The cheapest Caribbean citizenship in 2026: donation vs real estate, honestly priced

The sticker prices

Single-applicant donation minimums across the five programmes: Dominica US$200,000; Antigua and Barbuda US$230,000 (covering up to four people); Grenada US$235,000 (also up to four); St Lucia US$240,000; St Kitts and Nevis US$250,000. Full context in our five-programme comparison.

Family size flips the table. A couple with two children often finds Antigua the cheapest overall, because its US$230,000 already covers four, while programmes priced per-person escalate with each dependant.

What the sticker price leaves out

Budget for the layer of fees that applies everywhere: due diligence fees per adult (typically US$7,500-10,000 for the main applicant), government processing and application fees, passport fees, bank charges and professional fees. For a family of four, US$30,000 to US$60,000 on top of the contribution is a realistic planning range depending on programme. Any quote that does not itemise these is hiding something; ours are itemised line by line.

Donation vs real estate: the honest arithmetic

Real estate routes look attractive because the capital notionally comes back: from US$200,000 in Dominica, US$270,000 in Grenada, US$325,000 in St Kitts (seven-year hold). The honest arithmetic is less kind:

• You buy at programme-approved prices in a market whose buyers are almost all CBI applicants.
• Holding periods of five to seven years, annual costs, and resale into the same thin market.
• Higher government fees on real estate routes in several programmes.

Some approved projects are genuinely sound, and for larger families the real estate route can beat multiple per-person donation surcharges. But as a rule: if your goal is the passport, the donation is usually the cheaper true cost; if your goal is the property, buy property on its merits.

Cheap is not the only variable

Dominica’s price partly reflects its 2023 loss of UK visa-free access. Grenada’s premium over Dominica buys the E-2 and China extras; St Kitts’ premium buys four decades of brand, as our St Kitts guide explains. And all five face the same European questions from late 2026, covered in our travel access guide. The cheapest passport that does not do the job you bought it for is the most expensive thing on this page.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. Prices and fees change; always confirm current figures before committing.