Grenada Citizenship by Investment: 2026 Guide

Grenada first sold citizenship in the 1990s, suspended the scheme in 2001 and relaunched it under the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Act, No. 15 of 2013. The Act sets up a Citizenship by Investment Committee that reviews applications and recommends them to the Minister, who grants or refuses citizenship. It requires every file to go through a licensed local agent and creates the National Transformation Fund and approved-project routes^[1]. Day-to-day administration sits with the Investment Migration Agency (IMA) Grenada in St. George's^[3].

Grenada is one of five Eastern Caribbean CBI states, alongside St Kitts and Nevis citizenship, Dominica's programme, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia. In September 2025 the five signed the Agreement establishing the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA): Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis on 18 September, Saint Lucia on 22 September and Grenada, the last signatory, on 23 September^[25]. Grenada enacted it as the ECCIRA Agreement Act, No. 19 of 2025^[2]. ECCIRA is headquartered in Grenada and was due to start operating in September 2026^[18], but it is not yet operational: on 28 September 2026 the St Kitts and Nevis CIU said the regional framework takes effect only once the Authority is running and all member states agree a commencement date^[24].

Status: active and accepting applications. Grenada has no standalone residency-by-investment page on this site, so this is the main Grenada guide.

The NTF route is a one-off, non-refundable contribution of US$235,000 for a single applicant or a family of up to four^[6][8]. The IMA splits it: at least US$200,000 is kept by the government, the regional minimum agreed in 2024, and up to US$35,000 may be paid as commission to agents^[3][4]. There is no asset to manage, no holding period and no exit risk. Before 1 July 2024 the NTF started at US$150,000; it is still the cheapest way into Grenadian citizenship.

The real estate route requires a purchase in a government-designated approved project, usually a hotel or resort; an ordinary villa does not qualify. There are two thresholds^[6][8][9]:

• US$270,000 for a shared or fractional interest
• US$350,000 for sole ownership of a unit

Buyers also pay a non-refundable government fee of US$50,000 for a family of up to four, with surcharges for extra dependants, and must hold the property for at least five years^[6][8]. Resale is possible after that, but Caribbean hotel-share markets are thin and units often sell at a discount.

IMA Circular No. 2 of 2025 (5 March 2025) prohibits illegal discounting and owner financing, where developers cut the real price below the threshold or lend the buyer the money^[5]. Treat any discount, buy-back guarantee or developer finance as a risk to your application.

Net cost comparison. A single applicant spends about US$244,000 on the NTF route and about US$329,000 on the shared real estate route before closing costs. Real estate only wins if you expect to recover more than roughly US$85,000 plus holding and transaction costs.

The IMA guide lists an application fee of US$1,500 per applicant, a processing fee of US$1,500 for everyone 17 or over (US$500 under 17) and due diligence of US$6,000 for each person 17+, including non-applicant spouses and financial sponsors^[3]. Advisers usually split that into a US$5,000 due-diligence fee and the US$1,000 interview fee introduced on 1 September 2023, when due diligence for dependent parents aged 65+ also rose from US$250 to US$5,000^[7][8]. NTL International reports that the IMA plans to add about US$2,500–3,000 per applicant once the 2026 rules take effect; no official schedule has been published^[19].

Worked examples, government charges only:

• Single applicant, NTF: 235,000 + 1,500 + 1,500 + 5,000 + 1,000 = US$244,000
• Couple with two children under 17, NTF: 235,000 + 6,000 (application) + 4,000 (processing) + 10,000 (due diligence) + 2,000 (interviews) = US$257,000
• Couple with two children aged 17–29, NTF: 235,000 + 6,000 + 6,000 + 20,000 + 4,000 = US$271,000
• Single applicant, shared real estate: 270,000 + 50,000 + 9,000 = US$329,000 before closing costs

Add passport and professional fees, which vary widely. Ask for a fixed, itemised quote and check the agent's current IMA licence; once the 2026 amendments commence, agents will also need an ECCIRA no-objection notice^[2].

The statutory and practical requirements are^[1][3]:

• Main applicant aged 18 or over
• A clean record and no security concerns. The Act lets the Committee refuse anyone who fails due diligence, or who has been denied a visa by a country with which Grenada has visa-free travel and has not since obtained one^[1]
• Lawfully sourced funds, documented with a source-of-wealth narrative and bank evidence
• Good health, with medical certificates
• A personal interview, in person or by video. The 2026 bill makes it mandatory for everyone 18+ and for dependants 12+ who are the subject of adverse information^[2]
• Application only through a licensed local agent^[1]

There is no language test, no education or business requirement and, for now, no residence or visit requirement^[15]. Grenada has not accepted applications from Russian or Belarusian nationals since 31 March 2023, the CBI Unit confirmed in December 2023, and its ban on North Korea and Iran remains^[27]. Applicants from sanctioned or high-risk countries face enhanced checks or refusal, and the EU reportedly asked the five states to exclude persons under EU sanctions from September 2026^[13]. Grenada permits dual citizenship; whether you can keep your current nationality depends on your home country's law.

Grenada has one of the broadest dependant definitions in the Caribbean. One application can include^[8][9]:

• A spouse
• Children under 18, and financially dependent children up to 30
• Children over 18 with a physical or mental disability
• Parents and grandparents of the main applicant or spouse
• Unmarried siblings aged 18 or over with no children

Children born or adopted after the grant can usually be added later through a separate application with its own fees and checks.

Every step runs through a licensed local agent. The IMA does not begin due diligence until the file is complete and fees are paid^[3].

Grenada and the United States have had a bilateral investment treaty in force since 1989, so Grenadian nationals qualify for the US E-2 treaty investor visa. None of the other four Eastern Caribbean CBI states has E-2 treaty status. Outside the region, Turkey's citizenship by investment is the other route commonly used for E-2.

The 3-year domicile rule. Since December 2022 (Pub. L. 117-263, §5902), anyone who acquired treaty nationality "through a financial investment" and has not previously held E status must have been domiciled in that country for at least three continuous years before applying^[10]. A Grenadian passport bought today therefore does not give a quick E-2: you must first make Grenada your genuine home, and consulates judge domicile case by case.

• The E-2 still needs a substantial, at-risk investment in an operating US business; there is no fixed legal minimum.
• It is renewable while the business runs but never leads directly to a green card. For permanent status, see US investor residency options or the path to US citizenship.
• Spouses and unmarried children under 21 can accompany you, and spouses may work.

US entry restrictions. A White House proclamation of 16 December 2025 partially restricted entry for nationals of Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda from January 2026, citing CBI programmes without residency requirements. Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia were not included^[12]. Grenada was, however, one of 75 countries whose nationals' immigrant-visa processing was paused from 21 January 2026; a federal court vacated that pause on 21 August 2026 in CLINIC v. Rubio, and the State Department says it is no longer in effect^[20][21]. Since 2 April 2026 Grenadian B-1/B-2 visitor-visa applicants may also be asked to post a refundable visa bond: US$5,000–15,000 under the pilot, and US$10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 under the permanent programme published on 3 August 2026^[22][23]. We found no 2025–2026 change to Grenada's E-2 treaty status.

The Henley Passport Index 2026, using Henley's data updated on 7 September 2026, credits the Grenadian passport with 148 destinations without a visa obtained in advance: 116 visa-free, 24 visa on arrival and 8 electronic travel authorisations^[11]. Advisers quote anywhere from 147 to 165 because they count differently. Highlights:

• Schengen Area, the rest of the EU and Ireland, for short stays (90 days in any 180)
• Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau visa-free
• Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil, Argentina, much of South America and CARICOM
• The United Kingdom, South Korea and Israel require an electronic travel authorisation
• The United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Mexico require visas

Visa-free access is decided by other countries and can be withdrawn; the EU now has a legal tool to do so for CBI states (see below).

Citizenship and tax residence are separate. A Grenadian passport does not make you tax resident in Grenada or end your tax residence elsewhere. Grenada uses a 183-day presence test among other factors; non-residents pay no Grenadian tax on foreign income, and there is no capital gains, inheritance or wealth tax^[8]. Grenadian property carries local transfer and property taxes. US citizens remain taxed on worldwide income, and banks report accounts under the Common Reporting Standard to your real country of tax residence. Take home-country advice before relying on any change of residence.

This is direct citizenship, with no residency stage or naturalisation clock. Citizenship can be revoked under the 2013 Act for fraud, misrepresentation or serious crime^[1]. Once the 2026 amendments commence, new investor citizens face two extra conditions^[2]:

• Genuine-link obligation: 30 days' presence in aggregate during the first five calendar years. Family members can pool days, but each must spend at least 5 days in Grenada in the first 12 months, and all must complete an integration programme (civic education, cultural orientation or community service, and an interview)
• Five-year first passport: renewable for ten years only after a Declaration of Presence is verified

Failure to comply "without reasonable excuse" is grounds for revocation proceedings, with exemptions for humanitarian reasons or verified inability to travel. The rules may be applied to pending applications at the Minister's discretion^[2].

A suspension under the revised EU mechanism would hit all Grenadian passport holders, not just investors^[13]. Whether Grenada will close, cap or reshape its programme is unknown, so anyone buying mainly for Schengen access should price in a real chance that it shrinks within a few years. Our analysis of the EU phase-out pressure on Caribbean CBI tracks the negotiations.

Suits: entrepreneurs willing to live in Grenada for three years before running a US business on an E-2; families who need to include parents or adult siblings; and investors who value visa-free China plus Schengen on one passport and can tolerate EU policy risk.

Look elsewhere if: you want US access within months, Schengen is your only reason for buying, or your budget is the absolute minimum. Some Caribbean donation routes start lower, as our ranking of the cheapest citizenship-by-investment programmes shows. If you want EU residence rights rather than a travel document, read citizenship by investment vs golden visa first.

• St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment: the oldest Caribbean programme with a strong passport, at a higher price.
• Saint Lucia's CBI programme: a US$240,000 donation, slightly above Grenada's US$235,000 NTF, and like Grenada it is not named in the December 2025 US proclamation.
• Dominica economic citizenship: an established fund route, but subject to partial US visa restrictions since January 2026.
• Antigua and Barbuda passport programme: a family-friendly fund option, also under partial US restrictions.
• Turkish citizenship by investment: the other main E-2 treaty CBI, with real estate from US$400,000.
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: an announced new programme whose launch is still unverified.

Compare all five live Eastern Caribbean options side by side in our Caribbean citizenship by investment comparison, or browse every programme on the citizenship by investment hub.