The Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme is a legal way to obtain naturalization from the Commonwealth of Dominica. Dominica is a small country often referred to as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean”. For nearly 20 years now, the citizenship programme has been operational and legislation governing the economic citizenship program has been revised many times making improvements which attract potential candidates while benefitting the country and its citizens. Applicants have to follow a clear and straight forward process which includes the submission of documents as well as undergoing due diligence conducted by the detective agency appointed by the Government of Dominica. An interview with government officials is also carried out with the applicant. The interview is done by a committee which includes the Minister in charge of the Financial Services Unit, a representative of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force and from the Ministry of Legal affairs the Attorney General, the Minister or a Senior Attorney of the State.
Why apply for Dominica citizenship? The idea of having second citizenship and especially that of being a citizen of a small country might sound ludicrous to some but it does have major benefits. Dominica is a stable country and is not a target for terrorists. These days, many bigger countries are targets for terrorist acts therefore making life there very unsafe and dangerous. Using travel documents of certain countries can make a traveler an easy target for terrorists. Being a citizen of Dominica and using a Dominican passport to travel to certain countries actually makes it easier on the traveler.
The Government of Dominica does not place travel restrictions on the citizens of its country. After the applicant has received a certificate of naturalization, which makes him or her citizen of Dominica, that person can then apply for a Dominican passport. The Government does not limit or monitor the travel of its citizens, which gives the Dominica passport holder independence in their travels.
Dominica’s Economic citizenship Programme is one of two in existence in the world today, the other being the Citizenship Program of St. Kitts and Nevis. Both present a legitimate way to obtain dual citizenship. The process of applying is rather intricate and must be facilitated through a licensed agent. The applicant will be better off if the right agent is chosen as this helps ensure an efficient process which can affect the time and cost of the application process. Although the citizenship programme in Dominica is cheaper than that of St. Kitts and Nevis it is generally applied for by wealthy persons.
The Government of Dominica requires that each applicant for the citizenship programme who is over the age of 16 have due diligence investigation carried out. A signed and notarized disclosure form gives the government the right to commence the investigation. Due diligence is conducted by government appointed agents and the time it takes to carry out this investigation varies and depends on factors such as the number of countries that the applicant has lived and worked in. Due diligence investigation is done to protect Dominica as a nation, the integrity of its people and the Citizenship Programme. It is also done to ensure that a person who becomes a citizen of Dominica is a law abiding citizen. In doing so, terrorists and other such criminals are kept at bay thus ensuring the safety of the citizens of the country.
The Dominica citizenship programme provides applicants with the opportunity to acquire a dual nationality and in return the government secures funds for the development of schools, hospitals and other infrastructure on the island.
