Dominica’s citizenship by investment program grants a second passport in exchange for either a $200,000 contribution to a government fund or a $200,000 purchase of approved real estate, plus fees. The legal basis sits in Section 101 of the Dominican Constitution and Sections 8 and 9 of the Citizenship Act, which authorize the government to naturalize qualified investors.1Citizenship by Investment Unit. Legal Basis and Relevant Legislation You do not need to visit or live in Dominica at any stage, and most applications move from submission to passport in three to six months.
The Two Investment Routes
You choose one of two paths. The first is a non-refundable contribution to the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF), which the government spends on public projects in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. The amount scales with family size:2Citizenship by Investment Unit. Dominica’s Economic Diversification Fund
- Single applicant: $200,000
- Main applicant plus up to three dependants: $250,000
- Each additional dependant under 18: $25,000
- Each additional dependant 18 or older: $40,000
Because the money is a donation, there is nothing to resell later. That simplicity is the appeal.
The second route is a minimum $200,000 investment in a government-approved real estate development.3Citizenship by Investment Unit. Real Estate Investment Only projects vetted by the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU) qualify, and the list is limited to specific approved resorts and residences.4Citizenship by Investment Unit. Approved Real Estate Projects You must hold the property for at least three years after citizenship is granted; if the next buyer also intends to use it for a citizenship application, that holding period extends to five years. After the holding period, you can sell freely.
The real estate route carries its own government fees on top of the purchase price:5Citizenship by Investment Unit. Dominica Citizenship Cost and Fees
- Single applicant: $75,000 government fee
- Main applicant plus up to three dependants: $100,000 government fee
- Each additional dependant under 18: $25,000
- Each additional dependant 18 or older: $40,000
A single applicant on the real estate track therefore starts at $275,000 before due diligence and processing. A family of four starts at $300,000 in combined investment and government fees.
Family Members You Can Include
One application can cover the main applicant’s immediate family rather than requiring separate filings. Eligible dependants are:6Citizenship by Investment Unit. Dominica Updates Dependant Eligibility and Fees
- The spouse of the main applicant
- Children under 18 of the main applicant or spouse
- Adult children aged 18 to 30 in full-time higher education who are financially supported by the main applicant or spouse
- Parents or grandparents over 65 who are financially supported by the main applicant or spouse
Siblings are not eligible. Every dependant undergoes their own background check and medical screening, and each one adds to both the investment amount under the EDF route and the due diligence bill.
Due Diligence, Interview, and Certificate Fees
Separate from the investment, the government charges non-refundable fees to cover background investigation and administration. These must be paid before your file is reviewed:7Citizenship by Investment Unit. Enhanced Due Diligence
- Due diligence fee for the main applicant: $7,500
- Due diligence fee for a spouse: $4,000
- Due diligence fee for each dependant aged 16 or older: $4,000
- Mandatory interview fee: $1,000 per person aged 16 and older
The naturalization certificate itself is $500 per person.8Commonwealth of Dominica Consulate Athens – Greece. Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program Passport fees are separate and paid when you apply for the passport. For a family of four on the EDF route, due diligence and interview fees alone add roughly $20,000 before certificate and passport costs.
Documents You Need to Prepare
Paperwork is the part of the process that most often trips applicants up. Plan on gathering original birth certificates, marriage certificates where applicable, and police clearance certificates from every country you have lived in. A medical exam is required for every applicant aged 12 or older: the CBIU’s D3 Medical Questionnaire, completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner, with original blood, urine, and HIV test results attached.9Citizenship by Investment Unit. List of Forms – Citizenship by Investment
Every document must be in English. Anything in another language needs an approved translator’s version attached to the original, with the translator’s full name, signature, and contact details. Copies of originals must be notarized before translation. No document can be older than three months at the time of submission.
You will also need financial documentation proving the legal source of your investment funds, along with professional references. Applications go through a government-licensed Authorized Agent; the CBIU does not accept filings directly from individuals.10Citizenship by Investment Unit. Authorised CBI Agents
How the Application Moves
Once your Authorized Agent submits the file, the CBIU runs an initial review followed by a full background investigation.11Citizenship by Investment Unit. Step-by-Step Dominica CBI Application Guide Every applicant aged 16 and older must attend a mandatory interview, virtual or in person, to confirm background details and resolve any inconsistencies.7Citizenship by Investment Unit. Enhanced Due Diligence
If due diligence clears, you receive a Letter of Approval in Principle. That letter is your green light to finalize the investment: either transferring the EDF contribution or closing on the approved property. Once the CBIU confirms the investment, it issues your Certificate of Naturalization, and you can then apply for the passport.
The three-to-six-month timeline assumes complete documentation and clean background checks. Missing or stale documents are the most common source of delay, which is one reason the quality of your Authorized Agent matters.
What the Passport Gets You
A Dominican passport currently offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 145 countries and territories, including the full Schengen Area, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The United Kingdom is not on the list; Dominican citizens need a UK visa. Adult passports are valid for ten years and children’s passports for five, and renewals can be handled through any Dominican consulate abroad without traveling to the island.12Citizenship by Investment Unit. Frequently Asked Questions
There is no residency requirement before or after naturalization. Dominica also permits dual citizenship, so you are not required to renounce an existing nationality to accept the Dominican one.13Citizenship by Investment Unit. Benefits of Dual Citizenship Whether your home country allows dual citizenship is a separate question and worth checking before you apply.
Nationalities That Can’t Apply
Dominica maintains restrictions on certain nationalities:14Citizenship by Investment Unit. Banned Nationalities
- Fully banned: citizens of Belarus, Russia, Northern Iraq (including the Kurdistan region), and Yemen
- Conditionally restricted: citizens of North Korea, Sudan, and Iran may apply only if they have not lived in those countries for at least ten years, hold no substantial assets there, and have not conducted business in or with those countries
The list is updated periodically in response to sanctions and security concerns. Conditional applicants should expect heightened scrutiny.
When Citizenship Can Be Revoked
Citizenship granted through the program is not unconditional. Section 8A of the Citizenship Act allows revocation for:15Citizenship by Investment Unit. Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship Act
- Fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining citizenship
- Conviction in any country of an offense carrying a sentence of more than twelve months, unless pardoned
- Bankruptcy declared under the laws of any country
- Conviction of an offense connected to the CBI process itself
- Conduct likely to bring Dominica into disrepute
Fraud is the provision that catches most people. Omitting a prior criminal matter, misstating the source of funds, or concealing a connection to a sanctioned jurisdiction can surface years later through routine reviews or international cooperation.
Note for U.S. Citizens
A Dominican passport does not change your U.S. tax obligations. American citizens and permanent residents owe federal income tax on worldwide income regardless of how many other passports they hold.16Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About International Individual Tax Matters If you open financial accounts in Dominica, you must file FinCEN Form 114 (the FBAR) when your combined foreign accounts exceed $10,000 at any point in the year.17FinCEN. Report Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts The FBAR is due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15.18Internal Revenue Service. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) FATCA reporting on IRS Form 8938 applies separately when foreign financial assets exceed $50,000 at year-end or $75,000 at any point for single filers, with higher thresholds for joint filers and Americans living abroad.
If you later renounce U.S. citizenship, the IRS imposes an exit tax on “covered expatriates”: anyone with a net worth of $2 million or more, an average annual net income tax liability above $201,000 for the five preceding years (the 2026 threshold), or a failure to certify five years of tax compliance. Renouncing does not erase liabilities incurred while a citizen, and Form 8854 must be filed to report the expatriation. Get professional tax advice before making any of these moves.