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Caribbean Citizenship: Your Ticket to European Residency

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Date Published: April 14, 2023 | Date Updated: April 14th, 2023
By April 14, 2023 No Comments
Caribbean Citizenship: Your Ticket to European Residency

One of the most attractive things about obtaining a second citizenship from the Caribbean is the remarkable passport power on offer.  

The countries of Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, and St Lucia all have citizenship by investment programs, and more to the point; all have excellent passports that provide visa-free entry to the United Kingdom and the EU.

Unhindered Access

Caribbean passports give their holders visa-free access to the entire EU and the UK. Right now, all a Caribbean passport holder needs to do to get into Europe is book a plane ticket.

Then they can stay in Europe for up to 90 days before leaving, that is three months of uninterrupted residence in each 6 months period. Even when the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) kicks in around 2024 (it may be delayed even further), Caribbean nationals from the five aforementioned countries can still access Europe easily as ETIAS’ processing time is between 10-48 hours and just costs seven Euros, maintaining its validity for as long as the holder’s passport remains valid or for five years, whichever comes sooner.

Your Citizenship By Investment Application Was Submitted, What Happens Next?

Considering Schengen Visa application rejection rates in 2021 were 30% for Sweden, 26% for Norway, 21% for France, and 20% for Belgium, gaining visa-free access is a real coup. 

However, Caribbean passports not only provide a hassle-free way to enter the most desirable European destinations but a springboard that can allow one to build upon them and settle permanently there, and this piece will explain how.

What Is Immigration Springboarding?

The term immigration springboarding refers to the practice of obtaining a global mobility asset, either a residence permit or citizenship from one country, that will allow a person to get to another different country. 

This is fairly evident in cases like people obtaining a Grenadian or Turkish passport to eventually qualify for the US E2 visa, which is based on treaty countries. Or someone gaining Portuguese citizenship through its Golden Visa so that they or their kids could go and live in any EU country with no investment migration program, such as Germany or Belgium, once they become citizens of the Union.

Benefits of the E2 Visa: All You Need to Know 

Springboarding is a common practice, as investors who work with highly knowledgeable RCBI firms can map their global mobility path, and in some cases, starting a thousand miles away from one’s end goal destination country can be much easier (or affordable) than going for it in the first place, but it requires an expert’s input and sufficient forethought to structure this journey.

Citizenship by investment - Savory & Partners

The practice of acquiring a global mobility asset that enables travel to a foreign country is referred to as “immigration springboarding”.

How Do Caribbean Passports Help You Springboard to Europe?

While there are no specific immigration programs for Caribbean nationals in Europe, Caribbean passports do make it easier for people with limited access to take advantage of existing immigration channels, namely business incorporation immigration. 

By registering a business, a person can then apply for the business to become a sponsor and have it sponsor them for a temporary residence permit, usually valid for one or two years.

But getting a company registered as a sponsor requires the company to be active, and doing that on a two-week Schengen Visa is a daunting task, but doing so within the 90 days afforded by a Caribbean passport is much easier and feasible.

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Another important point is that a person can register their company as a Caribbean national, hence bypassing any financial restrictions or sanctions that they may face being a national of a certain country, such is the current case with Russians who face challenges opening a bank account in Europe with a Russian passport as the banking operating procedures do not allow it. 

Considering registering a company in Germany requires about 200 Euros, Finland requires 2,800 Euros, Greece requires about 5,400 Euros, and Belgium requires 6,850 Euros, a Caribbean passport makes getting an EU residence permit easier and much cheaper through intelligent springboarding.

How a Second Passport Could Positively Impact Your Children’s Future

After living on a temporary residence for a specific amount of time, normally five years, investors can then switch to permanent residence, at which point they are no longer bound to their business and are on the pathway to citizenship. 

Caribbean passports are also excellent for an investor’s children, who may want to look for employment in Europe, as they can stay there for three months conducting interviews and meeting with companies in person, giving them an edge instead of doing everything remotely.  

The idea of obtaining a Caribbean passport to create a pathway to Europe is much more than just visa-free access, and it is a very real tool that many can take advantage of, all you need to do to know more is contact us today to speak with an expert.

 

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Jeremy Savory

About Jeremy Savory

Jeremy Savory, the founder and CEO of Savory and Partners, runs one of the world’s leading HNW citizenship by investment firms. The second passport company has coverage in over 20 jurisdictions including Europe.

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