Dominica Citizenship by Investment: Costs, Routes, and Eligibility

Dominica’s citizenship by investment program grants a full passport to foreign nationals who either donate at least $200,000 to a government fund or buy at least $200,000 in approved real estate, pass a background check, and pay the required government fees. Dual citizenship is permitted, no residency or prior visit is required, and the citizenship passes to your children.1Citizenship by Investment Unit (Dominica). FAQ – Dominica CBIU

Below is what the two routes actually cost, who can be included, what the review looks like, and the obligations that follow once you hold the passport.

The Two Investment Routes

Since July 2024, $200,000 is the hard floor for any Caribbean CBI program under a memorandum signed by Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Lucia. Discounting below that number is not allowed.2OECS. Caribbean Countries Pressing Forward With the Implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement on Citizenship by Investment Programmes

Economic Diversification Fund Contribution

The Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) is a non-refundable grant to the government, used for public infrastructure, schools, and healthcare. Required amounts:

  • Single applicant: $200,000
  • Applicant with up to three dependents: $250,000
  • Each additional dependent under 18: $25,000
  • Each additional dependent 18 or older: $40,000

A family of four falls under the $250,000 tier. A fifth family member adds $25,000 or $40,000 depending on age.3Citizenship by Investment Unit (Dominica). Economic Diversification Fund

Approved Real Estate Purchase

The alternative is buying a unit in a government-approved development, typically a resort or branded residence, for at least $200,000. You have to hold the property for three years, or five years if you plan to resell it to another CBI applicant.4Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU). Dominica Real Estate Investment

The property price is not the whole bill. The government charges a separate fee on top of the purchase:

  • Single applicant: $75,000
  • Applicant with up to three dependents: $100,000
  • Each additional dependent under 18: $25,000
  • Each additional dependent 18 or older: $40,000

So a single applicant taking the real estate route spends at least $275,000 versus $200,000 through the EDF. You end up owning a tangible asset you can eventually sell, which is the trade-off.4Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU). Dominica Real Estate Investment

Fees That Apply to Every Application

Regardless of which route you pick, the following government charges apply:

  • Due diligence fee for the main applicant: $7,500
  • Due diligence fee for a spouse and each dependent aged 16 or older: $4,000 per person
  • Mandatory interview fee for each person aged 16 or older: $1,000 per person
  • Processing fee: $1,000 per application
  • Certificate of Naturalization: $500 per person

For a family of four with two children under 16, that adds up to roughly $10,000 on top of the investment.5Citizenship by Investment Unit (Dominica). Dominica Citizenship Cost and Fees Enhanced due diligence fees can apply for applicants from certain nationalities or with complex backgrounds, and authorized agent and legal fees are set by the firm you hire, not by the government.

Who You Can Include as a Dependent

One application can cover the following family members:1Citizenship by Investment Unit (Dominica). FAQ – Dominica CBIU

  • Your spouse
  • Children under 18
  • Children aged 18 to 30 who are in full-time higher education and financially supported by you (a 30-year-old qualifies; a 31-year-old does not)
  • Unmarried daughters under 25 who live with you and are fully supported by you
  • Children 18 or older with a physical or mental disability who are fully supported by you
  • Parents or grandparents over 65, on either your side or your spouse’s, who are substantially supported by you

Siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles are not eligible. “Child” means biological or legally adopted; stepchildren can only be included through the spouse’s side of the application.

Eligibility and Disqualifiers

The main applicant must be at least 18 years old, be in good health with no communicable disease, and be able to document that the investment funds come from legitimate sources. A conviction for a serious crime is disqualifying, even if the applicant was later pardoned. Providing false information or leaving out requested records results in immediate rejection and can trigger a permanent ban on future applications.

How the Application Actually Works

You cannot apply directly. Every applicant has to work through an Authorized Agent licensed by the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU), which publishes a list of licensed agents on its website.6Citizenship by Investment Unit. Become an Authorised Agent – Dominica The agent assembles the file and submits it.

The documentation package covers identity, finances, and character:7Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU). Required Documents

  • Birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, and notarized color copies of every passport page
  • Twelve months of bank statements, a bank reference letter, and a notarized affidavit explaining the source of funds
  • A detailed business background report, resume or CV, and a letter of employment or financial statements
  • A medical questionnaire completed by a licensed physician
  • Professional references and a personal disclosure form
  • A signed investment agreement

Documents not in English must be translated and authenticated through an apostille or equivalent.

Once the file is in, third-party firms based outside Dominica run the background investigation, checking sanctions lists, Interpol, financial news archives, and adverse media.8Dominica Citizenship by Investment Unit. Enhanced Due Diligence Every applicant aged 16 or older sits for a mandatory virtual interview scheduled by the CBIU. Agents and promoters are not allowed to attend on your behalf. Interviews are conducted in the applicant’s language of choice. Family members who cannot make the same session pay for a separate interview.

If you clear the background check and the interview, the government issues an approval in principle. That is conditional. You then have a set window to make the actual investment (the EDF contribution or the real estate purchase). Once the CBIU confirms the funds have landed, it issues a Certificate of Naturalization, and you can apply for the passport.

How Long It Takes

From submission to approval usually runs three to nine months. Enhanced due diligence, which has expanded under pressure from the EU and the United States, accounts for a lot of that. Complex applications, applicants from higher-risk jurisdictions, and incomplete paperwork push toward the longer end. Passport issuance adds a few more weeks after the Certificate of Naturalization is granted.

What the Passport Gets You

A Dominica passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 140 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and every EU Schengen state. Schengen lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period for tourism or business. Starting in 2026, Dominican citizens will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) before Schengen travel. ETIAS is a visa waiver, not a visa: a quick online registration requiring a valid passport, a payment card, and an email address.9ETIAS Visa. ETIAS for Dominicans

You also get freedom of movement within CARICOM and the OECS.

Keeping Citizenship and Renewing the Passport

There is no residency requirement. You do not have to live on the island, visit periodically, or maintain a local address to keep your citizenship or renew your passport.1Citizenship by Investment Unit (Dominica). FAQ – Dominica CBIU Citizenship is permanent and passes to your children by birth.

Adult passports are valid for 10 years, children’s for 5. Since 2021, Dominica has issued biometric e-passports, and holders of older non-biometric versions have to upgrade at renewal. Most CBI citizens renew through their Authorized Agent or a Dominican consulate abroad. Start at least six months before expiration; processing generally runs four to eight weeks.

When Citizenship Can Be Revoked

Citizenship obtained through the CBI program is not unconditional. The Minister may revoke it if the government finds the citizenship was obtained by fraud, misrepresentation, or deliberate concealment of material facts. Revocation can also follow a conviction in any country for an offense carrying more than 12 months in prison, or for serious offenses such as terrorism, money laundering, human trafficking, or weapons proliferation.10Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship Act Applicants who were honest during the application but are later convicted of a qualifying offense remain subject to revocation.

U.S. Tax Reporting for American Applicants

Getting a second passport does not, by itself, change your U.S. tax situation. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income no matter how many passports they hold. What often does change is your exposure to foreign-asset reporting, and the penalties there are large enough to matter.

If your foreign financial accounts, including any Dominican bank account tied to a real estate purchase, exceed $10,000 in aggregate at any point during the year, you must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR, FinCEN Form 114) by April 15 of the following year.11FinCEN. Report Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts

Separately, FATCA requires U.S. taxpayers to report specified foreign financial assets on Form 8938 above certain thresholds. For taxpayers living in the United States, those thresholds are $50,000 at year-end or $75,000 at any point during the year if you are unmarried, and $100,000 or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. Higher thresholds apply to Americans living abroad.12Internal Revenue Service. Do I Need to File Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets

Penalties for failing to file Form 8938 start at $10,000, with up to an additional $50,000 for continued failure after IRS notification, and a 40 percent penalty applies to any tax understatement tied to undisclosed foreign assets.13Internal Revenue Service. Summary of FATCA Reporting for U.S. Taxpayers Those figures can eclipse the cost of the CBI investment itself. Talk to a U.S. tax professional before completing a real estate purchase abroad.