EU and five Caribbean countries: negotiations on the future of "golden passports" ahead

As reported by the project Relocation, five states of the Eastern Caribbean - Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis - plan to send a joint delegation to Brussels for negotiations on the future of Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs, reports Prian with reference to Investment Migration Insider.
Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit said that the negotiations are planned to be held closer to the end of September 2026 year, although the exact date of the meeting has not yet been agreed upon. The delegation expects to hold consultations with the leadership of the European Commission, the European Council and the EU foreign policy service.
The decision on the joint mission was made on July 10 at the meeting of the leaders of the Eastern Caribbean countries in Roseau, Dominica. In an official statement, the participants of the meeting emphasized the economic importance of investment citizenship programs for small island states and the need to take into account their dependence on CBI-related revenues.
Negotiations are taking place against the background of the tough stance of the European Union on such programs. As reported, on June 25, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner sent a letter to Antigua and Barbuda proposing to wind down the citizenship by investment program by June 1, 2028, with a 24-month transition period. According to industry sources, similar demands were sent to other four states.
The reason for the pressure from Brussels is primarily related to the visa-free access of citizens of these states to the Schengen zone. The updated EU mechanism allows considering the existence of a program that grants citizenship in exchange for investments without a significant connection of the applicant to the country, as a basis for suspending the visa-free regime. The EU documents also emphasize the need to strengthen the verification of applicants and the gradual termination of such schemes.
Already in September, the Caribbean states must strengthen the verification of candidates and completely exclude from the programs persons who are under EU sanctions. At the same time, the countries are working on the creation of a single regional supervisory body — Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA). The decision to form a common regulator was adopted by five states as early as 2025.
ECCIRA is expected to establish common standards for investor screening, monitor the activities of national programs and exchange information between countries. The headquarters of the regulator should be located in Grenada.
Programs grinvestment duties remain an important source of income for small Caribbean economies. Foreigners can obtain citizenship after making a prescribed contribution to the state fund or investing in approved projects, in particular in real estate. As of 2026, all five programs are still accepting applications, and the minimum participation threshold starts at around $200,000, although specific requirements vary by country.
Caribbean governments intend to persuade the EU not to end the programs suddenly and offer to consider their role in financing infrastructure, climate projects, education, health and disaster recovery.
According to Skerritt, the task of the future mission is to find, together with Brussels, "practical and mutually beneficial solutions", which will allow to simultaneously take into account the EU's security requirements and the interests of small island economies.

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