Sources and methodology
Where the facts come from
I use primary sources first and say which source each article relies on. The main ones:
- The Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) of Saint Lucia: investment options and fees, frequently asked questions, application forms, the approved projects, the visa-free list and the CIU website.
- The legislation published by the CIU: the Citizenship by Investment Act No. 14 of 2015, Amendment Act No. 22 of 2025 and Regulations including S.I. No. 57 of 2026, plus CIU notices on applications from Russia and Belarus and on identity verification.
- Practice notes, budgets and comparisons published by BRIDGES on its page about Saint Lucia citizenship and its articles on costs, documents, timelines, the family, bonds, visa-free travel, the passport index, Saint Lucia versus Grenada and Dominica versus Saint Lucia.
Sources by article
- The complete guide: CIU investment page and FAQ; Act No. 22 of 2025; S.I. No. 57 of 2026; BRIDGES programme page.
- Costs and fees: CIU investment page; S.I. No. 106 of 2024 and S.I. No. 57 of 2026; BRIDGES articles on costs, bonds and real estate.
- Application process and documents: CIU FAQ and application forms; Act No. 22 of 2025; BRIDGES articles on documents and timelines.
- The family: Definition of qualifying dependant in Act No. 22 of 2025; CIU fee page; BRIDGES article on the family.
- The passport and visa-free travel: BRIDGES passport index and visa-free article; CIU visa-free page; BRIDGES programme page on the UK and EU.
- Saint Lucia and other Caribbean programmes: CIU fee page; BRIDGES programme page and comparisons with Grenada and Dominica.
How I check and date information
- Each article shows an "Updated" date. It changes only when the facts are reviewed, not for cosmetic edits.
- Fees and thresholds are quoted as the CIU and the regulations publish them, and figures from BRIDGES are labelled as such.
- Where sources differ, I show both and follow the official text. Example: the CIU FAQ still shows an older fee table, so I follow the current investment page and S.I. No. 57 of 2026.
- Rules that are passed but not yet detailed, such as the residence and genuine link requirement, are described as such, with the date of the law.
How often the guides are updated
All articles are reviewed at least once a quarter, and immediately after the CIU or Parliament changes the rules. I watch three topics most closely: the details of the residence and genuine link requirement, the status of the bond option and the European Union position on the visa waiver.
Corrections
If you find an error, please tell us through the contact page. Corrections are made and the update date is changed.