The Caribbean island of St. Lucia has approved a Citizenship by Investment Programme and began taking applications in January 2016. Benefits, especially for wealthy families from such countries as Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, will include a St. Lucia passport which will allow the recipient to visit UK, EU and countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore without a visa.
The Citizenship by Investment Programme provides four investment options that qualify for citizenship granting purposes which include a donation to the St. Lucia National Fund, investment in an approved real estate project, a private business investment, and an investment via purchase of non-interest-bearing Government bonds. An important difference between St. Lucia’s program and other Caribbean islands is that application financial requirements are slightly higher. The government seeks to attract interest from a more affluent category of investors.