Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Programs Compared

Five programmes now share a regional floor, but not one rulebook

The principal Eastern Caribbean CBI programmes are operated by Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia. They share a broad model—citizenship after due diligence and a qualifying contribution or investment—but their prices, family rules, real-estate structures and presence requirements differ. As of September 2026, Dominica starts at US$200,000 for one applicant, Antigua's NDF at US$230,000, Grenada's NTF at US$235,000 for up to four, Saint Lucia's NEF at US$240,000 for the applicant plus up to three dependants, and St Kitts and Nevis' SISC at US$250,000 for up to four.

Family pricing separates programmes that look similar at first

Grenada, Saint Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis now use base bands that can cover a family of four. Dominica's EDF rises to US$250,000 for the main applicant plus up to three dependants. Antigua keeps the US$230,000 NDF contribution for up to four but adds a US$20,000 processing fee for that family size.

Real estate changes the comparison from price to capital strategy

Dominica starts approved real estate at US$200,000, Antigua at US$300,000, Grenada at US$270,000 plus a US$50,000 government contribution, and St Kitts and Nevis at US$325,000 for qualifying developer or condominium interests. Saint Lucia's real-estate rules have changed and current project availability should be checked carefully. Dominica generally uses at least three years, extending to five for a resale intended to qualify another CBI purchaser. Antigua generally requires five years. St Kitts and Nevis currently uses seven years. The Grenada and Saint Lucia project-specific rules should be verified on the intended investment.

Interviews, presence and family definitions remain programme-specific

Antigua stands out for its five-day presence requirement during the first five calendar years. Grenada says applicants do not need to visit for the process but conducts an online interview. Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis have formal interview requirements, and regional standards continue to tighten.

Regional coordination is increasing, so comparisons need a date stamp

The five participating Eastern Caribbean states agreed common minimum-pricing and regulatory principles beginning in 2024 and have continued work on shared standards and oversight. That reduces the usefulness of old comparisons based on very low pre-2024 prices. For a real applicant, family eligibility, total non-refundable cost, source-of-funds complexity, property liquidity and presence obligations are more decisive than a generic 'best Caribbean programme' label. Use dated official figures and price the exact household before deciding. For a Caribbean comparison, put the five programmes into one table using the same family profile. Separate the base contribution or property minimum from due diligence and government fees, then add presence rules, holding periods and dependant eligibility. This exposes differences that disappear when only the single-applicant headline is shown.

Refresh that table from the five official programme sources before acting. Caribbean governments can change thresholds or fee bands independently, so a ranking copied from an older comparison may mix rules from different dates. The five Eastern Caribbean programmes have moved closer on minimum pricing, but the convergence is incomplete. Contribution bands, real-estate structures, interviews, dependant definitions and post-approval obligations remain different enough that a family can reach a different conclusion from a single applicant even when both start from the same regional minimum.