citizenship benefits is that you can include your grandparents in the application provided they are above 65 years of age; and
- They are fully supported by you or your spouse.
Spouse
- A spouse is considered a person of an opposite sex to the main applicant; and
- A spouse should be in a duly registered marriage with the main applicant. Civil unions and civil partnerships are not considered a marriage.
Parents
- Both biological and adoptive parents could be included in the application;
- Parents should relate to the main applicant or their spouse; and
- A parent should be above 55 years of age and fully supported by the applicant or their spouse.
HOW TO GET A DOMINICAN PASSPORT?
Documents Required
- passport and national ID card;
- criminal record certificate;
- birth certificates;
- medical certificate;
- marriage certificate/divorce certificate;
- bank reference; and
- professional reference;
- affidavit of funds.
Expected Duration: Up to 5 days
Initial ground check by Inter Citizen
Before onboarding, each potential client should undergo our internal background check.
Our internal due diligence allows us to assess correctly the client’s profile in order to choose the correct investment route amongst available investment options. It also helps us to evaluate more deeply your eligibility for the chosen citizenship by investment program.
After due diligence is finalized, we onboard a new client by signing a services agreement.
Expected Duration: Up to 30 days
Preparation of documents for Dominica citizenship
In Inter Citizen, we will guide you through the whole process of gathering required documents, as well as pre-filling all necessary forms on your behalf.
Please be aware that in some countries, issuance and certification of certain types of documents can be a time-consuming process, as everything depends on the internal regulations and procedures of each particular country. According to the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Act, applicants are required to submit a criminal record certificate from all the countries where a person has been legally residing for a period of more than 6 months in the last 10 years.
Expected Duration: Up to 7 days
Submission of documents for Dominica passport
Before submission of the document to the Dominica CBI Unit, an applicant is required to pay due diligence and application fees upfront. Please note that the paid fees are non-refundable in the case when approval has been denied.
Once paid, the documents, along with the proof of payment, are sent for submission by Inter Citizen. Documents should be submitted strictly through Dominica CBI agents or their affiliated sub-agents.
Expected Duration: Up to 90 days
Examination of submitted documents by Dominica CBI Unit
At this stage all the submitted documents should be thoroughly investigated by the Dominican CBI Unit and their associated partners in the Caribbean and worldwide.
According to the recent changes in the Commonwealth of Dominica citizenship by investment program, all applicants above 16 years of age should attend a mandatory interview. The purpose of the interview is to assess the eligibility and values of each applicant. The interview is conducted online in the applicant’s native language.
Upon the end of this stage, the CBI Unit of the Commonwealth of Dominica can issue either of the following decisions:
– approval in principle;
– rejection; or
– denial for cause.
Expected Duration: Up to 30 days
Issuance of Certificate of Naturalization
Upon the issuance of government approval in principle, the main applicant is required to pay the sum of the investment depending on the chosen investment route. In the case of the investment into the real estate, an investor would be required to pay government approval fees on top of the minimum investment sum.
After all fees are duly paid, the CBI Unit will issue a Certificate of Naturalization. The Certificate of Naturalization is an official basis for the issuance of a paper passport and the granting of citizenship in Dominica.
Once your passport is ready, we will deliver it to you via mail to any location of your choice worldwide.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Which investment program is better - St Lucia vs Dominica citizenship?
Both St. Lucia and Dominica passports offer benefits of visa-free travel for their holders.
Dominica CBI Programs is known for being the cheapest investment route for a single applicant.
On the other hand, St. Lucia has a bigger selection of investment options to offer to a potential investor. Under the St. Lucia citizenship by investment program, you can invest in government bonds and approved business projects.
2. Which CBI program is faster - Grenada vs Dominica citizenship program?
The average duration of the application process is roughly the same for both Caribbean citizenship by investment programs. Everything depends on the workload of the authority that processes applications, as well as the profile of the applicant.
3. Where can I find list of Dominica passport visa free countries?
As of 2024, Dominica allows you to travel visa-free to almost 145 countries worldwide.
The list of exact visa-free countries may change from time to time depending on the changes in effective visa treaties between Dominica and third countries.
4. How to become a Dominican citizen?
Dominica’s passport investment program applies rigorous selection criteria while considering citizenship applications. The application process includes collection of relevant documents, submission of them to the CBI Unit, participation in the interview, and issuance of approval in principle or its denial.
On top of that, the applicant is required to pay the minimum investment fee as well as additional fees for consideration and processing of the application.
Once all requirements are met, the investor’s application could be approved in principle.
There are, however, other ways to obtain Dominican citizenship. The citizenship could be obtained through the marriage with a Dominican citizen, on the condition of living in the country for a specific period of time. In specific cases, the citizenship could also be granted when either of the parents has Dominican citizenship.
5. Which investment option to choose – Dominica CBI real estate option or investment in economic diversification fund?
There is no right answer to this question. Both investment options can lead to Dominica citizenship.
Since investing in real estate requires paying additional government fees in case of approval in principle, many investors prefer to choose investment in an economic diversification fund instead.
6. How much does it cost to buy citizenship in Caribbean?
There is no such thing as buying a Caribbean passport. The passport could be obtained through the investment; however, not all applications are being approved by the government of the selected Caribbean country.
Only candidates meeting eligibility requirements set up by the Dominica CBI program can get a second passport.
7. Should I live in Dominica in order to be eligible for the application?
Dominica immigration and citizenship by investment laws do not require applicants to reside on the island prior to submission of the citizenship application.
The whole process could be done remotely. Even the interview, which is a mandatory part of the selection process, could be done online.
8. Why Dominica passport is sometimes referred as Dominica golden passport?
Caribbean citizenship by investment programs are widely known for granting a second passport in exchange for significant contributions to the local economies, including real estate.
While this is not an official legal term, media and some international stakeholders keep using the term ‘golden’ to emphasize the investment component in the process of becoming a citizen of another country.
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