In colonization times, Grenada was administered by England and France and was part of the West Indies Federation. The country gained its independence only in 1974. Currently, the form of the state is a constitutional monarchy. State form structure is a unitary state. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral parliament. Official language is English.
Grenada is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the OAS, the Caribbean Community CARICOM, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the Association of Caribbean States.
Visa
Are allowed to enter and stay in Grenada for up to 90 days. A longer stay requires an appropriate visa. The type of permit, the validity period is determined by the intended purpose of the visit and can reach 3 months.
The government allows to legally enter and live in the country or engage in permitted activities based on several types of visas:
- Tourist visa.
- Transit visa.
- Educational visa.
- Digital nomad visa.
- Work visa.
- Business visa.
Particular attention is paid to visas related to labor and commercial activities. An extended package of documents is required to obtain such permits.
The feature article collected up-to-date information on Grenada visas, methods of obtaining and requirements for the applicant.
Residence permit
A foreign citizen can obtain a residence permit if he/she needs to stay in Grenada for more than 3 months on an appropriate visa. To obtain a residence permit, you must provide a full justification for a long stay. After 3 years of legal residence on the island, you can apply for permanent residence.
Despite the issued residence permit, foreigners by default do not have the right to engage in labor activity. For this the foreigner will need to obtain a license and substantiate this need accordingly.
Residence permit in Grenada can be obtained through:
- Real estate purchase.
- Education at a local educational institution.
- Remote employment.
- Marriage to a citizen.
- The need for family reunification.
- Employment or business activities.
Each program has special conditions. Find out more about what requirements the applicant needs to meet in order to get a residence permit in Grenada.
Passport
Grenada's passport offers many privileges, including visa-free travel around the world and special conditions for obtaining a visa to the United States. Loyal legislation allows the foreigner applicant to obtain a passport with the assignment of the appropriate status to all members of his/her family.
Since 2023, the Government of Grenada has been issuing only biometric passports.
Currently, there are several ways to obtain a local ID:
- By Investment.
- By naturalization.
- By the right of "blood" and "earth".
- By marriage
Each of the programs involves different conditions, terms and costs. At the same time, the Passport for Investment program works exclusively through licensed agents, but, if all the conditions are met, the documents are issued within 3-6 months.
Get more information about the available obtaining methods of a Grenadian passport, granting conditions, eligibility criteria and lists of documents.
Citizenship
Citizenship of Grenada is a privilege that provides ample opportunities for travel and reduces the tax burden. The country is among the countries that have a direct citizenship sale program. With a relatively small financial investment, the investor and all members of his/her family can become a resident while retaining the original citizenship.
In conformity with local legislation the citizenship is granted:
- By right of birth
- By investing in the economy.
- By naturalization:
- By marriage with a citizen.
The participation conditions and package vary depending on the program selected. The term for processing the application is from 3 to 12 months.
A separate article will help to understand all the nuances of obtaining Grenadian citizenship.
Climatic conditions
Grenada has a Tropical climate. During the year, the temperature usually ranges from +24°C to +30°C and rarely drops below +22°C and rises above +31°C. The hot season lasts 2-3 months (from August to October), in which the average daily temperature exceeds +30°C. The hottest month of the year is September, with an average temperature of +30°C and a minimum of +26°C. The cool season lasts 2-4 months (from December to March). The average daily temperature is +29°C. The coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of +24°C.
The rainy season lasts 5-6 months (from May to December) with an average monthly rainfall of 60 to 120 mm. The dry season lasts from December to May. During this period, the average monthly precipitation varies from 9 to 60 mm.
Grenada is located in the southern belt of tropical cyclones development. Therefore, large hurricanes are rare. Over the past 50 years, the country was covered by only 3 hurricanes that caused serious damage.
Demography
In 2023, in Grenada lived 126,887 people. The population density (persons per sq. km.) The urban population is 31%. This is a multi-ethnic country where people of different ethnicities, religious and national origins live. The population is mostly Afro-American (82.4%), who are descendants of African slaves brought by Europeans. According to 2023 data, the average population growth rate is 0.7% per year. Fertility rate: 2.76 children per woman
The life expectancy of men is 71.5 years, women – 76.9 years.
As of 2023, 94.3% of Grenadians are Christians, primarily Catholics (51.9%) and to a lesser extent Protestants (43.4%). There are also communities of Baptists, Evangelists, Pentecostals. 5.7% of the population do not profess any religion.
The official language is English, which is used by the government. Creole English and French are widely spoken. Grenadian Creole is considered a common spoken (and native) language for almost all residents of the country.
Economy
In the early 1980s, a state-controlled economic system emerged in Grenada, which depended primarily on the export of agricultural products and tourism. Fishing developed with the technical assistance of Cuba and the former Soviet Union. Currently, the development of a market economy is characteristic.
The monetary unit is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, used in 6 countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. The inflation rate at the end of 2023 was 2.6%.
Grenada's GDP at the end of 2023 was $1.32 billion. The average GDP growth rate is 4.8%. Their remuneration amounted to 3.6 units of per capita GDP. Agriculture accounts for approximately 24% of gross national product (GNP) and 7% of gross domestic product, industry and services account for 14% and 78% of GDP, respectively.
The active adult population (more than 56,000 people) includes a large number of unemployed. In 2023, the unemployment rate was over 12%.
Tourism is the backbone of Grenada's economy. The main centers of traditional beach and sports tourism are concentrated in the south-west of the country.
Grenada is known as the main producer of several spices – cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Nutmeg is the main export product and is even represented on the national flag as a symbol of the country's agriculture.
The country is not represented in the ratings of global competitiveness and economic freedom.
Freedom of movement (visa-free countries)
In the world ranking of the strength of passports, Grenada is on the 30th place, sharing the place with Serbia. Terms of freedom of movement of Grenada are greater than the Solomon Islands and Taiwan (31 and 32 places, respectively). Colombia is one place higher.
The index of freedom of movement is 137. This means that citizens of the country have the right to visa-free travel to 94 countries of the world with a stay of up to 180 days. In 38 countries, you can apply for a visa on arrival (up to 120 days), and 5 states allow the issuance of a preliminary electronic permit (up to 90 days).
The list of visa-free countries is constantly expanding. The passport of Grenada provides a free visit to the UK and all the countries of the Schengen zone. The visa waiver agreement with China has been in effect since 2015.