Can buying a private island get me a passport?

Only if the acquisition sits inside a government-approved CBI development and meets the programme's minimum. A purely private island purchase does not confer citizenship by itself, so the two files are usually structured in parallel.

All programs

Caribbean · business

Private Island & Ultra-Prime Acquisition

Island and estate acquisition structured alongside a citizenship route

For clients acquiring a private island, a branded resort share, or an ultra-prime estate, the property and the immigration file should be structured together. Several Caribbean nations allow approved developments, including private island projects: to qualify for citizenship.

Program facts and figures reviewed 2026-08-27 by the Savory & Partners advisory desk. Government requirements can change without notice.

Global at a glance

Timeline

6–18 months

Visa-free access

Residency, no passport

Residence required

Depends on the paired programme

Family included

Structured per the paired citizenship or residency programme

Programme open to new filingsCurrent processing: 6–18 monthsCosts and rules verified 2026-08-27

Investment routes

Ways to qualify

CBI-approved island development share

$2.5m

Acquisition within an approved Caribbean development, structured so the investment simultaneously qualifies for citizenship.

Recoverable assetHold 5–7 years

Freehold private island

$8.0m

Direct freehold or long-lease acquisition, held through a suitable structure, with a separate citizenship or residency application.

Recoverable asset

Fee terms

How we charge, on every file

Fixed and agreed in writing

Your professional fee is quoted in the engagement letter and payable in full on signature. It is fixed for the life of the file.

Government costs are never marked up

Contributions, due diligence, processing and passport fees are paid directly to the authority or its licensed agent at the published rate.

What is at risk

Due diligence charges are non-refundable once submitted. Contributions on most citizenship programs fall due only after approval in principle. Escrowed or asset-backed investment is recoverable subject to the program hold period.

When an extra fee applies

Only if you add a dependant after filing, switch programs, or a re-application is needed because of information that was not disclosed to us. Each is quoted before any work starts.

How you pay

Bank transfer in USD or AED to our corporate account. No cash, and government fees are never routed through personal accounts.

What the fee includes

A named senior adviser and a named case manager for the life of the file, reachable directly.
Eligibility and risk screening before a single document is collected, so nothing is filed that should not be.
The source of funds narrative drafted to the standard the authority expects, not a checklist handed back to you.
Collection, certification, apostille, legalisation and certified translation of every document, managed by us.
Filing directly with the authority as an authorized agent, with no third-party introducer in the chain.
Interview preparation and attendance where the program requires it.
Post-approval handling: contribution settlement, oath, passport collection and secure courier to your address.
A written status update every fortnight, and a same-day response on working days.

Fixed fee, never revised mid-file

Your professional fee is agreed in writing before any work begins and is fixed for the life of the file. No success fees, no hourly billing, no invoice you did not expect.

Government costs at cost, with receipts

Every contribution, due diligence, processing and passport charge is paid at the authority's published rate and evidenced with the receipt. We never mark up a government fee.

Pre-submission eligibility guarantee

If our screening concludes before submission that you are not fileable, the professional fee is refunded less work already performed, and that amount is stated as a number in your engagement letter.

Refusal cover

If a file we submitted is refused on grounds we assessed and cleared at engagement, we prepare and file an application on an alternative approved program at no further professional fee.

One adviser, start to passport

You are not passed between departments. The adviser who quotes your file is the adviser who signs off the passport delivery.

What we will never guarantee

Approval itself is a sovereign decision and no adviser can promise it. Any firm that guarantees approval is telling you something the authority has not agreed to.

Why it works

Program highlights

Island and estate acquisition paired with an approved CBI development where possible
Holding structures through DIFC foundations, RAK ICC, or offshore SPVs
Independent valuation, title, and environmental due diligence
Coordination of architects, marine access, utilities, and staffing