Dominica Citizenship by Investment

Who the programme is for

Dominica CBI suits cost-conscious investors who want the lowest headline price for a Caribbean second passport, with no residency requirement. It works well for single applicants and families seeking travel freedom and a backup citizenship, provided they are comfortable with the recent tightening of UK and US travel access.

• Value-focused single applicants and families
• Investors who cannot commit to residency
• Those combining citizenship with approved property
• Buyers who prioritise the lowest entry cost

Investment options: contribution vs real estate

The Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) is a one-off, non-refundable donation from US$200,000 for a single applicant — the simplest and lowest-outlay route, funding schools, hospitals and national projects. The real estate route requires at least US$200,000 in a government-authorised development plus government fees from US$75,000, but the property can be resold after three years.

• EDF contribution: from US$200,000 (single)
• Approved real estate: from US$200,000 + US$75,000 government fees
• 3-year property holding period
• All applications via an authorised agent

The real estate route in detail

Real-estate applicants buy into a government-authorised project — typically an eco-resort or hotel development — valued at a minimum of US$200,000. The mandatory holding period is three years (one of the shortest in the region), after which the property may be resold. Government fees start at US$75,000 per applicant, so total outlay exceeds the EDF, but capital can potentially be partly recovered on resale.

• Minimum US$200,000 in an authorised project
• 3-year minimum hold — among the shortest regionally
• Government fees from US$75,000 per applicant
• Potential resale and rental income

Application and due diligence

Applications are filed by an authorised agent, and the CBIU runs enhanced multi-source background checks, now including a mandatory interview. Indicative processing is around 3–6 months, though vetting has lengthened. On approval, the contribution or purchase is completed and citizenship and passports are issued.

• File through an authorised agent
• Enhanced due diligence + mandatory interview
• Indicative decision in about 3–6 months
• No visit required to complete the process

What citizenship gives you

Citizenship is granted for life and passes to future generations. The passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 140+ destinations, including the Schengen Area — but no longer the UK, which reintroduced a visa requirement for Dominica nationals in 2023. Dominica allows dual citizenship and imposes no tax on worldwide income, capital gains, inheritance or wealth for non-residents and residents alike.

• Lifelong, hereditary citizenship
• Visa-free Schengen access (UK now requires a visa)
• Dual citizenship permitted
• No tax on worldwide income, gifts or inheritance

Costs and government fees

Beyond the core investment, budget for due-diligence fees per adult applicant, government and passport fees, and authorised-agent and legal fees. Real-estate applicants pay government fees from US$75,000 per applicant plus purchase and closing costs. Family pricing scales with the number and age of dependants — confirm the current schedule with your agent.

• Due-diligence fees per adult applicant
• Government processing and passport fees
• Real estate: government fees from US$75,000 per applicant
• Agent and legal fees

Recent changes and international scrutiny

Dominica adopted the US$200,000 harmonised minimum in 2024 and, with its regional peers, helped establish the ECCIRA regulator — Dominica was the first state to pass the enabling law, in October 2025. It has faced the sharpest external pressure of the five: the UK withdrew visa-free access in July 2023, and in early 2026 the United States cut the validity of several visa categories for Dominica nationals to three months with single entry, alongside a broader US immigrant-visa pause covering all five CBI states. Travel-access arrangements remain under active review.

In March 2024 the five Eastern Caribbean CBI states — St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and Saint Lucia — signed a Memorandum of Agreement harmonising a US$200,000 minimum investment floor (effective 1 July 2024) and strengthening due diligence; in 2025 they went further, legislating a shared regulator, the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), headquartered in Grenada.

• Minimum set at US$200,000 (2024)
• First to enact the ECCIRA regulator law (Oct 2025)
• UK visa-free access withdrawn (2023)
• US shortened visa validity (early 2026)