Grenada citizenship gives foreign nationals a substantial list of benefits. One of the most attractive is remote processing and a transparent path to obtaining it. To become a citizen of Grenada, a person must invest at least $235,000 in the country or buy a share in a hotel starting from $270,000. The passport process itself takes 4 to 7 months.
Citizenship is granted not only to the main investor but to all family members (a spouse, children up to age 30, siblings, and parents).
It often happens that participants in the program, after submitting the documents needed to obtain a passport, learn that a new addition to the family is on the way. Can a newborn be added to Grenada citizenship? That, and much more, is covered below.
Nuances and features of granting citizenship to a newborn
Grenada citizenship by investment cannot be a person's primary citizenship: under local law it can only be a second status. This is the main issue foreign nationals face when deciding to obtain a passport from this country.
In this case, a newborn child cannot acquire citizenship by descent even if the parents are citizens of Grenada.
There are two ways to resolve this:
- the parents need to obtain a primary citizenship for the newborn first, and only then add the child to the Grenada investment passport program;
- the parents can travel to Grenada a few days before the birth: if the child is born on the territory of the country, they become a citizen by birthright (adding them to the program is not required in this case).
The vast majority of investment program participants choose the first option. For one thing, Grenada is an island nation in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. There are no direct flights to the country, meaning a pregnant woman would need several days to reach it.
The simplest way to give a newborn Grenada citizenship is to add the child to the investment program.
How to add a child to the investment program
The first step is to grant the child citizenship through the father or the mother. This can be based on personal preference: if the parents hold different citizenships, choose the one that, in your view, offers more advantages and fewer restrictions.
Children of participants in Grenada's investment program can obtain citizenship only if they were born within 12 months of the parents being granted official status.
To obtain a passport for a newborn child, the following documents must be submitted to Grenada's program department:
- the child's personal information form (completed by the parents);
- a medical form (completed by a doctor);
- the birth certificate (both the original and a notarized copy must be provided);
- a photograph of the child taken in accordance with current legal requirements;
- the parents' certificates confirming Grenada citizenship.
It is important to note that processing a passport for a newborn involves additional costs. Parents will need to pay:
- the government application-processing fee: $5,000;
- the administrative fee: $5,000;
- the passport fee: $150.
On average, the parents' application review process takes 2-3 weeks.
There is no need to travel to the country in person to obtain a Grenada passport. If licensed specialists are handling your case, they can prepare and obtain all the necessary documents on their own. The passport can then be sent by courier to any convenient address.
Why give a child Grenada citizenship
A Grenada passport gives foreign nationals a range of benefits.
One of the main advantages is that there is no requirement to live on the island permanently. Citizens can freely enter and leave the country at any time, regardless of the political or economic situation elsewhere in the world.
It's also worth remembering how simple the citizenship process is. The application can be filed remotely, which saves considerable time and money.
In addition, new citizens gain the ability to optimize their taxes. They are exempt from income tax and from tax on dividends, inheritance, and gifts.
A Grenada passport also opens up broad travel horizons, allowing visa-free entry to 142 countries and territories. This makes planning trips and business travel significantly easier. The option of obtaining an E-2 visa to live and run a business in the US is an additional benefit for those pursuing an international career. You and your children will be able to cross the borders of even the strictest immigration regimes without difficulty.
Program Grenada Citizenship →Questions about this article?
We'll look at your situation and suggest the next step.
