Renewing a citizenship-by-investment (CBI) passport in 2026 costs far less in government fees than most third-party sources suggest. Official fees range from EC$80 (about USD 30) for a regular in-country renewal in St. Lucia and EC$150 (about USD 55) in Dominica, the cheapest fully remote option, to USD 1,055 for St. Kitts and Nevis CBI holders, whose 2026-27 biometric enrolment programme now sets the operative cost. Every figure in this guide is drawn from the official fee schedules and was verified in July 2026.
This is the complete cross-country cost comparison for all six active CBI renewal jurisdictions: St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and Vanuatu. Country-by-country process detail lives on our passport renewal overview, and Mirabello Consultancy, with 1,500+ passport renewals completed at a 99% approval rate, can handle any of the six end to end. Request your free consultation for a written, itemised quotation.
- Dominica is the cheapest fully remote renewal: EC$150 (about USD 55) per adult and EC$75 (about USD 28) per child, with 10-year adult passports and no visit required.
- Vanuatu's standard fee is also low: VT 10,000 to VT 25,000 (about USD 82 to 205 depending on speed), but biometrics must be given in person at Port Vila, Hong Kong, Dubai or New Caledonia, and the passport no longer carries EU/Schengen access.
- St. Kitts and Nevis is the most expensive: USD 1,055 for CBI holders, and during 2026-27 the mandatory biometric enrolment fee (USD 2,500 first adult / USD 2,000 second adult / USD 1,300 per child, deadline 31 July 2027) is the operative cost, including the renewal when a passport is due.
- Antigua's real official fee is modest: GBP 50 per adult and GBP 25 per child (about USD 65 and USD 33) at the London High Commission, with the CIU Schedule of Fees listing USD 300 (EC$810) per person. The widely repeated USD 1,000 figure has no official basis.
- Grenada charges EC$350 (about USD 130) per adult and EC$250 (about USD 93) per child under 18, with 10-year adult passports since 1 July 2024; St. Lucia charges EC$80 regular or EC$130 express (about USD 30/48) in-country.
- The real cost driver is rarely the government fee: agent service fees (USD 500 to 2,000), courier, notarisation and apostille typically add several hundred dollars to any renewal. Mirabello Consultancy confirms live figures before you pay.
How much does a CBI passport renewal cost in 2026?
Official government renewal fees in 2026 run from EC$80 (about USD 30) in St. Lucia and EC$150 (about USD 55) in Dominica to USD 1,055 for St. Kitts and Nevis CBI holders. Most programmes price in East Caribbean dollars (EC$, pegged at about 2.70 to the US dollar) or local currency, so quoting them as flat USD figures overstates the true cost by roughly three times.
The table below is the full like-for-like comparison, official currency first. It reflects the schedules in force in July 2026.
| Country | Official government fee | Approx. USD | Adult / child validity | Renew remotely? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominica | EC$150 adult / EC$75 child under 16 | ~55 / 28 | 10 yrs / 5 yrs | Yes, fully remote |
| St. Lucia | EC$80 regular / EC$130 express in-country; USD 135 to 170 via the New York consulate | ~30 / 48 | 10 yrs / 5 yrs | Yes, via consulates |
| Vanuatu | VT 10,000 standard / VT 20,000 express / VT 25,000 urgent | ~82 / 164 / 205 | 10 yrs / 5 yrs | Application yes; biometrics in person at Port Vila, Hong Kong, Dubai or New Caledonia |
| Antigua and Barbuda | GBP 50 adult / GBP 25 child (London High Commission); CIU Schedule of Fees USD 300 (EC$810) per person | ~65 / 33 | 5 yrs / 5 yrs | Yes; the 5-day visit must already be complete |
| Grenada | EC$350 adult / EC$250 child under 18 | ~130 / 93 | 10 yrs / 5 yrs | Yes, fully remote |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | USD 1,055 (CBI holders); standard citizens EC$250. 2026-27 biometric enrolment: USD 2,500 / 2,000 / 1,300 per person, renewal included when due | 1,055 (CBI) | 10 yrs / 5 yrs | Yes; biometric enrolment at overseas centres incl. Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, London |
Figures verified July 2026 against the official schedules: dominica.gov.dm, travel.state.gov reciprocity (St. Lucia), vancitizenship.gov.vu, antigua-barbuda.com with cip.gov.ag, the Grenada PM statement and UK High Commission fee schedule, and ciu.gov.kn.
Not sure which schedule applies to you? Book a free consultation with Mirabello Consultancy and receive a written quotation within one business day.
Which CBI passport is the cheapest to renew?
Dominica offers the cheapest fully remote CBI passport renewal in 2026: EC$150 (about USD 55) per adult, EC$75 (about USD 28) per child, a 10-year adult passport and no visit to the island at any stage. St. Lucia's in-country regular fee of EC$80 (about USD 30) is lower still, though renewing from abroad via the New York consulate costs USD 135 to 170.
Vanuatu's standard fee of VT 10,000 (about USD 82) is also among the lowest, contrary to the persistent myth that Vanuatu is the most expensive renewal. The practical qualifier is logistical rather than financial: biometrics must be captured in person at one of four authorised centres. At the other end of the scale, St. Kitts and Nevis is unambiguously the most expensive during 2026-27 because of its mandatory biometric enrolment programme. For families comparing totals across programmes, our family CBI renewal guide works through multi-member examples.
What does each country actually charge?
Dominica, the value benchmark
EC$150 (about USD 55) per adult and EC$75 (about USD 28) per child under 16, with lost or stolen replacements at EC$500 (about USD 185). Renewal is handled by the Passport Office in Roseau or any Dominican consulate, entirely remotely, in roughly 2 to 4 weeks in-country. Details on our Dominica passport renewal page.
St. Lucia, lowest in-country fee
EC$80 regular or EC$130 express (about USD 30/48) in-country; USD 135 routine or USD 170 urgent through the New York consulate. Adult passports have carried 10-year validity since 5 August 2025, with no fee increase. Allow 3 to 4 weeks, longer via consulates. See our St. Lucia passport renewal page.
Vanuatu, low fee, in-person biometrics
VT 10,000 standard, VT 20,000 express or VT 25,000 urgent (about USD 82/164/205). Biometrics are captured in person at Port Vila, Hong Kong, Dubai or New Caledonia; there are no other authorised centres. Full detail on our Vanuatu passport renewal page.
Antigua and Barbuda, cheaper than its reputation
The official ordinary renewal fee is GBP 50 per adult and GBP 25 per child (about USD 65 and USD 33) under the High Commission schedule effective 1 April 2025; the CIU Schedule of Fees lists a passport fee of USD 300 (EC$810) per person. The USD 1,000 figure that circulates online for adult renewals is a third-party quote with no official basis. Remember the separate compliance point: CBI citizens must have spent 5 days in the country within their first five years, verified at first renewal. See our Antigua and Barbuda passport renewal page.
Grenada, standard channel for everyone
EC$350 (about USD 130) per adult and EC$250 (about USD 93) per child under 18, effective 1 July 2024, with adult passports now valid 10 years. There is no separate CBI renewal fee and no re-investment; CBI citizens renew through the same government channel, which also protects US E-2 treaty eligibility. See our Grenada passport renewal page.
St. Kitts and Nevis, premium fee plus the 2026-27 biometric programme
CBI holders pay USD 1,055 (standard citizens EC$250, about USD 93). The operative 2026-27 cost, however, is the mandatory National Biometric Enrolment Programme, live since 14 April 2026: USD 2,500 for the first adult, USD 2,000 for a second adult and USD 1,300 per child under 16, with a compliance deadline of 31 July 2027. When a passport is within six months of expiry it is reissued at the same appointment and the biometric fee includes the renewal. Full mechanics on our St. Kitts and Nevis passport renewal page and in our St. Kitts biometrics enrolment guide; the authoritative source is the CIU biometrics page.
Is Vanuatu still good value after losing EU access?
Vanuatu's renewal fee remains one of the lowest, but the passport's travel utility changed materially: the EU ended Vanuatu's visa exemption, formalised in Regulation (EU) 2025/11 after the December 2024 revocation, and the passport now offers roughly 91 visa-free destinations with no EU/Schengen access. Renewing the passport does not change this in any way; a renewal simply extends the validity of the same travel document.
UK access remains, alongside broad Asia-Pacific coverage, and Vanuatu is still a zero-tax jurisdiction with no physical presence requirement, ever. Holders who acquired Vanuatu citizenship primarily for European mobility should weigh a complementary programme; our overview of the best citizenship by investment programmes compares the current options soberly.
What hidden costs should you budget for?
Beyond the government fee, a realistic renewal budget adds professional agent fees of USD 500 to 2,000, secure courier of USD 100 to 200, notarisation and apostille of USD 50 to 150 where certified documents are needed, plus compliant photographs and any certified translations. Together these typically add USD 200 to 600 even before agent fees.
- Agent service fee: USD 500 to 2,000 depending on programme and complexity; one agent fee can often cover a whole family.
- Courier, both directions: USD 100 to 200 for secure international shipment of passports and originals.
- Notarisation and apostille: USD 50 to 150 where a name change or foreign-issued document requires authentication.
- Photographs: professionally taken, ICAO-compliant, within one month of submission.
- Expedited processing: for example Grenada's USD 50 surcharge for 7-business-day handling, or Vanuatu's express and urgent tiers.
When should you use a professional agent?
Use a professional agent when your renewal involves a name change, a lost or stolen passport, a family of applications on different expiry dates, biometric appointment logistics, or any compliance checkpoint such as Antigua's 5-day visit verification. For a single, straightforward adult renewal with clean documents, applying directly through the issuing authority or consulate is entirely feasible.
The economics are simple: a rejected or returned application costs weeks, and sometimes a missed travel window, which is worth far more than the agent fee. Mirabello Consultancy, IMC-accredited and ACAMS-certified, manages renewals for all six jurisdictions from Zurich and Dubai in seven languages, and our biometric requirements guide explains the appointment mechanics country by country: biometric requirements for CBI passport renewal.
How will ECCIRA change renewal costs?
ECCIRA, the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority established in December 2025, plans a 30-day physical presence requirement, tiered 5-year initial passports upgradeable to 10 years, and mandatory biometrics across its five member states. Implementation has been postponed to mid-2026, and existing renewal rules and fee schedules remain fully in force today.
Nothing about ECCIRA requires action right now, and no ECCIRA fee schedule has been published. Holders whose passports expire within the next twelve months may prefer to renew under the current, simpler rules. Our ECCIRA renewal rules guide tracks the implementation timetable in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which CBI passport is cheapest to renew in 2026?
Dominica is the cheapest fully remote renewal at EC$150 (about USD 55) per adult. St. Lucia's in-country regular fee of EC$80 (about USD 30) is the lowest single government fee, and Vanuatu's VT 10,000 standard tier (about USD 82) is also low, though Vanuatu requires in-person biometrics.
Which is the most expensive?
St. Kitts and Nevis: USD 1,055 for CBI holders, and during 2026-27 the mandatory biometric enrolment fee of USD 2,500 per first adult (USD 2,000 second adult, USD 1,300 per child) is the operative cost, which includes the renewal when the passport is within six months of expiry.
Is the USD 1,000 figure for Antigua renewals accurate?
No. The official High Commission schedule, effective 1 April 2025, lists GBP 50 per adult and GBP 25 per child (about USD 65 and USD 33), and the CIU Schedule of Fees lists USD 300 (EC$810) per person. The USD 1,000 figure is a third-party quote with no official basis.
Does renewing a Vanuatu passport restore EU access?
No. The EU visa exemption ended (Regulation (EU) 2025/11, following the December 2024 revocation) and applies to the passport itself, not to any individual document's issue date. A renewed Vanuatu passport carries the same roughly 91 visa-free destinations, without EU/Schengen.
Do I need to travel to renew a CBI passport?
Generally no. All five Caribbean programmes support remote renewal through consulates or authorised agents; Antigua only verifies that the 5-day visit was completed earlier. Vanuatu is the exception in practice, requiring in-person biometrics at Port Vila, Hong Kong, Dubai or New Caledonia.
How do I start with Mirabello Consultancy?
Request a free consultation and we confirm the exact live fee for your programme and channel, prepare the document pack, and manage submission through delivery. Book your free consultation here.
The 2026 CBI renewal cost picture is clearer than the internet suggests once official schedules are used: Dominica at EC$150 (about USD 55) is the value benchmark, St. Lucia and Vanuatu sit close behind on raw fees, Antigua and Grenada are modest at GBP 50 and EC$350 respectively, and only St. Kitts and Nevis, with its USD 1,055 CBI fee and 2026-27 biometric enrolment programme, is genuinely premium. In every jurisdiction the government fee is the smallest part of doing the job properly; documents, authentication, logistics and compliance checkpoints are where renewals succeed or fail.
Mirabello Consultancy, the Swiss standard in investment migration, has completed more than 1,500 passport renewals at a 99% approval rate across all six jurisdictions. We verify the live fee schedule for your specific channel before you pay a cent, and manage the file end to end from Zurich and Dubai. Book your free consultation with Mirabello Consultancy today and renew with complete cost certainty.
