Dominica Citizenship By Investment Program | A Complete Guide

What is Citizenship By Investment Program?

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, also known as the Passport Program, is an opportunity offered by certain countries to attract foreign investment. It allows foreign investors to quickly obtain citizenship in the destination country by making a substantial financial contribution through donations, deposits, purchasing funds, buying property, or operating a business.

Currently, there are ten globally stable and reputable passport programs:

• Caribbean: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, and Saint Lucia.

• Pacific: Vanuatu.

• Middle East: Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.

• Southeast Asia: Cambodia.

In addition to these countries, Malta, after canceling its passport program, has introduced a new fast-track citizenship law called MEIN (Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalization). By donating a certain amount of money, investors can secure naturalization and citizenship within 1 to 3 years.

Overall, while the global Citizenship by Investment programs require significant financial investment, they offer several advantages:

1. Quick Passport Acquisition: In most CBI countries, once the investment is made, applicants can obtain a passport within 3 to 4 months, or even just a few weeks.

2. Lenient Background Checks: Although there has been increased scrutiny on background checks due to pressure from the EU and the US, compared to major countries’ green card programs, the background checks for CBI programs in smaller countries are still relatively lenient, sometimes even superficial.

3. No Residency Requirement: Almost all CBI countries have a zero-immigration-residency policy. In most cases, applicants can apply for and hold citizenship without ever having to reside in the country.

4. Broad Dependent Eligibility: Many CBI programs allow multiple generations of the primary applicant’s family, including grandparents and grandchildren, to be included regardless of age or status.

Dominica Citizenship By Investment Program:

The Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program, which began in 1993, is one of the most popular investment immigration programs in the world, naturalizing thousands of overseas investors each year. Currently, there are two economic pathways available for applicants seeking to obtain a Dominica passport in exchange for financial investment:

1. Donation Option: This Option requires applicants to donate a certain amount of money to the Dominica Economic Diversification Fund (EDF).

• Specifically, for a single applicant, a donation of $200,000 is required.

• For a small family of up to four members, a donation of $250,000 is required.

• For each additional dependent over 18 years old, the primary applicant’s donation requirement increases by $40,000, and for each additional dependent under 18 years old, the donation requirement increases by $25,000.

In addition to the donation, the passport application process also includes the following four fees:

• A processing fee of $1,000 per person.

• A certificate of naturalization fee of $500 per person.

• An interview fee of $1,000 per person.

• A due diligence fee of $7,500 for the primary applicant and $4,000 for each dependent over 16 years old.

2. Real Estate Investment Option: This option requires applicants to invest $200,000 in a property from the government-approved real estate project list and to hold the property for at least three years after obtaining Dominica citizenship (if the property is sold to another foreign investor seeking a Dominica passport, the holding period is five years).

In addition to the property purchase, applicants under this model must also pay a substantial government fee: $75,000 for a single applicant, $100,000 for a family of 2-4 members, with an additional $40,000 for each dependent over 18 years old and $25,000 for each dependent under 18 years old.

Similar to the donation option, applicants must also pay:

• A processing fee of $1,000 per person.

• A certificate of naturalization fee of $500 per person.

• An interview fee of $1,000 per person.

• A due diligence fee of $7,500 for the primary applicant and $4,000 for each dependent over 16 years old.

Regardless of the pathway chosen, in addition to the financial requirements, the primary applicant must meet the basic conditions of being at least 18 years old, having no criminal record, and committing not to change their name within five years of obtaining the passport.

Application Process:

The entire application process for the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program can be divided into the following steps:

1. Submitting the Visa Application: Similar to other Caribbean citizenship by investment programs, the Dominica passport program does not allow applicants to apply independently (DIY). You must sign a contract with a government-approved local agent, who will assist you in gathering all the required documents and submitting the visa application.

A list of all registered agents can be found on the official Dominica government website at https://www.cbiu.gov.dm/dominica-citizenship/authorised-agents/.

Required documents for this program include:

• Applicant Identification Documents: These include copies of the passports of all primary and secondary applicants, eight passport-sized photos per person, and proof of relationships such as birth certificates and marriage certificates for all primary and secondary applicants.

• Recommendation Letters: The agent will prepare a professional reference letter and two personal reference letters for you.

• Personal Resume: This includes the primary applicant’s resume, employment verification (if required), and college or university diplomas.

• Proof of Assets: This includes the primary applicant’s bank references, audited financial statements for businesses (if required), a sworn statement or declaration of the source of funds, recent tax returns, and detailed business background reports (if required).

• Medical Report.

• Police Clearance: For all primary and secondary applicants over 16 years old, original police clearance certificates must be provided from law enforcement agencies in all regions where the applicants have resided for more than six months in the past ten years, along with a set of fingerprints. For minors aged 12 to 15 years, a sworn statement from the parents confirming the child’s clean criminal record is required.

All documents from outside Dominica must be notarized, and any non-English documents must be translated into English.

2. Background Check: After the agent submits the citizenship by investment application on your behalf, the government requires approximately 60 to 90 days to fully process the application and complete the necessary due diligence procedures.

In recent years, under pressure from the European Union, the Dominica government has mandated that every primary and secondary applicant over 16 years old must undergo a brief video or in-person interview as part of the background check.

3. Completing the Investment: After passing the background check, you will receive an Approval in Principle from the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU). At this point, you need to proceed with purchasing the approved property or wiring the relevant financial donation to the government fund, thereby completing the investment required by the passport program, along with paying the associated fees.

4. Citizenship: After confirming that the investment has been fully completed, the CBIU will submit the signed and notarized oath of allegiance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Labour. Upon approval by the Prime Minister of Dominica, the applicant will be immediately granted a certificate of naturalization and will receive a Dominica passport within seven days.

Generally, the entire process from application submission to taking the oath of naturalization takes about three to six months. Throughout the application process, no applicant is required to enter Dominica.

Dependents:

In the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program, the main applicant’s spouse, any children under 18 years old from either spouse, children aged 18 to 30 who are still in full-time education, children of any age with mental or physical disabilities, and parents or grandparents over the age of 65 can all be included as dependents in the application for Dominican citizenship.

Minimum Residence Requirement:

The Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program does not have any residency requirements. Applicants can complete the entire process, from transferring funds to obtaining citizenship, while remaining overseas and are never required to enter Dominica, even after gaining citizenship.

The adult version of the Dominica passport is valid for ten years, while the passport for minors under 16 years old is valid for five years. Upon expiration, you can renew the passport at any embassy or consulate of Dominica.

Official Links:

Dominica Citizenship By Investment Program: https://www.cbiu.gov.dm