The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced the results of a meeting with EU leaders, where the future of Caribbean citizenship by investment programmes was discussed.
So far, the European Union has approved neither the extension of said programmes until 2030 nor its immediate abolition.
Lyle Julien, an investment programmes expert at Immigrant Invest, shared details of the negotiations.
What the European Union’s requirements are based on
The European Union has tightened the rules for maintaining visa-free travel for countries that grant citizenship by investment. On December 30th, 2025, EU Regulation No. 2025/2441 entered into force[1]EU Regulation No. 2025/2441 amending the visa suspension mechanism on the official European Union legislation website EUR-Lex.
The regulation allows the EU to suspend visa-free travel over investment citizenship granted without a genuine link to the country. Suspensions can last up to 12 months, extendable by a further 24 months.
At a meeting with representatives of the European Union in Brussels, Caribbean countries were offered 2 options:
- Continue operating their citizenship by investment programmes. In this case, the countries risk losing visa-free access to the Schengen Area.
- Confirm their readiness to suspend the programs by November 12th, 2026. This would allow them to maintain the existing visa-free travel agreements.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda is leaning towards the second option but proposes introducing a transition period until 2030. Earlier, the European Commission proposed that Caribbean countries end their citizenship by investment programmes by June 1st, 2028.
Antigua and Barbuda’s proposal
Following the October meeting in Brussels, Caribbean countries must declare whether they are ready or refuse to suspend their citizenship by investment programmes by November 12th, 2026[2]Report on the possible suspension of the citizenship programme on the Antigua News website, dated October 25th, 2026.
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne sent a letter to European Commissioner Magnus Brunner on October 30th, 2026, in which he agreed to close the citizenship by investment programme on the condition that a transition period remains in place until the end of 2030.
The country also requested 2 types of support from the European Union:
- Technical assistance — to assess how closing the programme will affect the economy, the state budget, employment, and existing contracts.
- Financial assistance — to compensate for budget losses and support projects that depend on investments under the citizenship program.
The government proposes completing the impact assessment by the end of March 2027. After that, the parties will be able to discuss the amount and conditions of financial support.
So far, the European Union has approved neither the extension of the programme until 2030 nor the provision of the requested assistance.
Lyle Julien,
Investment programmes expert
The Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment programme continues to accept applications from investors. Closing the programme quickly could lead to a shortage of funds to meet financial obligations within the country. This also creates risks for banks that provide loans to projects based on expected investment inflows.
How other Caribbean countries have responded
The negotiations with the European Union concern five Caribbean countries that operate citizenship by investment programmes: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia.
In July 2026, the countries’ leaders agreed to develop a common position on the European Union's requirements. In September, representatives of the region continued negotiations with EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner in New York[3]Official statement by the Government of St Lucia on negotiations with the European Union, dated September 24th, 2026.
Gaston Browne initiated a meeting of Caribbean leaders during the week beginning October 26th. The aim of the meeting is to coordinate further actions and, if possible, reach a joint decision on the future of citizenship by investment programmes.
Each country will be able to determine its own position independently if the participants in the negotiations fail to reach an agreement.
How to choose a CBI programme considering future risks
The conditions of citizenship by investment programmes are constantly changing. Governments are increasing minimum investment amounts, tightening applicant checks and revising document submission rules.
Visa-free access to other countries is also not guaranteed. Even after obtaining a second passport, investors may face changes to visa agreements.
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers monitor changes in legislation and international agreements. The experts will help compare existing programmes and choose a country for obtaining second citizenship, taking into account the family's goals, possible restrictions and future risks.
