DOMINICA CBI VS ST. KITTS AND NEVIS CBI, COST AND TIMELINE

A comparative, neutral analysis of pricing, due diligence, and processing windows for families and single applicants

WASHINGTON, DC — As Caribbean citizenship by investment programs recalibrate for transparency and credibility, two long-standing jurisdictions continue to anchor investor interest, the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. For internationally mobile families and entrepreneurs, the first questions are practical: how much will it cost, who qualifies, and how long will it take? 

Amicus International Consulting presents a neutral, investigator-style comparison focused strictly on present fee schedules, mandatory outlays, and realistic timelines through issuance of passports, with a case study illustrating total program economics for both a single applicant and a family of four. Our analysis also highlights documentary checkpoints, interview requirements, and common pacing factors that stretch or compress expected processing windows.

Executive overview, headline differences at a glance

At publication, Dominica’s current pricing framework places the single applicant contribution at $200,000 under the Economic Diversification Fund route. It also sets the minimum purchase price for real estate at $200,000, with specific government fees for approved property acquisitions. St Kitts and Nevis sets the single applicant contribution at $250,000 under the Sustainable Island State Contribution and offers real estate from $325,000 in approved developments, plus post approval government fees and due diligence.  Processing windows diverge modestly. Standard, fully documented Dominica applications commonly take six to nine months. St Kitts and Nevis applications commonly take four to six months, depending on file complexity and responsiveness to queries. Figures below exclude professional, translation, and courier costs.

What “cost” actually includes in practice

Investors often focus on the headline contribution or investment. Still, the total program cost also includes due diligence, processing and certificate fees, passport issuance, and, where applicable, post-approval or government application fees. Both Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis require a bank transfer of the core contribution or property closing funds after approval in principle. Families should budget per-person interview fees where mandated and due diligence for dependents above the threshold ages. Official fee tables change occasionally, and applicants should always rely on the most recent government schedules through authorized agents. 

Dominica, current investment routes, and state fees

Dominica offers two routes: a state fund contribution or approved real estate. For the state fund, the current minimum is $200,000 for a single applicant. Under the real estate route, the minimum qualifying purchase is $200,000 in an approved project. It triggers government application fees, typically $75,000 for a main applicant or $100,000 for a principal applicant with up to three dependents, plus $25,000 per additional dependent under 18 and $40,000 per additional dependent 18 or older. Across routes, standard ancillary state fees include a $1,000 processing fee per application, a $7,500 due diligence fee for the principal applicant, and $4,000 for each dependent aged 16 or over, a $1,000 interview fee per person over 16, and a $500 fee per person for the certificate of naturalization and for each passport. 

Dominica, timeline and pacing factors

On timing, Dominica’s official guidance and advisor reporting align around a six to nine-month range from submission to passport issuance for well-prepared files. The window can tighten for straightforward single applicants and extend when document legalization arrives piecemeal or when enhanced due diligence is required. 

Dominica requires a mandatory interview for applicants aged 16 and above, typically scheduled online, which can affect the overall timeline. Applicants should build a calendar for legalization and translation, bank compliance clearances for the source of funds, and verification letters for professional or business histories. 

St Kitts and Nevis, current investment routes, and state fees

St Kitts and Nevis positions the Sustainable Island State Contribution as the main non-real estate route, with a $250,000 minimum for a single applicant and specific higher thresholds for family compositions. The real estate route begins at $325,000 in an approved development or higher for specific titled property categories. Post approval government fees apply in addition to due diligence. The current due diligence schedule is widely referenced as $10,000 for the principal applicant and $7,500 for each dependent who is 16 or older, with separate post approval government fees for the principal, spouse, and dependents. Applicants should confirm these amounts against the government’s public notices and their authorized agent’s quotation. 

St Kitts and Nevis, timeline and pacing factors

From a time-to-issuance standpoint, St Kitts and Nevis is commonly cited at four to six months for standard, fully documented cases. The program requires interviews for principal applicants and eligible dependents, typically scheduled remotely, when requested. The overall timing depends on the due diligence cycle time, responsiveness to clarifications, and the internal queue at the unit. Public and advisory sources consistently reference a four to six-month expectation, with some files completing on either side of that span based on complexity. 

Side by side, the cost of scaffolding for a single applicant

For a single applicant choosing a fund route, Dominica’s headline fund contribution is $200,000. Add $7,500 for due diligence, a $1,000 processing fee, a $1,000 interview fee, and $500 each for a certificate of naturalization and passport. St Kitts and Nevis sets the single applicant SISC contribution at $250,000, with due diligence referenced at $10,000. Post-approval government fees for the principal are $25,000, plus the passport issuance step. Applicants should also budget for authorized agent professional fees, notaries, apostilles, and wire charges. While non-governmental, they are real cash items that influence total outlay. 

Side by side, the cost of scaffolding for a family of four

For a family of four, Dominica’s real estate route government application fee for a principal applicant with up to three dependents is $100,000 in addition to the qualifying property purchase of $200,000, with due diligence of $7,500 for the principal applicant and $4,000 for each dependent aged 16 or older, plus the $1,000 processing fee per application, $1,000 interviews per person 16 and over, and $500 per person for certificates and passports. 

St. Kitts and Nevis, under the SISC structure, lists $250,000 as the minimum for a single applicant or a family of up to four, according to a widely cited summary. However, applicants must still add due diligence of $10,000 for the principal and $7,500 per dependent over 16, as well as the post-approval government fee schedule for spouse and children. Families looking at real estate would model $325,000 and above for approved developments, plus due diligence and state fees. 

Interviews, documentation, and how they affect both cost and time

Both jurisdictions have moved to mandatory or on-request interviews for integrity due diligence. Dominica states that interviews are required for all applicants sixteen years of age or over, typically conducted online, with a published interview fee per person. St Kitts and Nevis outlines the interview step within its official application guidance and schedules interviews for principal applicants and dependents where necessary. These live checks can act as calendar gatekeepers, so families should consolidate document packages, verify translations, and resolve video identity logistics early to avoid rescheduling delays. 

Processing timeline realities, why files move faster or slower

Timelines rarely hinge on a single factor. Initial completeness, consistency between income declarations and bank letters, the clarity of employment or business histories, and whether all civil certificates carry current legalizations determine how quickly a file is allocated to due diligence. Dominica’s six-to-nine-month band is most accurate when documents arrive complete and interviews are scheduled without delay. St Kitts and Nevis’ four to six-month band is realistic when KYC narratives are comprehensive and the due diligence cycle returns cleanly. Enhanced due diligence can add weeks to either program. Applicants should counsel referees in advance so verification calls and emails are answered promptly.

Case study, a single applicant, and a family of four model both programs

A mid-career consultant based in the Gulf and a separate family of four based in Southeast Asia engaged a licensed agent to assess Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis on pure cost and time. Both owned operating businesses and had straightforward police clearances. Their objective was efficient mobility and diversification, not property use.

For the single applicant modeling Dominica’s fund route, the budget included a $200,000 contribution, $7,500 for due diligence, $1,000 for processing, $1,000 for the interview, and $1,000 combined for the certificate and passport. Professional fees of the agent, document translations, and legalization added a mid-four-figure amount. The agent quoted a six to eight-month timeline, noting that scheduling the interview early could shave weeks off. The applicant prepared bank statements, tax returns, and a business ownership chart. The file received approval in principle at month six and a passport at month seven.

For the same single applicant modeling St Kitts and Nevis via SISC, the budget replaced the $250,000 contribution, the $10,000 main due diligence, the $25,000 post-approval government fee for the principal, and the passport issuance fee, again excluding professional and courier costs. The quoted timeline was four to six months. The applicant’s employment history and company ownership documents were assembled in parallel with police clearances. The file was cleared within five months from submission to passport issuance. 

For the family of four, Dominica’s real estate model required a $200,000 approved project purchase, a government application fee of $100,000 for a principal applicant and up to three dependents, due diligence at $7,500 for the principal and $4,000 for the spouse and one dependent over 16, plus interviews for the adults and passports and certificates for all. The agent advised a seven-to-nine-month window due to document volumes and the sequencing of real estate closings. The family apportioned the closing steps so investment funds were ready when the letter of approval in principle arrived. 

For the same family modeling St Kitts and Nevis via SISC, the reference contribution was $250,000 for up to four people. Due diligence was sized at $10,000 for the principal applicant and $7,500 for one dependent over 16, with additional government fees for the spouse and children post-approval. The agent quoted five to six months for recognizing an interview calendar and the larger KYC pack. The family opted to front-load translations and secured timely interview slots. The passports arrived in a little over five months. 

The two models crystallized a simple pattern. St Kitts and Nevis presented a higher headline contribution for a single, but overall speed was somewhat faster. Dominica’s state fund route priced lower for a single versus SISC, but required careful timing of interviews to stay within eight months. For families, modeling must capture due diligence by age, the number of interviews, and whether a real estate closing introduces separate timeline gates.

Practical planning for cost control

Regardless of program, applicants can exert meaningful control over total cost and time by preparing documents to the most recent official checklists, consolidating civil status records within the validity windows, and aligning bank letters and tax statements with declared sources of funds. Because both units rely on third-party due diligence, applicants should provide clear employment timelines, company registries, and shareholding confirmations that match corporate filings. Upfront clarity reduces back-and-forth queries that cost calendar time and sometimes additional verification fees.

Which program is “cheaper” for standard profiles

For a solo applicant seeking the lowest headline outlay and unconcerned with property, Dominica’s fund route carries the smallest principal contribution at $200,000 compared with the $250,000 SISC baseline. However, the differential narrows after due diligence and post approval fees are included for St Kitts and Nevis. For a family of four, the apparent simplicity of SISC’s $250,000 headline must be considered alongside due diligence and fee add-ons. In contrast, Dominica’s real estate route will combine a $200,000 property with government application fees that scale with family size. Final quotes depend on ages and whether a dependent over 16 adds due diligence and interview charges. Families should request side-by-side pro formas from authorized agents before making a final decision. 

Which program is “faster” on average

Many agents and public briefings estimate St. Kitts and Nevis to take four to six months with complete files, while Dominica typically requires six to nine months. The difference narrows when additional due diligence is triggered or when interview scheduling slips. Where time to issuance is paramount and the family composition is straightforward, St Kitts and Nevis edges faster in the median case. Where cost for a single is paramount and six to eight months is acceptable, Dominica’s economy remains competitive.

Notes on policy stability and the importance of official sources

Both programs have modernized significantly by publishing fee schedules and process steps, and by hardening interview and due diligence protocols in line with international expectations. Prospective applicants should rely on the official program websites and their authorized agent’s written quotations for the final word on fee schedules and process updates, as consultancy summaries can lag behind government notices. This is particularly important for multi-applicant families where incremental fees by age, interviews, and passport counts affect total outlay. 

Bottom line

For Dominica, single applicants find a lower state fund contribution, a realistic six to nine-month timing band, and predictable ancillary fees. They also have the requirement to plan and attend the required interview at age sixteen and above. For St Kitts and Nevis, a higher contribution baseline of $250,000 for SISC is offset by faster median processing times of four to six months for fully documented files, with due diligence and post-approval fees that increase the all-in budget. 

Families should build pro formas that reflect dependent ages and interview counts and should test both a fund and a property scenario to see how real estate or government application fees shift totals. In both jurisdictions, the most reliable accelerators are complete documents at submission, consistent financial narratives, and early interview scheduling.

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