The E.U. Is Threatening Travel From 5 Caribbean Nations

Five islands in the Caribbean offer citizenship by investments.The European Union has asked five Caribbean nations to suspend their golden passport schemes within two years. If they fail to comply, the bloc will end their visa-free travel access to the Schengen nations. This comes as golden passport programs lose favor in Europe and the bloc increases scrutiny amid concerns over transparency.The eastern Caribbean nations of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia offer citizenship to individuals who invest in their countries, with the minimum starting at $200,000. Collectively, these countries have issued more than 100,000 passports. They do not require people to reside in the country, and rejection rates remain very low.Individuals can obtain a new passport within a year if they invest in these countries, granting them access to 140 countries without a visa. The Washington Post reported that a majority of applications in 2024 came from nations whose citizens must apply for a visa to enter the E.U.The E.U. is concerned about these programs due to insufficient vetting of applicants. The schemes can be used by criminals to evade tax authorities, launder money, or escape prosecution. A 2023 investigation found that Dominica sold citizenship to individuals accused or convicted of fraud, human rights abuses, and war crimes.The bloc is giving these nations until June 1, 2028, to completely phase out the schemes. The penalty for refusing is the loss of visa exemption to the 25 countries in the Schengen area. Continue Reading Article After Our Video Recommended Fodor’s Video Suspending the programs could be a significant blow to these five nations. Between 2019 and 2023, citizenship by investment accounted for 6.5% of these countries’ GDP. About 60% of the non-tax revenue of Antigua and Barbuda comes from this program, while the scheme was responsible for 30% of Dominica’s GDP in 2022. The nations are working together to coordinate a response to the E.U. and will send a delegation to Brussels to meet with E.U. officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.Caribbean countries have also faced restrictions from other nations as a result of these citizenship by investment schemes. Last month, Ireland imposed a visa requirement on Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia to align with policies across Europe and the U.K. In March, the U.K. revoked visa-free access for Saint Lucia and did the same for Dominica in 2023. Canada also introduced a visa restriction on Antigua and Barbuda in 2017.Related: Two European Countries Are Making It Harder to Move There. But One Spot Is Making It EasierAlthough citizenship by investment programs generate significant revenue for these nations, the E.U. considers them illegal and prohibits its members from participating. Malta was the last E.U. country to offer such a program. In 2025, the European Court of Justice struck it down, stating, “A Member State cannot grant its nationality—and indeed European citizenship—in exchange for predetermined payments or investments.” Malta earned €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) since 2015 from the scheme.While the E.U. is tightening regulations around such programs, some European countries still offer golden visas (residence by investment), including Greece, Portugal, Hungary, Malta, and Cyprus. The U.K. abolished its investor visa in 2022, which offered a path to residency for wealthy investors, but it is now debating an invite-only investor visa with three years of residency.Residence by investment does not automatically grant citizenship; rather, it offers a pathway to naturalization.Related: What Would a $5 Million U.S. Gold Card Visa Offer? Citizenship Could Be on the TableThe U.S. launched a program last year to offer citizenship to investors. The “Gold Card” visa, introduced under President Trump, requires a $1 million investment. So far, 338 people have submitted applications, and 165 have paid the $15,000 visa processing fee. In April, it was disclosed that only one person has been approved to date.