Dominica Citizenship in 2026: What US Restrictions and Loss of UK Visa-Free Access Mean

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What happened to the Dominica passport over three years

Over three years, Dominica citizenship lost visa-free access to the UK and Ireland, and as of January 1, 2026, lost access to US B-1/B-2, F, and J visas. Each decision was made by a separate country, but the justification in all three cases came down to one thing—the citizenship by investment program.

The timeline looks like this.

Date	What happened	Who decided
July 19, 2023, 15:00 BST	visa introduced for entry into the United Kingdom	UK Home Office
March 7, 2024	visa introduced for entry into Ireland, including transit	Government of Ireland
October 14, 2025	citizenship program legislative reforms adopted	Parliament of Dominica
December 16, 2025	Proclamation 10998 signed	President of the United States
January 1, 2026, 00:01 EST	restrictions took effect	—
January 21, 2026	Dominica included in US visa bond program	US State Department
January 21, 2026	immigration visa issuance suspended	US State Department
August 3, 2026	bond program became permanent, maximum increased	US State Department

None of these steps have been reversed as of September 3, 2026. They all share one thing in common: the decision was made not about a specific person, but about citizenship—that is, the very characteristic the applicant is buying.

What exactly the US suspended: Proclamation 10998

Proclamation 10998 suspended immigration visa issuance to Dominica citizens and non-immigrant visas in the B-1, B-2, F, M, and J categories. This is not a complete ban on entry, but a closure of specific visa categories—formally the measure is called a partial suspension. The selection criterion in the document is one: the applicant's citizenship. Neither place of residence nor travel history affects the application of the rule.

What fell under the restriction:

• immigration visas—that is, relocation to permanent residence;
• B-1—business trips;
• B-2 and combined B-1/B-2—tourism and private visits;
• F—university study;
• M—vocational training;
• J—exchange programs, including spouses and children of participants.

Other non-immigrant categories remain formally open, but the proclamation also directs consular officers to shorten visa validity periods "to the extent permitted by law." How this plays out in practice became visible by late February 2026: according to IMI Daily on February 28, in the visa reciprocity table for Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, the B-1/B-2 validity changed from 120 months with unlimited entries to 3 months and 1 entry. The same parameters appear for F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2, L-1/L-2, and R-1/R-2. Diplomatic categories A-1, A-2, and G-1–G-4 remained at the previous 60 months.

Overall, Proclamation 10998 divided 40 jurisdictions into two groups: 20 with full entry suspension and 20 with partial. Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda are in the second group, and they landed there for the same reason: the active citizenship by investment program.

Who among Dominica citizens is not affected by the restrictions

Restrictions do not apply to those who held a valid US visa on January 1, 2026: previously issued visas were not revoked. The proclamation's wording on this point is direct: "No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before the applicable effective date of this proclamation shall be revoked"—no visa issued before the effective date is subject to revocation.

The measure applies to those who simultaneously were outside the US on the effective date and did not hold a valid visa on that date. In addition, the text lists exemptions:

• US permanent residents (green card holders);
• persons with dual citizenship traveling on a passport of a country not included in the list;
• holders of diplomatic and official categories A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1–G-4, and NATO categories;
• athletes and support staff of major international competitions, including world championships and the Olympics;
• special immigrant visas for US government employees;
• waivers in the US interest, decided individually.

The exemption for dual citizenship is the only place in the document where second citizenship matters at all, and it only works if traveling on the passport of a non-included country.

The government of Dominica confirmed this separately. In a statement published on December 24, 2025, on the official website, the prime minister stated: holders of valid US visas—tourist, business, student—travel normally after January 1, 2026. The same statement denied a circulating claim that the proclamation had been suspended: it is in effect, negotiations continue.

Myth: "the ban has already been lifted." Reports of the proclamation being suspended appeared in early January 2026 and were denied by the government of Dominica itself. The proclamation provides for review within 180 days of signing and then every 180 days—based on the review outcome, restrictions can be preserved, changed, expanded, or lifted. As of September 3, 2026, they are in effect.

Visa bond up to $20,000: the second US measure against Dominica

Dominica citizens receive a B-1/B-2 visa under a returnable bond as of January 21, 2026, and as of August 3, the maximum is $20,000. This is a separate State Department mechanism, not directly linked to the proclamation, and it operates by its own rules, though the list of countries in it is built on the same criterion—the applicant's citizenship.

The program began on August 20, 2025, as a pilot—under a temporary final rule pursuant to section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda were added to the list on January 21, 2026; Grenada on April 2, 2026. As of August 3, 2026, the rule became permanent, and the upper limit of the bond increased from $15,000 to $20,000; the current tiers are $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000.

The conditions of a visa issued under a bond differ from regular ones:

• validity period—3 months, 1 entry;
• permitted stay—up to 30 days;
• entry allowed only through commercial aviation ports; charters, private aircraft, and land and sea ports are excluded;
• the bond is returned if the conditions of stay are met and departure is timely, and is retained in case of overstay, unauthorized work, and late document submission.

An important detail to note: the bond list contains 4 Caribbean states—Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica, and Grenada—and 2 of them, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, are simultaneously under suspension of the B category. That is, for Dominica citizens, the bond remains a theoretical construct: first there must be a basis for visa issuance. For Grenada, which is not in the proclamation, the bond is the actual restriction, even though its citizenship program continues to operate.

Why the US named the citizenship program as the reason

The White House cited the citizenship by investment program without residency requirement as the reason for the restrictions, not the conduct of Dominica citizens themselves. In the proclamation text, the wording for both Caribbean countries is identical: "Dominica has historically had CBI without residency" and "Antigua and Barbuda has historically had CBI without residency."

The general section of the document explains the logic: such programs are named as vulnerable to a range of risks, including the possibility of "concealing one's identity or assets to circumvent visa, financial, or banking restrictions." It was this, not migration statistics, that became the basis.

The substance behind this wording is public. A 2023 OCCRP investigation examined data on 7,700 Dominica citizenship recipients and found among them Russian entrepreneurs under sanctions, persons named as agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, fugitives in fraud cases, and figures in war crimes cases. All of them obtained Dominica citizenship under the rules then in effect—the complaint is addressed to the program structure, not individual decisions on applications.

For an English-speaking reader, this unfolds into an uncomfortable conclusion. The program came under restrictions in part because it was used as a workaround by citizens of countries to which their own restrictions apply. The restriction ultimately closed not the workaround, but the passport itself.

How much Dominica citizenship costs and what changed in the rules

The minimum contribution under the Dominica citizenship program is $200,000, and as of October 14, 2025, the program rules were rewritten by law. The price for 2026 did not change; what changed is what surrounds it.

The program is based on Article 101 of the Dominica Constitution, the Citizenship Act of 1978 (sections 8 and 9), the Citizenship by Investment Regulations 2024, published in the official gazette on June 28, 2024, and an amendment to it in 2025. Applications are accepted only through a licensed agent.

On October 14, 2025, Dominica became the first of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States to conduct a legislative reform of its program. The package included: enforceable residency requirements, restrictions on name changes, enhanced due diligence, increased financial transparency, expanded authority to revoke citizenship and passports, and establishment of an independent regulator. The government directly states that the reform responds to the complaints set out in the US proclamation—that is, it was adopted before it, but did not eliminate the problem.

A detailed comparison of 5 Caribbean programs by thresholds, fees, and timelines is a topic for a separate analysis; here it suffices to note that the entry price did not change, but the package of what is purchased did.

Can Russian citizens participate in the Dominica program

Dominica citizenship is closed to citizens of Russia and Belarus: both countries are on the published list of prohibited nationalities. This is an official publication by the relevant agency, not an industry interpretation.

As of September 3, 2026, the list looks as follows:

Category	Countries
Complete ban	Belarus, Russia, Yemen (circular from January 15, 2024), northern Iraq—including Erbil, Amedi, Duhok, Kirkuk, Lalish, Rania, Soran, Sulaymaniyah, and Zakho
Conditional refusal	North Korea, Sudan, Iran—the application is rejected unless 3 conditions are met simultaneously: has not resided in the country for at least 10 years, has no significant assets there, has not conducted activity in the country or with it

Practical meaning: a discussion of what a Dominica passport gives a Russian citizen is pointless for the current program—the application is not accepted based on citizenship. The question remains relevant only for those who obtained status earlier and for those considering neighboring regional programs.

The United Kingdom and Ireland closed visa-free access before the US

The United Kingdom introduced visas for Dominica citizens on July 19, 2023, Ireland on March 7, 2024, with London citing the citizenship program as the reason. The US decision is not the first in this sequence, but the fourth.

The UK measure took effect at 15:00 BST on July 19, 2023, for visitor visas and on July 20 for direct transit; for advance travel there was a transition period until August 16, 2023. In a written statement to Parliament, the reason for Dominica and Vanuatu was stated directly: concern about citizenship by investment programs through which citizenship was obtained by persons presenting a risk to the UK. For Honduras, Namibia, and East Timor that were in the same package, other grounds were given.

Ireland extended the visa requirement to citizens of Dominica, Honduras, and Vanuatu from March 7, 2024, including transit through the airport. Formally, Ireland did not name citizenship programs, but cited the need to align with UK policy.

The sequence continued in 2026. As of June 15, Ireland introduced visas for citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Nicaragua; a transition period for advance ticket purchases was in effect until July 14. The minister for migration described the step as a "measured measure that brings Ireland closer to the United Kingdom's approach."

What the Dominica passport opens now and what it does not

The Dominica passport retains visa-free entry to the Schengen area for 90 days in every 180, but does not open the UK, Ireland, or the US. The difference between these three and Schengen is in status: the first three are closed by decisions made and in effect, while the Schengen regime operates but with an announced review date.

What is confirmed as of September 3, 2026:

• Schengen—visa-free short-term entry is retained. However, the European Commission in June 2026 required 5 Caribbean states to wind down their citizenship programs by June 1, 2028, and the mere existence of such a program has been an independent ground for suspension of visa-free status since December 30, 2025.
• United Kingdom—a visa has been required since July 19, 2023.
• Ireland—a visa has been required since March 7, 2024, including transit.
• United States—visa-free entry never existed; as of January 1, 2026, the main visa categories are also closed.

A separate note about the "visa-free countries" count found in most website headlines: it consists of destinations of varying weight, and the loss of one major destination does not change the figure noticeably. The loss of the UK reduces the list by one line, but the substance of what the passport was bought for—significantly.

What Russian law requires from a holder of a second passport

A Russian citizen who has obtained foreign citizenship is required to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 60 calendar days and continues to be regarded by the state only as a Russian citizen. Both rules are direct and do not depend on which passport is obtained.

What is established by law from April 28, 2023, No. 138-FZ "On the Citizenship of the Russian Federation":

• Article 10, Part 1—a Russian citizen with dual or multiple citizenship is regarded by the Russian Federation only as an RF citizen regardless of place of residence, except in cases provided for by federal law or an international treaty;
• Article 10, Part 2—acquisition of foreign citizenship does not entail termination of Russian citizenship;
• Article 11, Part 6—notification must be submitted no later than 60 calendar days from the date of acquisition; one who failed to submit it in time due to being abroad must submit it no later than 60 calendar days from the date of entry into Russia;
• Article 11, Part 2—notification is submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or its territorial bodies, and from abroad—to a diplomatic mission or consular office.

Liability for violation is established separately: Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code—for failure to submit notification, a fine up to RUB 200,000 or the amount of salary for up to 1 year or mandatory labor up to 400 hours; Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Violations—for violation of submission procedures, including late or incomplete information, a fine from RUB 500 to RUB 1,000.

A separate rule concerns border documents. Article 6 of Federal Law No. 114-FZ establishes that Russian citizens exit from and enter Russia using valid documents that identify them as Russian citizens outside Russia.

Myth: "a second passport removes restrictions imposed by citizenship." It does not. The exemption in Proclamation 10998 applies only to those traveling on a passport of a country not on the list—that is, the restriction is tied to the person, not to the document in hand. Russian law, for its part, ties border crossing to Russian documents and does not recognize a second passport as grounds to regard a person as a foreigner.

Vanuatu: the scenario played to completion

Vanuatu has gone through the scenario to the end: EU visa-free access was suspended from February 4, 2023, and terminated by regulation in December 2024. This is the only completed precedent, and it shows what happens if the parties do not reach agreement.

The sequence was as follows: partial suspension of the visa-free arrangement was adopted on March 3, 2022; full suspension took effect on February 4, 2023; Regulation (EU) 2025/11, adopted by the EU Council on December 12, 2024, ended the visa-free regime permanently. The reason in EU documents is stated directly—the investment program itself and associated security and migration risks. UK citizens of Vanuatu received their visa in the same package as Dominica citizens on July 19, 2023.

Today, a short-term trip to Schengen for a Vanuatu passport holder requires a visa. Between the first EU decision and the final cancellation, 2 years and 9 months passed.

How to read other sources' visa-free country tables for Dominica

Visa-free country tables for the Dominica passport in the top ten search results list the United Kingdom, which closed to this passport in July 2023. This is not a single error, but a systemic one: the page is updated for price and not for access.

A check of the top ten in Google and Yandex on September 3, 2026, showed:

• a website ranking fourth in Yandex claims "145+ countries without visas" and separately lists "United Kingdom—up to 6 months"; the 2026 US restrictions are not mentioned on the page;
• a website ranking fifth in Google and sixth in Yandex names 133 visa-free countries and lists the UK among them; the Google snippet for that same page still shows "minimum investment amount $100,000," though the page itself lists $200,000;
• none of the top ten in Google and none of the top ten in Yandex for the query "Dominica citizenship" mention Proclamation 10998.

Yet correct data is present in the search results too: one of the top ten sites directly states that the UK and US require a visa and lists the 3-month B-1/B-2 term with 1 entry. That is, the discrepancy between sites is not explained by information being unavailable.

Myth: "Dominica citizenship from $100,000." Such an amount was in effect until July 1, 2024. The unified minimum of 5 Caribbean programs is $200,000, and the country cannot go below it under the inter-governmental agreement.

Comparison: Dominica passport and Turkish citizenship for real estate

Turkey and Dominica differ not in price but in consequence: the Turkish passport is not listed in any visa restriction from 2023–2026. The comparison is apt because it is the only program in our catalog where the basis is purchase of real estate.

Parameter	Dominica	Turkey
Minimum threshold	$200,000	$400,000
Form of investment	non-refundable contribution or approved project	property on the open market
Access for Russian citizens	officially closed	open
UK visa	required since July 19, 2023	required before and after
Ireland visa	required since March 7, 2024	required before and after
US B/F/M/J visas	suspended as of January 1, 2026	no restrictions
Visa-free Schengen	present, EU requirement to wind down program by June 1, 2028	absent
What the investor retains	passport	passport and real estate property

The Turkish program and its threshold are verified in the section on [citizenship by investment programs](/citizenship/). Properties meeting the threshold are collected in the selection [real estate for citizenship in Turkey](/turkey/citizenship-by-investment/)—3,208 offers as of September 3, 2026; the country's general catalog is in the section on [real estate in Turkey](/turkey/).

If the goal is not a passport but a legal residency status, residence permit programs address it: a summary of thresholds by country with the legal act for each line is in the section on [residence by investment](/residence/). Dominica and other Caribbean states are not in our [catalog of 23 countries](/directory/)—we work with real estate markets where it is actually sold to retail buyers.

What changed for the real estate buyer and what stayed the same

For the real estate buyer, Dominica citizenship in 2026 did not get more expensive, but narrowed: the entry price is the same, the list of available destinations is shorter. The assessment below is by parameters, not by impression.

Stayed the same:

• minimum threshold of $200,000 and structure of options;
• visa-free short-term entry to the Schengen area;
• review time and absence of a requirement to live permanently in the country;
• validity of US visas issued before January 1, 2026.

Changed:

• US visa categories B-1, B-2, F, M, and J are closed, and validity is shortened for the rest;
• for the B category, a returnable bond up to $20,000 has been added, should a basis for issuance appear;
• immigration visa issuance by the US is suspended;
• applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens are not accepted;
• visa-free Schengen has an announced horizon—June 1, 2028.

The overall outcome for someone considering real estate as a tool: over 3 years the construction "contribution for access" lost 3 destinations that made it attractive and retained 1 with an announced review date.

How we verify data

Data on Dominica citizenship restrictions are taken from the US proclamation text, statements of the government of Dominica, and publications of the British Parliament. Each figure is accompanied by a source and verification date.

What	Source	Verification date
Proclamation 10998 text, categories, and exemptions	Proclamation text from December 16, 2025; Congressional Research Service memo IN12631	September 3, 2026
Position of Dominica government, status of proclamation	Prime Minister's statement, cbiu.gov.dm, December 24, 2025	September 3, 2026
Visa validity periods per reciprocity table	IMI Daily publication from February 28, 2026	September 3, 2026
Visa bond program, rates, and dates	State Department materials on temporary final rule and permanent rule from August 3, 2026	September 3, 2026
Immigration visa suspension	Reports on State Department telegram from January 21, 2026	September 3, 2026
UK visa requirement	UK Parliament written statement from July 19, 2023	September 3, 2026
Irish visa requirements	Government of Ireland statements from March 2024 and June 2026	September 3, 2026
Banned nationalities in the program	Banned Nationalities section, cbiu.gov.dm	September 3, 2026
Program legislation and October 14, 2025, reform	Legislation section, cbiu.gov.dm	September 3, 2026
Vanuatu precedent	EU Council press releases; Regulation (EU) 2025/11	September 3, 2026
Obligations of an RF citizen	Federal Law No. 138-FZ, Art. 10 and 11; No. 114-FZ, Art. 6; Art. 330.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; Art. 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	September 3, 2026
Turkey Threshold	the [citizenship by investment](/citizenship/) section on this site	September 3, 2026

We are a marketplace for foreign real estate with transaction support, not an immigration consultant and not a licensed agent of Caribbean programs. This material describes the rules as of the verification date and is not legal advice. Visa regimes change by decisions of individual states and without transition periods: before any payment, the status is verified at the consulate of the relevant country and by written request to the relevant authority through a licensed agent.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dominica Citizenship and Restrictions

Have US visas issued to Dominica citizens earlier been revoked?

No. Proclamation 10998 directly states that visas issued before the effective date are not revoked; the Government of Dominica confirmed this with a statement on December 24, 2025.

Which US visa categories are closed to Dominica citizens?

Immigrant visas and nonimmigrant categories B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J. For other categories, consular officers are directed to reduce the validity period of the visa.

Are the restrictions permanent?

No. Proclamation 10998 provides for review within 180 days of the signing date and every 180 days thereafter, based on which restrictions may be maintained, modified, expanded, or lifted. As of September 3, 2026, they are in effect.

Does a Dominica passport open the UK?

No, not since July 19, 2023. A standard visitor visa is required, and for a stopover, a direct transit visa. Ireland introduced the same requirement on March 7, 2024.

Is visa-free access to the Schengen area maintained?

Yes, short-term entry for 90 days in each 180-day period is maintained. Meanwhile, the European Commission in June 2026 demanded that Caribbean programs be shut down by June 1, 2028.

Can a Russian citizen apply for Dominica citizenship?

No. Russia and Belarus are on the published list of prohibited nationalities for the program, along with Yemen and northern Iraq.

Does a second passport remove restrictions imposed on the basis of citizenship?

The exception in Proclamation 10998 applies only to those traveling on a passport of a country not on the list. However, Russian law requires crossing the Russian border with Russian documents and treats a holder of two passports only as a citizen of Russia.

Do you need to notify Russia about acquired foreign citizenship?

Yes. Notification must be submitted no later than 60 calendar days from the date of acquisition, or for those outside the country, no later than 60 days from the date of entry into Russia. Liability is established by Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.