The Commonwealth of Dominica, represented by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and China, represented by the Chinese ambassador to Dominica, Lin Xianjiang, signed a visa-waiver agreement on November 22, 2021 in the Dominican capital of Roseau. The agreement allows citizens from both countries to travel to the other with a visa-free travel and is very advantageous to both countries.
The Commonwealth of Dominica
The Commonwealth of Dominica is a little-known mountainous island in the Caribbean that was and still is being formed by geothermal volcanic activity. Its landscape is dotted by nine volcanoes with only one active and many volcanic domes spread throughout the small island that is only 47 kilometers long and 26 kilometers wide. But its size does not mean it lacks in natural beauty. It boasts of the second-largest hot spring in the world called Boiling Lake. Its mountain tops are covered with lush rainforests that contain 350 rivers and waterfalls that can be trekked at the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Adventurous travelers can swim through the Titou Gorge to a hidden waterfall. Magnificent coral reefs and volcanic pinnacles that have formed on its underwater slopes can be admired by scuba divers.
Dominica is valued for its undiscovered and pristine environment, where there are no shopping malls, no sprawling resorts and no hordes of tourists. It is home to only 70,000 people from mostly coastal or farming communities who are a mix of West African and European heritage and culture particularly British, as a former colony, and French from the influence of its nearest island neighbors Guadeloupe and Martinique. The Caribbean creole culture is celebrated in Dominica in the language they speak (patois), their food culture that has traditional seafood dishes like crabback (spiced land crab in shells), callaloo (dasheen leaf soup) and sancoche (codfish in coconut), in art and traditional dance like the bélé and popular music festivals like the World Creole Music Festival.
The Dominica Citizenship
The citizens of Dominica enjoy a slow pace of life that is complimented by fresh air, fresh produce and an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. They also enjoy visa-free travel to 144 countries around the world that has recently been extended to China. Citizens of Dominica now have access to more of the world’s largest economies that also includes the United Kingdom, Germany and France while Chinese citizens can travel to only about 70 countries.
Because of this visa-waiver agreement, Chinese citizens can now become citizens of Dominica through their citizenship by investment program that is enshrined in the constitution of Dominica, unlike other countries that offer the citizenship by investment program. It is one of the oldest citizenship by investment program in the world that has over time and experience improved its offerings by simplifying the process of evaluation and strengthening the due diligence stage.
Investment Options of the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program:
- A minimum of US$220,000 investment in government approved real estate whether it be a villa or apartment or a government project like the Cabrits Resort and Spa in Kempinski, Dominica
- A minimum of US$100,000 non-refundable contribution to the Dominica Economic Diversification Fund. This fund is used primarily for disaster relief operations, building earthquake-resistant houses, schools and hospitals. There are plans to build a geothermal power plant and an international airport in the near future.
Contributions vary accordingly:
- Single Applicant – US$100,000 non-refundable contribution
- Main Applicant and Spouse – US$175,000 non-refundable contribution
- Applicant with up to 3 Dependents – US$200,00 non-refundable contribution
- Additional Dependents- US$200,000 non-refundable contribution
- Plus US$25,000 for each additional dependent
Benefits of the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program
- Investors acquire citizenship for life that includes an unlimited number of eligible dependents that can be passed down to generations and that does not require residence or visits to the island.
- Investors and their dependents can travel visa-free to 144 countries.
- In the Schengen countries, a Dominican passport may be used for up to three months in a six month period.
- The United Kingdom allows free entry with stays up to 180 consecutive days.
- Citizens of Dominica have visa-free entry to the Asian economic centers of Singapore and Hongkong and can stay in Singapore for up to 30 days without a visa, and in Hongkong for up to 90 days in a half year.
- Investors may avail of tax benefits.
- Investors are assured a return on their investment.
- Investors automatically become shareholders of The Cabrits Resort and Spa.
- Investors have no development risks as The Cabrits Resort and Spa has been operational since 2019.
- Investor may choose to sell their shares in the Cabrits Resort and Spa after five years to another person interested in the Dominica citizenship by investment program and still retain his/her citizenship.
- Dominica citizenship is usually granted in six months.
- Dominica has the oldest and cheapest citizenship by investment program in the world.