Dominica has been offering foreign investors second citizenship through its CBI Programme for almost three decades. Voted the best route globally to economic citizenship by the Financial Times, the Programme comprises two investment routes. Applicants may either contribute to the Economic Diversification Fund, handled directly by the government; or make an acquisition of pre-approved real estate, typically in the form of a share or unit purchase of a luxury hotel resort. The hotel investment offers healthy ROI, including expected returns, profits generated by the hotel’s operations, and/or rental income. Examples of profitable real estate that CBI applicants can invest in include Tranquillity Beach Resort, Jungle Bay or Anichi Resort and Spa (Marriott).
This may be of particular interest to Chinese property investors and persons seeking second citizenship. In China, property gains have slowed and decreased significantly since September, 2018. Dampened growth and price fluctuations are predicted for 2019. The yuan too has experienced notable instability in recent months, which will likely continue as long as the trade war with the US remains in place and national economic growth decelerates.
Investments into Dominica’s CBI Programme and real estate market, on the other hand, are made in US dollars. They therefore present a strong and comparatively reliable option for economic return. As second citizenship draws greater interest from Asian investors, Dominica may prove an increasingly attractive destination for many non-US foreign investors.
International legal advisory CS Global Partners is the government-mandated marketing promoter of the Commonwealth of Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment Programme.
