Citizenship by Investment (CBI)

CBI programmes (also "economic citizenship") differ from Golden Visa / RBI programmes by granting full citizenship — passport, voting rights, and consular protection — in exchange for an investment. The first modern CBI programme was launched by St. Kitts and Nevis in 1984, and Caribbean states remain the longest-standing market.

Active 2026 programmes:

• St. Kitts and Nevis — $250,000 SISC (Sustainable Island State Contribution, the donation route) for a single applicant or family of up to 4. Real-estate route from $400,000. Processing 4-6 months.

• Dominica — $200,000 Economic Diversification Fund donation single applicant; $250,000 family of 4. Processing 3-4 months. Lowest-cost active CBI programme in 2026.

• Antigua and Barbuda — $230,000 NDF donation for family of 4; $300,000 real estate; $1.5M business investment.

• Grenada — $235,000 NTF donation single applicant; $270,000 family of 4. Real-estate route $270,000+. Notable: Grenada has a US E-2 treaty allowing visa-free US residency for investors after CBI.

• St. Lucia — $240,000 NEF donation; bonds and real-estate options also available.

• Türkiye — $400,000 Turkish real-estate purchase, held 3 years. Largest active CBI by application volume; not visa-free to most Schengen.

• Vanuatu — $130,000 Development Support Programme single applicant; among the cheapest globally but the passport has weaker visa-free strength.

• Egypt — newer programme launched 2023; $250,000 USD bank deposit (refundable) + naturalisation through 5-year wait, OR $300,000 non-refundable USD payment for direct citizenship.

EU CBI programmes are largely closed or restricted:

• Cyprus — terminated November 2020 after EC infringement proceedings.

• Malta — Individual Investor Programme replaced by the Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (CES-DI). Malta's programme was the subject of a 2024 European Court of Justice opinion finding it incompatible with the EU Treaty's loyalty obligations between Member States; Malta has appealed, but new applications are limited and uncertain.

Due diligence has tightened materially after the 2014-2024 wave of EU and US sanctions enforcement. Russian and Belarusian applicants have been excluded from most Caribbean programmes since 2022. Iranian applicants face additional screening. Any criminal record, OFAC entanglement, or sanctioned-jurisdiction connection is now generally disqualifying.