Antigua and Barbuda vs St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Dominica and St Lucia: Which Caribbean Passport?

Five Caribbean countries sell citizenship for investment: Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Dominica and St Lucia. On the surface they look alike. In practice the difference is in the details: how the price changes with the size of the family, what is required after the grant, and what each passport opens. Here is how I compare them for families.

The headline numbers

The table follows the comparison on the BRIDGES Antigua programme page, updated on 7 October 2026. The amounts are minimum contributions to the state fund, without fees.

	Antigua and Barbuda	St Kitts and Nevis	Grenada	Dominica	St Lucia
Minimum contribution	$230,000	$250,000	$235,000	$200,000	$240,000
Does the contribution grow with the family?	No, up to 4 people	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Family application	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Real estate option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Short Schengen trips	Visa-free	Visa-free	Visa-free	Visa-free	Visa-free
United Kingdom	ETA	ETA	ETA	ETA	ETA

BRIDGES adds that these conditions and visa regimes are set by governments and can change without notice. I check each country’s official source before advising anyone.

Where Antigua stands out

A fixed price for a family of four

In Antigua the NDF contribution of $230,000 does not grow for a family of up to four. In the other four programmes it does. For a single applicant Dominica is cheaper at the start, but for a couple with two children the picture can change once you add the extra contributions in other countries. I always compare the full family budget, never the headline number.

The UWI option for large families

BRIDGES describes Antigua’s University of the West Indies Fund as an option no other Caribbean programme matches for large families: $260,000 for a family of six or more, with the processing fees for six included and a one-year tuition-only scholarship for one family member. For three generations travelling together, this is often the strongest argument for Antigua. The figures are in my guide to costs and fees.

A wide definition of family

Dependent children up to 30, parents and grandparents from 55 and, in some cases, siblings can join one application. Details are in my family guide.

Where Antigua asks more

Presence after the grant

Antigua expects you to spend time in the country after you become a citizen. The CIU site states 5 days in the first five years, and since July 2026 the government applies 30 days. For families who do not plan to visit the Caribbean at all, BRIDGES notes that Grenada has no such requirement. For most of my clients, a month over five years is manageable if the trips are planned early. The rule is explained in my guide to the passport and the 30-day rule.

Nationality restrictions

According to BRIDGES, Antigua has not accepted applications from citizens of Russia and Belarus since 31 March 2023. Each programme has its own list, so this has to be checked for every family and every country.

When another country may fit better

• You need to work in the United States. BRIDGES describes Grenada as the only Caribbean country with an E-2 treaty with the United States, which opens the way to the US investor visa. It also notes that the rules require three years of domicile in Grenada before an E-2 application.
• You are a single applicant on a tight budget. Dominica has the lowest minimum contribution in the table.
• You will never travel to the Caribbean. A programme without a presence requirement may be simpler for you.

How I choose with a family

I start with three questions: who exactly goes into the application, what the passport needs to open in five or ten years, and whether the family can make the trips the programme requires. Then I put the full budgets side by side. BRIDGES has detailed comparisons of Antigua and Grenada and St Kitts and Antigua, and an overview of all citizenship by investment programmes. Last checked 21 October 2026.