To get Grenada citizenship, you can qualify by birth or descent, by marriage to a Grenadian, by naturalization after living in the country, or by investing through the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program. For most foreign applicants, the CBI route is the practical option: it starts at a $235,000 donation, requires no physical residency, and produces a passport in roughly six to nine months. Grenada also holds a treaty with the United States that makes its citizens eligible for the E-2 investor visa, which no other Caribbean CBI program offers.
Citizenship by Birth, Descent, or Marriage
The Constitution grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on Grenadian soil. A child born abroad to at least one Grenadian parent can claim citizenship too, but the claim has to be registered under the Citizenship Act of 1976 by filing the parent’s proof of citizenship and the child’s birth certificate with the Department of Home Affairs.
Foreign spouses of Grenadian citizens have a separate registration route. After the marriage, the spouse files the marriage certificate and personal documents with the Department of Home Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister, which handles these applications directly rather than through embassies.1Embassy of Grenada. Applying for Citizenship
Naturalization After Residency
Long-term residents can apply under the Citizenship Act. You’ll need to show good character and genuine integration into Grenadian society, backed by residency permits, proof of legal entry, and evidence of ties like employment or property. The Minister responsible for citizenship decides each case, and approval is discretionary even when the box-checking is done.2Government of Grenada. Grenada Code Chapter 54 – Citizenship Act This path is slower and demands you actually live in Grenada, which is why applicants with the means usually choose CBI.
The Investment Routes and What They Cost
Grenada’s CBI program launched in 2013 and is run by the Investment Migration Agency.3Investment Migration Agency Grenada. Investment Migration Agency Grenada You pick one of two investments.
National Transformation Fund Donation
The NTF is a government fund that finances infrastructure, education, and development projects. The contribution is non-refundable. A single applicant or a family of up to four pays a minimum of $235,000. Each additional dependent beyond four adds $25,000, with higher amounts for parents and grandparents under 55 ($50,000 each) and siblings ($75,000 each).4Investment Migration Agency Grenada. Citizenship by Investment The money is transferred only after the government approves your application in principle, so your funds aren’t at risk during due diligence. Most applicants start here because the total outlay is lower and there’s no property to manage.
Real Estate Investment
The alternative is buying into a government-approved development, typically a resort, luxury condominium, or hotel share, for at least $270,000. Real estate investors also owe a non-refundable $50,000 NTF contribution on top of the purchase price. You must hold the property for at least five years if you plan to resell it to another CBI applicant at the qualifying price; a sale to a regular buyer carries no minimum holding period. The property retains tangible value and can generate rental income, but the total cost is higher and your capital is locked in for years.
Who You Can Include on the Application
Grenada defines eligible dependents broadly. A single application can cover your spouse, dependent children, dependent parents, and siblings (siblings carry the higher fee noted above). Families secure citizenship together in one filing rather than applying separately.4Investment Migration Agency Grenada. Citizenship by Investment Grenada also recognizes dual citizenship with no restrictions, so no one on the application has to surrender an existing passport.5Multiple Citizenship. Grenada – Dual and Multiple Citizenship
Documents You’ll Need to Gather
The paperwork is extensive, and every item has to be current. Plan on assembling:
- Certified copies of every page of your current passport and any prior passports, plus birth certificates for each applicant.
- A certified marriage certificate if a spouse is included.
- Medical reports with HIV and tuberculosis screening completed within the six months before you apply.
- Police clearance certificates from every country where you’ve lived more than six months in the past decade.
- Three years of bank statements and tax returns, plus documentation of your source of wealth and current net worth.
Non-English documents need certified translations. Foreign birth certificates and police clearances usually require apostille stamps or consular authentication depending on the issuing country. Collecting and certifying documents is often the slowest part of the process, so start early.
Government Fees on Top of the Investment
The donation or property purchase isn’t the whole cost. The government layers on several fees that add up quickly for families:
- Due diligence fee: $5,000 per applicant aged 17 and over. Children under 17 are exempt or pay a reduced amount.
- Application fee: $1,500 per applicant.
- Processing fee: $1,500 per adult and $500 per child.
- Passport issuance fee: $350 per applicant.
A family of four with two adult applicants and two children can spend more than $20,000 on these fees alone, before the investment itself. Your authorized agent’s professional fees are separate and vary by firm.6Investment Migration Agency Grenada. Application Guide
The Application Process Step by Step
You cannot apply for CBI directly. The government requires every application to go through an authorized local agent licensed by the IMA, and the IMA publishes the list of licensed agents on its website.4Investment Migration Agency Grenada. Citizenship by Investment The agent prepares your file, verifies documents, and acts as the sole channel to the CBI Committee.
Once your file and fees are submitted, the CBI Committee opens a due diligence investigation. Third-party international agencies review your background, financial history, and any legal or reputational concerns. This stage takes roughly three to six months and cannot be accelerated. If questions come up, the committee may request more documentation before deciding.
Clear due diligence and the government issues an approval-in-principle letter. That’s your signal to complete the financial commitment, whether by transferring the NTF donation or closing on the real estate. No investment money changes hands before this point, which protects you from paying for a denied application.
After the investment is confirmed, you sign an oath of allegiance, which you can do before a notary public without traveling to Grenada. The government then issues your Certificate of Naturalization and your passport, which typically arrives four to six weeks later. Total timeline from filing to passport in hand is generally six to nine months.
What a Grenadian Passport Gets You
The passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 148 destinations, including the Schengen Area (up to 90 days), the United Kingdom (up to 180 days), China (30 days), and Singapore (30 days).
The bigger draw for many applicants is the U.S. E-2 Treaty Investor Visa. Because Grenada holds a bilateral investment treaty with the United States, Grenadian citizens can apply for the E-2, which allows you to live and work in the U.S. by investing in an American business and can be renewed indefinitely so long as the business stays operational. No other Caribbean CBI program provides this route. The E-2 is a separate application filed at a U.S. embassy after you receive your Grenadian passport, and it requires its own substantial investment in an active U.S. business.
No Residency Requirement
Grenada does not require CBI citizens to live in or even visit the country, during the application or after. The full process runs remotely through your authorized agent, the oath can be sworn before a notary at home, and the passport is couriered to you. That makes the program workable for applicants seeking travel flexibility or business access without relocating.
How Citizenship Can Be Revoked
CBI citizenship is not permanent by right. The Citizenship Act lets the Minister responsible for citizenship strip a naturalized citizen of status in several situations:
- Fraud or misrepresentation in the application, including concealed material facts. This ground has no time limit.
- National security concerns.
- Acts or speech showing disloyalty to the state.
- A prison sentence of twelve months or more in any country within five years of naturalization.
In each case the Minister must find that keeping the person as a citizen would not serve the public good.7International Labour Organization. Grenada Code – Citizenship Act For CBI applicants, the fraud ground is the one that matters most. Fabricated source-of-wealth documentation or a fraudulent police clearance can trigger revocation years after the fact, which is why full honesty in the application is the foundation the citizenship rests on.