Grenada citizenship by investment, and the E-2 route to the US.

Grenada citizenship by investment is the only Caribbean programme whose passport opens the door to a United States E-2 investor visa. Citizenship starts at a USD 235,000 non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund, or at USD 270,000 in government-approved real estate plus a USD 50,000 government fee. A Grenadian passport carries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 147 destinations, including the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, Singapore, Hong Kong and, unusually, mainland China. There is no requirement to set foot in Grenada to apply, and none today to keep the citizenship, though an amendment approved by Parliament in July 2026 would add one; that is set out in full below.

This guide covers what the programme costs in 2026, what the fees actually add up to, what a Grenada passport by investment gives you, how the E-2 route works in practice, the rule changes now moving through ECCIRA, and what the process looks like from first call to passport. It was last checked against the official schedule published by Grenada's Investment Migration Agency on imagrenada.gd, which replaced the old cbi.gov.gd site in 2026.

Investment options

The two routes to Grenadian citizenship

Grenada offers two qualifying investments under the Citizenship by Investment Act No. 15 of 2013. Both lead to the same citizenship and the same passport. The difference is whether your money comes back.

Route one: National Transformation Fund contribution, USD 235,000

The National Transformation Fund is the government fund that finances national projects: tourism, agriculture, alternative energy, infrastructure, education. A contribution to it is non-refundable. You are not buying an asset; you are paying a one-off sum in exchange for citizenship.

The contribution schedule:

One detail in the official table catches families out: siblings, and parents or grandparents aged 55 or under, are not covered by the family-of-four price. They are priced on top of it.

The floor of USD 235,000 is not arbitrary. It follows the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the five Eastern Caribbean programmes in 2024, which set a harmonised minimum of USD 200,000 across the region and ended the price war that had pushed Caribbean citizenship below that line. Grenada sits above the regional floor.

The donation route suits applicants who want the cleanest possible transaction: no property to buy, no asset to manage, no resale to arrange in five years' time, and a lower total outlay than real estate once fees are counted.

Route two: approved real estate, from USD 270,000 plus a USD 50,000 government fee

The alternative is to buy into a government-approved project; in practice hotels, resorts and branded residences, since Grenada's approvals follow its tourism economy. The Investment Migration Agency sets two thresholds: USD 270,000 for a share in an approved development, and USD 350,000 for sole ownership of a unit. Either way the property must be held for at least five years.

On top of the purchase, the real estate route carries a government fee that the donation route does not:

• Family of up to four, including a single applicant: USD 50,000
• Each additional dependant beyond that: USD 25,000

So the realistic entry point for the real estate route is around USD 329,000 for a single applicant once the purchase, the government fee and the individual application fees are added together: meaningfully more than the donation, in exchange for an asset you can sell after five years.

Two things make the real estate route worth the difference for some applicants. The first is resale: after the five-year holding period you can sell, and if you sell to another foreign buyer, that buyer can qualify for citizenship on the same property. The second matters specifically for the E-2 visa, and is covered below: property gives you a local address and a local tax identification number, which is the practical way to demonstrate ties to Grenada.

Lincoln Global Partners works with the developers behind the approved projects in Grenada. You can see the current selection on our list of eligible Grenada projects, including the Six Senses La Sagesse and InterContinental Grenada developments, and reach us through the form at the foot of this page for the full portfolio.

Cost

What the fees actually add up to

The investment is the headline number; it is not the bill. These fees apply to both routes and are charged per person, from the Investment Migration Agency's published fee table.

At the end of the process come the oath of allegiance (USD 20 per person aged 17 and over), passport issue (USD 250 per person) and the bank charges on the transfers.

Two cautions on the fee table. First, the agency's own website is not consistent with itself: the fee table gives due diligence as USD 5,000 per adult while its FAQ gives USD 6,000. We work from the table and confirm the figure on each file. Second, the industry association of licensed agents in Grenada has signalled that due diligence fees will rise by roughly USD 2,500 to USD 3,000 per applicant when the 2026 regulatory changes take effect. That increase is not in force at the time of writing, which is the reason to get a quote rather than work from a published table.

Benefits

What a Grenada passport by investment gives you

The United States E-2 treaty: the reason most people choose Grenada

Grenada is the only Caribbean country with a citizenship-by-investment programme whose citizens can apply for the United States E-2 investor visa. The treaty has been in force since 3 March 1989 and appears on the US State Department's list of treaty countries; none of the other four Caribbean programmes is on it. That single fact is what separates Grenada from its regional neighbours, and it is why the programme attracts applicants from countries that have no E-2 treaty of their own: India, China, Brazil, Nigeria and Vietnam among them. Our E-2 treaty countries list sets out the wider picture.

The E-2 lets you and your family live in the United States while you run a business you have invested in there. It is faster and very much cheaper than the EB-5, which now requires USD 800,000 in a targeted employment area or USD 1,050,000 outside one. The trade-off is real and should be stated plainly: the E-2 is renewable indefinitely but it does not lead to a green card or to United States citizenship. For some applicants that is a drawback. For others it is the point, given that the United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live.

Visa-free access to 147 destinations

A Grenadian passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 147 destinations, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Schengen Area, Singapore and Hong Kong. Grenada is also one of very few countries whose citizens can enter mainland China without a visa. Unlike Dominica and Saint Lucia, Grenada has not had a United Kingdom visa requirement imposed on it. The full breakdown is on our Grenada visa-free travel page.

United States visitor visas, with a new bond

Grenadian citizens can still apply for United States visitor visas at any consulate, and Grenada is not one of the two Caribbean countries named in the US travel proclamation that took effect on 1 January 2026. Two newer US measures do reach it, though. Since 2 April 2026 Grenada has been on the State Department's B-1/B-2 visa bond list, which means a consular officer can require a refundable bond of up to USD 20,000 before issuing a visitor visa. And Grenada is among the 75 countries covered by the pause on immigrant visa processing announced in January 2026. Neither affects the E-2, which is a non-immigrant treaty visa, but both are worth knowing before you plan around a visitor visa.

Citizenship that passes to the next generations

Grenada's citizenship law allows citizenship acquired by investment to be passed down to the third generation and beyond, which is unusual among the Caribbean programmes. In practice this means the investment is made once and the status continues down the family line rather than stopping with your children.

Residence in Grenada and St George's University

Naturalised citizens gain the right to live, work and study in Grenada; in other words, Grenada citizenship is also full Grenada residency, with no permit to renew. Citizens who take up residence in Grenada can also access substantial tuition reductions at St George's University, one of the region's best-known medical schools.

Taxation

Grenada operates a source-based tax system. There is no tax on capital gains, gifts, inheritance or foreign income, and no restriction on repatriating earnings or imported capital. The East Caribbean dollar is pegged to the United States dollar. Citizenship on its own does not make you tax resident anywhere, and it does not change your obligations in your current country of residence. That depends on where you actually live, and it is worth taking advice on before you apply.

Grenada E-2 visa

The E-2 visa route in practice

The E-2 is the reason Grenada is on most shortlists, so it is worth answering the questions that actually come up rather than restating the treaty.

Which investment route is better if the E-2 is the goal?

Both routes lead to citizenship, and a Grenadian citizen can apply for the E-2 either way. But United States consular officers expect an applicant from a programme country to have genuine ties to that country. If you do not plan to spend time in Grenada, the real estate route builds those ties more easily: in most cases it gives you a local address and a local tax identification number. If you intend to live in or regularly visit Grenada, ties are straightforward to demonstrate and the real estate route offers no particular advantage on this point.

How long must I wait after citizenship before applying?

Grenadian law sets no waiting period: you can apply as soon as you are a citizen. Some advisers say a US consulate will expect a period of residence or domicile in Grenada before it issues an E-2 to someone who acquired citizenship by investment. We have not found that requirement in any published US rule, so we do not present it as one; it is a question to put to US immigration counsel on your specific facts before you rely on a timetable.

How long does the E-2 application take?

Typically around two months from start to finish, depending on the consulate. Grenadian citizenship followed by a United States investor visa within a year is a realistic plan; anything much shorter assumes a perfectly prepared file on both sides.

Can my family come?

Yes. Your spouse and dependent children under 21 can be included, either at the same time as the main applicant or afterwards. The spouse can work in the United States, and dependent children can attend school there.

How long is the E-2 valid?

For Grenadian citizens, five years, renewable with no limit on the number of renewals. It can be used to live in the United States indefinitely, but it does not lead to a green card or citizenship.

Do I have to start a business from scratch?

No. You can buy an existing business, start a new one, or invest in a franchise. A franchise is often the simplest route: an established model, a known brand, and existing training, equipment and marketing support.

What's changing

The 2026 rule changes: ECCIRA, biometrics and the 30-day residence bill

This is the part of the programme that is genuinely in motion, and where most published guides are out of date. What follows separates what is in force from what has been approved but not commenced.

ECCIRA, the new regional regulator

The Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority is a regional regulator for all five Eastern Caribbean programmes, headquartered in Grenada. The heads of government signed the agreement establishing it on 18 September 2025, and Grenada enacted it as Act No. 19 of 2025. Its remit includes the harmonised minimum investment, vetting of agents and due diligence firms, a regional database of refused and revoked applicants, mandatory biometrics, interviews and common standards across the five programmes. What it is not, yet, is confirmed as operating: no start of operations has been announced, and the chairman of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Unit said in late September 2026 that the regional framework takes effect only once the Authority is running and all five states have agreed a commencement date.

The 30-day residence requirement: approved, not yet in force

The Grenada Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Bill, 2026 went before the House of Representatives on 28 July 2026 and the Senate on 31 July 2026. Its section 7A would require the main applicant and each family member on the application to spend at least 30 days physically present in Grenada during the first five calendar years after citizenship is granted, and at least 5 days each within the first twelve months. The days need not be consecutive, and the family can meet the 30-day total collectively. It would also introduce an integration programme, a declaration of presence before passport renewal, a first passport valid for five years rather than ten, and revocation as the sanction for not complying without reasonable excuse.

Three things matter about it, and they are the reason it is described here as pending rather than as a rule:

• It has not commenced. Clause 1(2) leaves the start date to an Order made by the Minister and published in the Gazette. No such Order has been published, and we have not found a published record of assent.
• It has been postponed. The requirement had been expected to take effect on 31 August 2026. It has been put back until ECCIRA is operational and the five participating states agree a common commencement date.
• It may reach applications already filed. Section 7B(6) allows the residence provisions to be applied retroactively to pending applications at the Minister's discretion. The bill does not define what counts as a pending application.

So the accurate position today is this: Grenada imposes no physical residence requirement, and a requirement has been approved by Parliament that is waiting on a commencement date. Anyone applying now should plan on the basis that 30 days over five years may become a condition, and should ask their agent about the transitional treatment of pending files. Anyone telling you the rule is already in force, or that it will never arrive, is ahead of the evidence in one direction or the other.

Biometrics and interviews

The same reform package brings biometric collection to international standards, with data held in a regional database, and confirms the interview as a standing requirement. Today the interview applies to every applicant aged 17 and over and carries a USD 1,000 fee per person; it can be conducted online. Under the bill it becomes mandatory for dependants aged 18 and over, and for those from 12 where due diligence raises a material concern.

An independent review of the programme

In September 2026 the Investment Migration Agency commissioned an independent review of the programme, running through September and October 2026, and issued a circular to licensed agents on a new online application portal. Neither changes the rules today; both are worth watching for what comes next.

Process

The application process, step by step

The process runs from first consultation to passport, and can be completed without travelling to Grenada.

1. Initial consultation. We review your objectives, your family composition and your timeline, and set out which of the two investment routes fits. If the E-2 visa is part of the plan, that shapes the choice of route from the start.
2. Select the investment. Choose between the National Transformation Fund contribution and an approved real estate purchase. If it is real estate, we identify the project and you sign a sale and purchase agreement; a deposit is payable at this stage, not the full investment.
3. Prepare documentation. Application forms, medical examination, police clearance, proof of source of funds, and supporting documents for every applicant. Everything must be in English or certified-translated, and legalised. Applications can only be filed through a licensed agent; this is where most of the elapsed time is won or lost.
4. Submit to the Investment Migration Agency. We file the application through a local licensed agent. Application, due diligence and processing fees are paid at submission.
5. Due diligence, interview and assessment. Background checks on every applicant aged 17 and over, plus the mandatory interview, which can be done remotely. The file is assessed and submitted to the Minister, who has the final say to approve, deny or defer.
6. Approval in principle, then complete the investment. On approval you receive a letter instructing you to proceed. You transfer the contribution or complete the property purchase and provide proof of payment.
7. Certificate of registration and passport. The certificate of registration is issued, the oath of allegiance is taken (this can be done at an embassy or High Commission abroad) and the passport is issued and couriered to you.
8. Optional: apply for the United States E-2 visa. As a Grenadian citizen you can apply for the E-2 with a qualifying business investment in the United States.

Timeline

How long it takes

The Investment Migration Agency says applications are decided within 60 business days of submission, subject to due diligence and funds, and offers no expedited service. Observed timelines are longer: agents reporting to IMI Daily's processing-times tracker put the average at around seven months, with a range of four to nine. In practice, six to nine months from first contact to passport in hand is the realistic planning assumption, because the elapsed time is driven less by the agency than by how quickly a complete file can be assembled: medical certificates, police clearances, apostilles and certified translations all sit on the applicant's side of the line.

The real estate route generally takes longer than the donation, because the property selection and the sale and purchase agreement add steps before submission.

If you see a promise of ninety days, treat it as the best case for a perfectly prepared file and not as a plan.

Eligibility

Grenada citizenship requirements: who qualifies

The main applicant must:

• Be 18 or older
• Be in good health
• Hold sufficient funds from a demonstrably legal source
• Have a clean criminal record
• Never have been refused a visa by a country with which Grenada has visa-free access
• Provide accurate information: a false statement on the application is itself grounds for refusal

Grenada applies no blanket nationality bar and assesses each application on its own facts. Applications are refused where the applicant has a conviction carrying a maximum custodial penalty of more than six months for the equivalent offence in Grenada, is judged a national security risk to Grenada or any other country, or has been involved in activity likely to bring Grenada into disrepute.

Dependants

Family, and adding dependants later

The main applicant can include:

• A spouse
• Children under 18 of the applicant or spouse
• Dependent children aged 18 to 30
• Physically or mentally disabled children over 18
• Dependent parents and grandparents of the applicant or spouse
• Unmarried, childless siblings aged 18 and over of the applicant or spouse

Siblings are what make Grenada unusual: of the five Caribbean programmes, only Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda accept them. Remember the pricing point above: siblings, and parents or grandparents aged 55 or under, are charged on top of the family-of-four contribution.

After citizenship is granted, the options narrow. A new spouse or a newborn child can be added by reopening the file within twelve months of receiving citizenship, at USD 25,000 plus USD 5,000 in due diligence for a spouse. Every other dependant must be included before citizenship is granted.

Beyond that twelve-month window, children born to Grenadian citizens qualify by descent rather than by investment, at a cost of roughly USD 10,000, which is the practical effect of the third-generation rule described above.

Exit

Selling the investment after five years

Real estate acquired under the programme must be held for five years. After that you can sell. If the buyer is another foreign national, the property can qualify them for citizenship in turn, which is what supports the resale market for approved projects. Several approved developments offer a contractual buyback at the end of the holding period; whether a project offers one, and on what terms, is one of the first things to check before committing.

Selling after five years does not affect your citizenship. It is permanent, and there is no minimum stay required to keep it, subject to the pending amendment set out above.

The country

Living in Grenada

Grenada is a three-island state in the southeastern Caribbean, north of Trinidad and Tobago and northeast of Venezuela, with a population of around 107,000. Known as the Isle of Spice for the nutmeg and mace that still underpin its agriculture, it combines rainforest, a long stretch of protected coastline and a tourism economy that has grown steadily around it. It has been independent since 1974 and is a member of the Commonwealth, CARICOM and the OECS.

For citizens who choose to spend time there, the practical picture is a stable, English-speaking country with a functioning legal system inherited from the British, a currency pegged to the United States dollar, and daily costs well below North American or Northern European levels outside the imported-goods basket. St George's University brings a substantial international community to the south of the island year-round.

Compared

Grenada compared with the other four Caribbean programmes

All five Eastern Caribbean programmes now start from the same USD 200,000 regional floor, so price is no longer the thing that separates them. What separates them is what the passport does.

If mobility alone is the objective, St Kitts and Nevis has the stronger passport. Grenada wins on two specific grounds and it is worth being clear about them: the E-2 route into the United States, which no other Caribbean programme offers, and the third-generation inheritance of the citizenship. If neither of those matters to you, compare on price and processing time instead; our Caribbean citizenship by investment comparison does that side by side, and the full list of citizenship by investment programmes covers the options beyond the region.

Outlook

Where the programme stands in 2026

Grenada's programme has been one of the busiest in the region: it became only the third Caribbean programme to pass a thousand applications in a single calendar year, after Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis. That volume is part of what brought the regulatory attention now reshaping all five programmes.

The European position is the significant one, and it needs stating precisely rather than dramatically. Regulation (EU) 2025/2441, adopted on 26 November 2025 and in force from 30 December 2025, added investor citizenship schemes as a standalone ground for suspending visa-free access. That is published European law and it is not in dispute. In December 2025 the Commission's eighth report under the visa suspension mechanism named all five Eastern Caribbean programmes and recommended strict vetting "pending the discontinuation of those schemes", without setting a deadline. What comes after that is less settled. The Commission is reported to have written to the five states in June 2026 seeking an end to their programmes by 1 June 2028. The Commission has not published that letter; the date was first made public by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and has since been referred to by Saint Lucia's Prime Minister, but it does not appear in any EU document. The five states' response did not accept the deadline and tied any wind-down to replacement revenue, and a meeting with the Commissioner in New York in September 2026 produced no agreement. No suspension decision has been taken against any of the five.

The honest summary: this is an open negotiation between the region and Brussels, not a countdown. ECCIRA is the region's answer to it: a single regulator, harmonised standards, biometrics, interviews and the residence requirement described above. Applicants should factor in that the rules are tightening and the price of entry is more likely to rise than fall, without treating any particular end date as settled.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Working with us

Talk to us before you commit

Lincoln Global Partners is an authorised agent for Grenada's Citizenship by Investment Programme, and applications can only be filed through a licensed agent. We work with the developers behind the approved projects, and we advise on whether Grenada is the right programme for you in the first place, including when it is not, and one of the other Caribbean programmes or a residency route fits your situation better.

If the E-2 visa is your objective, tell us at the first conversation. It changes which investment route makes sense, and it is easier to build the ties the United States expects from the start than to retrofit them later.

Latest News & Program Updates

Programme updates

• 9 Sep 2026 — Guide consolidated into this page and rewritten for the 2024 prices and the July 2026 amendment bill. (Lincoln Global Partners)
• Sep 2026 — The Investment Migration Agency commissions an independent review of the programme and announces a new online portal for agents. (Investment Migration Agency)
• 13 Oct 2026 — Guide reviewed: fees checked against the agency's current table (interview fee added, due diligence discrepancy noted), real estate thresholds of USD 270,000 and USD 350,000, processing times, the US visa bond and immigrant visa pause, the EU position, and ECCIRA's status. The 30-day bill still has no commencement Order. (Lincoln Global Partners)