Dominica CIPO: cipo.gov.dm is not the e-registry search form

TL;DR. Dominica’s CIPO site at https://www.cipo.gov.dm is HTTP 200, title Home. It is an information CMS (site search at /search), not a company-register search form. The E-Registry button points to https://efiling.cipo.gov.dm/ (HTTP 200, title E-Filing), an Angular JS shell with no search fields in the fetched HTML. https://www.companies.gov.dm is NXDOMAIN. Live fees at https://www.cipo.gov.dm/fees/companies/: For search EC$5; For certification of any document EC$10. Instant and Free online name search are not live-cited. CIPO’s own page states it is a Department of the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs. Confirm FATF listing at fatf-gafi.org.

What is the official Dominica business registry?

The Companies and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) of the Commonwealth of Dominica registers companies under the Companies Act (Cap. 308), trademarks, and other intellectual property matters. Live homepage copy: CIPO was established under Part II of the Patent Act, Act 8 of 1999, is the National Companies and Intellectual Property Registry, and is a Department of the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs. The live site is https://www.cipo.gov.dm (HTTP 200, title Home). https://www.companies.gov.dm is NXDOMAIN.

The Commonwealth of Dominica is a small island state in the Lesser Antilles, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic (which occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola). Dominica’s population of approximately 75,000 supports a modest but functional business registry infrastructure. The country is a member of CARICOM, the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), and the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), with the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) as its currency under the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).

Company law in Dominica is based on the English common law tradition, with the Companies Act derived from the OECS model companies legislation framework that has been harmonised across Eastern Caribbean jurisdictions. The registry covers: companies limited by shares (private and public), companies limited by guarantee, unlimited companies, partnerships, business names, external companies (foreign branches), and international business companies (IBCs) registered for offshore purposes under the International Business Companies Act.

What can you search?

https://www.cipo.gov.dm is a CMS with site search (/search), not a companies-register lookup. The E-Registry link is https://efiling.cipo.gov.dm/ (title E-Filing), an Angular JS shell (ng-app="app", <div ui-view>). Company name, registration number, and status fields were not in that fetched HTML. Instant name search is not live-cited.

How much does it cost?

Live-cited from https://www.cipo.gov.dm/fees/companies/ (HTTP 200, title Companies; Companies Regulations 1997; Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2002). XCD 50-100 certified-extract figures are not on that table and are dropped. Instant is not live-cited. The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) is pegged at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00. IBC registration USD 90 (XCD 243) is on https://www.cipo.gov.dm/fees/international-business-companies/ and is an incorporation fee, not a search product.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Not observed as a working anonymous CR search. cipo.gov.dm has no company-register login. efiling.cipo.gov.dm is a JS shell, so accountRequired is not read past that wall.

Is the website in English?

Yes. English is the official language of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and all CIPO materials, the online portal, and official company documents are in English. This makes the registry directly accessible to international compliance buyers without translation requirements.

What’s the turnaround time?

Unknown. Instant name search is not live-cited. 2-5 business days for extracts is not on the fetched HTML.

Is there an API?

No public API is live-cited on cipo.gov.dm or the efiling JS shell.

What you legally cannot do

The CIPO terms of use and Dominica’s Privacy Act govern the use of registry data:

• Automated bulk scraping of the CIPO portal for commercial redistribution is prohibited
• Personal data from registry records (director and officer names) may not be used for unsolicited marketing or profiling
• Uncertified online search results may not be misrepresented as certified official documents for legal or regulatory submissions

For IBC structures: Dominica’s International Business Companies Act requires licensed registered agents to maintain UBO and corporate records. Confidentiality obligations apply; disclosure outside authorised channels violates the IBC Act. The Financial Services Unit (FSU) of Dominica supervises the offshore financial services sector including registered agents for IBCs.

For cross-border due diligence principles, see the Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• XCD is pegged to USD. The Eastern Caribbean dollar has been fixed at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00 since 1976 by the ECCB. No exchange rate risk; budget using this conversion.
• Commonwealth of Dominica ≠ Dominican Republic. A common error: Dominica (officially the Commonwealth of Dominica) is a small Eastern Caribbean island nation. The Dominican Republic is a separate country sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Always confirm which jurisdiction you are researching when dealing with counterparties in this region.
• OECS/ECCB regulatory context. Dominica is one of six OECS/ECCU member states (alongside Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines). The ECCB supervises the banking and monetary system across these territories. Regional harmonisation of company law under the OECS Model Companies Act framework provides a consistent baseline for compliance research across OECS members.
• Domestic vs. IBC track. Domestic companies (Companies Act) can operate within Dominica. IBCs (IBC Act) are offshore structures for non-resident owners, tax-exempt on non-Dominican income, registered through licensed registered agents. For offshore structures, the registered agent is the primary source of detailed corporate records.
• UBO data is not public. Dominica’s beneficial ownership information is maintained by licensed registered agents and is not publicly searchable. Competent authorities can access this data. For AML/KYC purposes, request UBO declarations from the counterparty or their registered agent.
• Financial Services Unit (FSU). The FSU regulates Dominica’s offshore financial services sector, including IBCs, banks, insurance companies, and trust companies. If your counterparty holds a financial services licence, check the FSU register. The FSU website (fsu.gov.dm) publishes lists of licensed entities.
• Citizenship by investment programme (CBI). Dominica operates one of the Caribbean’s most established Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes. Individuals who obtained Dominican citizenship through the CBI programme may be nationals of other countries by birth; this is relevant for KYC nationality screening purposes. Dominican nationality does not guarantee local residency or business connections.
• FATF status. Confirm current listing at fatf-gafi.org.

Alternatives if you cannot access CIPO directly

• OpenCorporates: May index some Dominica company data; coverage is limited. Use for indicative name checks only.
• Local attorneys and corporate service providers: The Dominica Bar Association and CIPO can provide referrals to local practitioners experienced in company searches and due diligence.
• Financial Services Unit (fsu.gov.dm): For offshore financial services entities, the FSU licensed entity list is an essential cross-reference.

Local data suppliers

No major independent commercial credit bureau was live-cited for Dominica on this check. For credit risk assessment, the most practical approaches are: engaging a regional Eastern Caribbean law firm (several firms operate across multiple OECS jurisdictions), requesting trade references through the Dominica Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or using a global trade credit insurer with Caribbean coverage.

FAQ

Can a foreign company search the Dominica registry directly?

The CIPO site at https://www.cipo.gov.dm is reachable without registration. It is not a company-register search form. The E-Registry at efiling.cipo.gov.dm is a JS shell on this check. https://www.companies.gov.dm is NXDOMAIN.

What is the XCD and why is it stable?

The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD, EC$) is the common currency of eight ECCB member territories: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Anguilla. The ECCB has maintained the XCD peg at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00 since 1976, making it one of the world’s most durable currency pegs. The peg is backed by foreign exchange reserves and creates monetary stability across the currency union.

What is Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme?

Dominica’s CBI programme allows foreign nationals to obtain Dominican citizenship through qualifying real estate investments or donations to the government’s Economic Diversification Fund. CBI citizenship does not require residence in Dominica. Individuals with Dominican CBI citizenship may present Dominican passports for identity verification. For KYC purposes, the passport is valid identification, but CBI nationals may have primary economic ties to their country of birth rather than Dominica.

Does Dominica have a public UBO registry?

No. Beneficial ownership data is maintained by CIPO-registered agents and FSU-licensed service providers, and is not publicly searchable. Competent authorities have access. For compliance verification, request UBO declarations from the counterparty or their registered agent.

Is a Dominica IBC subject to local taxes?

Generally no. IBCs registered under Dominica’s International Business Companies Act are exempt from Dominican income tax on income derived from non-Dominican sources. They cannot conduct business within Dominica (with limited exceptions) and cannot own Dominican real estate directly. Annual licence fees are payable to the government regardless of activity.

Last verified: 2026-09-04. Sources: live GET of www.cipo.gov.dm (HTTP 200 Home); efiling.cipo.gov.dm (E-Filing JS shell); www.companies.gov.dm NXDOMAIN; /fees/companies/ search EC$5 and certification EC$10; fsu.gov.dm HTTP 200. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.