The Investment Migration Agency Grenada (IMA Grenada) has confirmed that the new residence requirement scheduled to commence on August 31 will not take effect on that date. Implementation remains conditional on the operation of the regional regulator and a formal agreement among participating member states on an effective commencement date.

Implementation Delayed Pending Regional Regulator

Neither the residence requirement nor the related regional obligations will apply until the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA) is operational. Participating member states must also formally agree on and communicate an effective commencement date before the new requirements take effect.

How the 30-Day Requirement Will Work

The amended rules establish a total of 30 days in aggregate during or up to any of the first five calendar years after citizenship is granted. Families may meet the requirement collectively, while each named dependent must spend at least five days in Grenada within the first twelve months. Days spent by family members together count only once toward the aggregate total.

Additional Integration and Compliance Requirements

The physical presence obligation will be accompanied by a mandatory integration program covering civic education, cultural orientation or community service, and an interview. Passports will initially be valid for five years, with a full ten-year renewal dependent on certification of compliance. Failure to comply without reasonable excuse may create grounds for revocation of citizenship and the passport.

What Applies to Applicants Now

For the time being, there is no mandatory visit or residence requirement for Grenada’s Citizenship by Investment program, and the previous conditions remain in effect until a new official announcement. However, Section 7B(6) allows the minister to potentially apply the residence provisions retroactively to pending applications, subject to transitional guidelines.

Summary

Under Grenada’s amended rules, applicants and their families will eventually be required to complete 30 days of physical presence in Grenada during the first five calendar years after citizenship is granted. However, the requirement is currently not mandatory, and IMA Grenada has asked stakeholders to await further official communication.