The Commonwealth of Dominica is a tiny country, as it’s only about 700 square kilometers. It’s bordered by Martinique to the south and Guadeloupe to the north. Also, place is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The island makes money from tourism, agriculture and selling citizenship. In this article, we’re going to focus on the last point. We’ll tell you about the opportunities it offers, like visa-free access to other states. Read on to find out more.
Brief overview of Dominica’s passport
The passport design follows the same standards as other region’s documents, and it’s a pretty standard look: a dark blue cover with the country’s coat of arms and name on the front, as well as the Caribbean Community logo.
List of visa-free countries
Country | Entry Type |
---|---|
Andorra | Visa-Free |
Anguilla | Visa-Free |
Antigua and Barbuda | Visa-Free |
Argentina | Visa-Free |
Aruba | Visa-Free |
Austria | Visa-Free |
Bahamas | Visa-Free |
Barbados | Visa-Free |
Belarus | Visa-Free |
Belgium | Visa-Free |
Belize | Visa-Free |
Bermuda | Visa-Free |
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba | Visa-Free |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa-Free |
Botswana | Visa-Free |
Brazil | Visa-Free |
British Virgin Islands | Visa-Free |
Bulgaria | Visa-Free |
Cayman Islands | Visa-Free |
China | Visa-Free |
Colombia | Visa-Free |
Cook Islands | Visa-Free |
Costa Rica | Visa-Free |
Croatia | Visa-Free |
Cuba | Visa-Free |
Curaçao | Visa-Free |
Cyprus | Visa-Free |
Czech Republic | Visa-Free |
Denmark | Visa-Free |
Dominican Republic | Visa-Free |
Ecuador | Visa-Free |
Estonia | Visa-Free |
Eswatini | Visa-Free |
Faroe Islands | Visa-Free |
Fiji | Visa-Free |
Finland | Visa-Free |
France | Visa-Free |
French Guiana | Visa-Free |
French Polynesia | Visa-Free |
French West Indies | Visa-Free |
Gambia | Visa-Free |
Germany | Visa-Free |
Gibraltar | Visa-Free |
Greece | Visa-Free |
Greenland | Visa-Free |
Grenada | Visa-Free |
Guyana | Visa-Free |
Haiti | Visa-Free |
Hong Kong | Visa-Free |
Hungary | Visa-Free |
Iceland | Visa-Free |
Israel | Visa-Free |
Italy | Visa-Free |
Jamaica | Visa-Free |
Kiribati | Visa-Free |
Kosovo | Visa-Free |
Latvia | Visa-Free |
Lesotho | Visa-Free |
Liechtenstein | Visa-Free |
Lithuania | Visa-Free |
Luxembourg | Visa-Free |
Macao | Visa-Free |
Malawi | Visa-Free |
Malaysia | Visa-Free |
Malta | Visa-Free |
Mauritius | Visa-Free |
Mayotte | Visa-Free |
Micronesia | Visa-Free |
Moldova | Visa-Free |
Monaco | Visa-Free |
Montenegro | Visa-Free |
Montserrat | Visa-Free |
Netherlands | Visa-Free |
New Caledonia | Visa-Free |
Norway | Visa-Free |
Palestinian Territories | Visa-Free |
Panama | Visa-Free |
Peru | Visa-Free |
Philippines | Visa-Free |
Poland | Visa-Free |
Portugal | Visa-Free |
Réunion | Visa-Free |
Romania | Visa-Free |
Russia | Visa-Free |
Rwanda | Visa-Free |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa-Free |
Saint Lucia | Visa-Free |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa-Free |
San Marino | Visa-Free |
Serbia | Visa-Free |
Singapore | Visa-Free |
Slovakia | Visa-Free |
Slovenia | Visa-Free |
Spain | Visa-Free |
St. Helena | Visa-Free |
St. Maarten | Visa-Free |
St. Pierre and Miquelon | Visa-Free |
Countries Requiring an e-Visa for Dominica Citizens:
Country | Entry Type |
---|---|
Australia | e-Visa |
Azerbaijan | e-Visa |
Bahrain | e-Visa |
Benin | e-Visa |
Cambodia | e-Visa |
Djibouti | e-Visa |
Ethiopia | e-Visa |
Gabon | e-Visa |
Georgia | e-Visa |
India | e-Visa |
Iran | e-Visa |
Kenya | e-Visa |
Kuwait | e-Visa |
Kyrgyzstan | e-Visa |
Laos | e-Visa |
Lesotho | e-Visa |
Madagascar | e-Visa |
Malaysia | e-Visa |
Myanmar | e-Visa |
Pakistan | e-Visa |
Papua New Guinea | e-Visa |
Qatar | e-Visa |
Rwanda | e-Visa |
Saudi Arabia | e-Visa |
South Sudan | e-Visa |
Sri Lanka | e-Visa |
Tajikistan | e-Visa |
Tanzania | e-Visa |
Uganda | e-Visa |
Uzbekistan | e-Visa |
Zambia | e-Visa |
Zimbabwe | e-Visa |
Notes:
- The duration of stay for visa-free and e-Visa destinations may vary by country.
- Some e-Visa destinations may have specific entry requirements.
- It’s recommended to check official embassy websites before traveling.
Schengen Zone
You may see the Schengen countries on the list of visa-free countries on the Dominica passport. This means you can enter the zone for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Asia
Citizens of the Dominica enjoy access to several places in Asia, including South Korea (subject to obtaining an electronic travel authorization, however), Hong Kong, and Singapore. Additionally, Dominican residents are permitted to visit China. We’ll dive deeper on this a little later.
Notably, while several other nationalities, such as those from St. Kitts and Nevis, also benefit from visa-free access to certain Asian destinations, Dominica citizens hold the unique distinction of being the only Caribbean nationals granted entry to Thailand. Yet similar to the requirement for South Korea, travelers must obtain an electronic authorization prior to entry.
Caribbean
Under a regional agreement between the Government of Dominica and the OECS, citizens are permitted to enter member states using only their national IDs. This arrangement ensures seamless travel to the following states:
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Grenada;
- Kitts and Nevis;
- Lucia.
This regional agreement enhances mobility for Dominica’s citizens, fostering stronger economic and cultural ties within the OECS. By allowing travel with just a national ID, it simplifies movement for business, tourism, and personal visits, reinforcing regional integration and cooperation. This privilege further adds to the appeal of Dominica’s citizenship, offering greater flexibility within the Caribbean.
Africa
Finally, the continent of Africa. Visa-free entry granted to many places, including several popular tourist destinations – such as the Mauritius, for instance. And just in case you’re more comfortable with checking all this in a sectioned style, you may go there: https://visaindex.com/visa-requirement/dominica-passport-visa-free-countries-list/. This is a reputable source that keeps all the information up to date.
Benefits of Dominica citizenship
The Dominica passport is a great option for anyone looking to travel the world more freely. As we said before, it gives the visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 140 countries.
But what we didn’t mention is that this status also gives you a somewhat access to America. What can we say: many do acquire it just for this single purpose, bypassing all others. So, the lowdown is: while you can’t actually get into the United States with just a Dominica passport, it’s a good thing that the document allows to get a B2 visa that’s valid for up to 10 years. You can apply for it at any US consulate, where they’ll give you all the info you need and help you through the paperwork.
Anyways, getting status is straightforward, as it’s not expensive either – especially compared to other places and similar offers. So, individuals have the option to either commit to a non-refundable contribution or invest in government-sanctioned real estate, with entry-level sum commencing at $200,000. Typically, the issuance of passports is completed within a six-month timeframe, underscoring the basis on both expediency and reliability. Note that the program extends to include the family members. Unsurprising, therefore, that this very program secured the second position in the 2024 CBI Index Report.
We’d like to remind that the most comprehensive and reliable information can always be found on the official government site: https://dominica.gov.dm/. While the design may appear outdated, it remains the authoritative and trustworthy source available. And probably the most one.
Recent updates and changes
Back in 2021, Dominica got the green light for visa-free travel to China, which was a really big deal: lots want to get a status in place where they’ll have the access to China, since it’s a really important place on the world stage. And people simply live well there.
Worth pointing out that the government is actually working on the CBI-system – to make it even better. And while it might not be directly related to getting into other countries, still, it has its indirect impact. Thus, last year, the Prime Minister signed a memorandum of agreement with other Caribbean countries to strengthen regional cooperation and enhance the integrity of CBI, including the establishment of an independent regulatory body – in order to oversee them. And to control them.
Unfortunately, there’s not exactly positive news. For example, the Irish government has decided that from 7 March 2024, Dominica citizens will need a visa.
Actually, Vanuatu and Honduras have also been hit, so one can’t say that some of the blame here lies with the Dominica government. More of a matter is that the Ireland basically wants to plunge into closer alignment with the UK and the Schengen overall.
But one shouldn’t be too afraid about this news. Things could change really quickly again. Why do we think that that way? Because there have been similar precedents in the past. Not as drastic (more like just precautionary), yet nonetheless. Once the US got angered that Dominica’s implementation of its golden citizenship policy was blatantly weak. And without proper vetting. A report at the time pointed to a general concern among US authorities that programs were too widespread, theoretically contributing to corruption and overreach.
In passing, should be noted that it wasn’t only the United States, but also the European Union, that was then putting pressure on such things. The EU voted to shut down all such propositions in the entire Europe because (as the believe) they posed severe security risks. However, this has never happened. And is unlikely to happen – at least on an industrial scale. There’s probably no need to be afraid as such and statements are only of a recommendatory nature.
FAQ
Beginning from 2025, Dominicans will need travel authorization to get into the Schengen area. The ETIAS, that is. With a valid ETIAS, there’ll be virtually no seeming troubles to remain. Quite obvious that local laws will also have to be respected and honored – a point that lies on the surface.
Over 140.
Politically, Dominica operates as a parliamentary democracy, yet with an executive branch led by a Prime Minister, who is also supported by a cabinet of other ministers. The structure is modeled after the British system, with powers distributed among three branches: the legislative (parliamentary, that is), the executive, and the judicial. All citizens (who meet the requisite residency requirements) are entitled to vote and are eligible to stand as candidates for governmental office.
As for additional visa-free agreements in the future, sadly, it’s not possible to provide a definitive answer, regardless of one’s desire for clarity. Nevertheless, it’s evident that the government is actively pursuing such opportunities. That’s demonstrated through regular negotiation efforts and ongoing enhancements to its correlated program.
In the article, the emphasis has been placed on the opportunities afforded by citizenship. However, another significant (even equally, mayhaps) issue hasn’t been discussed: namely, the question of whether living in Dominica is worthwhile.
The answer is an unequivocal *Yes*. It’s a pleasant country, albeit small and with somewhat limited amenities. However, for those who enjoy a quiet pastime and have sufficient financial resources, it can still be a very comfortable place to live.
Moreover, the locals are known for their amiability and a readiness to provide assistance, and their cultural idiosyncrasies are often a source of interest.
Additionally, the place is politically stable, which contributes to the overall sense of calm and tranquility. However, should be noted that the country’s climate, characterized by high temperatures and humidity, may not be suitable for every and a single one.