Grenada Citizenship by Investment: How the Programme Works in 2026

Grenada grants citizenship to vetted foreign investors under the Citizenship by Investment Act No. 15 of 2013. An earlier economic citizenship scheme was shut down in 2001; the current programme opened for applications in 2014 and is now administered by the Investment Migration Agency (IMA), the body that took over from the old CBI Unit. It is one of five such programmes in the Eastern Caribbean, alongside Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia.

At the time of writing, the cheapest route is a non-refundable contribution of US$235,000 to the National Transformation Fund (NTF), covering a main applicant and up to three dependants. The alternative is a stake in a government-approved real estate project: US$270,000 for a shared interest or US$350,000 for sole ownership, plus a government fee. Government fees, due diligence charges and professional costs come on top of either route.

This page explains who runs the programme, who can be included, what the extra costs look like, how a file moves from first enquiry to oath of allegiance, and where applications most often go wrong. Figures change; confirm current amounts with the IMA or a licensed agent before committing money.

Who runs the programme and who you actually deal with

The IMA receives and decides applications, but it does not accept them directly from the public. Every file must be lodged by an Authorised Local Agent licensed by the IMA, usually a Grenadian law firm or licensed consultancy based in St George's. Many applicants first meet an international marketing agent or adviser in their home country, who then works through a local agent. That chain is legitimate, but it means two sets of professional fees, and it is worth knowing which firm is actually signing your application.

The IMA publishes its list of licensed agents. Check the name of the Grenadian firm against that list before you sign an engagement letter or transfer anything. Be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed approval, a fixed approval date or a discount on the minimum investment: the agency sets the price, carries out its own due diligence and makes its own decision.

Decisions on approval rest with the government side, and the final step, registration as a citizen and taking the oath of allegiance, is a formal act of the state. Your agent manages the paperwork and the conversation with the IMA; you remain responsible for the truth of everything in the forms.

The two investment routes in brief

The National Transformation Fund. A one-off contribution to a state fund that finances development projects. It is non-refundable, including if you withdraw after paying. It is the simplest route: no property to manage, no exit to plan, and usually the lowest total cost for a small family. Extra amounts apply for larger families, for example around US$25,000 per additional dependant, with higher amounts for parents under 55 and for siblings.

Approved real estate. You buy into a project that the government has approved for the programme, typically a hotel or resort development. The thresholds quoted at the time of writing are US$270,000 for a shared interest and US$350,000 for full ownership of a unit, plus a non-refundable government contribution, widely quoted at US$50,000 for a family of up to four. The investment must be held for at least five years.

What the real estate route does and does not do. It gives you an asset you may eventually sell, often to a later programme applicant, and approved projects are exempt from the Alien Landholding Licence that ordinary foreign buyers need. It does not guarantee rental income, resale value or a quick exit, and you carry project risk if construction runs late.

Who can be included on one application

Grenada allows a wider family than many programmes. Under the rules as currently applied, the main applicant must be at least 18 and may include:

• a spouse, where the marriage is legally recognised;
• children under 18, and children aged 18 to 29 who are financially dependent on the main applicant;
• children of any age with a documented physical or mental disability;
• parents and grandparents of the applicant or spouse; those under 55 must be shown to be financially dependent;
• unmarried siblings of the applicant or spouse who have no children of their own and are financially dependent.
• Cost note: each adult dependant goes through the same background checks as the main applicant, and each one adds government fees. A sibling or a younger parent can add tens of thousands of dollars on the NTF route, so price the whole family before deciding who goes on the first application and who might follow later.

Fees on top of the investment

The headline investment is never the total. Every application attracts an application fee, due diligence fees for each person aged 17 and over, processing fees, an interview fee under the newer rules, passport fees and an oath fee. Licensed agents quote these at roughly US$10,000 for a single applicant and around US$25,000 to US$30,000 for a family of four on the NTF route, before professional fees. Treat those as orders of magnitude, not a quote.

Professional fees vary widely. Local agent and legal fees are agreed in an engagement letter; international advisers add their own. Then come the small costs that add up: certified translations, apostilles on birth and marriage certificates, medical examinations with an HIV test, police certificates from every country where you have lived for more than six months in the last ten years, and courier charges.

Ask for a written fee schedule that separates government fees, the agent's fees and any third-party costs, and states which are refundable if the application is refused. Due diligence fees are normally kept whatever the outcome.

Step by step: from first enquiry to oath

Most files follow the same sequence. A complete, well-prepared application commonly takes three to six months; complex family structures or business histories take longer.

1. Choose a licensed local agent and sign an engagement letter. Expect to be asked for identity documents and a summary of your background and wealth before the agent accepts you.
2. Assemble the file: birth and marriage certificates, passports, police certificates, medical reports, bank references, proof of address and detailed evidence of the source of the funds you will invest. Foreign documents need apostilles or legalisation, and certified English translations where necessary.
3. The agent lodges the application with the IMA and pays the government and due diligence fees.
4. The IMA commissions background checks through international due diligence firms and may ask for more information. Interviews, in person or by video, are part of the process for adult applicants.
5. If the file is approved in principle, you make the NTF contribution or complete the real estate purchase within the deadline given, usually a matter of weeks.
6. Once the investment is confirmed, certificates of registration are issued, the oath of allegiance is taken and passports can be applied for.

Where applications go wrong

Thin source-of-funds evidence. A bank balance is not an explanation. Due diligence teams want to see how the money was earned: sale agreements, dividend records, tax returns, payslips. Gaps here cause most delays.

Leaving things out. Previous visa refusals, old convictions, earlier names and past business failures should all be disclosed. Nondisclosure can lead to refusal, and citizenship obtained by misrepresentation can later be taken away.

Inconsistent names and dates. Transliterated names spelled three different ways across certificates and passports trigger questions. Fix this with affidavits before filing, not after.

Choosing a project on its brochure. On the real estate route, projected rental returns and resale promises are marketing, not obligations. Ask who the developer is, how far construction has progressed and what happens if the project stalls.

Frequently asked questions