Grenada Citizenship — Real Estate

Summary

The real estate track of Grenada's Citizenship by Investment program lets you buy property in a pre-approved development project in exchange for citizenship. Unlike the National Transformation Fund donation, the real estate investment is recoverable — you can sell the property after a five-year holding period and retain your citizenship.

Approved projects are overwhelmingly branded resort and hotel developments on the south coast (Grand Anse, Point Salines) and a handful of villa and residential projects. You buy either a shared/fractional interest (common in hotel-room inventory) or a full unit you own outright.

Grenadian citizenship carries one feature unique among Caribbean CBIs: eligibility to apply for the US E-2 Treaty Investor visa. The E-2 lets a Grenadian citizen set up a business in the United States and live there on a renewable non-immigrant visa. For applicants who already hold US citizenship, the E-2 is redundant — but it can be a meaningful benefit for a non-US spouse or adult child on the family application.

Eligibility

You qualify if all of the following are true:

• You are 18 or older, of good character, and in good health.
• You can fund one of the two real estate options:
  • $270,000 for a shared or fractional interest in an approved project, or
  • $350,000 for a sole-ownership unit in an approved project.
• You can document the lawful source of funds for the full purchase and all fees.
• You pass the program's enhanced due diligence, including a clean police record from every country where you've lived for more than six months in the past ten years.

Approved project requirement

The property has to be in a government-approved CBI project. The Citizenship by Investment Committee maintains the current list; buying a private villa outside the list doesn't qualify. Approved projects are vetted by the government and usually branded under Six Senses, Kimpton, InterContinental, or similar operators.

5-year holding period

The unit must be held for at least five years before it can be resold. If you sell earlier, citizenship is not revoked, but the buyer cannot use that same property for a second CBI grant — which effectively kills the resale market. After year five, the unit can be resold to another CBI applicant (or the open market), and the property becomes a pure real estate asset.

Fees on top of the purchase

• Government fees: approximately $50,000 for a single applicant, scaling with family size.
• Due diligence: $5,000 for each applicant aged 17 or older.
• Processing: around $1,500 per applicant aged 17 or older, with lower processing fees for children; passport: about $250 each.
• Interview / identity checks: applicants should budget for the current IMA interview and verification process.
• Closing costs: legal fees, stamp duty, and developer fees typically add 5–10% of purchase price.

Who can be included

Spouse, unmarried children up to age 30 (if financially dependent), dependent parents or grandparents, and unmarried siblings of the main applicant or spouse.

Dual citizenship

Grenada permits dual citizenship. Americans retain their US citizenship. Grenadian citizenship transfers to your children automatically by descent.

What you get

A Grenadian passport with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 140 countries, including the UK, the Schengen Area, and China.

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route can lead to citizenship in Grenada. Citizenship is the national status itself, not a residence permit: you can document the citizenship, apply for citizen identity or passport documents, and live in Grenada without a separate immigration permit.

What This Route Is Not

This is not automatic citizenship. Naturalization, registration, and restoration routes usually require an application, supporting documents, and a decision by the relevant authority.

Next Steps

1. Pick an authorized agent and a shortlist of projects. The CBI Committee publishes both lists — agents file on your behalf, and only listed projects qualify.
2. Reserve your unit. A reservation deposit (typically 10%) holds the unit while your CBI application is processed.
3. File the CBI application. Forms 1–4, medical, police certificates, and source-of-funds evidence go to the CBI Committee with due diligence fees paid upfront.
4. Wait for approval-in-principle. The CIU reviews the file, completes due diligence, and either approves, delays for review, or rejects the application.
5. Close on the property and pay government fees. The remaining purchase balance is transferred to escrow, along with the approx. $50,000 government fee package.
6. Take the oath and receive your passport. The oath can be administered at a Grenadian consulate — most applicants never need to visit the island.

Sources

• Investment Migration Agency Grenada — Citizenship by Investment — official program authority and current program overview.
• Grenada Citizenship by Investment Act, 2013 — official program page linking the current application guide and legislation.
• Government of Grenada — official government portal.