AR
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Dominica
Grenada
Antigua & Barbuda
Saint Lucia
Vanuatu
Turkey
Naoero
Greece
Portugal
Latvia
The European Union has given the five Eastern Caribbean CBI countries, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia, until November 12, 2026, to confirm their position on the future of those programmes. The deadline follows technical talks with the EU in October, as part of ongoing discussions between the two sides.
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Why Is the EU Pressing Caribbean CBI Programmes?
In June 2026, EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner wrote to Antigua and Barbuda, asking it to phase out its programme by June 1, 2028, with a 24-month transition period. Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia received similar letters. The request is based on the EU’s revised visa suspension rules, which allow the EU to suspend visa-free access when a country grants citizenship in exchange for investment without a genuine link to that country.
On September 24, 2026, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre met Commissioner Brunner, alongside regional officials. The two leaders described CBI as an important source of development financing and called for continued dialogue on a transition. The meeting ended without an announced agreement.
A technical meeting between EU representatives and officials from the five countries followed during the week of October 19. There, the EU set out two paths: confirm a move away from CBI programmes and keep Schengen visa-free access, or continue operating them and risk losing it. Governments were given until November 12 to confirm their choice.
How Are Caribbean Governments Responding to the Deadline?
In Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said on October 24 that preliminary Cabinet discussions lean towards confirming that the programme will end by June 2028, although no final decision has been made, and he has called for a meeting of OECS heads of government to agree on a regional position.
In Dominica, the government said in an official statement on October 28 that it will communicate further with the EU by November 12, and that it has asked, together with its OECS partners, for realistic timeframes and transitional support to develop alternative revenue, given the role CBI funds have played in infrastructure and disaster recovery.
In Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Chairman of the Citizenship Unit, Calvin St. Juste, said the government’s “number one thing is to protect our visa-free access” for every citizen, not just those who gained citizenship through the programme.
Finally,
The positions shared by November 12 will help clarify the next steps for Eastern Caribbean citizenship-by-investment. The outcome of regional coordination and the ongoing talks with the EU will give investors a clearer picture of the options available in the period ahead.
Karibi Consultants follows these developments closely and can help you assess where your application or investment plans stand. Book a free consultation with our team to review your options with clarity.
