Grenada Citizenship by Investment
Grenada's Citizenship by Investment Program stands apart from every other Caribbean program through a single, strategically decisive feature: Grenada holds an active bilateral investment treaty with the United States, making Grenadian nationals eligible to apply for the US E-2 Investor Visa. No other CARICOM CBI jurisdiction offers this gateway. For nationals of countries that lack their own E-2 treaty — including China, India, Russia, and many others — obtaining Grenadian citizenship first is the most practical route to the E-2 pathway.
The donation route requires a non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund (NTF) of $235,000, the same amount for a single applicant and for a family of up to four. An approved project (real estate) route is also available at $270,000, plus a $50,000 government contribution, with a five-year holding period. Processing typically takes four to six months from submission of a complete file, with no requirement to visit or reside in Grenada at any stage.
Dual citizenship is fully accepted, and no renunciation of existing nationality is required. Grenada permits dependants including a spouse, unmarried children up to age 26 in full-time education, and financially dependent parents or grandparents aged 65 and over.
The Grenadian passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 148 destinations including the United Kingdom, the entire Schengen Area, China, and Russia — an unusually broad footprint for a Caribbean passport that adds practical travel optionality beyond the E-2 headline. Visa-free access to China and Russia is a notable differentiator versus several Caribbean competitors.
Grenada imposes no income tax on foreign-source income, no capital gains tax, no wealth tax, and no inheritance tax. Non-resident citizens incur no Grenadian tax obligation. Due diligence is conducted to an enhanced standard by the Investment Migration Agency (IMA) Grenada, formerly the Citizenship by Investment Unit, with support from approved international screening firms. All applications must be submitted through a licensed authorized agent.
Some details here are best-available information rather than officially confirmed: family_inclusion_extended.parents_min_age — 65 is widely cited across CARICOM programs; confirm current Grenada CBI schedule, travel_benefits_matrix.visaFreeDestinations — 148 is an approximate figure per Henley/Arton indices; verify at time of publication. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Program Details
- Individual Cost
- $235,000
- Family of 4 Cost
- $235,000
- Processing Time
- 5 months
- Residency Required
- None; no physical presence required before, during, or after obtaining citizenship
- Due Diligence
- Enhanced
- Visa-Free Destinations
- 148
- Dual Citizenship
- Accepted
- Renunciation Required
- No
Cost Breakdown
| Item | Amount (USD) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| National Transformation Fund contribution — individual | $235,000 | Non-refundable. The same USD 235,000 applies to a single applicant, a main applicant with spouse and a family of up to four (IMA Grenada fee table); application, due-diligence, processing and interview fees are charged on top |
| Due diligence fees — main applicant | $5,000 | |
| Due diligence fees — spouse | $5,000 | |
| Processing fees | $1,500 | Per adult |
| Application fee | $1,500 | Per person (IMA Grenada fee table) |
| Interview fee | $1,000 | Per person aged 17 and over, including a non-applicant spouse or sponsor (IMA Grenada fee table) |
| Legal/agent fees (estimate) | $12,000 |
Nationality Restrictions
This program does not accept applications from nationals of: Nationals of OFAC-, UN-, and EU-sanctioned states are ineligible, Standard CARICOM enhanced-screening framework applies to all applicants
Investment Routes
| Route | Amount (USD) | Lock-up (years) | Exit-Value Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government Fund Donation | $235,000 | — | Non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund (NTF). Single applicant or family of up to four: USD 235,000, with no difference between a single applicant and a main applicant with up to three dependants. Additional dependants: USD 25,000 or USD 50,000 each; additional sibling: USD 75,000 (IMA Grenada Circular No. 2 of 2024, effective 1 July 2024). This is the fastest route and the most commonly chosen. Source: imagrenada.gd (fee table and Circular No. 2 of 2024) |
| Real Estate | $270,000 | 5 | Purchase of a CBI-approved real estate development (approved project investment). USD 270,000 for a single applicant or a family of up to four, plus a USD 50,000 government contribution (IMA Grenada Circular No. 2 of 2024). Mandatory five-year holding period before resale to a non-CBI buyer is permitted; resale to another CBI applicant within the hold period requires IMA Grenada approval. Grenada's growing luxury tourism sector — centred on Grand Anse and the True Blue Bay corridor — offers comparatively stronger secondary-market liquidity than smaller-island Caribbean CBI markets, but prospective returns remain project-dependent and are not guaranteed. Only developments on the official CBI approved list qualify. Source: imagrenada.gd (Circular No. 2 of 2024) |
Realistic Total Timeline
4–6 months
End-to-end from application submission to passport issuance, based on recent reported timelines. Times assume a complete file; source- of-funds gaps or refusals can extend significantly.
Due Diligence
- Provider
- Investment Migration Agency (IMA) Grenada (formerly the Citizenship by Investment Unit) + approved external due-diligence providers (international screening firms)
- Depth Level
- enhanced
Common Disqualifiers
- ⚠Nationals of or significant ties to OFAC-, UN-, or EU-sanctioned states
- ⚠Any criminal conviction or pending charge in any jurisdiction
- ⚠Insufficient or inconsistent source-of-funds documentation
- ⚠Prior CBI application refusal in any jurisdiction
- ⚠Adverse reputational, media, or law-enforcement database findings
- ⚠Misrepresentation or omission of material information on the application
Approved Agents
Applications must be submitted through a licensed agent approved by the programme authority.
Official approved-agents directory →Family Inclusion
- Siblings
- Not included
- Parents Min Age
- 65+
- Max Child Age
- 26
- Grandparents
- Not included
Spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 are included as standard. Dependent children aged 18 to 26 in full-time education may be added as dependants with supporting enrolment documentation. Financially dependent parents and grandparents aged 65 and over may be included for additional due-diligence and processing fees. Siblings are not eligible. There is no physical presence or residency requirement for any family member. The US E-2 treaty benefit extends to immediate family members (spouse and children) of the principal Grenadian CBI citizen.
Travel Benefits
- Visa-Free Destinations
- 148
- Schengen
- ✓
- UK
- ✓
- US E-2 Treaty
- ✓
- Canada eTA
- —
Post-Citizenship Tax Implications
Grenada operates a territorial tax system. There is no income tax on foreign-source income, no capital gains tax, no wealth tax, and no inheritance tax. Tax residency in Grenada is triggered only by sustained physical presence (broadly, 183 or more days in a calendar year). Holding Grenadian citizenship while residing outside Grenada creates no Grenadian tax obligation of any kind. The strategically significant tax consideration arises on the US side: a Grenadian citizen who successfully obtains an E-2 Investor Visa and relocates to the United States becomes a US tax resident for the duration of their US presence and is subject to US federal income tax on worldwide income. The E-2 visa does not itself confer US tax obligations, but residing in the US under E-2 status does. Applicants from countries with citizenship-based taxation (notably the United States itself) remain fully subject to their home-country tax rules regardless of holding a Grenadian second passport.
Recent Changes
Revised pricing took effect under the OECS Memorandum of Agreement on citizenship by investment (IMA Grenada Circular No. 2 of 2024, 27 June 2024, reproduced in the PDF of Circular No. 3 of 2024, "Update to Circular No. 2"): National Transformation Fund contribution USD 235,000 for a single applicant or a family of up to four; approved project investment USD 270,000 plus a USD 50,000 government contribution; additional dependants USD 25,000 or USD 50,000 and an additional sibling USD 75,000.
source →The Grenada Citizenship by Investment Unit announced its new name, Investment Migration Agency (IMA) Grenada, and its new website imagrenada.gd (the earlier cbi.gov.gd site no longer resolves).
source →Grenada suspended processing of applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals in response to international sanctions pressure, consistent with the position taken by other CARICOM CBI jurisdictions at that time. Status subject to ongoing policy review.
source →
Programme FAQs
Why is the US E-2 treaty access unique to Grenada among Caribbean CBI programs?
Sources: imagrenada.gdtravel.state.gov
What investment is required for the US E-2 visa after obtaining Grenadian citizenship?
Sources: travel.state.gov
Does Grenada CBI citizenship lead to a US green card?
Sources: travel.state.gov
Is there a physical presence requirement for Grenada CBI citizenship?
Sources: imagrenada.gd
Which destinations can I reach visa-free on a Grenadian passport that I cannot on most other Caribbean CBI passports?
Sources: imagrenada.gd
How does Grenada's processing time compare with other Caribbean CBI programs?
Sources: imagrenada.gd
Related Guides
Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list
Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes — and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.
Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave
Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.
Other CBI Programs
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Other citizenship routes
- Compare all CBI programmes
- Malta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct InvestmentProgramme status: Closed — struck down by CJEU (2025)
- St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment
- Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment
Reference tables
Sources & last verified
- Official source
- Last verified