Saint Lucia vs Other Caribbean Citizenship Programmes in 2026: St Kitts, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua

Almost no one chooses Saint Lucia without comparing it with its neighbours. Below are the figures BRIDGES publishes on its Saint Lucia programme page and in its comparisons, checked in October 2026.

Key figures

	Saint Lucia	St Kitts and Nevis	Grenada	Dominica	Antigua and Barbuda
Fund minimum	$240,000 (up to 4 people)	$250,000	$235,000	$200,000	$230,000
Processing, BRIDGES estimate	about 90 days	from 4 months	from 8 months	from 6 months	from 6 months
UK without a visa	No, since 5 March 2026	Yes	Yes	No, since 2023	Yes
Schengen visa-free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
US E-2 treaty	No	No	Yes	No	No

The processing figures are BRIDGES headline estimates. For Saint Lucia BRIDGES plans 6 to 12 months in practice, so compare like with like.

Where Saint Lucia wins

Family of four. $240,000 covers the main applicant and three dependants, so a couple with two children pays the same contribution as a single person.

A broad family list. Parents from 56, children up to 30 if supported, and unmarried siblings under 18.

Money that comes back. The $300,000 National Action Bond is repaid after five years. BRIDGES calls it the only option of its kind in the region. Confirm that bonds are issued before you plan around it.

A clear yearly cap. S.I. No. 57 of 2026 limits approvals to 1,500 a year, which some clients see as a sign of control over volumes.

Where others win

The UK. Since March 2026 Saint Lucia, like Dominica, needs a UK visa. St Kitts, Grenada and Antigua do not, according to BRIDGES.

The US and China. Grenada has the E-2 treaty and visa-free entry to China, per the BRIDGES comparison of Saint Lucia and Grenada.

The lowest single price. Dominica’s $200,000 is cheaper for one person. The BRIDGES comparison of Dominica and Saint Lucia shows that the difference almost disappears for a family of four.

Shared risks

All five Eastern Caribbean programmes face the same European question: BRIDGES reports that in July 2026 the European Commission proposed to phase them out by 1 June 2028. None of them is safer than the others on this point. All five also tightened due diligence and interviews in 2024 to 2026.

How I choose with families

If your priority is	I usually look at
A family of four on a fixed budget	Saint Lucia or Dominica
Parents aged 56 to 65 in the same file	Saint Lucia
Getting the principal back	Saint Lucia bonds, if available
Visa-free UK	St Kitts, Grenada or Antigua
A US E-2 visa	Grenada
The lowest single price	Dominica

For the exact Saint Lucia budget by family size, see the cost guide.