A guide to citizenship of Dominica:terms, cost and risks

The Citizenship by Investment Unit offers two: a non-refundable contribution to the Economic Diversification Fund from $200 000, and the purchase of approved property from $200 000 held for at least 3 years. Under the property option a government fee is payable as well — $75 000 for a single applicant and $100 000 for an applicant with three dependants.

The contribution to the fund depends on the family: $200 000 for a single applicant, $250 000 for an applicant and up to three dependants, then $25 000 for each further dependant under 18 and $40 000 for each one aged 18 and over. On top come the mandatory fees: processing the application $1 000, due diligence $7 500 for the main applicant and $4 000 for everyone aged 16 and over, the interview $1 000 per person aged 16 and over, and the certificate of naturalisation $500 per person. The total under the fund for a single applicant is from $212 000, including a pack of translations and apostilles of up to $2 000.

Almost always the fund. Under the property option the investment of $200 000 is itself lower than the contribution, but a government fee of $75 000 to $100 000 is added, along with purchase taxes, the upkeep of the property and the costs of a future sale. Property is chosen not to save money but for the asset: the calculator above shows both figures for your family.

The contribution to the fund is not returned — it is a non-refundable payment. The property stays your own and may be sold after 3 years of ownership, or after 5 years if the buyer is the next investor in the programme. The selling price is set by the market and is not guaranteed, so calling property a «refundable investment» is not correct.

The main applicant has to be over 18. The application may include the spouse, unmarried dependent children aged 18-30, and dependent parents and grandparents over 65. Minor children are included as dependants with the extra payment for their age band. The right to include a particular relative is confirmed by the authorised agent before filing.

Yes. Every applicant aged 16 and over goes through the mandatory interview; the fee is $1 000. It is a stage of its own and has to be prepared for: the questions cover the background, the business, the origin of the money and the reasons for seeking citizenship. The Unit sets the format and the date.

The CBIU’s official material sets no residence requirement and no mandatory visit — in that Dominica differs from, say, Antigua and Barbuda, where presence in the country is compulsory. We confirm in writing exactly how the documents are issued and whether a visit is needed as at the date of filing, rather than relying on last year’s practice.

The check is carried out by international agencies and by the Unit itself. The fees are paid on filing and are not returned if the application is refused: $7 500 for the main applicant and $4 000 for every applicant aged 16 and over. What is examined: the background, the citizenships, tax residency, the source of funds and the source of wealth, banking relationships, corporate structures, court proceedings, sanctions and PEP factors, and publications in open sources. In some cases an enhanced check is ordered, with a higher fee.

The processing, due diligence and interview fees are paid when the application is filed. The contribution to the fund, or the settlement of the property transaction, comes only after approval in principle. The certificate of naturalisation is then paid for and the passport is arranged.

The Unit officially states 3-4 months from filing to approval in principle. That is a guide, not an obligation: the state authority may request further information and extend the review. Under the property programme finding the property and closing the transaction are added to the time.

No. The official procedure states plainly that applications are accepted only from authorised agents and that direct approaches to the CBIU are not considered. BRIDGES GLOBAL works with licensed agents and runs the file from the first check to the issue of the documents.

By itself, no. Citizenship does not end tax obligations in other countries and does not make the applicant a tax resident of Dominica automatically. Residency is determined by the law of the particular countries and by the facts — where you live, where the centre of your interests lies, how many days a year you spend there.

Yes, citizenship of Dominica is inherited: children born after the status is obtained acquire it by descent, without a new investment. The procedure for registering the child is confirmed against the process in force at the time.

The set depends on where the capital came from. Usually it is the contracts and documents for the sale of a stake or an asset, dividend resolutions and statements, income certificates and tax returns, documents on an inheritance or a gift, bank statements for the period required with explanations of large transactions, and evidence of the ownership structure of the business. The first consultation takes place without handing over any documents.