Caribbean Passport: Changes About to Take Effect

The most significant official update to the Caribbean Passport Unit Authority was the meeting held last week, September 23, 2025, which included an agreement to establish a unified regulatory body before its entry into force in October.

The agreement and the new body will be called EC CIRA, short for “Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regional Regulatory Authority,” and will be responsible for administering citizenship by investment programs in the Caribbean.

All anticipated changes will only be implemented with the approval of the five countries offering Caribbean citizenship by investment, and can be implemented provisionally if at least three of them agree.

The new body will have broad and direct powers and will be responsible for issuing rules and guidelines for the Caribbean passport program.

Its headquarters will be in Grenada, with additional branches opening in all countries offering Caribbean citizenship by investment programs.

The agreement will consist of 92 articles and is expected to be adopted in October 2025, after which the body will officially begin its operations. Initially, the minimum investment requirement of US$200,000 will be maintained.

Key Reasons for Changes to Caribbean Passport Programs

After years of consultation and international pressure, Caribbean passport authorities are preparing to maintain the strength and appeal of these programs by implementing radical updates based on oversight and standardization.

These changes are the result of a series of negotiations between the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean in recent years, which have forced Caribbean countries to tighten their citizenship by investment regulations to ensure continued ease of entry to these regions.

These changes are not limited to pressure from the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. On the one hand, these countries are seeking to strengthen their border security, and on the other hand, the world is changing, and so are citizenship through investment programs. Therefore, these programs are striving to keep pace with global standards for citizenship programs.

Key Changes to Caribbean Passport Programs

1. Changes to the Authority Responsible for Caribbean Passports

✓ Establishing a governing body to manage the Caribbean passport programs, standardize their requirements, and pricing structure.

✓ Giving the authority the power to vet applicants by verifying annual attendance and investment reports.

✓ Granting the new authority, the power to administer marketing and advertising regulations, and requiring agents and promoters not to publish misleading and inaccurate advertisements.

✓ Annual audit by an independent international oversight body of the Authority’s operations and Caribbean nationality programs.

2. Changes to Program Requirements

✓ Applicants to the Caribbean Passport Program are required to reside for 30 days within the first five years, either intermittently or concurrently.

✓ Applicants are required to complete civic education programs in beautiful Caribbean countries during the new mandatory residency period.

✓ Changing the applicant screening process through enhanced due diligence procedures.

✓ In-person interviews are required for all adults 18 years of age and older, and those under 18 may be required to attend an interview in special circumstances.

3. Expected Program Privileges

✓ Certain categories of applicants will be exempted from residency for humanitarian reasons or in certain circumstances.

✓ Special escrow accounts will be established to allow investors to deposit investment funds, which can only be withdrawn after the screening process is complete and the Caribbean passport is issued.

4. Other Changes to Caribbean Passports

✓ Enacting laws that specify penalties for non-compliance, including fines and penalties that may include revocation of Caribbean citizenship.

✓ Transforming the program from an open market system to a quota system, with an annual limit on the number of approvals for each program.

✓ Changing the validity period of the first passport from 10 to 5 to ensure applicants meet the new requirements.

✓ Imposing new restrictions on name changes. After reviewing the order, it will be approved or rejected.

✓ Alongside applicants, the eligibility of accredited offices for Caribbean passports will be reviewed through re-accreditation in accordance with the new regulations.

✓ A study is currently underway to eliminate some current investment pathways and focus on standardized financing options.

✓ An agreement has been reached to exchange information between the countries offering the Caribbean passport, and to reject the applicants whose applications have been rejected by another Caribbean country, with some exceptions allowed.

✓ An update regarding the administrative and investment costs associated with the program will be issued later.

If you would like to learn more about the Caribbean Passport Program in general, or to explore the five programs and learn about their requirements, benefits, and passport advantages, you can contact us today via our free contact page.