Dominica Citizenship — Real Estate

Summary

The Commonwealth of Dominica — the small Caribbean island nation, not the Dominican Republic — offers a citizenship-by-investment route anchored in approved real estate. Instead of making a non-refundable donation to the Economic Diversification Fund, you buy into a government-approved property (typically a fractional share of a branded hotel or resort) and hold it for a minimum period. At the end of the hold, you can resell and recover a portion of your investment.

The real estate track has been part of Dominica's CBI since its 1993 launch. Under the August 2024 Eastern Caribbean harmonization, the minimum real estate purchase is $200,000.

Eligibility

You qualify if all of the following are true:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have a clean criminal record worldwide.
• You can document a legitimate source of funds.
• You pass Dominica's due diligence review.
• You invest in an approved real estate project — usually a share in a branded resort, eco-lodge, or hotel development that the Government of Dominica has pre-certified for CBI eligibility.

The minimum investment

• $200,000 in an approved project, per CBI applicant. Two applicants cannot share a single $200,000 unit to qualify separately — each must meet the threshold.
• Funds must be wired in U.S. dollars (or equivalent) into an escrow account that the CBIU monitors.

The holding period

You must hold the property for at least:

• Three years from the date citizenship is granted, if you resell on the open market, or
• Five years from the date citizenship is granted, if your resale buyer is themselves applying for Dominica citizenship under the CBI real estate track.

Dominica's three-year open-market hold is the shortest in the Caribbean CBI market.

Government and diligence fees (on top of the property purchase)

• Government fees: $50,000 for the main applicant, $35,000 for a spouse, $25,000 per qualifying dependent aged 18+, $10,000 per qualifying dependent under 18. (A family of four typically totals around $100,000.)
• Due diligence: $7,500 for the main applicant, $4,000 per spouse or dependent aged 16+.
• Processing: $1,000 per applicant.
• Certificate of naturalization and passport: $500 + $500 per person.

Total investment for a single applicant, all in, is roughly $285,000; a family of four runs closer to $350,000 before legal and agent fees.

Approved projects

The CBIU publishes an updated list of approved projects. Properties are concentrated around Portsmouth, the Cabrits peninsula, and the east coast, and include branded resorts (Kempinski, Anichi, Jungle Bay, Secret Bay) and eco-resort fractional shares. Your agent sources the specific offering.

Rights you receive

• Full Dominican citizenship, heritable, with dual citizenship permitted — U.S. citizens keep their U.S. passport.
• No residency or visit requirement, before or after citizenship.
• A Dominican passport with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 145 countries, including Schengen, the UK, and most of the Commonwealth. (No visa-free access to the United States.)

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route can lead to citizenship in Dominica. Citizenship is the national status itself, not a residence permit: you can document the citizenship, apply for citizen identity or passport documents, and live in Dominica without a separate immigration permit.

What This Route Is Not

This is not automatic citizenship. Naturalization, registration, and restoration routes usually require an application, supporting documents, and a decision by the relevant authority.

Next Steps

1. Retain a licensed authorized agent. Real estate CBI applications are filed only through government-authorized agents — direct filings are not accepted.
2. Select an approved project. Your agent reviews the current CBIU-approved list with you. Price, track record of the developer, exit liquidity at year 3, and resort branding all matter.
3. Gather documentation. Passports, birth certificates, marriage certificate, worldwide police certificates, 10-year employment and address history, bank statements, and source-of-funds proof.
4. Sign the purchase agreement and wire funds to escrow. Funds are held until approval-in-principle.
5. File the CBI application. The CBIU runs due diligence. An interview can be required but is waived for most applicants.
6. Close the property purchase and receive citizenship. Once approved, the purchase closes, the certificate of naturalization is issued, and passports are delivered through your agent.
7. Plan your exit. Three years after citizenship, you can resell on the open market; five if the resale is to another CBI applicant. Resale price is market-driven — treat the resale discount as part of your cost of citizenship.

Sources

• Citizenship by Investment Unit — Real Estate — official real estate track rules.
• Citizenship by Investment Unit — Investment Options — overview of all tracks.
• Government of Dominica — official portal.
• Citizenship by Investment Unit — FAQs — fees, due diligence, holding period.