Comparing Dominica and St Lucia Citizenship by Investment: Costs, Benefits & Processing in 2025

Dominica and St Lucia Citizenship by Investment programs remain two of the most reputable Caribbean CBI programs. The countries rank among the top 5 citizenship by investment programs globally due to the strengthened due diligence and affordability. Thousands of global investors who seek global mobility and security invest in St Lucia and Dominica CBI programs annually.  

To secure a second citizenship of a country, it is better for investors to first understand and compare the citizenship by investment programs. This helps them choose the program that aligns best with them. The major factors to consider in a CBI program before investing include investment costs, advantages, requirements, and processing timeline. 

Overview of Caribbean CBI Landscape

The Caribbean remains the global leader for its Citizenship by Investment programs such as Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, St Lucia, and Antigua and Barbuda. Especially after the rising global uncertainty in 2024-25, the demand for CBI programs have increased significantly as investors seek second citizenship options as Plan B for mobility. These Caribbean CBI programs provide these investors with travel freedom, enhanced mobility, wealth protection, and long-term security and thus are well-recognized globally. 

Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program

Dominica is a stunning Caribbean country with mesmerizing views and is also named as the ‘The Nature Isle of Caribbean’. Times considered Dominica as the reason why the Caribbean is beautiful. In 1993, the government of Dominica launched the Dominica citizenship by investment program, which attracts large foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country by granting citizenship to investors, allowing them to live, work, and study in Dominica. Not only this but also access its high-quality healthcare services. 

Despite the rise of investment costs of many CBI programs in 2024, Dominica offers an affordable citizenship by investment program to investors to provide them with relief. According to a Report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of 2024, Dominica CBI revenue made up 37% of the country’s GDP in fiscal year 2022-23 (FY 22/23), which means the program generated US$232 million. This demonstrates the surge in demand for Dominica citizenship among global investors.   

St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program 

St Lucia, a famous tourist destination due to its diverse landscapes, lush rainforests, and gorgeous white sandy beaches attract a large number of people. Among these individuals also include investors who seek secure second citizenship options that provide them with long-term stability and lifestyle benefits. In 2015, St Lucia introduced its citizenship by investment program that grants citizenship to individuals that allows them to live and work in St Lucia with their families. 

In the fiscal year 2022-2023 (FY 22/23), the number of St Lucia citizenship by investment applications granted surged by 88% compared to the previous years. 70% of these applications were under the real estate investment option, demonstrating its strong popularity among investors.  The country provides diverse investment routes to investors under its citizenship program.

Comparison of St Lucia and Dominica CBI Program

Aspect	St Lucia CBI	Dominica CBI
Minimum Cost	$240,000	$200,000
Visa-Free Access	145+ including EU Schengen	145+ including EU Schengen
Family Inclusion	Allowed	Allowed
Processing Time	3 to 4 months	3 to 6 months
Stay Requirements	No mandatory stay required	No mandatory stay required

Investment Cost of St Lucia & Dominica CBI 

The Dominica Citizenship by Investment program requires a minimum $200,000 under the donation and real estate investment option while St Lucia Citizenship By Investment program requires a minimum $240,000 under donation option and $300,000 under the real estate investment and bonds option. The above costs clearly show that Dominica offers more affordable citizenship by investment program than St Lucia. 

Dominica Citizenship Investment Routes

• Donation in the Economic Development Fund

• Real Estate Investment 

St Lucia Citizenship Investment Routes

• Donation to the National Economic Fund

• Real Estate Investment

• Investment Bonds

Which Family Members Are Eligible to Qualify?

For Dominica Citizenship by Investment Program 

The family members that can be included in the Dominica CBI application include:

• Spouse and Sibling

• Dependent Children (under 30)

• Dependent Parents or Grandparents (65 or above)

For Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program

The family members that can be included in the St Lucia CBI application include:

• Spouse and Siblings

• Dependent Children

• Dependent Parents and Grandparents

Passports Strengths & Mobility Benefits

• Both countries provide powerful passports with visa-free access to 145+ destinations, providing investors with global mobility crucial for successful business. 

• The countries that Dominica citizenship by investment program provides access to include Europe (Schengen states, the UK, and Austria), Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, China), and South America (Brazil and Argentina).

• While St Lucia provides visa-free access to destinations such as the UK, Europe’s Schengen Area, Hong Kong, and many countries in Asia, Africa, and the US such as Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, and Japan. 

• With access to numerous world wide destinations the citizens of these countries can benefit from opportunities like ability to expand businesses globally, understand and explore international markets, build foreign partnerships and enjoy travel freedom. 

Which Program is Better for Which Investors?

Dominica Citizenship by Investment

The investors that seek affordability, strong due diligence, and comprehensive family inclusion should choose Dominica CBI program for securing second citizenship. 

St Lucia Citizenship by Investment 

Investors who want flexible investment routes, a strong passport, and investment opportunities in a tourism-driven economy should consider St Lucia as the best option for a second passport. 

Conclusion

Both St Lucia and Dominica offer trusted and well-recognized citizenship by investment programs to global investors that provide them with global mobility and travel freedom. Moreover they also enjoy business and lifestyle opportunities but the choice depends upon them. They can choose between the two programs depending on the cost, investment route, or opportunities they want.