In the Eastern Caribbean, investor citizenship schemes have been operated for many years in five countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia. It is estimated that around 107,000 passports have been issued through the schemes operated by these countries. The number of applications remains high, with 13,113 in 2023 and 10,573 in 2024.
The Key selling points are visa free access, short processing times and low rejection rates – for instance, in 2024 rejection rates were 1.7% in Antigua and Barbuda, 5.3% in Saint Lucia, and 6.5% in Dominica – raising concerns about the adequacy of security and due diligence procedures.
Of all the EC countries, St.Kitts and Nevis cements its position as the most prolific CBI program in the Eastern Caribbean according to the data reported by European Commission and media sources..
Statistics
| Category | 2015–2022 | 2023 | 2024 (until 30 June) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications Received | 17,668 | 1,987 | 98 |
| Applications Rejected | 532 | 207 | 4 |
| Passports Issued | 35,577 | N/A | N/A |
Source: European commission
The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme in St. Kitts and Nevis, confirming that the Federation issued more than 56,015 economic citizenships over a ten-year period.
The latest EC data reveals that 48,844 passports were issued between 2015 and 2023, with a further 6,437 issued in 2024. By contrast, just 734 passports were issued up to the end of April 2025.
St. Kitts and Nevis remains the most sought-after CBI programme in the Eastern Caribbean.
Between 2015 and 2023, the Federation recorded 19,655 applications. That figure collapsed to 223 applications in 2024 after price hike, with 171 applications received up to April 2025
Rejections
739 rejected applications between 2015 and 2023, followed by 98 in 2024 and 86 up to April this year
Applicants
Successful applicants included nationals from Russia, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Afghanistan—a revelation certain to intensify international concern.
Source: European Commission, Media sources.
