St. Kitts and Nevis has retained its position as the world's highest-ranked citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programme for the sixth consecutive year, with Dominica securing second place in the 2026 CBI Index.
The tenth-anniversary edition of the CBI Index assessed 14 citizenship programmes worldwide, with Caribbean nations in the top five. St. Kitts and Nevis scored 78 out of 90 points, followed by Dominica with 75.
Agents in the wealth migration industry say the rankings come at a significant time for the sector, which has changed considerably since the Index was first introduced in 2017. Over the past decade, growing international scrutiny has shifted attention towards stronger due diligence, regulatory transparency and the relationship between investors and their countries of citizenship.
Researched by independent consultant James McKay, the Index evaluates programmes across nine pillars, including due diligence, investment requirements, processing timelines, freedom of movement and programme stability.
Caribbean secures top five positions
St. Kitts and Nevis and Dominica were followed by Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Lucia. Outside the Caribbean, Nauru ranked sixth, while São Tomé and Príncipe secured tenth position, ahead of Egypt, Austria, Jordan and Cambodia.
Notably, St. Kitts and Nevis was the only jurisdiction to achieve a perfect score of ten in Due Diligence, followed by Dominica and Grenada with nine points each. Antigua and Barbuda scored eight, while Saint Lucia received seven.
The report evaluates the safeguards established by programmes rather than independently verifying individual application outcomes.
New regulations could reshape Caribbean citizenship programmes
The 2026 Index also examines the introduction of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), which aims to strengthen regional oversight and establish common regulatory standards. Proposed changes include a requirement for CBI citizens to spend at least 30 days in their country of citizenship during their first five years. According to the report, these requirements had not become operational across participating jurisdictions at the time of assessment and were therefore excluded from the 2026 rankings.
McKay's research identifies a "genuine link" between investors and their adopted countries as an increasingly influential consideration in international discussions on citizenship by investment. He emphasised that the proposed changes could affect future assessments, particularly in categories covering residence requirements, due diligence and programme certainty.
What the rankings mean for Middle East investors
For investors in the UAE and the wider Middle East, the Index compares citizenship programmes based on investment thresholds, processing efficiency, family eligibility and regulatory safeguards.
The report also notes that recent geopolitical instability in the Middle East has not resulted in the significant increase in CBI demand that might otherwise have been expected.
Its findings indicate that alternative citizenship decisions increasingly form part of broader residence, family and international mobility planning.
A decade after the Index was introduced, the Caribbean continues to lead the global citizenship-by-investment rankings. However, new regional regulations and proposed residence requirements could affect programme performance in future editions.
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