Dominica Citizenship by Investment: Costs, Routes, and Eligibility

Dominica’s citizenship by investment program grants full citizenship in exchange for either a $200,000 non-refundable contribution to the Economic Diversification Fund or the purchase of $200,000 in government-approved real estate, with additional fees, due diligence, and a three-to-six-month review on top.¹ The citizenship is for life, passes to future generations, and carries no residency requirement.²

The Two Investment Routes

Applicants pick one of two paths. The choice comes down to whether you want a one-time payment that’s gone or a property you can eventually sell.

Economic Diversification Fund

The EDF is a direct, non-refundable contribution once citizenship is granted. Amounts scale with family size:³

Single applicant: $200,000
Main applicant plus up to three dependents: $250,000
Each additional dependent under 18: $25,000
Each additional dependent aged 18 or older: $40,000

Real Estate

The real estate route requires buying into a government-approved development for at least $200,000. Approved projects generally include shares in resorts, luxury villas, and hotel properties. You must hold the property for three years from the date citizenship is granted before selling on the open market, or five years if you sell to another CBI applicant.⁴

Real estate applicants also owe separate government fees on top of the purchase price:

Single applicant: $75,000
Main applicant plus up to three dependents: $100,000
Each additional dependent under 18: $25,000
Each additional dependent aged 18 or older: $40,000

The real estate path costs more upfront, but you keep an asset that can be sold after the holding period.

What You Actually Pay in Total

Every applicant, regardless of route, pays the same due diligence and processing charges:³

Due diligence, main applicant: $7,500
Due diligence, each dependent aged 16 or older: $4,000
Processing fee: $1,000 per application
Passport fee: approximately $250 per applicant

A single applicant taking the EDF route pays roughly $208,750 all-in. A family of four on the same route pays approximately $269,250. The same family of four going through real estate needs $200,000 for the property plus $100,000 in government fees, on top of the due diligence, processing, and passport charges.⁴

Your authorized agent will charge professional service fees separately, and those vary. Legal work, notarization, and apostille certification on your supporting documents sit outside the government schedule and depend on where you live.

One thing to plan for: if your application is denied or withdrawn, the EDF contribution held in escrow is refunded minus any government application fees already incurred, but due diligence and processing fees are non-refundable. A rejected applicant is still out several thousand dollars.

Who Qualifies

The main applicant must be at least 18, have a clean criminal record, pass an independent due diligence investigation, and provide medical evidence from a licensed physician of good health and freedom from contagious diseases.⁵

Eligible dependents on the same application are:

A legally married spouse
Children under 18 of the main applicant or spouse
Children aged 18 to 25 in full-time higher education and financially supported by the main applicant, or unmarried daughters under 25 living with and fully supported by the main applicant
Children of any age with physical or mental disabilities who are fully supported by the main applicant
Parents or grandparents over 65 of the main applicant or spouse who live with and are fully supported by the main applicant

The same due diligence and medical requirements apply to every dependent.⁵

Documents You’ll Need to Gather

Application forms are not publicly downloadable. You get them through a government-licensed Authorized Agent, who also checks that every field matches your supporting documents before submission.² At minimum, expect to produce:

Original or certified copies of birth certificates and marriage certificates
Police clearance certificates from your country of birth and from every country where you have lived more than six months in the past ten years
Medical reports including an HIV test and a general health assessment from a licensed physician
Professional references from an accountant or attorney covering your financial standing and character
Detailed personal information covering birth dates, professional history, and residency records

Every entry on the application must match the supporting certificates exactly. Discrepancies are one of the fastest routes to rejection.

How the Application Moves

Your Authorized Agent submits the full package and fees to the Citizenship by Investment Unit. The CBIU works with independent firms on the background checks, which cover criminal history, financial records, and any ongoing legal matters. Clear the review and you receive an in-principle approval.⁶

After that, you complete the investment: transfer the EDF contribution or finalize the real estate purchase into the designated government accounts. Once payment is verified, you sign an Oath of Allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica before a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, or Commissioner of Oaths. The CBIU then issues your Certificate of Naturalisation, and you apply for the passport through immigration.¹

Most applicants receive a decision within three to six months of submission.¹

What the Passport Gets You

A Dominican passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 131 countries, including the entire Schengen Area for 90 days in any 180-day period, Singapore, China, and Hong Kong.⁷

Two limits are worth knowing before you plan around it. The United Kingdom requires Dominican citizens to obtain a visa in advance. And Dominica is not on the U.S. Department of State’s list of E-2 treaty countries, so a Dominican passport will not qualify you for the E-2 investor visa to the United States.⁸ If U.S. access is what you’re after, this program will not deliver it through that route.

Dual Citizenship, Residency, and Tax

Dominica recognizes dual citizenship. You do not have to renounce any existing citizenship, and Dominica will not notify your home country.² There is no obligation to live in Dominica or even visit to keep the citizenship valid.

Dominica taxes on a territorial basis: only income earned inside Dominica is taxable, even for residents. Foreign-sourced employment income, dividends, investment returns, and business income are not taxed. There is no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, no wealth tax, and no gift tax. For a typical applicant living and working outside Dominica, the practical Dominican tax burden is zero.

Your home country is a separate question. Some jurisdictions require disclosure of new citizenships or foreign accounts, and acquiring a second passport can carry reporting obligations wherever you are tax-resident. Speak with a tax advisor in your country of residence before you apply, not after.

1
Commonwealth of Dominica. Step-by-Step Dominica CBI Application Guide
2
Citizenship by Investment Unit. Frequently Asked Questions
3
Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU). Economic Diversification Fund
4
Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU). Dominica Real Estate Investment
5
Commonwealth of Dominica. Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Regulations 2014
6
Citizenship by Investment Unit (Dominica). How to Process an Application
7
Passport Index. Dominica Passport Dashboard
8
U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. Treaty Countries