What it costs to buy property in Dominica
A foreign buyer should budget roughly 16.9% of the purchase price on top of the price itself. A licence is required before you can take title.
What you pay
- Alien Landholders Fee10.0% of the price$50,000
- Solicitor's fee2.9% of the price$14,400
- Stamp duty2.0% of the price$10,000
- Judicial fee1.0% of the price$5,000
- Assurance fund1.0% of the price$5,000
| On a purchase of | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alien Landholders Fee | $25,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| Stamp duty | $5,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Judicial fee | $2,500 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Assurance fund | $2,500 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Solicitor's fee | $7,200 | $14,400 | $28,800 |
| Total on top of the price | 16.9% | 16.9% | 16.9% |
Who carries the taxes and fees
What the seller pays — not you
- Seller's stamp duty — 2.5%Charged on the greater of the purchase price or the market value — not the buyer's, but it shapes what a seller will accept.
Guides that add every tax together and present the total as a buyer's bill overstate the cost. These are the seller's.
Can you buy as a foreigner?
Licence required
Non-citizens need an Alien Landholders Licence to hold more than one acre of residential land, or three acres of commercial. Below those thresholds the licence — and its 10% fee — does not bite, which makes the size of the plot the single biggest driver of a foreign buyer's costs here.
Allow 1–3 months
The decision is the Cabinet's. Faster than most of the region, but only relevant above the acreage thresholds — under them there is nothing to wait for.
Take it with you
These figures as a PDF, worked out at the price you enter, with every source and the date it was checked.
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Nearby markets compared
What a foreign buyer pays on top of a $500,000 price, here and in the markets around it nearest in cost.
- GuadeloupeNo licence7.0%–7.8%
- MartiniqueNo licence7.5%–8.3%
- Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesLicence needed11.3%
- GrenadaLicence needed13.3%
- DominicaLicence needed16.9%
An estimate for budgeting, not legal or tax advice. These rates are traced to published sources but have not been reviewed by a practitioner in this jurisdiction. Confirm the current position with an attorney before you commit.
Sources: [1]