Current Status by Program (2026)
The five established Caribbean programs do not treat Russian nationals uniformly, and the picture has shifted more than once since 2022. This is the current position, which we reconfirm before every application:
| Program | Status for Russian Nationals | Detail |
|---|
| St Kitts and Nevis | Banned outright | SRO 27 of 2023 excludes Russian nationals with no exceptions, regardless of residence or dual citizenship |
| Dominica | Banned outright | Applications from Russian nationals are not accepted under current policy |
| St Lucia | Banned outright | Suspended since February 2023 as part of the Six CBI Principles agreed with the US Treasury |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Open, conditionally | Reopened to Russian applicants who are not subject to international sanctions and have no connection to a sanctioned person or entity |
| Grenada | Case by case | No formal published ban, but enhanced due diligence applies and outcomes are assessed individually against continuously updated sanctions lists |
In short: three of the five programs are not currently an option for Russian nationals under any circumstances. Antigua and Barbuda is the clearest route for eligible applicants, and Grenada may be worth exploring depending on individual circumstances, but neither is guaranteed, and we confirm current policy directly before any engagement begins.
Why These Restrictions Exist
Following the escalation of sanctions against Russia from 2022 onward, Caribbean CBI programs came under sustained pressure from the US Treasury and the European Union to tighten screening or exclude Russian and Belarusian applicants entirely. In February 2023, Caribbean governments and US Treasury officials agreed a set of Six CBI Principles at a joint roundtable, which included commitments on enhanced due diligence and, for several programs, suspension of Russian and Belarusian applications altogether.
This pressure has not eased. The EU has separately signalled that continued visa-free Schengen access for Caribbean CBI countries depends in part on program integrity, including robust sanctions screening. Caribbean governments that keep any door open for Russian nationals do so cautiously, and enforcement of the conditions attached is genuinely strict rather than a formality.
What This Means in Practice
We want to be direct about this rather than optimistic. If you are a Russian national currently subject to any sanctions list, connected to a sanctioned entity, or unable to fully document a source of funds outside the Russian financial system, no legitimate program is currently available to you, and no consultancy can responsibly promise otherwise. Applications submitted with incomplete or misleading ownership information are not a viable path - they are detected during due diligence, they damage the applicant's record permanently, and in some cases they carry legal consequences.
If, on the other hand, you have lived and built your finances outside Russia for a meaningful period, can demonstrate this with documentation, and are not connected to any sanctioned individual or entity, a real and legitimate pathway exists through Antigua and Barbuda, and potentially Grenada. Our role is to establish honestly, before you spend any money, which category you fall into.
Documents Russian Applicants Typically Need
- Valid passport with at least 6 months' remaining validity, plus a recent passport-size photograph
- Birth certificate and, where applicable, marriage certificate, translated and attested where required
- Police clearance certificates from Russia and every other country of residence over the past 10 years
- Full documentary evidence of source of funds, tracing the qualifying investment back to its origin outside the Russian financial system
- Evidence of any second nationality, long-term foreign residence, or business ownership held outside Russia
- Confirmation of non-sanctioned status, including a self-declaration and supporting evidence where available
- Medical certificate and, on most programs, a mandatory interview for the main applicant and dependents aged 16 or older
Foreign-issued documents generally require translation and attestation before submission. Our document attestation team handles this in parallel with the citizenship application to avoid delays.
Why Choose Takween Advisory
Takween Advisory is a UAE-based business consultancy advising high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and families across the GCC on citizenship by investment. Dubai is home to a substantial Russian business community, and we have direct experience assessing which Russian national applications are realistically fundable given the current sanctions environment - and which are not.
We screen every case honestly before recommending next steps, work only with programs currently accepting Russian applicants, and coordinate with your government-authorised Authorised Representative to prepare a complete, defensible file from the outset.
For a confidential, honest assessment of your eligibility, contact our team today.
