Greece vs Caribbean (CBI)Golden Visa, side by side — 2026
Greece
Zone-priced real estate residency, zero days a year required.
Caribbean (CBI)
St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia — passport in 4–8 months.
It depends. Greece has no clean numerical lead; Caribbean (CBI) leads on lower headline price (dominant route) and faster path to citizenship. The two programs solve different problems and neither dominates.
The full picture is below — by the numbers, then category by category.
By the numbers
| Metric | 🇬🇷 Greece | 🌴 Caribbean (CBI) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Reformed | Active |
| Headline minimum | €250,000 | $200,000 |
| Processing time | 4–9 months (new applications) | 4–8 months |
| Path to citizenship | 7 years | Direct (no residency requirement) |
| Physical presence | 0 days required | 0 days (Antigua: 5 days within first 5 years) |
| Tax overlay | Non-dom flat tax €100k/year · 7% foreign-pensioner regime | Citizenship is not tax residency — a CBI passport does not change where you are taxed, and CBI requires no residence, so for most holders it has no tax effect at all. The islands levy no tax on non-residents' foreign income and no wealth or inheritance tax, but you only benefit by actually relocating, which almost no CBI buyer does. |
| Best for | Investors who want a tangible Mediterranean asset and a zero-presence Schengen card — or HNW retirees who can use the 7% foreign-pensioner regime. | Frequent travellers, holders of restrictive passports, or anyone needing optionality fast. |
Category by category
- 01
Lower headline price (dominant route)
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Greece: €400k Zone B real estate. Caribbean (CBI): $200,000.
- 02
Faster path to citizenship
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Greece: 7 years. Caribbean (CBI): Direct (no residency requirement).
Who each one is for
Investors who want a tangible Mediterranean asset and a zero-presence Schengen card — or HNW retirees who can use the 7% foreign-pensioner regime.
- +Zero physical presence to maintain or renew
- +€250,000 conversion/restoration route — the cheapest route in the EU
- +Three-generation family file (both sets of parents qualify, no age threshold)
- +Non-Dom (€100k flat) and 7% foreign-pensioner tax regimes
Frequent travellers, holders of restrictive passports, or anyone needing optionality fast.
- +Direct citizenship — no residency requirement
- +Visa-free travel to 140–150 countries
- +Grenada gives access to the US E-2 investor visa
- +Fast: passport often in 4–6 months
The honest tradeoffs
- − Zone A jumped from €500k to €800k under Law 5100/2024 (effective 31 Aug 2024)
- − Short-term rentals (Airbnb) banned on Golden-Visa property since 2024 — €50k fine + permit cancellation risk
- − Citizenship requires 7 years, B1 Greek and a history/culture exam
- − 120m² minimum is a single-property rule — can't combine smaller units
- − All five programs raised minimums to $200k+ in 2024 by regional MoU
- − Enhanced due diligence — Russians, Belarusians, Iranians excluded
- − EU visa-free status under review (UK already requires ETA)