CBI.me Research Desk · editorial guide ·

Citizenship by investment processing times: approval versus passport delivery

An approval estimate is not a passport-delivery date. Compare the stage being measured, the source, its date and any exclusions before comparing programmes.

Read observed waits beside official targets

IMI’s April–June 2026 survey reports the average and range of providers’ recently approved cases. The comparison shows these observations separately from government guidance. Saint Lucia’s reported average is 17.5 months, with responses spanning 10–30 months; its official approximate 90-day guideline measures a stated authority process. Neither figure is a promise of current end-to-end passport delivery. Small completed-case samples leave pending files out.

Which stages should I ask about?

Ask for document preparation, file submission, screening and interviews, approval, qualifying payment, nationality documentation, biometrics, passport production and delivery. Some stages overlap. Get the starting event and excluded steps in writing; do not add unrelated targets into a promised total.

How should I read an official target?

A government guide describes an expected process, with the conditions stated by its publisher. Dominica gives approximately three to six months for most complete files, with individual circumstances and checks affecting timing. This is not a guarantee or independently measured customer performance.

Why does the order matter?

Grenada describes a successful decision before completion of the contribution or property purchase; the registration certificate follows proof of payment, with a passport application afterwards. St Kitts describes approval in principle before the qualifying investment and citizenship certificate.

What does the St Kitts passport estimate cover?

Its 2 September 2026 notice describes an initial four-to-six-week production window from the later of 1 September or completed biometric enrolment. It excludes a full application timeline and is not a promise that the same production window remains in force. Confirm current timing with the authority.

Can programme statistics show my approval chances?

Annual or quarterly receipts, decisions and new citizens measure different things. A decision can relate to an earlier application, and a family file can include several individuals. A ratio of unmatched counts cannot establish your approval probability.

Sources

Compare programmes →