Caribbean Passport Holders Risk Losing Visa-Free EU Access

EU Moves Closer to Visa-Free Ban for Citizenship by Investment Countries

Brussels, March 2025 — The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) has advanced a proposal to amend EU visa regulations targeting countries that offer citizenship by investment (CBI) programs. This move could significantly impact nations whose citizens currently enjoy visa-free access to the EU, particularly those in the Caribbean.

The proposed amendments, passed by a vote of 41-10 (with 21 abstentions), identify CBI programs as a potential threat to EU security. The committee’s draft outlines new rules under Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, granting the EU power to suspend visa waivers for countries granting citizenship in exchange for investments, without requiring meaningful links between the applicant and the issuing nation.

Countries such as Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts & Nevis, and Saint Lucia—known collectively as the “Caribbean Five”—could face visa restrictions if the legislation becomes law. The concern centers around CBI schemes being used as a tool for leveraging EU access, bypassing traditional migration safeguards.

“Caribbean countries’ AML compliance remains noticeably weaker than the EU’s, which upholds some of the most stringent anti-money laundering regulations globally. Furthermore, many of these programs rely on vague, third-party due diligence providers whose capabilities often fall short of conducting thorough investigations. These reports are then simply passed on to local authorities without meaningful scrutiny, raising concerns about the overall integrity of the process.“
– Advocate Markov

Ironically, this wave of negative news for Caribbean CBI programs could prove to be good news for EU-based Golden Visa schemes—particularly the Bulgaria Golden Visa program. Often overshadowed by more heavily marketed yet structurally weaker alternatives, Bulgaria’s offering now has a unique opportunity to gain visibility as a secure, EU-regulated residency pathway built on solid legal and compliance foundations.

The proposal builds on earlier recommendations by the European Commission in 2023 and echoes longstanding concerns over the lack of a “genuine link” between investors and the countries granting them citizenship. Under the amended rules, the EU could suspend visa exemptions for nations operating such programs, even if those countries retain full sovereignty over citizenship decisions.

Reform Efforts in the Caribbean

In response, the Caribbean nations have introduced a series of reforms aimed at addressing international concerns, including:

• Signing a 2024 Memorandum of Agreement to harmonize standards across their Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs;

• Suspending applications from Russian nationals in light of geopolitical pressures and EU recommendations (notably, this contrasts with programs like Portugal and Bulgaria, which continue to accept Russian applicants who successfully pass enhanced due diligence checks);

• Standardizing minimum investment thresholds to create a more uniform and credible market offering.

These states have also launched a regional regulatory body and intensified due diligence procedures in collaboration with the U.S. Treasury Department. Despite these efforts, ongoing issues such as pricing irregularities and inconsistent oversight continue to raise concerns in Brussels.

The proposal still requires a vote in the full European Parliament, followed by negotiations with the European Council in a legislative process known as trilogue. If adopted, the new law would apply across all EU member states, regardless of national policies.

This legislative push follows the EU’s precedent with Vanuatu, whose visa-free access was partially suspended in 2022 and fully revoked by the end of 2024 due to similar concerns.

As the EU tightens its stance on investor-based citizenship, the outcome of this proposal may reshape the future of CBI programs globally—potentially limiting the visa privileges that have long made them attractive.