Articles | Expat Money®

Living In A Tax Haven Paradise With Dominica’s Digital Nomad Visa

Written by Mikkel Thorup | February 1, 2023

Dominica, often confused with the Dominican Republic, is a Caribbean island between Guadeloupe and Martinique. The island has multiple outdoor attractions, including mountains, rainforests, rivers, volcanoes, sulphur springs, lakes, and beaches. Dominica is also a great spot for hikers, as it has the Caribbean’s first long-distance hiking trail. Dominica has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, featured in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean. Dominica is arguably one of the best and safest destinations for outdoor enthusiasts. Dominica has made it easy for digital nomads to live and work in the country. Finally, Dominica is one of the cheapest countries in the Caribbean, so this digital nomad program is certainly not out of reach.

 

Dominica is a fascinating ecotourism destination for digital nomads

DIGITAL NOMAD VISA OVERVIEW

The digital nomad visa program is called the Work in Nature Extended Stay Visa. Dominica’s goal is to attract talented digital nomads and remote employees who want to work in Dominica and enjoy all of the country’s natural attractions. The government hopes this will help boost the country’s tourism industry and help it economically recover from Covid and Hurricane Maria, which caused damage to the country in 2017. Dominica typically receives around 200,000-350,000 tourists annually, but they do not stay very long. This program could attract additional digital nomads willing to spend years living in the country.

Another benefit of this program is that you can stay for longer than one year, unlike many programs. The visa allows you to stay in Dominica for up to 18 months and offers a variety of incentives to help attract digital nomads. A benefit of this program is you do not have to pay any income taxes or capital gains taxes on your foreign-earned income. Another advantage of this program is that applicants can bring their families, like Antigua & Barbuda’s digital nomad visa, and enroll their children in state or private schools. Although additional paperwork and fees are required if you bring your family, it is not too overwhelming.

 

Content Related: Living In Barbados With Digital Nomad Visa The Welcome Stamp

 

Dominica is one of the cheapest countries in the Caribbean to live with your digital nomad visa

DOMINICA OVERVIEW

While many countries can boast about how their digital nomad visa programs can appeal to people who love nature and the outdoors, like Grenada and Bahamas, Dominica is perhaps at the top of the list. Dominica is a fascinating ecotourism destination for many reasons. The country requires resorts to source food locally, and the island also implemented a plastic ban several years ago. Dominica also has excellent healthcare facilities, reliable public transportation, and good education facilities. These amenities make the country desirable for families to want to live abroad.

An added appeal is that life on the island is exceptionally cheap relative to other Caribbean countries. Dominica’s annual minimum wage is slightly under $8,000 USD/year, so it will be easy to support yourself and your family off $50,000 USD/year or more. Rent in Dominica is around 71% lower than the average rent in the United States. These lower costs allow digital nomads the freedom to splurge on tour packages or travel in Dominica while still living comfortably on their salary of $50,000 USD or more per year.

 

Related content: The Basics Of How To Get A Second Passport Or A Second Residency

 

Dominica has multiple outdoor attractions you can explore while there

HOW TO APPLY AND WHAT TO EXPECT

The main requirement is the income requirement, although there are others to consider. You must have a clean criminal background and prove that you make $50,000 USD or more yearly. With these two conditions met, most people are eligible and only have to provide supporting documentation with their application.

To apply, you need to submit the following documents:

  • Passport info for you and your family members if they are joining you
  • Proof of your relationship with your family if they are coming with you
  • Police record from everywhere you have lived during the past five years
  • Passport-sized photos
  • Proof of health insurance
  • Proof of visa if this is required for your country
  • Proof of income ( letter from employer, bank statements, etc.)
  • Reference letter from the bank
  • Credit report if you are self-employed

The visa is slightly more expensive relative to other digital nomad programs. It costs $800 USD for a single person or $1,200 USD for a family to apply. You also need to deposit $100 USD when you apply. It usually takes around seven days for you to hear back about the decision. Once your application is approved, you have 30 days to submit payment. Once you receive approval, you have 90 days to enter Dominica. While these fees are much higher than that of other digital nomad visa programs, they are still cheaper than the fees for other Caribbean digital nomad visa programs, such as Barbados.

 

Dominica's Digital Nomad Visa Program allows you to stay for longer than one year

path TO citizenship

For five consecutive years, Dominica's Citizenship by Investment Program has topped the CBI Index as the #1 CBI initiative. The program's strict due diligence process ensures that only applicants of exceptional quality and reputation are eligible for citizenship, including those over 16 years of age. If you meet these criteria, Dominica offers one of the highest standards of living in the region by granting you citizenship.

Acquiring Dominica citizenship through investment does not require any form of residency, and applicants do not need to visit the country. Holding Dominica nationality does not mandate a visit to the island to retain citizenship, and renewing a Dominica passport is readily accessible to all citizens without restriction.

 

Scotts Head, Dominica

TAKEAWAY

Dominica has a wonderful digital nomad visa, which has superior benefits relative to other digital nomad visa programs. This is an intriguing option if you are specifically interested in the Caribbean and pristine outdoor destinations. If you can meet the $50,000 USD income requirement and are not deterred by the higher visa fee, then every other feature of this program should work in your favour. Dominica has a low living cost and some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and outdoor destinations. If you spend 18 months in Dominica and decide to stay longer, you could try renewing your visa or considering other residency programs.