Citizenship by investment

Programs are set by national law and run by government units. The St Kitts and Nevis unit says its program dates from 1984, and Dominica's unit says its program was introduced in 1993. On 9 November 2026 the official units of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis listed fund contribution options starting between US$200,000 and US$250,000, with fees on top.

These programs face legal and diplomatic pressure. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled on 29 April 2025, in Case C-181/23, that Malta's 2020 investor citizenship scheme infringed EU law because it commercialized the grant of nationality. The European Commission's December 2025 visa suspension report says that operating such a scheme is in itself a ground for suspending a visa-free country's access to the Schengen area.

A new passport does not by itself change tax residence, which follows where a person lives and their ties. US citizens who acquire another citizenship remain subject to US tax on worldwide income.

Not to be confused with

• Golden visa. A golden visa grants a residence permit for an investment, not citizenship or a passport.
• Naturalization. Ordinary naturalization usually follows years of lawful residence and other conditions, not a payment.

Sources

• Citizenship by Investment Unit (St Kitts and Nevis)Official guidance
• Economic Diversification Fund (Dominica Citizenship by Investment Unit)Official guidance
• Court of Justice of the EU, Press Release No 52/25, Judgment in Case C-181/23 Commission v MaltaPrimary law
• Eighth Report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism, COM(2025) 792 final (European Commission)Official guidance
• Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens AbroadOfficial guidance

Related

Countries covered

General

Sources

5 sources

Tax year

Current rules as checked

Review

Not professionally reviewed
Sources checked November 9, 2026