Citizenship by Investment
The Commonwealth of Dominica — not to be confused with the Dominican Republic — operates one of the most respected citizenship-by-investment programs in the world. Established in 1993, the program has earned a reputation for rigorous due diligence and rapid, predictable processing. For clients seeking a clean, well-administered Caribbean passport at the lower end of the cost curve, Dominica is consistently among our first recommendations.
- Minimum Investment
- From $200,000
- Processing
- 3–4 months
- Stay Requirement
- None
- Citizenship
- Lifetime · hereditary
- Visa-Free Access
- 140+ countries
- Dual Citizenship
- Permitted
When discipline and value coexist.
Dominica has avoided the controversies that have intermittently affected other Caribbean programs — and it has done so by being unusually selective. Application denial rates are higher than at peer programs; due diligence is contracted to internationally recognized firms; and the government has consistently acted to preserve the program's reputation rather than to maximize volume. The result is a passport with broad visa-free access and minimal political risk, at a price point that is genuinely accessible to qualifying families.
Standard processing runs 3 to 4 months from filing — among the fastest in the Caribbean without paying an accelerated fee.
140+ countries including the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Citizenship is transmitted to children and grandchildren by descent under Dominican law.
Dominica does not tax worldwide income, capital gains, or inheritance for non-resident citizens.
How to qualify.
A non-refundable contribution to the EDF, which finances government-led infrastructure, healthcare, and resilience projects. The dominant pathway. Single applicant $200,000; family of four typically $250,000–$325,000.
Acquisition of an interest in a government-approved development (typically a hotel or branded resort condominium). Three-year holding period (five years if the buyer wishes to sell to another CBI applicant).
- Clean criminal record across all countries of prior residence.
- Verifiable lawful source of investment funds.
- Good health, with no communicable disease of public health significance.
- Principal applicant aged 18 or older.
- Successful completion of the program's mandatory due-diligence review.
How we run this program.
Confidential intake. Source-of-funds preview to confirm a clean diligence path before any filings.
Full application file: biometrics, FBI clearance, medicals, references, and source-of-funds substantiation.
Application submitted through an authorized agent. Independent due diligence by internationally recognized firms.
Approval letter issued. Contribution made. Oath taken at a Dominican mission. Passport issued.
Questions worth answering candidly.
Why does Dominica deny more applications than its peers?+
By design. The program is run with a long-term reputational view — the government would rather decline a marginal applicant than risk the program's standing. For our clients, this is a positive: a Dominican passport is taken seriously precisely because not everyone receives one.
Is Dominica's passport really worth less than St. Kitts's?+
No — visa-free access is broadly comparable, and both are widely accepted. St. Kitts has slightly broader access and a longer institutional history; Dominica is meaningfully less expensive and processes faster on a standard track. The decision is rarely about quality and almost always about cost-versus-speed-versus-feature trade-offs.
Where does the EDF money actually go?+
Climate-resilient housing, hospital construction, school renovation, and post-hurricane infrastructure are the typical destinations. Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, EDF funding was central to the country's reconstruction. The fund's deployment is publicly reported.
Can my family be included?+
Yes. Spouse, children up to certain age limits, dependent parents, and dependent siblings can all be included on a single application, each at incremental fees.
Considering Dominica? Let's talk before you commit.
Thirty minutes with an experienced advisor. We'll tell you, candidly, whether this program is the right fit — and if it isn't, which one is.
You speak directly with an experienced advisor — not an intake associate.