Large Grenadian communities live in Britain, the United States, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago, and many people born there to a Grenadian parent or grandparent can become Grenadian citizens for a few hundred EC dollars and some patient work with old certificates. It is the cheapest route to a Grenadian passport by a wide margin, and one that is often overlooked.
The law distinguishes between people who are already citizens because of where a parent was born, and people who must apply to be registered. The government publishes separate instruction sheets for children of Grenadian parents and for grandchildren of Grenadians, under the Home Affairs section of the official forms. This page walks through both, the documents each needs, the fees listed on the sheets and the problems that slow people down.
Who is already a citizen and who must register
Under the Constitution and the Grenada Citizenship Act, a person born outside Grenada is generally a citizen by descent if at least one parent was born in Grenada. In that case you are not asking to become Grenadian; you are proving that you already are, usually by applying for a passport with your parent's Grenadian birth certificate and your own birth certificate showing the parent's name.
Where the parent was a citizen but was not born in Grenada, for example a parent who was born in London to Grenadian parents, the position is less direct, and the usual route is registration. The government's form for children of Grenadian parents covers applicants both under and over 18.
Grandchildren have their own registration route. If your grandparent was born in Grenada and your parent never claimed citizenship, you may still qualify, provided the chain of birth certificates links you to that grandparent. Because these distinctions turn on the exact facts, ask the citizenship office or a Grenadian lawyer which form fits your family before you start collecting paperwork.
Documents for children of Grenadian parents
The official instruction sheet for children of Grenadian parents, under and over 18, lists a short set of documents. Expect to provide:
- one completed application form, signed before a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public;
- four passport-size photographs certified by a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public;
- your original birth certificate and one photocopy;
- a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner;
- the original birth certificate of your Grenadian parent and one photocopy.
- The form also asks for your parents' names and nationalities, your occupation and contact details. The sheet lists fees of $100 for the application and $250 for citizenship, in Eastern Caribbean dollars. Fees are revised from time to time, so confirm them when you apply. Unlike the naturalisation route, there is no security check fee or police certificate on this list.
Documents for grandchildren of Grenadians
The grandchildren's sheet asks for more, because the link runs across two generations. The list is:
- one completed form signed before a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public;
- four certified passport-size photographs;
- your original birth certificate and one photocopy;
- a medical certificate from a registered practitioner;
- the original birth certificate of your parent, which must show your grandparent's name, with a photocopy;
- the original birth certificate of your Grenadian grandparent, with a photocopy;
- a police certificate of character from your country of origin.
- The listed fees are $100 for the application and $500 for citizenship, again in EC dollars. A copy of your current passport and your parents' details go with the form. Because the police certificate must be recent, order it last, once every other document is in hand.
Finding old Grenadian records
The hardest document is usually the Grenadian birth certificate of a parent or grandparent born decades ago. Births are recorded by the General Registry (the Registrar General's office) in St George's. A relative on the island, or a lawyer, can request a certified copy if you have the full name, parish and approximate date of birth. Applying in person is usually faster than by post.
Older registrations can be incomplete. Names may be spelled differently, a father may not be named, or a birth may have been registered late or not at all. Church baptismal records, especially Anglican, Roman Catholic and Methodist registers, sometimes fill the gap, and an affidavit from an older relative can explain discrepancies. Where a grandparent changed name on marriage, you will need the marriage certificate too.
Records for people born in Carriacou and Petite Martinique are held in the same national system. If a relative was born there, give the village as well as the island; it helps the search.
Filing from abroad, step by step
Most descent applicants live outside Grenada. The process can be handled at a distance, although it moves faster with someone on the island to collect records and follow up. A workable sequence:
- Draw a simple family tree with full names, dates and parishes of birth for yourself, your parent and, if relevant, your grandparent. Note every change of name through marriage.
- Order certified copies of the Grenadian birth certificates from the General Registry in St George's, through a relative, a lawyer or in person on a visit.
- Collect your own birth certificate and your parent's, making sure each shows the name of the next person up the chain.
- Ask whether your documents need an apostille or other legalisation, and get certified translations of anything not in English.
- Get the medical certificate and, for grandchildren, a recent police certificate from your country of origin.
- Sign the form and have the photographs certified before a notary public or Justice of the Peace.
- Submit the application to the citizenship office in St George's, directly, through a Grenadian lawyer, or by asking the nearest Grenadian embassy, high commission or consulate how it accepts applications. Keep copies of everything you send.
After registration: the passport and what changes
Once registered, you receive a certificate of registration. Keep the original somewhere safe; it is the document that proves your status when you apply for a passport, and again when renewing. The first Grenadian passport is applied for separately through the Immigration and Passport Office in Grenada or a Grenadian mission abroad, with photographs, the certificate and the passport fee.
As a citizen you can live and work in Grenada without a work permit or residence permit, and you can buy land without the Alien Landholding Licence that foreign buyers need. Returning nationals may also qualify for customs concessions on household goods under the government's programme for returning Grenadians.
Citizenship does not by itself make you tax resident in Grenada, and it does not change your tax position in the country where you live. Children born to you after registration may themselves be able to register, which is why keeping a clean paper trail now saves the next generation trouble.
Common snags and how to avoid them
The link runs through a father who was not married to the mother. Expect to be asked for evidence of paternity if the father's name is missing from the birth certificate. Gather it before you file.
Names do not match across generations. A grandmother registered as "Mary Ann" and married as "Marian" will raise questions. Explain the discrepancy with an affidavit rather than hoping it goes unnoticed.
Photocopies instead of originals. The sheets ask for originals plus photocopies. Certified copies issued by a registry count as originals; a scan printed at home does not.
Forgetting the passport is a separate step. Registration makes you a citizen. A passport is then applied for through the Immigration and Passport Office, or through a Grenadian diplomatic mission abroad, with its own form and fee.
Assuming your other country allows dual citizenship. Grenada permits it, but not every country does. Check before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get Grenadian citizenship through a grandmother?
Yes, if she was Grenadian and you can link yourself to her through birth certificates. The government publishes a specific form for grandchildren of Grenadians, which needs your birth certificate, your parent's certificate naming the grandparent, her Grenadian certificate and a police certificate.
How much does Grenadian citizenship by descent cost?
The official instruction sheets list EC$100 as an application fee plus EC$250 for children of Grenadian parents or EC$500 for grandchildren. Add the cost of certificates, certified photographs, a medical and, later, the passport fee. Confirm current fees when applying.
Do you need to live in Grenada to claim citizenship by descent?
No residence requirement appears on the descent forms. Many applicants file while living abroad, using a relative or lawyer in Grenada, or through a Grenadian mission. Some steps are easier in person, particularly obtaining old birth records.
Where do you get a Grenadian birth certificate for a dead relative?
Certified copies come from the General Registry in St George's. You will need the full name, parish and approximate date of birth. If the birth cannot be found, church baptismal records and affidavits from older relatives can help.
Can your children claim through you once you are registered?
Children of a Grenadian citizen can usually apply for registration, and those under 18 have their own form. The exact route depends on how and when you became a citizen, so check with the citizenship office before applying for them.
Do the documents have to be signed by a Justice of the Peace?
The application form must be signed before a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public, and the photographs must be certified by one as a true likeness. Abroad, a notary public is usually the practical choice.
