Dominica citizenship by investment for Iranian applicants: rules and restrictions

Dominica citizenship and passport through investment

Dominica's Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI) allows an eligible applicant and qualifying family members to obtain citizenship after completing the statutory checks and an approved investment. A passport is not purchased directly: the citizenship application is assessed first, and a Dominican passport may be requested only after a Certificate of Naturalisation has been issued.

Can Iranian nationals apply?

Iranian nationals are subject to materially different and much narrower eligibility rules. According to the official Dominica Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU), an Iranian applicant will be refused unless all three of the following conditions are met:

• The applicant has not lived in Iran for at least ten years.
• The applicant has no substantial assets in Iran.
• The applicant has not carried out any business or similar activity, in whole or in part, in or with Iran.

Meeting these conditions does not guarantee approval; it only permits the application to be considered. Enhanced due diligence applies to all Iranian applicants, including citizens of Iran and applicants domiciled in Iran. An applicant who currently lives in Iran, or who continues to hold substantial assets or conduct business in or with Iran, therefore does not meet the published CBIU exception.

The two official investment routes

1) Economic Diversification Fund contribution

The EDF contribution is non-refundable. The published minimum amounts are:

• US$200,000 for the main applicant.
• US$250,000 for the main applicant and up to three qualifying dependants.
• US$25,000 for each additional dependant under 18.
• US$40,000 for each additional dependant aged 18 or over.

2) Government-approved real estate

This route requires an investment of at least US$200,000 in a project on the Government's approved-project list. Government fees are payable in addition to the property investment:

• US$75,000 for the main applicant.
• US$100,000 for the main applicant and up to three dependants.
• US$25,000 for each additional dependant under 18.
• US$40,000 for each additional qualifying dependant aged 18 or over.

The property must be held for at least three years from the grant of citizenship. If it is later sold to another CBI applicant, the minimum holding period is five years. Only projects listed by the CBIU qualify for this route.

Enhanced due diligence fees for Iranian applicants

The CBIU publishes the following enhanced due diligence fees for Iranian applicants:

• US$25,000 for the main applicant.
• US$15,000 for the spouse.
• US$15,000 for each dependant aged 16 or over.
• US$10,000 for each dependant aged 12 to 15.

The CBIU states that these amounts already include the standard due diligence and mandatory interview fees, so those two charges should not be added again for Iranian applicants. The US$1,000 application processing fee and US$500 Certificate of Naturalisation fee per person remain separate, as do authorised-agent, translation, legalisation, bank-transfer, property and passport-issuance costs.

Application process

• Complete an initial assessment of the three Iran-specific conditions before paying or reserving a property.
• Select an agent from the official Authorised CBI Agents list; the CBIU does not accept direct applications.
• Choose the EDF contribution or an approved real-estate project.
• Prepare the forms, identity documents, residence history, police certificates, medical records and detailed source-of-funds evidence.
• Have the authorised agent submit the application, then complete background checks and the mandatory interview for every applicant aged 16 or over.
• Receive the decision, which may be approval in principle, delayed for further processing, or refusal.
• Only after approval in principle, complete the EDF contribution or real-estate payment as directed by the CBIU.
• Receive the Certificate of Naturalisation and then apply for the Dominican passport.

The CBIU describes the general process as typically taking around three to six months. An Iranian application may take longer because of enhanced due diligence, and no fixed completion time can be promised.

Important documents

The authorised agent determines the final checklist for each case. It commonly includes current passports, birth certificates, police records from relevant countries, a ten-year residence history, medical forms and tests, bank statements, detailed source-and-origin-of-funds evidence, employment and business records, and documents for qualifying family members. For an Iranian applicant, residence, assets and business history must be transparent and independently verifiable.

Important points before proceeding

• The minimum investment is not the total application cost.
• No agent or adviser can guarantee approval or passport issuance.
• Under the real-estate route, only Government-approved projects qualify, and the commercial risk and expected return of the investment must be assessed separately.
• Dominican citizenship does not by itself guarantee residence, banking access or admission in any third country.
• Programme rules, fees and visa-free travel arrangements may change; the current official rules should be checked before proceeding.

Conclusion

The Dominica route is not available to most Iranian nationals who live in Iran, retain substantial assets there, or conduct business in or with Iran. An Iranian applicant based outside Iran who meets all three published conditions — ten years of non-residence, no substantial Iranian assets and no business activity in or with Iran — may first complete an eligibility assessment and then proceed only through a CBIU-authorised agent.

RAVASA can assist with an initial eligibility review and coordination with an authorised agent, but it is not the authority that decides or issues citizenship or passports.