Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Caribbean countries offer discounts for citizenship under COVID pressure

Caribbean countries offer discounts for citizenship under COVID pressure

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programs have been around in the Caribbean for a long time. Some countries in the region have been offering passports to wealthy foreigners in exchange for investment, however, now with vast tourism losses due to the coronavirus, many passports are available for sale prices.
Some of the countries to recently cut down the prices or make their CBI programmes more appealing are St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica.

St. Kitts and Nevis, which relies a whopping 35% of its government income from a CBI programme, was one of the first Caribbean countries to start offering discounts.

Les Khan, CEO of St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Investment Unit, said in a phone interview with Bloomberg: “In these days of Covid, when tourism is not happening, we have to find ways to create revenue to sustain our economy."

St. Kitts and Nevis is currently a promotion until the end of 2020. For $150,000 payment to the country’s 'Sustainable Growth Fund', will secure passports for a family of up to four members. That is a 23% discount from the usual cost of $195,000.

2020 Henley Passport Index ranks St. Kitts and Nevis currently the 26th most desirable passport in the world, out of 169 countries.

In May, St. Lucia offered a 50% discount for CBI investment in five-year, non-interest bearing bonds: $250,000 for an individual or $300,000 for a family of four. The special offer expires at the end of 2020. The 2020 Henley Passport Index ranks St. Lucia's passport at number 33.

In Antigua and Barbuda, a family of four can 'buy' citizenships at the bargain price of a $100,000 donation to its development fund. The government recently cut the price for adding additional children. the 2020 Henley Passport Index ranks Antigua and Barbuda's passport at number 29.

Dominica offered – pre-COVID-19 – the cheapest citizenship by investment program in the world: the cost of second passports starting at only $100,000, but the price was scheduled to increase by 75%, to $175,000.

But "this major cost increase has now been put on hold indefinitely, although prices could increase once the COVID-19 pandemic is over so we encourage you to act fast," states Dominica CBI website.

The Henley Passport Index ranks Dominica 38th most desirable passport in the world.

According to Henley & Partners, a London-based passport broker, there has been a 42 per cent increase in citizenship applications, which could indicate that the discount has worked, or that people are now more keen to leave their home countries.

According to Dr. Christian Kalin of Henley & Partners: "'Investment migration' has shifted from being about living the life you want in terms of holidays and business travel to a more holistic vision that includes healthcare and safety."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
×