Dominica Citizenship by Investment

– A Spouse of the main applicant

– Children of the main applicant or spouse who are below the age of 18

– Dependent Children between the ages of 18 and 30 who are financially dependent on the main applicant or spouse.

–  A child of any age who is physically or mentally challenged and is financially dependent on the main applicant or spouse

– Parents or grandparents of the main applicant or spouse who are financially dependent

– A biological or adopted sibling of the main applicant or spouse who is below the age of 25 and is substantially supported by the main applicant or spouse (consent is required for siblings below the age of 18)

The 2021 CBI index ranks various citizenship by investment programs according to nine pillars; Freedom of Movement, Standard of Living, Minimum Investment Outlay, Mandatory Travel or Residence, Citizenship Timeline, Ease of Processing, Due Diligence, Family, and Certainty of Product. The Commonwealth of Dominica along with the Federation of Saint Kitts & Nevis received top rankings for their respective programs. Dominica received perfect score under mandatory travel or residence as there is a lack of mandatory travel or residence requirements for people doing the program. Dominica also scored very high in the Minimum Investment Outlay and Certainty of Product pillars. Dominica’s program has built up its reputation over time and has maintained its reputation by conducting strong due diligence on all prospective applicants.

One can expect that the application process for citizenship by investment in Dominica to include the following:

1. Client contacts JH Marlin Law
2. Initial due diligence checks are performed to determine eligibility
3. Client agreement is signed, and retainer is paid
4. Applicants choose the qualifying investment option best suited to them with the help of the team (either the donation option to the economic diversification fund or the real estate route from the list of approved real estate projects)
5. Files are prepared and required documents are collected
6. Application for citizenship and corresponding documents submitted to the Citizenship by Investment Unit. The unit will conduct due diligence procedures.
7. Application approval in 3-5 months. The citizenship decision will be communicated to you via letter for citizenship approval.
8. Applicants are given approximately one month to meet requirements and finalize economic contributions. Once the investment contribution is received, a Certificate of Citizenship (Naturalisation Certificate) will be issued.
9. An application will be made at the passport office to obtain the passport
10. The address of the applicant will be confirmed and all Citizenship documents that we have in our possession will be returned to you.

All citizenship by investment applications must be submitted through an authorized agent.

There are several documents involved in doing a citizenship by investment application which include some of the following; notarized copies of valid passports, valid national identification such as a drivers license, certified proof of address, financial statements to show proof of source of funds, notarized birth certificate from country of birth, letter of recommendation, passport size photos, amongst other documents. Provided an applicant is doing the real estate option the original purchase agreement needs to be submitted with the application.

For US applicants, documents just require notarization and do not need to be aspostilled.

Applicants will need to do a medical examination. For Dominica, the medical examination involves a blood and urine test in addition to completing the standard medical examination form.

There is a disclosure form, verification form amongst other primary forms that need to be completed and signed by each applicant in the application.

As a client we will go over how to complete each application form and guide you through the documentation process. We can provide you with examples of documents, schedule appointments such as medical, notary and do research for your particular case. We can review documents on an ongoing basis and help you throughout the entire process.

There are certain nationalities that have restrictions which include; Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria. At the moment applicants from Russia and Ukraine are temporarily banned from submitting a citizenship by investment application.

Please consult us further on your particular case as the situation continuously changes.

Yes. Applicants are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to make the investment. Applicants are required to declare their overall net worth and often Dominica requests additional documentation to show your net worth in the form of bank statements.

The answer to this question really depends on you. The minimum investment for the donation option is more affordable, however, the government approved real estate investment option might be of interest to those seeking to spend some time in the Commonwealth of Dominica.

There are commercial airlines that regularly fly to the Commonwealth of Dominica. The  Douglas–Charles Airport, formerly known as Melville Hall Airport receives flights through transit hubs such as Antigua, Barbados, St Maarten, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. The Canefield Airport serves courier and private charters. Proceeds obtained from foreign investors from the CBI program are being used to build and expand an international airport for the country.

Dominica does not have visa free travel to the United States of America. In fact, all the Caribbean countries that offer citizenship by investment do not have visa free to the United States. You will need to apply for a visa or multiple entry visa to travel to the United States on a Dominica passport.

Passports for children below the age of 16 are only valid for five years. For passport holders over the age of 16, the Dominican passport is valid for 10 years.

You can either renew the passport at the Passport and Immigration Department in Dominica or at at Dominican Consulate that does renewals. The process is pretty straightforward and only minimal documentation is required. Note you do not need to travel from your location to do the renewal.

It is important that citizenship by investment candidates disclose issues. Provided you have a criminal record or are subject to tax investigation, have previously experienced bankruptcy or have anything that you think might be an issue, it would be important to communicate this to the licensed agent to verify if it is something that is acceptable. You don’t want to waste your time or your money.

Provided you have been denied a visa to any country, you may still be able to be approved for citizenship. It would be important to highlight previous visa denials to the licensed agent.

Limited expat community and not as developed: for people wishing to relocate there are only a few expats living on the island.

It is possible for just one parent to do the program with their minor child included in the application. However, provided that one parent is excluded from the application, they are required to consent to their child getting citizenship by completing an “affidavit by parent” along with additional documentation confirming their identity.

There is no gift, wealth, inheritance, foreign income, or capital gains tax in Dominica. However, provided you reside in Dominica you would be liable to pay personal tax.

Yes. The passport from Dominica is a fully legal passport that is recognized around the world by all parties to the UN.