Citizenship by Investment
Citizenship by investment (CBI) means getting a passport in return for an investment in a country's economy, usually a donation to a government fund or the purchase of approved real estate. In most cases there is no requirement to live in the country, and citizenship often arrives within a year.
Six countries run the programs most travellers ask about: five in the Eastern Caribbean plus Vanuatu in the Pacific. The Caribbean programs harmonized their minimum donations at $200,000 in 2024 and answer to a shared regulator, ECCIRA, which became operational in September 2026.
The table below compares the programs using data from this site's index, verified in October 2026.
Compare the programs
| Passport | Program since | Minimum donation | Visa-free | E-visa | On arrival | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1984 | $250,000 | 101 | 48 | 15 | #54 |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 2013 | $230,000 | 97 | 47 | 16 | #60 |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | 2013 | $235,000 | 91 | 44 | 16 | #66 |
| 🇩🇲 Dominica | 1993 | $200,000 | 90 | 51 | 17 | #68 |
| 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 2016 | $240,000 | 84 | 50 | 17 | #76 |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 2017 | $130,000 | 42 | 58 | 16 | #115 |
Minimum donation for a single applicant, before fees and due diligence costs. Visa counts and ranks come from our own passport rankings.
How the programs differ
- Saint Kitts and Nevis. The world's first and oldest program, running since 1984.
- Dominica. One of the oldest programs (since 1993) and the cheapest way into the Caribbean group. Dominica also has visa-free access to China and Russia.
- Grenada. The only Caribbean CBI country whose citizens can apply for US E-2 investor visas, and it has visa-free access to China.
- Antigua and Barbuda. The most demanding of the group on presence: new citizens must spend 5 days in the country within the first 5 years.
- Saint Lucia. The newest Caribbean program, introduced in 2016.
- Vanuatu. The cheapest and fastest option overall, but its passport lost visa-free access to the UK in 2023 and to the Schengen area in December 2024, which makes it far weaker than the Caribbean five.
Expect total costs well above the minimum donation once government fees, due diligence checks and agent fees are added. Typical processing times run from 4 to 8 months for the Caribbean programs, and faster for Vanuatu.
Recent changes to watch
- EU deadline. In June 2026 the European Commission asked the five Caribbean countries to wind down their programs by 1 June 2028. New EU visa suspension rules treat a CBI program as grounds to revoke Schengen visa-free access, but so far no suspension has been applied and no program has closed.
- US entry restrictions. A US proclamation effective January 2026 restricts entry for nationals of some CBI countries, and visa bonds of up to $20,000 apply to some applicants. None of the six passports has visa-free access to the United States.
- Shared regulator. ECCIRA now runs shared applicant registers and biometric checks across the five Caribbean programs.
This page is general information, not immigration or investment advice. Verify the latest rules with a licensed agent and the program's official unit before applying.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest citizenship by investment program?
Vanuatu has the lowest donation threshold at $130,000, but its passport no longer has visa-free access to the Schengen area or the United Kingdom. Among the five Caribbean programs, Dominica is the cheapest with a $200,000 donation.
Which citizenship by investment passport is the strongest?
The Kittian and Nevisian passport ranks highest among the six in our index, with 101 visa-free destinations, plus 48 accessible with an e-visa and 15 with a visa on arrival.
Do I have to live in the country to get citizenship by investment?
No. The Caribbean programs grant citizenship through a donation or a real estate purchase without a residency requirement. Every adult applicant must pass due diligence checks and an interview, and Antigua and Barbuda asks new citizens to spend 5 days in the country within the first 5 years.
Can I travel to the US or Europe with a citizenship by investment passport?
The five Caribbean passports have visa-free access to the Schengen area, but the European Commission asked in June 2026 to wind the programs down by 1 June 2028 or risk losing it. None of the six programs gives visa-free access to the United States, and recent US rules added entry restrictions and visa bonds for some of these nationalities.