Married to a Grenadian? How Registration as a Citizen Works

A foreign national who is, or has been, married to a citizen of Grenada can apply to be registered as a citizen under section 5(3) of the Grenada Citizenship Act. It is one of the shortest application files the government publishes: a form, certified photographs, three certificates and a letter from your spouse. The cost depends on how your spouse became Grenadian.

Short does not mean automatic. The authorities want to see a genuine marriage and a clean identity trail, and small errors in the paperwork are the main reason files stall. This page covers who can apply, exactly what the official instruction sheet asks for, the published fees, how the process runs, and the alternatives if registration is not the right fit yet.

Who can apply

The route is open to a person who is, or has been, married to a citizen of Grenada. The application form itself asks whether the marriage is still subsisting or has ended by death, divorce or otherwise, so a widow or widower of a Grenadian may still be able to apply. A divorced applicant can also be asked about the circumstances, and should expect closer questions.

The Grenadian spouse can be a citizen by birth, by descent, by registration or by naturalisation; the fee is different for each group, as explained below. The form also asks about any other marriages you have contracted, previous renunciation of Grenadian citizenship and your current nationality or statelessness.

The published checklist does not set a minimum length of marriage or a period of residence in Grenada. That does not mean a wedding last month will be waved through. Expect the application to be assessed on whether the marriage is genuine, and be ready for an interview or a request for more evidence of life together, such as a shared address, joint accounts or children.

The documents on the official checklist

The government's instruction sheet for applicants married to a Grenadian lists six items. Prepare all of them before you file:

• the application form, completed and signed before a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public;
• four passport-size photographs, 50mm by 50mm, each certified by a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public as a true likeness;
• the original and one photocopy of your birth certificate, with an original affidavit if your name does not appear on it;
• the original and one photocopy of your marriage certificate;
• the original and one photocopy of your Grenadian spouse's birth certificate;
• a letter of concurrence from your Grenadian spouse, confirming support for the application.
• The form must also show your parents' names and nationalities, your occupation and contact details, and a copy of your passport goes with it. Where your spouse is a citizen by registration or naturalisation rather than by birth, include a copy of the certificate that made them Grenadian.

What it costs

The instruction sheet lists an application fee of $100, then a registration fee of $1,000 where the spouse is Grenadian by birth and $2,500 where the spouse is a Grenadian citizen by another route. These are in Eastern Caribbean dollars, roughly US$37, US$370 and US$926 at the fixed rate of EC$2.70 to US$1. Government fees are revised from time to time, so confirm the amounts when you lodge the form.

Around that core, budget for certified copies of certificates, notarial fees, photographs, courier costs and, if your documents were issued abroad, apostilles and translations. If you use a Grenadian lawyer to lodge and follow up the application, their fee is agreed separately; many couples living in Grenada handle the file themselves.

Once registered, the passport is a separate application with its own fee. The certificate of registration is the key document for that, so keep the original safe.

How the process runs

The order below avoids the most common round trips:

1. Obtain fresh certified copies of both birth certificates and the marriage certificate. Grenadian certificates come from the General Registry in St George's; foreign ones from the issuing registry, with an apostille if required.
2. Check that names, dates and places match across every document and your passport. Prepare affidavits for any differences, such as a maiden name or a transliteration.
3. Have your spouse write and sign the letter of concurrence.
4. Complete the form, then sign it and have the photographs certified before a Justice of the Peace or Notary Public. Strike out and initial any parts that do not apply, as the form instructs.
5. Lodge the application and fees with the citizenship office in St George's and keep the receipt.
6. Respond promptly to any request for further information or an interview. When approved, collect the certificate of registration and apply for your Grenadian passport.

Timing and following up

There is no published processing time for registration by marriage, and experiences vary from a few months to considerably longer. Files move faster when everything on the checklist is present at the first attempt and when someone is available in Grenada to answer questions. An incomplete file usually sits until the missing item arrives, so a week spent checking the paperwork can save months.

Keep the receipt for your fees and a complete copy of what you lodged, including the photographs. If you move house or change your phone or email while the application is pending, tell the office in writing. If you are interviewed, expect straightforward questions about how you met, where you live and your family life; both spouses should be able to answer consistently.

While the application is pending, your existing immigration status still governs your stay. Do not let an extension of stay or a work permit lapse on the assumption that a pending application covers you. Lodging the form does not by itself give you the right to remain or to work.

Mistakes that cause delays

Unstruck sections of the form. The form warns that portions which do not apply must be struck out and initialled. Leaving them blank invites a return.

Old or uncertified certificates. A tattered original from decades ago, or a photocopy of a copy, is often refused. Order fresh certified copies.

Missing proof of the spouse's status. If your spouse became Grenadian by registration, the birth certificate alone does not prove citizenship. Add the registration or naturalisation certificate.

Previous marriages left off. The form asks for every other marriage. Divorce decrees or death certificates for earlier spouses should be ready to show the current marriage is valid.

False statements. The form states that giving false information is a criminal offence under the Act, and citizenship obtained by misrepresentation can be withdrawn.

Alternatives while you wait, or instead

Registration is not the only way for a foreign spouse to live in Grenada. Many spouses first live on extensions of stay granted by the Immigration Department, then apply for permanent residence, which has its own form and fees. Working in Grenada before you are a citizen generally requires a work permit; marriage alone does not give the right to work.

If you are a citizen of another CARICOM country, regional free-movement arrangements may already allow you to stay for long periods, and skilled nationals can hold a CARICOM skills certificate. Registration still has advantages: a Grenadian passport, no work permit, and buying land without an Alien Landholding Licence.

Before applying, check whether your own country allows dual citizenship. Grenada does, but some countries treat voluntarily acquiring another nationality as giving up their own.

Frequently asked questions