Updated
GL-C-01
Glossary · Citizenship and residency programs
CBI - Citizenship by Investment
A program under which a foreigner receives a country passport in exchange for an investment: a contribution to a fund, a real estate purchase, or a deposit. Available in Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts, Antigua, St Lucia, Turkey, and Vanuatu.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- A full passport of a country in exchange for an investment in its economy
- Where it applies
- The Caribbean (Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts, Antigua, St Lucia), Turkey
- Cost
- From $200,000 as a fund contribution (Caribbean)
- Duration
- Usually 4-8 months (Caribbean)
- Can you prepare
- Yes: choose a country and assemble a source-of-funds file for due diligence
02 / In plain words
What CBI means
CBI (citizenship by investment) is a programme under which a foreigner receives a full passport of a country in exchange for an investment in its economy. There are three types of investment: a non-refundable contribution to a state fund, the purchase of approved real estate, or a deposit. In return you and your family become citizens — with all the rights that entails, including passing citizenship on to your children.
By immigration standards it is fast: you do not need to live in the country for years or sit language exams. Everything turns on the check (due diligence) and making the investment. The classic Caribbean programmes — Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts, Antigua, St Lucia — cost from $200,000 to $250,000 as a contribution and usually take 4-8 months. Malta (the MEIN programme) stands apart — the only EU passport by investment, more expensive and slower.
Why people do it: visa-free travel to 140-150 countries, a fallback option for the family, access to the US E-2 visa (through Grenada), calm tax planning. The passport stays with you and your children for good, even if you sell the real estate investment a few years later.
In Vanuatu, citizenship by investment comes through two programmes: a state contribution (DSP) from $130,000 and the fund (CIIP) - $165,000 for a family of up to four, of which the fund buys back $50,000 after 5 years. It usually takes 2 months, 3 at most.
A case from practice
A family of four chooses Grenada. The non-refundable NTF contribution is about $235,000 for the whole family, plus government fees and check fees for each adult. From gathering documents to passports in hand takes about six months. The father then opens a business in the US on an E-2 visa — a right that comes precisely with the Grenadian passport.
Why people choose CBI
- Visa-free travel to 140-150 countries
- A second passport and a “plan B” for the family
- Access to the US E-2 visa (through Grenada)
- Tax planning
- Passing citizenship to children
- Freedom of movement without a residence requirement
03 / What it covers
What CBI gives
Who receives it
- Principal investor
- Spouse and children
- Parents and grandparents (in some programmes)
Investment options
- Non-refundable fund contribution
- Approved real estate
- Government bonds or a business
What the passport gives
- Visa-free access to 140+ countries
- Second citizenship
- Freedom of movement
Outlook
- Passed on to children for good
- Tax planning
- US E-2 visa (Grenada)
04 / How it works
How to obtain citizenship through CBI
Choosing the country and option
Due diligence check
Investment (contribution or real estate)
Filing and approval
Oath and passport
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
No residence required, and no language exams either
02Due diligence decides everything
with a bad record no passport will be issued
03
In 2024 the Caribbean countries raised the minimum contribution to $200,000
04
The passport is yours for good and passes to your children, even if the property is sold
05
There is no direct EU passport by investment at present: Malta’s programme was discontinued on 24.07.2025
Common mistakes
- Filing without first checking the source of funds — and being refused at due diligence
- Concealing episodes in your background: the reviewer will find them, and the check fee is not refunded
- Chasing price alone without looking at visa-free access and the programme’s reputation
- Selling the property before the mandatory holding period and losing the basis
- Waiting for prices to go up: countries regularly raise their thresholds
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Before filing, decide on the goal (travel, the US, taxes or a “plan B”), choose the country and the option (a fund contribution or real estate), and assemble the source-of-funds and source-of-wealth file in advance — that is what decides the outcome of due diligence. Then the check passes first time, and the non-refundable contribution is not wasted.
What we do for you. We take you through CBI from the first conversation to the passport in your hands: we choose the country for your goal (travel, the US, taxes), prepare the source-of-funds file in advance so that the check passes first time, and keep the timeline under control at every stage.
Anna KovalevskayaExpert in Caribbean citizenship by investment programs
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
No. The classic programmes do not require physical residence — that is their point. It is enough to pass the check and make the investment; some programmes ask for one short visit for biometrics or the oath.
A fund contribution is usually cheaper and simpler: you pay once and that is it. Real estate costs more at entry, but the property can be sold after 3-7 years and part of the outlay recovered.
No. Once the mandatory holding period (usually 3-7 years) has been observed, you sell the property and the citizenship stays with you and passes to your children.
Dominica — from $200,000 as a contribution to the state fund. The difference between the Caribbean programmes today lies more in visa-free access and reputation than in price: their minimum threshold has been agreed.
There is no direct EU passport by investment at present: Malta’s MEIN programme was discontinued on 24.07.2025. Caribbean passports are not EU passports, but they open visa-free entry to the Schengen area for up to 90 days.
The spouse, children and often parents and grandparents — the exact family composition depends on the programme. The check (due diligence) is paid separately for each adult applicant.
Yes: in 2024 the Caribbean countries agreed a minimum contribution of $200,000. Thresholds are reviewed regularly, so a favourable window is best not postponed.
CBI gives a passport and citizenship straight away. A Golden Visa is only a residence permit: a passport may come later, through naturalisation and actual residence in the country.
Related terms
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