Every Caribbean citizenship by investment application is subject to multiple layers of due diligence before a decision is made. The five established Eastern Caribbean programmes — Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia — operate separate systems, so their fees and procedures are not identical.

Current principal-applicant due diligence fees range from US$7,500 in Dominica to US$10,000 in St Kitts and Nevis. Saint Lucia charges US$8,000, while Antigua and Barbuda charges US$8,500. Charges for dependants vary by programme and age rather than following one regional tariff.

The screening normally considers identity, criminal and financial history, source of funds, business activities, political exposure and adverse media. The five countries have also agreed regional information-sharing and stronger security-screening standards.

The main layers of review

Stage	Who is involved	What it typically covers
Initial screening	Licensed or authorised agent	Identity, document completeness and preliminary source-of-funds evidence
Programme review	National Citizenship by Investment Unit	Statutory eligibility, documentation and consistency checks
External due diligence	Specialist international due diligence provider	Personal, criminal, financial, business, political-exposure and media checks
Security and enhanced checks	National, regional and international authorities where applicable	Watchlists, law-enforcement information and additional investigation of higher-risk issues

These are useful practical categories rather than four formally identical statutory tiers in every country. The European Commission describes the five programmes’ due diligence and security-screening arrangements as broadly similar, while recognising that each remains a distinct national scheme.

What actually gets checked

Criminal-history screening goes beyond simply providing a police certificate from your country of citizenship. As one example, Dominica confirms that international due diligence providers examine identity, family links, criminal background, employment, finances, source of funds, media profile and political exposure. Its Joint Regional Communications Centre also cross-checks applicants against regional watchlists and Interpol databases, with additional checks involving partner governments.

Source of funds and source of wealth answer different questions. Source of funds establishes where the money being invested came from. Source of wealth explains how your wider assets were accumulated. A business sale, inheritance, investment portfolio or long-term employment income may therefore require supporting documentation rather than a simple written explanation.

Our guides to proving source of funds and citizenship by investment background checks explain how to prepare that evidence.

Adverse-media and business-background checks can also identify historic directorships, litigation, regulatory issues or associations that require clarification. Applicants should disclose potentially material issues accurately rather than assuming an old matter will not appear.

Interviews are common, but the rules differ

Interviews have become an established part of Caribbean CBI screening, but it is inaccurate to say every programme applies exactly the same age rule. Dominica requires applicants aged 16 and over to attend an interview. Grenada’s published procedure applies to the main applicant, spouse, sponsor and dependants aged 17 and over. St Kitts and Nevis requires every main applicant to be interviewed, while dependants aged 16 or over may also be interviewed if the Citizenship Unit considers it necessary.

Regional reforms also provide for biometric collection, but applicants should distinguish those developing ECCIRA-wide requirements from the interview procedures already operating under individual national programmes.

What ECCIRA changes

The Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority, or ECCIRA, was established through an agreement signed by the five participating governments in September 2025 and enabling legislation passed nationally later that year.

As of September 2026, ECCIRA’s official timetable says it will commence operations in late 2026, rather than specifically in September. The Authority is intended to establish uniform regulatory standards and oversee the five programmes from Grenada.

The legal framework also strengthens regional information sharing. Participating states must maintain records of denied, withdrawn and otherwise unsuccessful applications and notify the other states and ECCIRA of denials and withdrawals. The Authority is to have access to those records.

Our earlier note on the vetting standards Caribbean programmes are expected to meet covers the regional changes in more detail.

What a well-prepared file looks like

The strongest applications make the financial and personal history easy to follow. Where funds have passed through companies, trusts, property sales or several jurisdictions, prepare the ownership structure, contracts, bank records and tax evidence before filing.

Prior visa or citizenship refusals, regulatory matters, criminal allegations, sanctions exposure or unexplained periods of residence should be addressed accurately at the outset. Omissions or inconsistencies can lead to further enquiries or refusal.

Our comparison of Caribbean citizenship options in 2026 and the St Lucia citizenship by investment programme explain the available routes. Those considering residence rather than citizenship can also compare Greek residence options, the Italy investor visa and the Hungary golden visa.

Next steps

Treat due diligence as a central part of the application, not an administrative formality. Speak to our citizenship by investment solicitors about preparing a file that clearly documents your background, wealth and investment funds before it reaches the reviewing authorities.