Caribbean citizenship by investment means five small island states that grant citizenship in exchange for a government contribution or an approved investment: Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia. As of October 2026, the entry prices on the official program websites run from $200,000 in Dominica to $250,000 in St Kitts and Nevis, before fees.
The five programs look alike on paper. They share a price floor, all of them accept dual citizens, and none of them asks you to live on the island before you apply. The differences are in the details: family pricing, real estate rules, residence conditions after approval, and how each passport is treated by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Key takeaways
- Dominica has the lowest donation price ($200,000 for a single applicant), while St Kitts and Nevis has the highest ($250,000).
- Official fees add roughly $8,500 to $19,000 for a single applicant on the donation routes, and more for families and real estate routes.
- Antigua and Barbuda requires citizens by investment to spend at least five days in the country during the first five calendar years.
- A new regional regulator and a possible regional residence rule are in preparation, but no start date has been announced.
- Travel access is under pressure: Dominica nationals have needed a UK visa since 2023 and St Lucia nationals since March 2026, and the EU can now suspend visa-free travel over investor citizenship schemes.
How Caribbean citizenship by investment works
Each program follows the same basic path. You apply through a locally licensed agent, pay due diligence and processing fees, and pass background checks run by the government and outside firms. If the unit grants approval in principle, you then make the contribution or complete the investment, and the government issues a certificate of citizenship and a passport.
There are two main kinds of route. A donation route is a non-refundable payment into a national fund. A real estate route is a purchase in a government-approved project that you must hold for a minimum period before resale. Real estate costs more up front but leaves you with an asset, which may or may not be easy to sell later. Our guide to CBI real estate holding periods covers the resale rules in more detail.
Every program checks how you earned your wealth, not only the bank transfer. See our overview of source of funds checks for investment migration.
The five programs at a glance
| Program | Donation route (minimum) | Real estate route (minimum) | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominica | $200,000 single, $250,000 family of four | $200,000 plus a $75,000 government fee | Lowest entry price; UK visa required since 2023 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | $230,000 (single or family) | $300,000 | Five-day stay rule; parents over 55 can be included |
| Grenada | $235,000 | $270,000 or $350,000 plus a $50,000 government fee | US E-2 treaty country; independent program review in 2026 |
| St Kitts and Nevis | $250,000 (Sustainable Island State Contribution) | $325,000 (approved development) | Biometric enrolment for all investor citizens |
| St Lucia | $240,000 (applicant plus up to three dependants) | $300,000 | $300,000 government bond option; UK visa required since March 2026 |
Figures are from the official program websites as of October 2026 and change often.
Program by program
Dominica
Dominica's Economic Diversification Fund costs $200,000 for a main applicant alone and $250,000 for a main applicant with up to three dependants. Each extra dependant under 18 adds $25,000, and each extra dependant aged 18 or over adds $40,000. Due diligence costs $7,500 for the main applicant and $4,000 for each dependant aged 16 or over.
The real estate route starts at $200,000 in an approved project, plus a government fee of $75,000 for a single applicant or $100,000 for a family of up to four. The property must be held for three years from the grant of citizenship, or five years if the next buyer also uses it for a citizenship application.
All applicants aged 16 and over attend a mandatory interview, usually held online. Applicants also sign an undertaking not to change their name for five years after naturalization, except through marriage. The unit says applicants should expect at least three months before approval in principle, and its own timeline guide puts most complete files at three to six months.
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda's National Development Fund costs $230,000, whether you apply alone or with family. The official fee schedule adds a government processing fee of $10,000 for a single applicant, $20,000 for a family of up to four, and $10,000 for each extra dependant. Due diligence costs $8,500 for the main applicant, $5,000 for a spouse, $4,000 for dependants aged 18 to 30 and for parents aged 55 or over, and $2,000 for children aged 12 to 17. Children under 12 pay no due diligence fee.
Other routes include a $300,000 real estate purchase, a $1.5 million business investment (or a $5 million joint project with at least $400,000 from each investor), and a University of the West Indies fund option. A family can include a spouse, dependent children and dependent parents over 55.
The key condition is the stay rule. A citizen by investment must spend at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda during the first five calendar years. The government can deprive a citizen who fails to meet it, with no refund of the investment.
Grenada
Grenada's National Transformation Fund costs $235,000. The official fee page lists an application fee of $1,500 per person, due diligence of $5,000 per adult, a processing fee of $1,500 per person aged 17 or over, and an interview fee of $1,000 per person aged 17 or over. The real estate route requires $270,000 or $350,000 in an approved project, plus a $50,000 government fee.
Grenada is often chosen for its E-2 investor treaty with the United States. Since a 2022 change to US law, people who gained treaty-country citizenship through investment generally must have been domiciled in that country for at least three continuous years before they can get an E visa, so the E-2 angle is narrower than some marketing suggests. In September 2026, Grenada's Investment Migration Agency commissioned an independent review of its program, with a public summary of findings promised after the review closes.
St Kitts and Nevis
St Kitts and Nevis runs the oldest program in the region. Its official options page lists a Sustainable Island State Contribution of $250,000 and a Public Benefit Option of $250,000, each for a main applicant or a family of up to four. Real estate starts at $325,000 for a unit in an approved development, with a seven-year holding period before resale, or $600,000 for a private single-family home.
The country has moved further than its neighbors on post-approval obligations. All citizens by investment, including children, must complete biometric enrolment by July 31, 2027, under a program the Citizenship Unit launched in April 2026, and enrolment has been part of the passport process since September 1, 2026. In its December 2025 update, the unit's chairman said the program would begin a transition away from contribution-based routes toward residency and participation routes. As of the unit's August 2026 guidance, the contribution routes are still listed.
St Lucia
St Lucia's National Economic Fund costs $240,000 for an applicant with up to three dependants. Extra dependants cost $10,000 each if under 18 and $20,000 each if over 18. A processing fee of $2,000 applies to the main applicant and $1,000 to each dependant, and due diligence costs $8,000 for the main applicant and $5,000 for each dependant over 16.
St Lucia also offers a National Action Bond: $300,000 in non-interest-bearing government bonds held for five years, plus a $50,000 administration fee. The real estate route requires $300,000 in an approved project plus administrative fees, and an enterprise route ranges from a $250,000 option to $3.5 million for a single investor.
What a family of four pays
Headline prices hide the real comparison for families. A couple with two children aged 10 and 14 would face approximately these totals on the donation route, using the official fee schedules:
| Program | Contribution | Main fees (approximate) | Approximate total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominica | $250,000 | $11,500 due diligence, plus interview and other government charges | About $264,000 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | $230,000 | $20,000 processing, $15,500 due diligence, $1,200 passports | About $267,000 |
| Grenada | $235,000 | About $22,000 in application, due diligence, processing and interview fees | About $257,000 |
| St Lucia | $240,000 | $5,000 processing, $13,000 due diligence | About $258,000 |
| St Kitts and Nevis | $250,000 | Government and due diligence fees per the unit's schedule | $250,000 plus fees |
Agent fees, legal fees, document certification, translation and courier costs come on top. They vary widely by provider.
Travel access and the pressure on Caribbean passports
All five passports currently give visa-free short stays in the Schengen Area. Dominica lost visa-free access to the United Kingdom in July 2023, when the UK cited concerns about its investor program. St Lucia followed on March 5, 2026, when the UK cited a rise in asylum claims by St Lucian visitors rather than the investor program. As of October 2026, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis are not on the UK visa national list.
The EU has also sharpened its tools. Its revised visa suspension mechanism, amended by Regulation (EU) 2025/2441, lists the operation of an investor citizenship scheme as a ground to suspend visa-free travel, according to the European Commission. Vanuatu already lost its EU visa waiver over its program. We follow the EU talks with the Caribbean in Caribbean CBI under EU pressure.
The United States matters too. A US presidential proclamation issued on December 16, 2025 placed new limits on entry for nationals of several countries. Antigua and Barbuda's government says existing US visas held by its citizens remain valid while new arrangements, focused on biometric data, are negotiated. None of the five passports qualifies for the US Visa Waiver Program.
The regional regulator and a possible residence rule
The participating governments have signed a framework for the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA). According to St Kitts and Nevis, the regional framework will take effect only after the authority is operational and all member states agree on a start date. Official statements in September 2026 mention a possible residence requirement at regional level, but give no detail or date.
For applicants, this means the rules may change during the life of a passport.
How to compare the five programs
- Family shape: Antigua and Barbuda includes parents over 55 at no extra contribution, while the others charge more for dependants beyond a family of four.
- Asset or donation: A donation is gone for good. A real estate purchase or St Lucia's bond ties up more capital, but some of it may come back.
- Post-approval duties: Antigua's five-day stay, Dominica's five-year name rule and St Kitts' biometric enrolment all continue after the passport arrives.
- Travel needs: UK access rules out Dominica and St Lucia for some people. EU and US policy may shift for all five.
- Revocation risk: Every program can remove citizenship for fraud or false statements. See whether citizenship by investment can be revoked.
If price is the main factor, our list of the cheapest citizenship by investment programs also covers cheaper options outside the Caribbean. All five programs allow dual citizenship, but your current country may not; see countries that allow dual citizenship.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Caribbean citizenship by investment?
Dominica's Economic Diversification Fund, at $200,000 for a single applicant, is the lowest price among the five as of October 2026. For a family of four with young children, Grenada, St Lucia and Dominica end up within a few thousand dollars of each other once fees are included.
Do I have to live in the Caribbean to keep the passport?
Not in general. Antigua and Barbuda requires at least five days in the country during the first five calendar years. A regional residence rule has been discussed, but no start date has been set.
How long does Caribbean citizenship by investment take?
Dominica's unit says most complete applications take about three to six months. Other units do not publish a fixed timeline, and new steps such as interviews and biometrics can add time.
Does Caribbean citizenship change my tax situation?
Citizenship alone does not usually change where you are tax resident. Tax residence depends on where you live and the rules of each country involved. Dominica, for example, says it does not tax foreign income, capital gains or inheritance, but that matters only if you become resident there.
Can a Caribbean passport be taken away?
Yes. All five programs allow deprivation for fraud or false statements, and some have further grounds, such as Antigua's stay rule. Holding real estate for the full minimum period and keeping records of your application helps you show you met the conditions.
Important: This article is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules change often and depend on your personal circumstances. Speak with a qualified professional in each relevant country before you act.