Five small island nations sell second citizenship, and the prices now sit close together. Since 1 July 2024, every Eastern Caribbean programme has been bound to a US$200,000 minimum investment floor agreed through the OECS Memorandum of Agreement (OECS Pressroom, 2024). That single rule reshaped the whole region. So how do St Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, St Lucia and Dominica actually differ once the headline floor is the same? The answer comes down to real prices, passport strength and a few quirks that matter more than the brochures admit. This guide compares all five on cost, speed and visa-free access, with every figure sourced.
For the wider picture on routes, costs and eligibility worldwide, see our 2026 citizenship by investment guide.
Key Takeaways
- A US$200,000 floor binds all five Caribbean programmes since 1 July 2024 (OECS Pressroom, 2024), but only Dominica actually sits at it.
- Dominica is the cheapest entry at US$200,000; St Kitts is the priciest at US$250,000.
- St Kitts holds the strongest passport with 157 visa-free destinations; Dominica trails at 136.
- Grenada is the only one with a USA E-2 treaty; Antigua is the only one demanding a 5-day visit.
- Processing runs roughly 3 to 6 months, though only Dominica publishes an official timeline.
Why has Caribbean citizenship by investment become so similar on price?
The five Caribbean citizenship by investment programmes converged on price because of one regional rule. Since 1 July 2024, the OECS Memorandum of Agreement has imposed a US$200,000 minimum investment floor on every member programme (OECS Pressroom, 2024). The MoA was signed in March 2024 and remained in force through November 2025.
Here's the distinction most comparisons get wrong. The US$200,000 figure is a floor, not a sticker price. Only Dominica actually sits on it. St Kitts charges US$250,000, Grenada US$235,000, Antigua US$230,000 and St Lucia US$240,000 through their donation routes. So the floor narrowed the gap, but it didn't flatten it. A US$50,000 spread still separates the cheapest from the priciest.
Why did the region agree to this? In our experience advising relocating families, the answer is reputational. The OECS bloc wanted to stop a price war that was drawing scrutiny from the EU and the US. The floor protects the programmes' long-term credibility, which protects the value of the passports they sell.
Citation capsule: Since 1 July 2024, all five Eastern Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programmes share a US$200,000 minimum investment floor set by the OECS Memorandum of Agreement (OECS Pressroom, 2024). The floor narrowed prices but did not equalise them: Dominica alone sits at US$200,000, while St Kitts and Nevis remains highest at US$250,000.
How do the five Caribbean programmes compare side by side?
The five programmes differ most on real-estate thresholds and passport strength, not on the headline floor. Donation minimums run from US$200,000 (Dominica) to US$250,000 (St Kitts), while real-estate routes start between US$200,000 and US$325,000 (Henley & Partners, 2026). Visa-free access ranges from 136 to 157 destinations across the group.
The table below sets out the lowest fund-route donation, the cheapest real-estate option, government and due-diligence fees, indicative processing and visa-free reach for a single applicant. Treat processing times as indicative, since only Dominica publishes an official figure.
| Programme | Donation min | Real-estate min | Govt + DD fees | Processing (indicative) | Visa-free (Henley 2026) | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Kitts & Nevis | $250,000 (SISC) | $325,000 (condo) | DD applies; +$50k per dependant 18+ | ~4-6 months | 157 | Oldest programme (1984); strongest passport |
| Antigua & Barbuda | $230,000 (NDF) | $300,000 | State ~$10k single; DD ~$8,500 | ~3-6 months | 148 | 5-day visit required in first 5 years |
| Grenada | $235,000 (NTF) | $270,000 (+$50k non-refundable) | DD applies; all-in ~$244,500 | ~4-6 months | 147 | Only Caribbean CBI with a USA E-2 treaty |
| St Lucia | $240,000 (NEF) | $300,000 | DD applies; bonds +$50k admin | ~3-5 months | 144 | NEF covers main plus up to 3 dependants |
| Dominica | $200,000 (EDF) | $200,000 (3-yr hold) | Govt from $75,000/applicant (RE); DD | ~3-4 months (official) | 136 | Lowest entry; sits exactly on the floor |
Citation capsule: Across the 2026 Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programmes, donation minimums run from US$200,000 in Dominica to US$250,000 in St Kitts and Nevis, while real-estate routes start as low as US$200,000 and rise to US$325,000 (Henley & Partners; Dominica CBIU, 2026). Visa-free access spans 136 to 157 destinations.
Which Caribbean citizenship is cheapest, and which costs the most?
Dominica is the cheapest Caribbean citizenship at US$200,000, while St Kitts and Nevis is the most expensive at US$250,000 through its donation route (Dominica CBIU, 2026). That US$50,000 gap is the real spread once the harmonised floor is in place. Antigua sits in the middle at US$230,000.
Cost rises further if you choose real estate over a donation. Real-estate minimums climb to US$325,000 in St Kitts, the highest in the region, against US$200,000 in Dominica with a three-year hold (Dominica CBIU, 2026). Property routes can be resold later, but they carry agent fees, holding periods and resale risk. A donation is simpler and cheaper upfront for most single applicants.
Citation capsule: Dominica offers the cheapest Caribbean citizenship by investment at a US$200,000 donation, while St Kitts and Nevis is the most expensive at US$250,000 (Dominica CBIU; Henley & Partners, 2026). On the real-estate route the gap widens, with St Kitts requiring US$325,000 against Dominica's US$200,000 three-year hold.
Families change the maths. St Kitts and Antigua charge explicit per-dependant add-ons, while St Lucia's National Economic Fund covers a main applicant plus up to three dependants in its base figure. For larger families, Antigua's University of the West Indies route at US$260,000 can undercut rivals once you pass six members. See our Malta citizenship by investment analysis for how an EU route compares on family pricing.
Which Caribbean passport is the strongest for visa-free travel?
St Kitts and Nevis holds the strongest Caribbean passport, reaching 157 destinations visa-free, ahead of Antigua's 148 and Grenada's 147 (Henley Passport Index, 2026). St Lucia reaches 144 and Dominica 136. All five include the UK, the Schengen Area, Singapore and Hong Kong, so the differences sit at the margins.
A note on the numbers themselves. We use the Henley Passport Index figures here because vendor sites routinely inflate visa-free counts to win deals. If a sales page claims 160-plus for a Caribbean passport, check it against an independent index before trusting it. For the full global ranking, our companion piece on the world's most powerful passports goes deeper.
Citation capsule: St Kitts and Nevis carries the strongest Caribbean passport in 2026, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 157 destinations, compared with 136 for Dominica (Henley Passport Index, 2026). All five Caribbean passports cover the UK, Schengen Area and Singapore, so the practical travel gap between them is modest.
What makes each Caribbean programme different beyond price?
Beyond price, each programme carries one defining quirk worth weighing. Grenada is the only Caribbean citizenship by investment with a USA E-2 investor treaty, Antigua is the only one requiring a physical visit, and St Kitts is the oldest scheme, running since 1984 (Henley & Partners, 2026). These differences often decide the choice once budgets are close.
Grenada and the USA E-2 treaty
Grenada's standout feature is its USA E-2 treaty. After roughly three years of domicile, a Grenadian citizen can apply for an E-2 visa to run a business in the United States (Henley & Partners, 2026). Read this carefully, though. The E-2 is a renewable business visa, not a green card and not citizenship. For our UK, GCC and European clients, it's useful US-adjacent business optionality, not a US immigration route.
Antigua's 5-day visit and St Kitts's pedigree
Antigua attaches a unique condition: new citizens must spend at least five days in the country within their first five years (Henley & Partners, 2026). It's a light obligation, but it exists, and none of the other four impose it. St Kitts, by contrast, sells pedigree. As the oldest programme, dating to 1984, it carries the strongest passport and a premium price to match. Recent St Kitts pricing changes are covered in our St Kitts and Nevis CBI changes update.
Dominica and St Lucia compete on value and family flexibility. Dominica leads on raw price, while St Lucia's fund covers a main applicant plus three dependants and retains a government-bond route that the others have dropped. If speed is your priority above all else, our guide to the fastest citizenship by investment programmes ranks the timelines in detail.
Citation capsule: Grenada is the only Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programme offering a USA E-2 business-visa treaty, accessible after roughly three years of domicile, while Antigua and Barbuda uniquely requires a 5-day in-country stay within the first five years (Henley & Partners, 2026). St Kitts and Nevis, founded in 1984, is the oldest programme.
How long does each Caribbean programme take to process?
Processing runs roughly 3 to 6 months across the region, but only Dominica publishes an official figure, citing approval in about 3 to 4 months (Dominica CBIU, 2026). The other timelines are aggregator estimates, so treat them as indicative rather than guaranteed. Real-world timing depends on due diligence, file completeness and seasonal volume.
What actually drives your timeline? In our experience, the file matters more than the flag. Clean source-of-funds documentation, a complete dependant set and prompt responses to due-diligence queries shave weeks off any programme. A messy file slows even Dominica's official window. Choose on price and passport first, then manage the timeline through good preparation rather than chasing a marginally faster brochure claim.
Citation capsule: Dominica publishes the only official Caribbean citizenship-by-investment processing estimate, citing roughly 3 to 4 months to approval (Dominica CBIU, 2026). Competing programmes advertise indicative ranges of 3 to 6 months, but these are aggregator estimates rather than guaranteed timelines and vary with due diligence and file quality.
Frequently asked questions
Which Caribbean citizenship by investment is cheapest?
Dominica is the cheapest Caribbean citizenship by investment, with a US$200,000 donation that sits exactly on the OECS harmonised floor (Dominica CBIU, 2026). St Kitts is the most expensive at US$250,000. For larger families, Antigua's US$260,000 university route can win once you exceed six members.
Which Caribbean passport is the strongest?
St Kitts and Nevis holds the strongest Caribbean passport, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 157 destinations in 2026 (Henley Passport Index, 2026). Antigua follows at 148 and Grenada at 147. All five passports cover the UK, the Schengen Area and Singapore visa-free.
Do all five programmes really start at US$200,000?
No. The US$200,000 figure is a regional floor set by the OECS Memorandum of Agreement, effective 1 July 2024 (OECS Pressroom, 2024). Only Dominica actually prices at it. St Kitts charges US$250,000, with the others between US$230,000 and US$240,000.
Does Grenada citizenship give access to the United States?
Grenada is the only Caribbean programme with a USA E-2 treaty, allowing citizens to apply for a business visa after roughly three years of domicile (Henley & Partners, 2026). The E-2 is a renewable business visa, not a green card or citizenship, so treat it as business optionality rather than immigration.
How long does a Caribbean citizenship by investment take?
Most Caribbean programmes process in roughly 3 to 6 months, but only Dominica publishes an official figure of 3 to 4 months (Dominica CBIU, 2026). Clean source-of-funds documents and prompt due-diligence responses matter more to your timeline than the programme you pick.
Which Caribbean programme is right for you?
The harmonised floor made these five programmes closer than ever, so the choice now turns on what you value. Want the lowest price? Dominica wins at US$200,000. Want the strongest passport? St Kitts leads with 157 visa-free destinations. Need US business optionality? Grenada's E-2 treaty stands alone. Travelling with a large family? Antigua's university route or St Lucia's three-dependant fund usually costs less.
None of these is objectively best. The right programme depends on your budget, your family size, your travel patterns and whether a quirk like Antigua's 5-day visit or Grenada's E-2 treaty matters to you. Match the programme to your goals, prepare a clean file and the rest follows. To weigh the five side by side against your own circumstances, you can compare programmes with Ancova and get an honest read on the trade-offs.
Sources
- OECS Pressroom, "Caribbean countries pressing forward with the implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement on Citizenship by Investment Programmes," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://pressroom.oecs.int/caribbean-countries-pressing-forward-with-the-implementation-of-the-memorandum-of-agreement-on-citizenship-by-investment-programmes
- Dominica Citizenship by Investment Unit (CBIU), "Investment Options," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://cbiu.gov.dm/investment-options/
- Henley & Partners, "St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship-investment/st-kitts-nevis
- Henley & Partners, "Grenada Citizenship by Investment," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship-investment/grenada
- Henley & Partners, "Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship-investment/antigua-barbuda
- Henley & Partners, "St Lucia Citizenship by Investment," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship-investment/st-lucia
- Henley & Partners, "Henley Passport Index Ranking 2026," retrieved 2026-06-13, https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking
Written by
Amine Derag
Director of Strategy, Ancova Associates
Amine Derag is Director of Strategy at Ancova Associates, the Dubai advisory firm for company formation, residency, citizenship by investment, and cross-border tax structuring. He advises founders and private clients relocating to the UAE on how a UAE structure interacts with their home-country tax and reporting obligations.
Connect on LinkedInThis article is general information for educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, or immigration advice. Investment thresholds, processing times, and program terms change — speak with a qualified Ancova adviser before acting.
