Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Programmes

Facts about Citizenship by Investment Programmes

The Citizenship by investment program becomes even more competitive as the Antigua & Barbuda and St Kitts & Nevis passports provide visa-free travel to 132 countries and territories including 26 nations in the European Union. Citizens who are seeking to have a more stable life and get greater tax benefits with the ease of travel are all opting for a Caribbean nation as a second home through Citizenship by Investment program. The Caribbean island Citizenship by Investment program is offered by five island nations, namely St Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada.

Dual Citizenship

Gaining citizenship of a second country has a variety of benefits, including an additional place for spending time, residing, working and investing, as well as the benefits of a more powerful passport which will facilitate easy travel to more countries. While there are plenty of countries that offer dual citizenship, such as the Caribbean nations offering citizenship by investment programmes, it’s important to check with the host country, or the country whose passport you currently hold, accepts dual citizenship or not. Certain nations restrict their citizens from taking up any additional passports and citizenships.

Facts about Citizenships by Investment in different Countries

1. Citizenship by Investment in St. Lucia

One of the most admired and sought after island nation in the Caribbean region, St. Lucia provides easy Citizenship by Investment within 3-4 months from the time of application. It is a beautiful eastern Caribbean Island with a high earning population, very safe and having absolutely mesmerizing weather with landscapes to enjoy and admire. The application procedure for the Citizenship by Investment programme is also straightforward and simple. There is no compulsory requirement to reside in St Lucia, and the passport gives access to visa-free travel to 146 countries.

The entire process for Citizenship by Investment takes no more than 3-4 months and once the approval letter in principle of Citizenship is awarded, only then does the applicant need to pay the donation amount and subsequently receive the Citizenship letter. The investment has to be made in any instrument supported by the St. Lucia government.

The applicant must have a clean police record with no link to criminal activities, a positive health record, and proof of wealth or net worth. The investment can be made in any one of the following formats:

• Donate money to the government’s National Economic Fund
• Purchase property in a government-approved real estate project
• Invest in a local business
• Buy government bonds

The four different ways of securing Citizenship by Investment in St Lucia require different amounts of investment, in addition to processing and due diligence fees.

Option 1 – Donation to St Lucia National Economic Fund

The donation amount for a single application only for securing Citizenship by Investment in St Lucia is to the tune of $100,000. For the main applicant and his spouse it is $165,000, if it is a family of four then the fees is $190,000 and for dependent parents, it is $25,000 for each member. There is are no government fees and the processing fees is around $2,000 for the main applicant and $1,000 for every subsequent dependent.

The due diligence fees for the main applicant is $7,500 and $5,000 for each dependent over the age of 16.

Option 2 – Purchasing Real Estate to secure Citizenship

The applicant must make an approved investment in real estate development in St Lucia, having a minimum value of $300,000 which must be maintained for at least 5 years.

Government administrative fees are also mandatory, with fees of $50,000 for the main applicant, $35,000 for a spouse, $25,000 for dependents under the age of 18 years, and $35,000 for dependents above the age of 18 years. Apart from this, due diligence charges are to be paid for the application processing, amounting to $7,500 for the main applicant and $5,000 for each dependent aged 16 and above.

Option 3 – Investing In A Business

Another easy way to secure Citizenship is by investing in a business opportunity in the island nation. To qualify for citizenship on the basis of investment in a business, the investment needs to be made in an approved Enterprise Project, with a minimum investment of $3.5 million, and the creation of a minimum of 3 permanent jobs, or a joint investment of minimum $1 million with the creation of at least 6 permanent jobs.

Examples of businesses where investments can be made are restaurants; cruise ports and marinas; agro-processing plants, pharmaceutical products; ports, bridges, roads and highways; research institutions and facilities; and offshore universities. If you want to invest safely, better and cheaper it is also a good opportunity to invest in one of the hybrid companies.

The government administrative fees required is $50,000 for the main applicant; $35,000 for each dependent aged 18 and older and $25,000 for each dependent younger than 18. In the case of Citizenship by Business venture investment, the processing fees are about $2,000 for the main applicant and $1,000 for every subsequent dependent.

The due diligence fees for the main applicant is $7,500 and $5,000 for each dependent over the age of 16.

Option 4 – Purchasing Government bonds in St Lucia

The investments required under the scheme of purchasing government bonds are:

• $500,000 for a single applicant
• $535,000 for the main applicant applying with a spouse
• $550,000 for a family of up to 4
• $25,000 for each additional dependent thereafter.

The non-refundable, compulsory government fees is $50,000 for the main applicant and the same for each of the dependent family members. The due diligence fees for the main applicant is $7,500 and $5,000 for each dependent over the age of 16.

St Lucia is an ideal location that provides a relaxing environment, a positive business atmosphere, and a powerful passport.

2. Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Program

The citizenship by investment program of Antigua and Barbuda was launched in 2012 and has gained immense popularity. Its powerful passport provides visa-free travel to 132 countries including territories around Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

To maintain the citizenship a minimum residency of 5 days over 5 years each year is required. There are two main routes by which of secure the citizenship planning by investment in Antigua and Barbuda. Both options are discussed below.

Option 1: A contribution to the Antigua and Barbuda National Development Fund (NDF)

The donation to secure this citizenship is a non-refundable, one-time payment for a single applicant to the National Development Fund of Antigua and Barbuda and must be made as soon as the Letter of Approval in principle is received. Citizenship by Investment in Antigua and Barbuda is to the tune of $100,000 and has to be made in favor of the National Development Fund (NDF) of Antigua and Barbuda. For the main applicant and his spouse it is $165,000, if it is a family of four then the fees is $200,000 and for dependents such as parents, it is $25,000 for each member. There are however no government fees and the processing fees is around $2,000 for the main applicant and $1,000 for every subsequent dependent.

The due diligence fees for the main applicant is $7,500 and $5,000 for each dependent over the age of 16.

Option 2: The other option available is to make an investment of at least $400,000 into one of the approved real estate projects of the government of Antigua and Barbuda which is to be held for a minimum period of 5 years.

Option 3: The third option is an investment of a minimum of $1,500,000 directly to an eligible business as a sole investor or a joint investment involving at least 2 persons in an eligible business totaling at least $5,000,000. Each of the applicants is required to individually invest and maintain the investment for a period of at least five years.

3. Citizenship by Investment in Dominica

Another beautiful island nation with panoramic view is Dominica Island and its Economic Citizenship program which was launched in the year 1993. Surrounded by white beaches and azure seas this island nation is a scenic paradise and a much sought after citizenship destination for the wealthy and classy populace.

The unique and powerful passport of the Dominica Republic allows visa-free travel to more than 90 nations across the world and 23 nations across the European Union.
The best part of this citizenship is that it has no residency or minimum visitation required to maintain citizenship. This means that personal stay is not required to maintain citizenship in this island country.

There are only 2 main investment requirements for Dominica Citizenship by investment, which are as follows:

Option 1: A contribution made into the Dominica Government Fund amounting to $100,000 depending on the number of dependents included in the application.

Option 2: An investment in a designated real estate development property or program with a value of at least $200,000, to remain invested in for a period of five years or more. The projects have to be approved by the Government of Dominica as an “approved venture” for the purpose of the Citizenship by Investment program.

4. St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program

The St Kitts & Nevis islands just like Dominica have more or less similar rules for Citizenship by Investment. The government of these countries encourages people to seek out the Citizenship programme which is beneficial to both the nation and those seeking Citizenship by Investment.

This program requires that individuals have a high net worth and a willingness and capacity to invest in the following ways:

– Real estate investment of at least $400,000 which is to be maintained at least five years before Economic Citizenship is granted.
– Donation to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation of St Kitts and Nevis. The amounts vary depending on the family status and net worth, but the typical payment required is:

• $250,000 for a single applicant
• $300,000 for up to three dependents
• $350,000 for up to five dependents
• $450,000 for up to seven dependents
• $50,000 for every dependent after that

The St Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment program was launched way back in 1984 and offers a passport that has visa-free entry to over 132 other nations and is one of the cheapest such programs available. The Citizenship is easy to procure and the entire process is very smooth and simple if the steps are followed meticulously. St. Kitts and Nevis offer a great program, with the Citizenship guaranteeing visa-free entry to over 100 other countries and the European Union.

5. Grenada Citizenship by Investment program

The island nation of Grenada is among the most sought Caribbean nations for Citizenship by Investment program which was launched in the year 2014 and is a new entrant in this field.

It allows for visa-free travel to almost 91 nations including in the EU and North America and just like St Kitts & Nevis citizenship, this too does not require any minimum stay to maintain the permanent residency. There are two basic investment methods that can help applicants secure a Citizenship by Investment in the island nation of Grenada. These are as follows:

Option 1: A non-refundable donation of $200,000 to the Island Transformation Fund. This process involves first obtaining a Grenada Permanent Residence and then applying for naturalization as a second step.

Option 2: Investment of a minimum of $250,000 in a government-approved real estate project.

Program Check

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Program Cost

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Program Map

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Power of the Caribbean Passport

Be it St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Grenada or Dominica, a Caribbean passport can give you visa-free entry into numerous countries around the world and in the European Union. All of these passports have an immense amount of investment options, good weather, social security and stable economic growth associated with it and can be a boon to anyone who chooses to get this citizenship by investment.

The simple requirements are a clean background check and enough money to invest in the nation in which one is seeking citizenship. The four major areas are

• Government economic funds
• Real estate
• Government bonds
• Business project investment

The overall process takes 4-5 months max and is very systematic and transparent. If all the documents are in order and the money for investment is ready, it is indeed one of the cheapest and fastest Citizenship by Investment programs in the world, as well as among the most popular and appealing ones. Apart from the investment costs, there are additional fees for due diligence, and government and passport processing. Additional fees would also apply for each dependent.
Citizenship by Investment Programmes are ushering in the new era of flexible citizenships, moving past the days when a person was restricted to only one country by birth or residence. Although naturalization for immigration is a means to gain citizenship for another country, the process is lengthy and requires commitments such as long-term residency and clearing of immigration tests. Also the waiting list for immigration tends to be quite long. In comparison, the citizenship by investment process is quick and hassle free, albeit an expensive one. Compared with the benefits offered along with the citizenship, the concept of citizenship by investment has gained immense popularity over the years, providing relaxation as well as business opportunities.

As the investment required is of a significant amount, it is important to thoroughly research the available options and procedure. Equipped with experts in the field, Citizenships.com can help guide you through the process and help you secure the most suitable citizenship for your needs.

For further inquiries contact us at the earliest.