South Asia
Citizenship by Investment for Pakistanis
Pakistan ranked 98th of roughly 199 passports on the Henley Passport Index's January 2026 edition, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to about 31 destinations. That is one of the more restrictive rankings among the ten nationalities we cover, and it is a large part of why a second citizenship or a golden visa keeps coming up in Pakistani family conversations.
The harder question for Pakistan is not the passport ranking. Pakistani law permits dual nationality only with a specific list of 22 countries, and none of the seven programs on this site are on it. That fact should shape your choice of route more than price does. This page sets out what a Caribbean passport and a golden visa cost in 2026, what the list means for a filing, and how we work with licensed agents of record. See our nationality index for the other nine nationalities.
Your realistic options
Cost rarely decides a Pakistani client's choice between a new passport and a residence permit. The dual-nationality list does. Caribbean citizenship grants a passport immediately, exactly what the list question applies to. A golden visa grants a residence permit, not a competing citizenship, so the question does not arise at this stage; it can resurface only if you later naturalise into Portuguese or Greek citizenship.
| Program | Route | Investment from | What it means for Pakistan |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship | Citizenship, immediate | $250,000 SISC + fees | Not on Pakistan's 22-country list |
| Dominica Citizenship | Citizenship, immediate | $200,000 EDF, single applicant | Cheapest route; same list issue |
| Grenada Citizenship | Citizenship, immediate | $235,000 NTF | US E-2 angle after 3 years; same list issue |
| Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship | Citizenship, immediate | $230,000 NDF | Same list issue |
| UAE Golden Visa | Residency, 10-year renewable | AED 2,000,000 (~$545,000) property | No new citizenship; list issue does not apply |
| Portugal Golden Visa | Residency now, citizenship optional after 10 years | €500,000 qualifying fund | List issue only relevant if you later naturalise |
| Greece Golden Visa | Residency now, citizenship optional after about 7 years | €800,000 / €400,000 / €250,000 by zone | Same, deferred not avoided |
Eligibility fine print
None of the four Caribbean programs currently ban Pakistani applicants on nationality grounds. What actually stalls a Pakistani file is different, and worth confirming per case before you commit funds.
- Pakistan's Citizenship (Amendment) Act allows dual nationality only with a specific list of countries, 22 as of this research (UK, US, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland, New Zealand, Finland, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, Bahrain, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Luxembourg; Germany was added in January 2026). None of the four Caribbean CBI countries, Portugal, Greece or the UAE currently appear on it.
- For Caribbean CBI, that gap is a genuine compliance question for a Pakistani nationality lawyer to review, not a formality: enforcement for an undeclared, unlisted second citizenship is not uniformly documented.
- A golden visa's residence permit does not raise the list question at application stage, since it is not a competing citizenship. It becomes relevant only if you later naturalise into Portuguese or Greek citizenship.
- None of the four Caribbean programs ban Pakistani applicants outright, but expect enhanced due diligence and closer source-of-funds scrutiny, consistent with FATF-related monitoring history.
- State Bank of Pakistan foreign exchange and remittance rules should be planned with your bank well ahead of any funding deadline, not after choosing a program.
- Prior US, UK, Canadian or Schengen visa refusals are a material red flag in Caribbean due diligence; disclose and explain them upfront rather than leaving them to be discovered.
Prefer to just ask? Send a short message, we reply the same day.
Check my optionsHow we work with you
- You tell us, over WhatsApp, whether a new passport or a residence permit fits your goals, plus budget and timeline.
- If the dual-nationality list is a concern, we point you to independent Pakistani counsel before you file, alongside our own comparison.
- Caribbean law requires every application to go through a government-authorized agent. We are an advisory desk that structures the file and coordinates with that agent; we are not the agent ourselves. Golden visa filings run through a licensed local lawyer instead.
- Source-of-funds documentation is prepared early, matched to each program's due diligence.
- You receive a decision, or your residence card, with the list question already resolved rather than discovered afterward.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Pakistani citizen legally hold a Caribbean passport?
Nothing in Caribbean law stops a Pakistani national from applying, and none of the four programs on this site ban Pakistani applicants. The open question sits on Pakistan's side: its Citizenship Act permits dual nationality only with a specific list of 22 countries, and no Caribbean program is on it. Get a Pakistani nationality lawyer's opinion before applying.
Is a golden visa safer than Caribbean citizenship for a Pakistani applicant?
Safer is the wrong frame, but a golden visa does sidestep the dual-nationality list question at application stage, since it grants a residence permit rather than a competing citizenship. That question can resurface only if you later naturalise into Portuguese or Greek citizenship. Caribbean CBI remains open and unbanned for Pakistanis; it simply raises the question sooner.
Does Germany joining Pakistan's dual-nationality list in 2026 change anything for Caribbean CBI?
Not directly. Germany's addition in January 2026 brought the approved list to 22 countries, but none of the four Caribbean programs on this site, nor Portugal, Greece or the UAE, are on it. The list does change, which is why we recommend reconfirming its current contents before you file.
How does a Pakistani applicant fund a $200,000-plus program given State Bank rules?
Most clients fund from an existing offshore account, business earnings already held abroad, or a State Bank-compliant transfer rather than a direct rupee conversion. Plan the funding route with your bank before committing to a date; this is usually the practical bottleneck, not the paperwork.
Talk through your options before you file anything
Tell us whether a new passport or a residence permit fits your goals. We will lay out what the dual-nationality list actually means for your case.
Check my options