Grenada Citizenship by Investment in 2026: The Complete Guide

Grenada is the programme I bring up when a family wants a Caribbean passport but also thinks about the United States. It is the only Caribbean citizenship by investment country with an E-2 investor treaty with the US, it lets you include brothers and sisters, and the minimum contribution has stayed at $235,000 since July 2024. Below is how the programme works as of October 2026, with every figure taken from the Investment Migration Agency (IMA) of Grenada unless I say otherwise.

Who runs the programme and what the law says

The programme is based on the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Act of 2013 and its amendments. Applications are reviewed by the Citizenship by Investment Committee (CBIC), the Minister makes the final decision, and the IMA runs the programme day to day. You cannot apply on your own: the file goes through an authorised international marketing agent and an authorised local agent in Grenada, who submits it and handles all correspondence.

The main applicant must be at least 18, in good health, with no criminal record, and able to show that the money comes from lawful sources. There is no minimum age for dependants and no limit on how many you include.

The two main routes

	NTF contribution	Approved project
Minimum	$235,000	$270,000 plus a $50,000 government fee
Is the money returned?	No, it is a donation	You own a share in a real estate project
Family of up to four	Same amount	Same amount
Holding period	Not relevant	5 years from the grant of citizenship

The IMA also mentions a third route, a significant investment in a business or larger real estate, which is decided case by case. The fee chart lists the project threshold as “350,000 / 270,000”: in practice $270,000 buys a share in an approved project, and BRIDGES reports that a whole apartment or villa starts from about $350,000.

Since 1 July 2024, IMA Circular No. 2 of 2024 also fixes how the money is split: of the $235,000 NTF contribution at least $200,000 must reach the government, and of the $270,000 project investment at least $230,000 must go into construction.

What it costs in total

The investment is only part of the bill. The official fees are charged per person: an application fee of $1,500, due diligence of $5,000 for everyone aged 17 and over (nil for children up to 16), processing of $1,500 (or $500 under 17) and a mandatory interview fee of $1,000 for everyone aged 17 and over. For one person on the NTF route that comes to $244,000, and on the project route to $329,000, before agent, legal, translation and passport costs. I explain the full budget with family examples in the cost guide.

One note on due diligence: the IMA fee chart says $5,000, while the IMA questions and answers page says $6,000. I use the fee chart and check the current figure with the local agent before every filing.

Who can be included

Grenada has one of the widest definitions of family in the Caribbean. Besides a spouse and children, you can include children up to 30 whom you support, parents and grandparents, and brothers and sisters aged 18 and over who are single and have no children of their own. Siblings and parents aged 55 and under cost extra even inside a family of four. Details are in the family guide.

How the process works and how long it takes

The IMA describes five steps: choose an authorised agent, prepare forms, a medical examination and legalised documents in English, have the local agent submit the file, wait for due diligence and the CBIC recommendation, then pay the contribution or complete the purchase and receive the certificate of registration and the passport. A decision is made within 60 business days of submission, there is no paid fast track, and nobody has to travel to Grenada. The step-by-step version with the document list is in the application guide.

Who cannot apply

The law lists clear refusal grounds: false information, a conviction for an offence that carries more than six months in prison in Grenada, an open criminal investigation, a security risk, and a refused visa to a country with which Grenada has visa-free travel, if that visa has not been obtained since. According to the IMA, citizens of Russia and Belarus have not been accepted since 31 March 2023, and citizens of North Korea and Iran are also excluded. For my clients from Russia and Belarus this is the first thing I check, because the passport you hold decides the route.

The passport, travel and the E-2 treaty

A Grenada passport is valid for five years and can be renewed. The BRIDGES passport index counts 147 of 226 destinations without a prior visa as of 4 October 2026, including the Schengen area for 90 days, the United Kingdom with an ETA and China for up to 30 days. Dual citizenship is allowed. The E-2 treaty lets a Grenadian citizen apply to run a business in the US, but since December 2022 US law requires three years of continuous domicile in Grenada for investors who gained citizenship by investment. The passport and E-2 guide covers what that means in practice.

What is still only announced

Two changes are on the horizon, and I do not treat either as a rule in force. First, a residence requirement agreed among the Eastern Caribbean programmes was due to start on 31 August 2026, but IMA Circular No. 2 of 2026 postponed it until the regional regulator is working and member states agree a date. Second, on 25 June 2026 the European Commission asked the five Eastern Caribbean states to wind down their programmes by 1 June 2028, otherwise the Schengen visa waiver could be suspended. As of October 2026 the waiver is in force.

Is Grenada right for you?

Grenada makes sense if you want a solid Caribbean passport with a wide family definition and you are seriously thinking about a business in the US later. If the cheapest entry is the priority, or E-2 does not matter to you, compare it with the neighbours in the Caribbean comparison. BRIDGES has a separate overview of Grenada citizenship by investment with its current practice notes, which I also rely on in these guides.

Last checked 25 October 2026.