Italy vs Caribbean (CBI)Golden Visa, side by side - 2026
Italy
€250k startup tier plus the €300k flat tax - the EU's quiet sleeper.
Caribbean (CBI)
St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia - passport in 4–8 months.
It depends. Italy leads on estimated time to first residence card; Caribbean (CBI) leads on typical qualifying investment and faster path to citizenship. The trade-off is timeline against cost: Caribbean (CBI) grants citizenship without a residence period, against 10 years of residence for Italy, while the qualifying investment is €500k Italian limited company in Italy and $200,000 in Caribbean (CBI).
The full picture is below - by the numbers, then category by category.
By the numbers
| Metric | 🇮🇹 Italy | 🌴 Caribbean (CBI) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active | Active |
| Headline minimum | €250,000 | $200,000 |
| Processing time | 3–4 months | 4–8 months |
| Path to citizenship | 10 years (4 for EU citizens, 3 for spouses of Italians) | Direct (no residency requirement) |
| Physical presence | Flexible (no fixed minimum) - tax residency at 183 days | 0 days (Antigua: 5 days within first 5 years) |
| Tax overlay | No Italian tax on foreign income unless you become tax resident (183+ days a year). Optional flat-tax regime for new residents: a flat €300,000/year on all foreign-source income for those moving from 2026, plus €50,000 per family member, for up to 15 years. Italian-source income is taxed normally. | 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 | If you want EU residency through a genuine investment rather than a donation, and you can wait for pre-approval before moving money, Italy fits well. It suits founders backing Italian innovation and HNWIs drawn to the new-resident flat-tax regime. | If your current passport limits where you can travel or bank, and you want a second citizenship fast, this is built for exactly that. It suits frequent travellers, holders of restrictive passports, and anyone who needs optionality quickly. |
Category by category
- 01
Typical qualifying investment
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Italy: €500k Italian limited company. Caribbean (CBI): $200,000.
- 02
Estimated time to first residence card
Edge: ItalyItaly: 3–4 months. Caribbean (CBI): 4–8 months.
- 03
Faster path to citizenship
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Italy: 10 years (4 for EU citizens, 3 for spouses of Italians). Caribbean (CBI): Direct (no residency requirement).
Who each one is for
If you want EU residency through a genuine investment rather than a donation, and you can wait for pre-approval before moving money, Italy fits well. It suits founders backing Italian innovation and HNWIs drawn to the new-resident flat-tax regime.
- +No funds transferred until visa is approved (nulla osta)
- +Family file in a single application
- +Schengen access, low real-presence requirements
- +New-resident flat tax pairs naturally with the visa for HNW relocators
If your current passport limits where you can travel or bank, and you want a second citizenship fast, this is built for exactly that. It suits frequent travellers, holders of restrictive passports, and anyone who needs optionality quickly.
- +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
- − Citizenship still 10 years for non-EU nationals, plus B1 Italian
- − New-resident flat tax rose to €300k/year for those moving from 2026 (it was €100k, then €200k from August 2024)
- − Bureaucracy is paperwork-heavy and consulate-dependent
- − Suspended for Russian and Belarusian nationals since July 2023 (EU Recommendation C(2022)554), including dual nationals holding either passport.
- − 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)