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Browsing real estate listings in the Eastern Caribbean reveals a new incentive for prospective buyers, extending beyond the region’s renowned beaches and relaxed pace of life.
A growing number of properties are now offering citizenship as part of the purchase, reportedly fueled by increasing interest amid political and social instability in the United States.
Five island nations—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia—provide citizenship by investment (CBI) opportunities starting from approximately $200,000 (£145,000).
Purchasing a home can grant the holder a passport that allows visa-free entry to as many as 150 countries, including the UK and the Schengen Area in Europe.
The absence of capital gains and inheritance taxes, and in some instances, income taxes, serves as a significant attraction for affluent individuals. Furthermore, all five CBI programs allow buyers to maintain their current citizenship.
According to Nadia Dyson, owner of Luxury Locations in Antigua, estate agents are struggling to meet the surge in demand. “Up to 70% of current buyers are seeking citizenship, with the majority originating from the US,” she told the BBC.
“While we avoid discussing politics with our clients, the unstable political climate [in the US] undoubtedly plays a role.”
“A year ago, our clientele consisted primarily of lifestyle buyers with some CBI interest. Now, the prevailing sentiment is ‘I want a house with citizenship.’ We’ve never experienced such high sales volumes.”
Despite the lack of residency requirements in Antigua’s program, Ms. Dyson notes that some buyers are contemplating full-time relocation, with a few already having made the move.
Investment migration experts Henley & Partners report that US citizens constitute the largest proportion of CBI applicants in the Caribbean over the past year.
The UK-based firm, which operates globally, identifies Ukraine, Turkey, Nigeria, and China as other frequent countries of origin for applicants.
The firm further indicates that overall applications for Caribbean CBI programs have risen by 12% since the fourth quarter of 2024.
Dominic Volek, a consultant at Henley & Partners, suggests that concerns ranging from gun violence to antisemitism are contributing to American unease.
“Around 10-15% actually relocate. For most it’s an insurance policy against whatever they’re concerned about. Having a second citizenship is a good back-up plan,” he explains.
Mr. Volek notes that the ease of travel afforded by Caribbean passports appeals to business professionals and may offer a security advantage. “Some US clients prefer to travel on a more politically-benign passport.”
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US was not even on Henley’s “radar,” according to Mr. Volek.
Movement restrictions created “quite a shock” for affluent individuals accustomed to unrestricted travel on private jets, triggering the initial increase in CBI applications from the US. Interest surged again following the 2020 and 2024 US elections.
“There are Democrats that don’t like Trump but also Republicans that don’t like Democrats,” Mr. Volek says.
“In the last two years we’ve gone from having zero offices in the US to eight across all major cities, with another two to three opening in the coming months.”
Robert Taylor, from Halifax, Canada, purchased property in Antigua with plans to retire there later this year.
He invested $200,000 shortly before the real estate threshold increased to $300,000 last summer.
Beyond avoiding limitations on the duration of stay, citizenship allows him to pursue business opportunities freely, he explains. “I chose Antigua because it has beautiful water, I find the people very, very friendly and it also means great weather for the later part of my life.”
However, these programs are not without their critics. When the Antiguan government first proposed passport sales in 2012 as a means to bolster the struggling economy, the ethics were questioned.
Former Speaker of the House Gisele Isaac recalls public protests. “There was a sense of nationalism; people felt we were selling our identity, so to speak, to people who knew nothing about us,” she says.
Leaders from other Caribbean nations that do not offer CBIs, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, have voiced criticism. He has previously stated that citizenship should not be “a commodity for sale.”
Within the international community, concerns exist that insufficient oversight may allow criminals to bypass border controls.
The European Union has threatened to withdraw its coveted visa-free access for Caribbean CBI countries, while the US has previously expressed concerns over the potential for these programs to facilitate tax evasion and financial crime.
A European Commission spokesperson informed the BBC that it is “monitoring” the five Caribbean schemes and has been engaged in discussions with their respective authorities since 2022.
She states that an ongoing assessment seeks to ascertain whether citizenship by investment constitutes “an abuse of the visa-free regime those countries enjoy vis-à-vis the EU and whether it is likely to lead to security risks for the EU.”
The Commission has acknowledged reforms implemented by the islands, which it believes will influence its evaluation.
The five Caribbean nations have responded strongly to accusations that they are not doing enough to vet applicants.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has described his country’s CBI program as “sound and transparent,” adding that authorities have worked diligently to ensure its integrity.
The government reports that passport sales have generated over $1 billion since the initiative’s inception in 1993, funding essential infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art hospital.
In St. Lucia, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre asserts that the island adheres to the highest security standards to prevent its CBI program from inadvertently supporting illicit activities.
The need to appease global powers while generating revenue represents a delicate balancing act for small Caribbean nations with limited resources, reliant on the fluctuations of tourism.
At a regional industry summit in April, CBI programs were hailed as a lifeline, with funds used for a variety of purposes, from disaster relief to reinforcing national pension systems. Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated that the funds raised had saved his country from the brink of bankruptcy over the past decade.
Aside from property purchases, other avenues to Caribbean citizenship through investment typically involve a one-time donation to a national development fund or similar initiative. These donations range from $200,000 in Dominica for a single applicant to $250,000 for a main applicant and up to three qualifying dependents in Dominica and St. Kitts. In Antigua, investors also have the option of donating $260,000 to the University of the West Indies.
In response to international pressure, the islands have committed to new measures to enhance oversight, including establishing a regional regulator to establish standards, monitor operations, and ensure compliance.
Moreover, six principles agreed upon with the US include strengthened due diligence, regular audits, mandatory interviews with all applicants, and the removal of a loophole that previously allowed an applicant rejected by one country to apply in another.
Currently, passport sales account for 10-30% of the islands’ GDP.
Andre Huie, a journalist in St. Kitts, states that his country’s CBI scheme is “generally well supported” as a result. “The public understand the value of it to the economy, and appreciate what the government has been able to do with the money.”
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