EU Gives Five Caribbean Nations Until 2028 to End Citizenship-by-Investment Programs or Lose Visa-Free Access

The European Union has given five Eastern Caribbean nations—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia—until June 1, 2028, to end their citizenship-by-investment programs or lose visa-free Schengen access. These programs, which have issued over 100,000 passports at a minimum cost of $200,000, represent critical economic pillars, accounting for up to 37% of GDP in Dominica. Caribbean leaders are organizing a joint diplomatic mission to Brussels to negotiate, emphasizing their commitment to constructive dialogue and ongoing regional regulatory reforms.

EU CBI termination deadline

• ▪The European Commission sent formal letters dated June 25, 2026, giving five Eastern Caribbean nations until June 1, 2028, to end their citizenship-by-investment programs or lose visa-free Schengen travel.
• ▪The five Eastern Caribbean nations targeted by the European Union's ultimatum are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
• ▪The European Commission demanded that the five Caribbean nations implement interim safeguards, including stronger due diligence and vetting of applicants, by September 2026.

Revised visa-suspension framework

• ▪The European Union previously suspended Vanuatu's visa-free access in 2022 over citizenship-by-investment program concerns, briefly restored it, and suspended it again in 2024 citing a lack of progress.
• ▪Revised European Union visa-suspension rules that took effect on December 30, 2025, allow the mere operation of a citizenship-by-investment program to serve as a self-standing ground for visa suspension.
• ▪The United Kingdom removed visa-free access for Dominica and Vanuatu in 2023, and for Saint Lucia in 2025, citing security and investor citizenship concerns.

Caribbean fiscal dependence on CBI

• ▪Revenues from citizenship-by-investment programs accounted for an average of 6.5 percent of gross domestic product for the five participating Caribbean nations between 2019 and 2023.
• ▪Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated that the citizenship program is a critical pillar of the country's non-tax revenue base and cannot be abandoned without replacement revenues.
• ▪Citizenship-by-investment revenues reached 30 percent of Dominica's gross domestic product in 2022, and up to 37 percent of its gross domestic product overall.

Regional diplomatic response to EU

• ▪Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre stated that the Caribbean nations remain committed to respectful and constructive dialogue with the European Union.
• ▪Leaders of the five Caribbean nations held an emergency meeting on July 10, 2026, in Roseau, Dominica, and agreed to send a high-level mission to Brussels to negotiate with European Union officials.

CBI program scale statistics

• ▪Regional reforms implemented in 2024 raised the minimum investment threshold for Eastern Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs to a standardized $200,000.
• ▪By late 2025, the five Eastern Caribbean governments had issued approximately 107,000 passports through their citizenship-by-investment programs.

Eastern Caribbean regulatory authority

• ▪The Caribbean nations are implementing reinforced vetting, biometric screening, mandatory interviews, and the exclusion of sanctioned individuals in 2026.
• ▪The Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority was established in late 2025 to harmonize standards and increase transparency across the islands.