The European Commission has given Caribbean states a hard deadline to end their citizenship‑by‑investment (CBI) schemes, threatening the loss of visa‑free access to the Schengen area if they do not comply.
New EU legal framework
- A revised visa‑suspension mechanism entered into force in December 2025.
- Under this rule, the mere existence of a CBI programme is sufficient grounds for the EU to suspend a country’s visa‑free travel to the Schengen zone; the EU no longer needs to prove mismanagement or security lapses.
- The amendment that added CBI to the list of suspendable activities was adopted in November 2025.
Formal letters to Caribbean governments
On 25 June 2024 the Commission sent a formal notice, signed by the commissioner for internal affairs and migration, to the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The letter:
- Demands the phase‑out of the CBI programme by 1 June 2028.
- Provides a 24‑month transition window to wind the programme down.
- Requires interim compliance by September 2026, specifically:
- Full exclusion of any person subject to EU restrictive measures.
- Reinforced vetting of all applicants, regardless of nationality.
The same correspondence was later sent to Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia. St Vincent and the Grenadines was omitted because its CBI programme is slated to launch in 2026 and therefore does not yet fall under the EU’s scope.
Antigua and Barbuda’s stance
- The CBI scheme is a critical pillar of non‑tax revenue, financing hospitals, schools, infrastructure projects, and disaster‑recovery efforts.
- Prime Minister Gaston Brown warned that the country could lose Schengen visa‑free access before the end of 2026, well ahead of the 2028 phase‑out date.
- While refusing an unconditional shutdown, the government pledged to:
- Continue excluding individuals on EU sanctions lists.
- Strengthen applicant vetting and adopt any additional EU security safeguards.
- Pursue diplomatic solutions both bilaterally with Brussels and collectively through the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
- The EU has offered support via its global gateway investment agenda, but no concrete, binding financial commitments have been presented to replace the revenue lost from the CBI programme.
Wider international pressure
- Canada removed visa‑free entry for Antiguan citizens in 2017 over concerns linked to CBI programmes.
- The United States issued a proclamation restricting several visa categories for Antiguan nationals starting in 2026, later reaching a partial settlement that preserved access for existing visa holders.
- The EU’s 2028 deadline adds to a broader erosion of the Caribbean passport’s value, which has traditionally relied on broad visa‑free travel to the world’s most powerful jurisdictions.
Remaining options for investors
European “golden‑visa” residency schemes—eight programmes identified as immune to the EU’s visa‑suspension mechanism—remain available. These programmes grant long‑term residency (and, in some cases, a pathway to citizenship) without exposing the host country to the same EU‑driven termination risk that threatens Caribbean CBI schemes.
