CaribbeanPolicy Updates

St. Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program Re-Bans Iranians

Christian Henrik Nesheim ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Just five months ago, Saint Lucia’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) welcomed back Iranians to its Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP). Yesterday, however, the Unit made clear, in a terse memorandum circulated to agents, that it has reversed its September 2022 policy and is once more excluding Iranians:

Having monitored the ongoing global challenges and as a follow-up to official Memorandums previously sent regarding the matter at the subject [sic], please note that the Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Unit shall not accept citizenship applications from nationals of the following three countries:

    • The Russian Federation
    • The Republic of Belarus, and
    • Iran

Russians and Belarusians have been on the list of banned nationalities since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and are now, among the Caribbean CIPS, only welcome to apply in Grenada. Following yesterday’s statement from Saint Lucia, Iranians are now ineligible for all but one Caribbean CIP; that of Dominica. While Grenada’s CIP does not ban any nationalities outright, service providers who cater to Iranian clients say that, in practice, they don’t accept Iranians.

Iran and North Korea now share the title of CBI’s Most Banned Nationality, each of them excluded (outright or conditionally) from six of the 11 currently operational CIPs. See detailed information in our Banned Nationalities section.

Applicant Origin Antigua & Barbuda Dominica Grenada Malta St Kitts & Nevis Saint Lucia Turkey Vanuatu Egypt Jordan Cambodia
Afghanistan Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Ineligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Armenia Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Belarus Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Cyprus Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
DR Congo Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Iran Ineligible* Eligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Eligible Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Eligible
Iraq Eligible Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Eligible
Israel Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible
North Korea Ineligible* Ineligible* Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Eligible Ineligible Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Eligible
Russia Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Somalia Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
South Sudan Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Sudan Ineligible* Ineligible* Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Syria Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Venezuela Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible
Yemen Ineligible* Ineligible Eligible Ineligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Ineligible* Eligible Eligible Eligible