Sun, 27 Jul 2025

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 The Caribbean islands that give you a passport if you buy a home

Five of the region's island nations offer such citizenship by investment for as little as $200,000.

* The Eastern Caribbean is seeing a surge in interest from wealthy buyers seeking citizenship by investment (CBI) due to political and social volatility in the US.
* Five island nations - Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia - offer CBI programs with prices starting at $200,000 (£145,000).
* Buyers can obtain a passport that grants visa-free access to up to 150 countries, including Europe's Schengen area and the UK.
* The schemes are also attractive due to the absence of taxes such as capital gains and inheritance in some cases.
* US citizens account for the bulk of CBI applications in the Caribbean over the past year.
* Henley & Partners reports a 12% increase in CBI applications since the fourth quarter of 2024.
* Some critics argue that CBI programs can be used by criminals to obtain passports, and the European Union has threatened to withdraw visa-free access for Caribbean CBI countries.
* The five Caribbean nations have reacted angrily to claims they are not doing enough to scrutinize applicants, with Dominica's Prime Minister describing his country's program as "sound and transparent".
* The programs were initially met with controversy but have become a significant source of revenue for the islands, accounting for 10-30% of their GDP.
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