Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Programme
Dominica operates one of the world's most affordable citizenship-by-investment programmes under the Citizenship Act (Chap. 1:10, 1978) and the Citizenship by Investment Regulations, 2024 (S.R.O. No. 8 of 2024, as amended by S.R.O. No. 46 of 2025), administered by the CBIU. Citizenship is available via a non-refundable Economic Diversification Fund donation from US$200,000 (single applicant) or the purchase of a Government-approved real-estate share from US$200,000 held for 3 to 5 years, with remote application processing and full dual-citizenship rights — though the historic no-visit model is being wound down: a 30-day presence obligation over the first five years was confirmed in the 4 August 2026 Budget Address under the ECCIRA framework and in-person visit requirements were announced on 11 June 2026, neither yet gazetted as an implementing regulation. Applications must be filed through a Government-Authorised Agent, and every applicant aged 16+ undergoes mandatory enhanced due diligence plus a mandatory interview, with approval in principle in roughly 3 to 4 months. The Dominica passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 145 destinations including the Schengen Area; UK visa-free access was revoked in July 2023 and Ireland in March 2024, and the EU has placed Caribbean CBI programmes under visa-suspension review. Family inclusion covers the spouse, children (under 18, or aged 18-30 if financially dependent) and dependent parents or grandparents aged 65+; siblings are not eligible.
Figures drawn from primary law and official sources — programmes change, so we confirm the exact current terms with admitted local counsel before you applyHow you qualify.
Donation
Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) - a non-refundable Government contribution. The schedule is US$200,000 for a single main applicant; US$250,000 for a main applicant plus up to 3 qualifying dependants; +US$25,000 per additional dependant under 18; +US$40,000 per additional dependant aged 18+. Separate government fees apply to all routes: US$1,000 processing fee per application; due diligence of US$7,500 (main applicant) / US$4,000 (each dependant aged 16+); US$1,000 interview fee per applicant aged 16+; US$500 Certificate of Naturalisation per person; and US$500 per passport, applied for after the Certificate of Naturalisation is issued.
Real Estate
Purchase of a share/unit in a Government pre-approved real-estate project, minimum US$200,000. The property must be held for 3 years from the grant of citizenship, or 5 years if the onward purchaser is also using it for a CBI application. Additional government fees on the real-estate route: US$75,000 (main applicant alone); US$100,000 (main applicant plus up to 3 dependants); +US$25,000 per additional dependant under 18; +US$40,000 per additional dependant aged 18+ - plus the same processing, due-diligence, interview and naturalisation fees as the EDF route. There is no enterprise or business route. CBIU-listed approved projects include: Anichi Resort & Spa, InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa, Jungle Bay Resort, Ocean Edge Development, Sanctuary Rainforest Eco Resort & Spa, Grande Anse Timbo's Downtown, Tranquility Beach Resort, and The Residences at Secret Bay.
Global mobility.
for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with ETIAS pre-authorisation required once ETIAS goes live. Dominica's Schengen visa-free access remains in force. The position hardened in mid-2026: under Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 (in force 30 December 2025), operating an investor-citizenship scheme is now in itself a ground for suspending a country's visa exemption, and the European Commission is reported to have written to the five Caribbean CBI states on 25 June 2026 seeking a phase-out by 1 June 2028 — reportedly with reinforced vetting required by September 2026. We have not seen the letters themselves. No suspension has been enacted to date, and the five governments are seeking a negotiated transition (joint response, Roseau, 10 July 2026) — but a client acquiring this citizenship primarily for Schengen access must treat that benefit as at material risk across the 2026–2028 window.
The UK revoked Dominica's visa-free access effective 19 July 2023 and it has not been reinstated.
Entry suspended, not merely visa-controlled. Presidential Proclamation 10998 of 16 December 2025 placed Dominica under partial suspension with effect from 00:01 EST on 1 January 2026, suspending entry for immigrants and for nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas — which covers the ordinary short business or tourist visit. Any family whose plans include the United States must weigh this first. Since January 2026, US immigrant-visa processing for Dominican nationals has been frozen and visa validity for the remaining eligible categories has been cut from ten years, multiple entry, to three MONTHS, single entry.
(visa-free entry only for holders of a valid US permanent resident card or certain US visa holders).
Approximately 145 visa-free, visa-on-arrival or eTA destinations. Three material gaps: the United States placed Dominica under a partial entry suspension from 1 January 2026 covering B-1/B-2 visitors (Proclamation 10998); the United Kingdom revoked visa-free access on 19 July 2023; and Ireland revoked it on 7 March 2024. Schengen access remains visa-free. Dual citizenship is permitted for Dominica with no restriction.
Still want a European base? Pair it.
A Dominica passport answers what most families come for first: stronger mobility and a considered fallback, secured for life and hereditary. Many families want a European base alongside it — somewhere to hold assets, spend time and give their children options. Those are two different jobs, and we build them as one plan rather than asking you to choose.
We pair the citizenship with an EU residence in a single structure — citizenship, passport and residence, built as one: the passport for mobility and standing, the residence for a euro-denominated base and, held over time, a lawful route to a European future.
Choose your structure
Structure selected: Dominica citizenship only. Add a European base at any time — pick one above to see it quoted as a single structure.
Engage us on Dominica
Leave your details and we come back to you personally — the confirmed current terms, the full costing for your family, and an introduction to vetted, admitted counsel for this programme.
Kestrel Private is a discreet private-client advisory led personally by Andrew J. Taylor, formerly Vice Chairman of Henley & Partners. He has served private clients from more than 30 countries, and at Kestrel you have one senior relationship from initial strategy through implementation.
What's involved in Dominica citizenship.
- Family inclusion
- The main applicant must be at least 18. Includable dependants are: the spouse; unmarried children under 18; unmarried children aged 18-30 who are financially dependent on the main applicant and in attendance at a recognised institution of higher learning (a child aged 30 may be included, but not one who has turned 31); and dependent parents or grandparents over the age of 65 who are substantially financially supported by the applicant. Siblings are not eligible dependants under the programme. All applicants aged 16+ undergo enhanced due diligence and a mandatory (typically virtual) interview. The Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (S.R.O. No. 46 of 2025) removed the previous five-year limit on adding children to an approved file, allowing children to be added later subject to eligibility at the time of application.
- Due diligence
- Mandatory multi-tier enhanced due diligence is conducted on every applicant aged 16+, together with a mandatory interview for all applicants aged 16+. Due-diligence fees are US$7,500 for the main applicant and US$4,000 per dependant aged 16+. Applicants must demonstrate good character, no criminal record, a legitimate and sufficient source of funds, and freedom from contagious disease. A police clearance certificate (issued within 3 months) and a medical certificate including an HIV test (issued within 3 months) are required. Nationality restrictions apply under CBIU policy notices in force in 2026: applications from nationals of Belarus, Russia, Northern Iraq and Yemen are not accepted; Iranian applications are suspended (24 March 2026), and Iran, North Korea and Sudan otherwise face conditional criteria (long non-residence, no substantial assets or business links there). The restricted list is confirmed in writing before an application is prepared.
- Timeline
- Official processing time is 3 to 4 months from submission of the application to approval in principle. The total time to the Certificate of Naturalisation and passport is typically longer once contribution payment and document collection are complete. Applications must be filed through a Government Authorised Agent; the CBIU does not accept direct submissions.
- Physical presence
- The application is filed and processed remotely through a Government Authorised Agent and the CBIU currently imposes no travel requirement at the application stage; the gazetted default under reg 9(3) of S.R.O. No. 8 of 2024 is that the interview is conducted in Dominica, with provision for it to be held elsewhere at the applicant’s request and expense. The pure no-visit model is being wound down, but not yet by any gazetted rule. Dominica bound itself to the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority framework when Parliament passed the ECCIRA Agreement Bill on 14 October 2025, and the FY 2026/2027 Budget Address of 4 August 2026 confirmed three obligations for new citizens: at least 30 days’ physical presence during the first five years, a genuine link, and approved integration programmes. On 11 June 2026 the Prime Minister announced that in-person visit requirements will be introduced for successful applicants. As at 24 August 2026 NO implementing regulation has been gazetted and the CBIU’s published process still requires no visit: the 30-day obligation is an announced treaty commitment awaiting domestic prescription, not enacted operative law, and we confirm the position in writing before it is relied on. An Oath of Allegiance must be signed by each applicant upon grant of citizenship.
- Tax
- Dominica levies no personal income tax on worldwide income for non-residents, no capital gains tax, no inheritance or estate tax and no wealth tax. CBI citizens are not automatically tax-resident and acquire no tax obligation unless they establish residence or physical presence. Citizenship alone does not change a client's home-country tax position.
- Established under the Citizenship Act (Chap. 1:10, 1978) and the Citizenship by Investment Regulations S.R.O. No. 8 of 2024 (gazetted 28 June 2024), as amended by the CBI Amendment Regulation 2025.
- Two routes only: an Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) donation from US$200,000 and approved real estate from US$200,000.
- Real-estate property must be retained for 3 years, or 5 years if resold to another CBI applicant.
- Mandatory interview for every applicant aged 16+ and mandatory enhanced due diligence.
- Applications accepted only via Government-Authorised Agents; no direct submission to the CBIU.
- Remote application processing and dual citizenship allowed — but the no-visit model is being wound down: a 30-day genuine-link presence obligation over the first five years was confirmed in the Budget Address of 4 August 2026 under the ECCIRA framework, and in-person visit requirements were announced on 11 June 2026. Neither has been gazetted as an implementing regulation, so both are announced commitments rather than operative rules.
- Includable family: spouse, children under 18, financially-dependent children aged 18-30, and dependent parents or grandparents aged 65+; siblings not eligible.
- Mobility position: UK visa-free access was revoked on 19 July 2023 and Ireland on 7 March 2024; Schengen access remains in force and is under EU suspension-review for all Caribbean CBI states.
- Completed official CBIU application forms (obtainable via an Authorised Agent)
- Valid passport with at least 6 months validity
- Certified birth certificate
- Police clearance certificate from each country of residence or citizenship, issued within 3 months
- Medical certificate including blood, urine and HIV tests, issued within 3 months
- Proof of legitimate source of funds and source-of-wealth documentation
- Proof of investment (EDF contribution or signed real-estate purchase/sale agreement)
- Passport-sized photographs
- Marriage certificate (if including a spouse) and evidence of dependency for children, parents or grandparents
- Oath or affirmation of allegiance (administered on approval)
The governing law — in our library.
Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica, s.101 (constitutional authority for Parliament to grant citizenship to persons not otherwise eligible); Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship Act (1978, Chap. 1:10), ss.8-9 (naturalisation of CBI applicants); and the Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Regulations made under that Act - the principal Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Regulations, 2024 (S.R.O. No. 8 of 2024, gazetted 28 June 2024, which by reg 17 repealed S.R.O. No. 1 of 2024), as amended by the Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (S.R.O. No. 46 of 2025, made 26 November 2025, gazetted 27 November 2025), which removed the prior five-year time limit for adding children to an approved citizenship file. · Administered by Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU), Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Climate Resilience and Social Security, Financial Centre, 1st Floor, Kennedy Avenue, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica (info@cbiu.gov.dm; +1 767 266 3919 / 3974 / 4465)..
Documents marked “held by Kestrel” are mirrored on our own servers from the official source, so the reference is always available.
Dominica, answered.
- How much does Dominica citizenship by investment cost?
- The lowest qualifying investment is USD 200,000 via the Donation route. Government, due-diligence and professional fees are additional. Every figure is confirmed in writing before you commit to anything.
- How long does the Dominica citizenship process take?
- Official processing time is 3 to 4 months from submission of the application to approval in principle. The total time to the Certificate of Naturalisation and passport is typically longer once contribution payment and document collection are complete. Applications must be filed through a Government Authorised Agent; the CBIU does not accept direct submissions.
- Does the Dominica passport allow visa-free travel to the Schengen Area?
- Visa-free for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with ETIAS pre-authorisation required once ETIAS goes live. Dominica's Schengen visa-free access remains in force. The position hardened in mid-2026: under Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 (in force 30 December 2025), operating an investor-citizenship scheme is now in itself a ground for suspending a country's visa exemption, and the European Commission is reported to have written to the five Caribbean CBI states on 25 June 2026 seeking a phase-out by 1 June 2028 — reportedly with reinforced vetting required by September 2026. We have not seen the letters themselves. No suspension has been enacted to date, and the five governments are seeking a negotiated transition (joint response, Roseau, 10 July 2026) — but a client acquiring this citizenship primarily for Schengen access must treat that benefit as at material risk across the 2026–2028 window.
- Can I include my family in the Dominica application?
- The main applicant must be at least 18. Includable dependants are: the spouse; unmarried children under 18; unmarried children aged 18-30 who are financially dependent on the main applicant and in attendance at a recognised institution of higher learning (a child aged 30 may be included, but not one who has turned 31); and dependent parents or grandparents over the age of 65 who are substantially financially supported by the applicant. Siblings are not eligible dependants under the programme. All applicants aged 16+ undergo enhanced due diligence and a mandatory (typically virtual) interview. The Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (S.R.O. No. 46 of 2025) removed the previous five-year limit on adding children to an approved file, allowing children to be added later subject to eligibility at the time of application.
- What due diligence does Dominica require?
- Mandatory multi-tier enhanced due diligence is conducted on every applicant aged 16+, together with a mandatory interview for all applicants aged 16+. Due-diligence fees are US$7,500 for the main applicant and US$4,000 per dependant aged 16+. Applicants must demonstrate good character, no criminal record, a legitimate and sufficient source of funds, and freedom from contagious disease. A police clearance certificate (issued within 3 months) and a medical certificate including an HIV test (issued within 3 months) are required. Nationality restrictions apply under CBIU policy notices in force in 2026: applications from nationals of Belarus, Russia, Northern Iraq and Yemen are not accepted; Iranian applications are suspended (24 March 2026), and Iran, North Korea and Sudan otherwise face conditional criteria (long non-residence, no substantial assets or business links there). The restricted list is confirmed in writing before an application is prepared.
- Does Dominica citizenship grant the right to live in the European Union?
- No. Dominica citizenship can confer a second passport and visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel, but it grants no right to live, work or settle in the EU and no path to an EU passport. For a European foothold, residence by investment is the direct route.
General guidance, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Figures are verified to 2026 against official primary sources, and eligibility, thresholds and timelines are confirmed in writing before you commit to anything.
The programme you apply under is the one that exists on the day you file.
For residence applications, we generally plan on approximately two to three months to approval and three to six months from instruction to residence card.
Citizenship applications vary more widely. A straightforward application may receive approval within approximately three months, but six to nine months to passport issuance is a more prudent planning assumption.
Programme rules, government fees and processing times can change. We therefore reconfirm the applicable terms immediately before an application is filed.
Neither approval nor timing can be guaranteed.
If Dominica is the route you want, we can start your file.
A first conversation, not a commitment. Tell us who would be included and what you already hold, and we come back with the route, the confirmed terms and the timeline for Dominica — or tell you honestly if another programme fits you better.