Dominica : Macoucherie Beach 2.8 acres of beachfront land at Macoucherie Beach with beautiful views over the Caribbean Sea and bordered on one side by a river. Price US$ 500,000/£250.000 email for more details
	Dominica : Calabishie One acre of beachfront land located within the popular village of Calabishie, enjoying beautiful sea and mountain views.US$ 255,000/£125,000 . email for more details
	Dominica : Tanetane, Nr. Portsmouth Building plot of 12,544 sq. feet in an elevated location, with good views over the surrounding countryside and Caribbean Sea.Price : US$ 45,000/£23.000 email for more details We have many more plots available most with sea views please email us with your enquiry and we will send you the listings

Dominica Real Estate Buying Information

Dominica Alien Land Holders License
Foreigner's buying land in Dominica for personal use, or business purposes, are required to apply to the Government for what is called an "Alien's Land Holding Licence". A fee of 10% of the value of the land is charged by the government for granting this license.
The Dominica Alien Landholding License is a license issued for the purchase of a specific piece of real estate by a specific owner and is non-transferable. The license can only be applied for, once a deposit has been placed on a property. The application for this license must contain :-

a. particulars of the ownership, location and current value of the real estate to be acquired
b. the purpose for which the real estate is to be utilised
c. a plan prepared by a licensed surveyor, delineating the land
d. a receipt for payment of the license application fee
e. any other information required by the Minister

If the land is to be used for any building estate or development project, with the exception of any agricultural development, the application needs to contain an approval for the development from the Planning Division.
Dominica Real Estate Transfer Fees
Transfer fees are payable by the purchaser and are made up as follows :-

4% stamp duty
2.5% judicial fees
1% assurance fund
3% legal fees

The vendor has to pay 2.5% stamp duty on the market value of the land being sold.
PLEASE NOTE : The cost of the Alien Landholders License (see above) also needs to be added to the above transfer fees, where applicable. (IE 20% APPLIES TO LAND PURCHASES NOT HOUSING)

Dominica Building Costs
Building costs in Dominica are lower than most other Caribbean countries. The actual cost of construction will of course vary depending on the type of building constructed, location, condition of the building site and the quality of the finishes used. However taking an average property, the average cost per square foot for construction (summer 2006) is as follows:

Concrete buildings with 2 or more storeys :- US$95.00 psf

Concrete building on a single level :- US$75.00 psf

Wooden buildings with 2 or more storeys :- US$65.00 to US$85.00 psf depending on the type of wood

Wooden buildings on a single level :- US$50.00 to US$75.00 psf depending on the type of wood

A small swimming pool constructed in concrete will cost between USD$12,500.00 - USD$15,000.00 depending on type of finish

Dominica Real Estate Investment Opportunities

There are a number of different reasons for the purchase of land:

*Investing in the protection of the global environment by purchasing prime rainforest for the future
*New business opportunities for overseas investors through the development of tourism projects, which can be supported by the Government of Dominica
*An opportunity to have a second offshore home in the most beautiful island in the Eastern Caribbean a World Heritage Site, where building costs are one third of those in other EC countries.
*A retirement home
*Green Globe 21 Certification - this is in the process. As Dominica becomes the Caribbean's environmental leader, property and land will become an extremely valuable investment

Some of the land that is becoming available for expatriate investors is farming land, some of it is rainforest from the lower slopes of the mountains and coastal hillsides, and some is village plots sold by senior member of families who need to maintain their livelihoods in Dominica.

The controlled sale of this Dominica real estate, will bring foreign exchange, new jobs, expand tourism and encourage immigration from those willing to invest in a personal as well as a financial future.

Building and zoning regulations are limited and are not currently enforced. This can result in bad and dangerous building practices, and relies on each individual owner to design and build responsibly.

There are regulations in place to control the purchase of land by aliens. A Land Holders Licence must be granted to each expatriate wishing to make an investment in Dominica. There are taxes to be paid by the purchaser and these vary according to the type of investment made, whether for private or commercial use and the number of acres purchased. Government issues good title documentation for land, but this is best verified by a local representative to ensure proper legal transfer for purchased land.

There are a few architects, engineers and developers available in Dominica, as well as in other parts of the Eastern Caribbean. There are almost no project managers on the island, and on larger private or commercial projects built anywhere in the Caribbean in a hurricane and earthquake zone, a project manager becomes a necessity.

Dominica Economic Citizenship
Please Note : Foreign Nationals wishing to buy property and reside in Dominica may do so without obtaining Economic Citizenship. The Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme is only for those individuals who specifically want a passport and full voting rights.

The Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme was established in 1991 and provides the following benefits :-

* Citizenship for life, for applicant and all eligible family members.
* Dual Citizenship is permitted, without the requirement to notify the applicants home country, and without any need for the applicant to reside in Dominica
* Second Passports will be issued to the applicant an all eligible family members, and may be easily renewed.
* Visa-Free Travel to approximately 80 countries including :- Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and most British commonwealth countries. When a visa is required, they are also relatively easy to obtain.
* Full Residency Status and the right to work in Dominica.
* Tax Free Status on foreign income, capital gains, gift, wealth and inheritance tax
Requirements

The application requirements in terms of cost were dramatically raised in July 2002, under these revisions an application requires a non-refundable cash payment of US$75,000 for a single applicant, or US$100,000 for a family, plus a government processing charge of US$1,250 fee per person and a fee of approx. US$5,000 per person for background checks, the actual fee being dependant upon the persons original country of origin.

A further fee of US$25,000 is also required for children that are aged over 18 but not over 21 years old.

In addition to the above fees there are others fees including a US$200 processing fee per person; a US$1,000 agents fee per application; a US$1,000 registration fee per applicant; and a stamp duty of US$50 per applicant.

In addition to all the above fees and processing charges, there are the associated legal fees which will vary depending on the number of persons included in the application, but are usually in the region of US$15,000.

Unlike St. Kitts and Nevis there is no requirement in Dominica for the applicant to make an investment in real estate, and therefore the above fees are the total cost of gaining economic citizenship.

Changes made in late 2006 by the St. Kitts Government, in the level of property investment they now require applicants to make for economic citizenship in St. Kitts & Nevis, means that economic citizenship in Dominica is now a significantly cheaper option of gaining economic citizenship; but still costs a single applicants a total of approximately US$97,500 in government and lawyers fees.

Application Documents Required

* Birth Certificates for all persons on the application.
* Legible copies of all persons passport information providing a photograph, signature, passport number and date and place of issue are required (preferably in colour).
* Police Certificate, stating that the applicant has no criminal record.
* Marriage or Divorce Certificate as applicable.
* 2 completed Form 12 Commonwealth of Dominica applications (per applicant) - both must be originals and notarised.
* Health Certificate. This certificate needs to show that the applicant is not suffering from any contagious or communicable disease, including HIV. This certificate is required for all persons in the application, both adults and children.
* Bankers Reference. A bank reference is required for all adult applicants including the spouse and any children 18 and over. The reference letter must state how long the account has been maintained, the general level of the account held and that the account relationship has been satisfactory. A separate letter may also be submitted by an accountant or stock broker if the applicant has significant funds in trading or investment account.
* Character Reference. Two original references of good character are required for the applicant and each family member of 18 years or older. The references must be from either a doctor, lawyer, accountant, bank manager, or other professional. The name, address and phone numbers of the referees are required.
* Business/Technical Experience. A resume is required showing the education and experience of each person in the application aged 18 years or older. If the children are still attending school or university, educational information is all that is required.
* Photographs. Eight passport size photographs of each person are required.
* A letter from the applicant giving authority for the lawyer to act on his/her behalf.

Procedure

We recommend that applicants employ the services of a lawyer based in Dominica to prepare and expedite their application. As with other citizenship programmes, the applicant will be subject to a thorough background check and unlike St. Kitts/Nevis are required to personally attend an interview in Dominica, or alternatively pay a fee of US$3,000 + travel and accommodation costs, for the interview to be held in their own country.

The granting of citizenship is at the sole discretion of the Government of Dominica, and therefore there is no guarantee that applicant will be approved. However, as most applicants are carefully screened by their lawyer prior to submitting an application, applications are rarely refused.

The approval process normally takes between 4 to 8 months, depending upon the home country of the applicant. On approval of the application citizenship documents and passports are issued.