Ask how much does citizenship by investment cost, and you will be handed a single number: "from $200,000." That figure is real, but it is not the price. It is the qualifying investment alone — the entry ticket, not the full cost of admission. Around it sits a stack of government fees, due diligence charges, passport levies and professional costs that are rarely quoted upfront and that can add tens of thousands to the total. This is the whole stack, honestly, so the number in your budget is the number you actually pay.
The Six Layers of the Real Cost
Every citizenship by investment programme prices in roughly the same six layers. The headline covers only the first.
1. The qualifying investment
The large number in the brochure, in two shapes. A donation (fund contribution, NDF, EDF, NTF, NEF or SISC depending on the country) is non-refundable — it is spent, not invested. Approved real estate costs more upfront but is potentially recoverable on resale after a holding period, typically around five to seven years. Neither is automatically cheaper, a trade-off we unpack in our guide to real estate citizenship by investment.
2. Government and processing fees
Charged per application and scaled by family size. Antigua & Barbuda, as an indication, publishes processing fees of approximately US$10,000 for a single applicant and around US$20,000 for a family of up to four, with roughly US$10,000 per additional dependant. Separate from, and on top of, the investment.
3. Due diligence fees
The layer applicants most often miss. Due diligence is charged per adult applicant and is non-refundable even if you are refused. Indicative figures run from roughly US$7,500 to US$10,000 for a main applicant and around US$2,000 to US$7,500 per dependant, by country and age. A family with adult children can add five figures here alone. The fee buys the background check, not the outcome.
4. Passport, oath and certificate fees
Small individually, charged per person: passport issuance commonly around US$300 each, plus certificate of registration or naturalisation charges, and in some programmes an oath or interview fee of roughly US$1,000 per adult.
5. Professional and agent fees
Caribbean programmes legally require filing through an authorised agent — you cannot apply directly. Budget for legal and agent fees, plus translation, notarisation, apostilles, courier and bank charges. These vary widely and should be quoted in writing before you commit.
6. Real estate extras, if applicable
Property buyers add closing costs, stamp duty, conveyancing, and ongoing HOA or maintenance for the full holding period — then exit costs and resale risk at the end. A recoverable investment is only recoverable at the price the next buyer will pay.
How Much Does Citizenship by Investment Cost by Country?
In 2024 the five Caribbean programmes agreed a harmonised minimum donation threshold of approximately US$200,000, and each has priced at or above that floor since. Figures below are indicative donation amounts only and exclude every fee described above.
| Programme | Donation, single applicant (from approx.) | Donation, family of four (indicative) |
|---|---|---|
| Dominica (EDF) | From approximately US$200,000 | Approximately US$250,000 |
| Antigua & Barbuda (NDF) | From approximately US$230,000 | Approximately US$230,000 |
| Grenada (NTF) | From approximately US$235,000 | Approximately US$235,000 |
| St Lucia (NEF) | From approximately US$240,000 | Approximately US$240,000 |
| St Kitts & Nevis (SISC) | From approximately US$250,000 | Approximately US$250,000 |
Caribbean thresholds have moved sharply — several entry points more than doubled between 2023 and 2024 — and they continue to change. Programme terms and thresholds change; we will confirm the current figures for your situation on a call. You can verify published fees directly with the authorities, such as the Antigua & Barbuda CIU schedule of fees or the St Kitts & Nevis CIU. For the routes side by side, see our overview of Caribbean citizenship programs and the detailed Antigua & Barbuda cost breakdown.
How Much Does Citizenship by Investment Cost for a Family?
Here is the counter-intuitive part. In most Caribbean programmes the donation for a family of up to four is identical to a single applicant's — Antigua & Barbuda's contribution stays flat whether one person applies or four. What scales is everything around it: processing fees roughly double, due diligence is charged per adult, passport fees apply per head.
So adding a spouse and two young children is often far more economical than the headline suggests, while adding adult children or dependent parents changes the arithmetic considerably. Composition, not the sticker price, drives the total — which is why our guidance on family citizenship by investment starts with who is in the application, not which country.
Why the Cheapest Programme Is Not Always the Best
Optimising for the lowest number is the most common and most expensive mistake we see. What matters rarely appears in the price:
- Due diligence quality. Rigorous vetting is a feature, not a cost. Programmes with credible screening keep their visa-free agreements; those perceived as lax attract scrutiny and can lose access.
- Passport strength and durability. Visa-free access is a moving target. The question is not only where a passport reaches today, but how stable that access looks.
- Processing reliability. A programme that quotes four months and delivers in twelve has a real cost, even at a lower fee.
- Family and succession fit. Which dependants qualify, to what age, and whether citizenship passes to future generations.
- Specific advantages. Grenada is the only Caribbean CBI country with a US E-2 investor treaty — worth far more than a US$20,000 saving to the right applicant.
If you are surveying on budget alone, our roundup of the cheapest countries to get citizenship or residency is a sensible start — provided price is where your analysis begins, not where it ends.
The Cost of a Second Passport in 2026: How Europe Compares
European routes sit in a different bracket — and the comparison most often quoted no longer exists. Malta’s investor-citizenship route was historically cited from roughly EUR 600,000 to over EUR 1 million all-in, but the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Malta’s investor-citizenship scheme contrary to EU law in April 2025 (Case C-181/23), and the route was wound down, so an EU passport is no longer a purchasable product there at any price. What remains in Europe is residency: the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, or a golden visa such as Portugal’s, where citizenship comes only after years of lawful residence and its own language and presence requirements. Priced against a Caribbean passport, these are different products bought for different reasons — not cheaper or dearer versions of the same thing.
Most other European options are residency, not citizenship, and should not be compared on price alone. Portugal's Golden Visa removed its residential real estate route in 2023, though fund and other qualifying routes remain; our Portugal Golden Visa cost guide sets out the current structure. A permit that leads to naturalisation years later, subject to stay requirements, is a fundamentally different product from a passport in six months.
One general note on tax: a second citizenship does not by itself change your tax residency, and nothing here is tax advice. Your position depends on your own facts, and you should take qualified professional advice before acting.
The Honest Bottom Line
A well-run Caribbean citizenship realistically lands around US$230,000 to US$290,000 all-in for a single applicant, and commonly higher for a family, depending on composition and country. That is meaningfully above the "from $200,000" headline — and knowing it upfront is what separates a sound decision from an unpleasant surprise at the third invoice.
We would rather give you the real number now than the attractive one today. For an itemised, honest estimate for your family and your objectives — including the cases where our answer is that no programme is worth it for you — book a free, confidential consultation with Jane Katkova and our team.