17 October, 2026
Are the Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs closing? What the EU has asked for
In June 2026 the European Commission asked five Eastern Caribbean countries to phase out their programs by June 2028. What it means, what is certain, and what is not.
If you are considering a second passport from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis or Saint Lucia, the most important news of 2026 is not a price change. It is a formal request from the European Union to close the programs. Here is what has been asked, what governments have answered, and what we do not yet know.
The short answer
The programs are still operating, and the governments say they will continue. But the European Commission has formally asked these countries to phase them out by 1 June 2028, and has linked the request to their citizens’ visa-free travel to the Schengen area. Nobody can say today how this will end.
What the European Commission has asked
- According to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, a letter dated 25 June 2026, signed by Commissioner Magnus Brunner and addressed to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, formally requested that the country phase out its program by 1 June 2028.
- The Commission offered a 24-month transition period. In the meantime it asked for individuals under EU restrictive measures to be excluded and for tighter vetting of all nationalities, no later than September 2026.
- The EU says it will reflect each country’s response in its next visa-suspension report, planned for December 2026.
- The Antigua and Barbuda government states that Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia received similar letters.
Why the EU can act: the visa-suspension mechanism
In November 2025 the Council of the EU approved a revised mechanism for suspending visa-free travel for third countries, which the Commission said enters into force on 30 December 2025. When a country runs an investor-citizenship scheme that grants citizenship to people with no genuine link to the country, the EU can suspend that country’s visa-free access. The Commission’s eighth report under the mechanism (December 2025) names the five Eastern Caribbean schemes and calls their continued operation a persistent and serious security concern and a potential ground for suspension.
The same report records that the five countries have harmonised their minimum investment at US$200,000, strengthened security screening and agreed common standards for information-sharing. It also notes roughly 107,625 passports issued across the five schemes, and still raises concerns about high volumes, short processing times and low rejection rates.
What the governments say
- Antigua and Barbuda’s government says its program will continue and will not be phased out unilaterally.
- It describes citizenship-by-investment revenue as critical to its budget and argues that any phase-out requires “viable, concrete, and credible replacement revenues” from the EU; it says the EU’s offers of support are not quantified or binding.
- It will keep excluding individuals under EU restrictive measures and reinforce vetting for other applicants, and will keep talking to the Commission and regional partners.
The countries have also been building a regional regulator (ECCIRA). Antigua and Barbuda has enacted the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority Agreement Act (No. 18 of 2025), and Grenada tabled an amendment bill in 2026 to recognise it.
What we know, and what we don’t
| Known | Not known |
|---|---|
| The Commission has formally requested a phase-out by 1 June 2028, with a 24-month transition. | Whether any country will actually close its program, and when. |
| The EU’s revised mechanism lets it suspend visa-free travel for countries that run such programs. | Whether, and from when, visa-free access would be suspended for any of the five. |
| Governments say their programs continue. | What would happen to applications submitted during a transition. |
The sources we reviewed deal with new applications and the programs’ future. They do not describe any change for people who already hold citizenship, and we will update this article if that changes.
What it means if you are considering a Caribbean passport
- Be clear about why you want it. If visa-free travel to Europe is the main reason, the EU request is directly relevant to you. If it is business or travel elsewhere, a Caribbean passport may still serve you, but your needs should be written down before you pay anything.
- Check your home country’s rules on second nationality first.
- Watch the milestones: the countries’ responses, the Commission’s December 2026 report, and any national announcement on timing.
- Compare with European residence. Residence in Greece, Portugal, Italy or Malta gives the right to live in the EU, but it is not citizenship. See our guide to residency versus citizenship.
The five programs at a glance (official figures)
| Country | Headline minimum | More |
|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | US$230,000 (NDF) | Program page |
| Dominica | US$200,000 (EDF, single applicant) | Program page |
| Grenada | US$235,000 (NTF) | Program page |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | US$250,000 (SISC) | Program page |
| Saint Lucia | US$240,000 (NEF), confirmed case by case | Program page |
Sources
- Government of Antigua and Barbuda: response to the European Commission communication on CBI (6 July 2026)
- European Commission: Eighth report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism, COM(2025) 792 (19 December 2025)
- Council of the EU: new rules for the suspension of visa-free travel (17 November 2025)
- Antigua and Barbuda: ECCIRA Agreement Act, No. 18 of 2025
- Grenada: Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Last verified against the sources below on 16 October 2026. This is a developing situation; always confirm the current position before investing. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
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