The popular Dominica citizenship program was launched in 1993. 4,192 investors received Dominican passports between 2017 and 2020.
Dominica’s citizenship by investment program is one of the cheapest in the Caribbean. Citizenship can be obtained by investing $100,000 in the state fund or $200,000 in real estate.
Moreover, the real estate can be sold after 3 years and the capital returned to the investor.
The investor can include close family members in the citizenship program: their spouse, children, parents and siblings.
The entire citizenship by investment procedure can be completed without visiting Dominica.
Possibilities
What does Dominica citizenship offer the investor?
1
Travel and business trips to Europe and Asia
Citizens of Dominica can visit 144 countries, including Britain, the Schengen countries, Hong Kong and Singapore, without visas.
2
10-year visa to the United States
Dominica passport holders can receive a 10-year U.S. B-1/B-2 visa for 10 years. This allows them entry for up to 180 days a year for business purposes, conferences, tourism and medical treatment at any U.S. clinic.
3
Safe haven
Holders of second Dominica passports by investment can travel visa-free to 144 countries at any time. This can be critical for investors from countries with unstable political and economic environments. A second passport can help if problems arise in the investor’s country of origin: for example, a revolution, travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 epidemic and political persecution.
4
Tax optimization
Dominica tax residents do not pay tax on dividends, interest or royalties received from abroad. There are no taxes on income, capital gains or inheritance in the country.
those over 18 years old, subject to significant financial support from the investor
Parents of the investor and their spouse
subject to receiving significant financial support from the investor
Siblings of the investor and their spouse
under the age of 25
not married
no children
financially supported by the investor
consent of their parents or guardians if under 18
Budget
Costs for an investor
In order to obtain Dominica citizenship, investors either make a non-refundable contribution to the state fund or buy real estate in Dominica.
1Option investment
Non-refundable contribution
$100,000+
Investors make a non-refundable contribution to the Dominica Economy Diversification Fund.
Investor
Married couple
Family of 4, excluding siblings
Family of 5 or more
Contribution to the fund
$100,000
$150,000
$175,000
$175,000
+$25,000 per family member from the fifth member onwards: child, parent, or sibling under 18
+$50,000 for sibling 18 to 25 years old
Due Diligence
$7,500
$11,500
$7,500 for the investor
+$4,000 for spouse and each family member over 16
$7,500 for the investor
+ $4,000 for a spouse and each family member over 16
Other fees and charges
$1,800
$2,600
$4,200
$5,800
2Option investment
Real estate purchase
$200,000+
Investors buy a stake in properties approved by the government of Dominica for the citizenship program.
The property can be sold 3 years later. This is the shortest minimum holding period for any Caribbean citizenship by investment program. The property must be held for 5 years if the investor wants to sell the property in a way that allows the buyer to also participate in the citizenship program.
Investor
Married couple
Family of 4, excluding siblings
Family of 5 or more
Real estate purchase
$200,000
$200,000
$200,000
$200,000
Government fee
$25,000
$35,000
$35,000
$50,000
+$25,000 for a sibling up to 18 years old
+$50,000 for a brother or sister from 18 to 25
Due Diligence
$7,500
$11,500
$7,500 for the investor
+$4,000 for spouse and each family member over 16 years old
$7,500 for the investor
+$4,000 for spouse and each family member over 16 years old
Other fees and charges
$1,800
$2,600
$4,200
$5,800
Cost of citizenship for a family of 4
Investors, spouse and children 7 and 19 years old
Contribution to the fund
Real estate purchase
Investments
$175,000
$200,000
State fee
—
$35,000
Due Diligence
$15,500
$15,500
Other fees and charges
$4,200
$4,200
Total
$194,700
$254,700
Individual cost estimate of Dominica citizenship
Get an individual calculation for your family with all associated costs and government fees
Why do applicants for citizenship by investment need to contact a licensed agent?
According to Dominican law, a citizenship by investment application cannot be submitted directly by the investor. The applicant needs to contact a licensed program agent in order to obtain a Dominica passport by investment. The agency prepares the documents and submits the application on behalf of the investor.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for the Dominica citizenship by investment program.
Step-by-step procedure for obtaining Dominican citizenship
1 day
Preliminary check
Preliminary check
1 day
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers conduct a preliminary background check of investors in order to timely detect potential issues that could lead to the application being rejected. Pre-screening reduces the risk of an application for citizenship by investment being rejected to 1%.
If we come across any areas in the investor’s background that pose risks of rejection of the application, we offer an alternative solution by recommending a different country or attaching additional documents to the application.
Our verification check is carried out confidentially. Apart from the applicant’s passport no other documents are required for the pre-screening.
Immigrant Invest is the licensed agent of the Dominica program, that has its own compliance department.
2 to 4 weeks
Preparation of documents
Preparation of documents
2 to 4 weeks
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers provide the investor with a list of the personal and financial documents required for the program. Applicants must provide originals of passports, certificates, company extracts and other papers.
We translate documents, notarize copies, fill out forms and help the investor get the certificates required to participate in the program. Once the documents are ready, we submit the documents to the government department dealing with the Dominica Citizenship Program.
2 to 6 months
Due Diligence check
Due Diligence check
2 to 6 months
The Due Diligence check begins as soon as the department receives the documents. All family members 16 years and older included in the application must undergo the Due Diligence check.
The data of the investor and each family member included in the application is checked for compliance with the terms of the program. When this has been verified, the department notifies Immigrant Invest of the approval of the application.
Up to 30 days
Approval of application and fulfillment of the investment condition
Approval of application and fulfillment of the investment condition
Up to 30 days
When the decision of the application’s approval is received, the applicant must fulfill the investment condition within 30 days: make a contribution to the state fund or buy real estate.
Up to 4 weeks
Getting a passport
Getting a passport
Up to 4 weeks
The government department dealing with the citizenship by investment program starts preparing the documents once the investment has been confirmed by their bank. The passport and naturalization certificate is sent by courier to the address specified by them within 4 weeks.
Schedule a meeting in one of the offices or online. A lawyer will analyze the situation, calculate the cost and help you find a solution based on your goals.
The fastest way is to participate in the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program. Applicants make a donation to the state fund or buy state-approved real estate in the country and receive citizenship in return within 3 to 6 months. Moreover, applicants do not need to live in Dominica or even visit it.
Who can be included in the application for citizenship in addition to the investor?
The investor can include their spouse, parents, children under 30 and siblings under 25. They receive Dominican citizenship at the same time as the investor.
If the investor selects the option of purchasing real estate to participate in the Dominica citizenship program, they can recover part of their investment. They can sell their share in the property after 3 years of ownership.
The contribution to the state fund, however, is non-refundable. Investors choosing this option cannot recover their initial investment.
What is checked during the Due Diligence process?
Due Diligence is a crucial step in the Dominica citizenship program. The department checks the reputation and financial history and background of the applicants. The documents submitted by them are studied in detail and the information contained in them is verified against international databases.
Apart from the investment, do any other payments need to be made?
The investor pays state fees and charges; fees for translating, certifying and forwarding documents; and fees for legal services.
Among the state duties, the largest payment is the Due Diligence fee. It costs $7,500 for the investor and $4,000 for each relative over 16 years old included in the program. The complete set of government forms, as well as the production of a passport and a certificate of naturalization, costs $800 for each person in the application. The family also pays $1,000 for information processing.
The costs of participating in the Dominica Citizenship program vary according to the family’s composition and the applicant’s specific situation. Contact Immigrant Invest to calculate the exact cost of obtaining a passport.
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