Caribbean CBI nations set new global standard with unified 30-day residency rule

Caribbean countries offering Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes are now proposing stricter requirements, including a 30-day residency mandate, compulsory integration courses as well as a ‘genuine link’ to the country. The development comes in response to the growing international scrutiny and pressure.  

The announcement follows a draft agreement between the Caribbean Five – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia in which they proposed the creation of a regional regulatory authority in order to oversee the CBI programmes.  

The draft also states that a body corporate should be established known as the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (EC CIRA). It is said that this authority will be monitoring compliance, enforce rules and coordinate policy across these five jurisdictions. 

The proposal dated July 1, 2025, lays plan to introduce mandatory residency requirements along with annual limits on approved applications and uniform administrative standards.  

Mandatory 30-Day Residence 

The development, if came to execution, will mean that applicants for second citizenship for any of these Caribbean countries will require to live there for at least 30 days and they will have to undergo integration programs while showing that they have ‘genuine links’ to quality for receiving citizenship.  

These new requirements are a significant shift from the earlier practice of offering citizenship without applicants having to relocate. 

The draft agreements stated, “Without prejudice to any other requirements of a Participating State, an Applicant shall be required to commit to being physically present within the territory of the Participating State for an aggregate of at least thirty days during or up to any of the first five calendar years after the date of the grant of the certificate of citizenship or naturalisation.” 

This step will mark the first time that Eastern Caribbean states (except Antigua and Barbuda) would impose binding residency obligations across all their Citizenship programmes.  

Apart from being physically present in the country, the draft also calls for the applicants to participate in a mandatory integration programme which may include civic education, including knowledge of the laws, history as well as constitutional principles of the participating states.  

Mandatory Interviews  

The applicants are also required by a participating state to undergo a personal interview as a mandatory component of the due diligence and application assessment process. The draft mentioned that the interview may be conducted in person or through a secure virtual network.  

It is said that if an applicant fails to attend or complete the interview without just case, the unit or other competent authority of the country could suspend or reject the application.  

With these new regulations in place, the Caribbean nations are expecting to strengthen their CBI programmes.