Applying for Cayman Islands citizenship can be the goal of many foreign nationals who decide to relocate to the country permanently. In order to be able to do so, first one must reside in the country under a temporary residence permit, followed by residency under a permanent residence permit.
Obtaining permanent residency is often the first step before applying for Grand Cayman citizenship. In this article, our team briefly discusses the main requirements for residency as well as citizenship and explains the application process.
Foreign nationals who need assistance at any stage during the application, or those who wish to know more about residency in general, can reach out to our agents who also specialize in company formation in Cayman Islands. If you are ready to apply for citizenship in 2024 (that is, if this year you amount to the minimum number of years spent in the Islands as a lawful resident), our team can assist you.
Table of Contents
Short guide on obtaining Cayman Islands citizenship
Permanent residence, followed by citizenship for those who wish to apply, is obtained after having lived in the Cayman Islands legally for a period of at least 5 or 8 years in some cases. The certificate of permanent residency is a prerequisite in order to obtain citizenship.
Our agents briefly list the main steps to acquire Cayman Islands citizenship in 2024 bellow:
- have a certificate of permanent residency: this is awarded to those who will continue to reside in the Islands (for at least 30 days per year or 90 days in some cases) and have a continuous source of income, a minimum amount deposited in a Cayman Islands bank account or a minimum investment;
- complete the process of naturalization in the Cayman Islands: this is the process of becoming naturalized as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC);
- remain in the country: once an individual who is a resident who has been naturalized, he or she cannot be absent from the country for more than 6 consecutive months in the 5 years since the naturalization;
- apply: if all the criteria above are met, the foreign national needs to apply for Cayman Islands citizenship.
Once the right to be Caymanian is approved, the individual will be able to reside, work and vote in the Cayman Islands.
For those who are ready to acquire this status, our team also discusses below the right to have Cayman Islands dual citizenship.
It should be noted that the Islands are a British Overseas Territory and, as such, they do not offer citizenship of their own. Applicants have the right to become Caymanians, however, when they apply for a passport, it will be a British passport.
The process of naturalization in the Cayman Islands takes place as the individual is accustomed to the cultural norms. It does not only mean to live in the Islands for long enough, but also to understand the laws and applicable principles.
The right to be Caymanian
Cayman Islands citizenship by birth is the status awarded to a child born in the Cayman Islands, however, the right to be Caymanian can also be awarded for:
- a child or a grandchild of a Caymanian who was born in the Cayman Islands;
- an individual who has attained the age of seventeen and has Caymanian status which will expire upon reaching the age of eighteen;
- is a British Overseas Territory due to the fact that he or she was born in the Cayman Islands.
Acquiring Cayman Islands citizenship by birth is possible by making an application for this purpose with the Chief Immigration Officer for being granted the right to be Caymanian.
If you fall under a category that grants this right, for example, if your grandparents were Caymanians, then you can discuss your option with one of our agents. If you are already in the country for business purposes, and perhaps you open a company in the Cayman Islands, we can help you with more information about how you can remain in the Islands based on ancestry.
Additional information about acquiring Grand Cayman citizenship
Becoming a citizen of the Cayman Islands, more specifically a citizen of a British Overseas Territory, is possible in more than one way, as exemplified above by our agents. Whether it is by birth, based on ancestry, or after one has lawfully lived in the Islands for the minimum amount of time, it is possible to lodge an application with the Chief Immigration Officer.
Cayman Islands dual citizenship is permitted and a foreign national who wishes to gain this status will not be constrained to renounce their original nationality. As the Cayman Islands is a British Crown Dependency, it should also be noted that renouncing the original nationality is not required under British law.
Statistical data on Cayman Island’s population
A 2022 report on the economic situation in the country also includes relevant data about the total population and the working population. Therefore, our team briefly lists some of the findings from the dataset presented by the Government and the Economics and Statistics Office (as per the release dated July 2023):
- The total population in the Cayman Islands amounted to 81.546 in 2022, compared to 71.105 in 2021 (this is a 14.7% increase);
- Out of the total, the Caymanian population reached a total number of 38.724 individuals (a 1.8% increase compared to 2021);
- The permanent resident’s population was 6.629 individuals;
- The non-Caymanian population was of 36.193 persons in 2022, compared to 26.680 in 2021.
Are you a permanent resident and wish to know more about how to acquire Cayman Islands citizenship (understood as British Overseas Territory citizenship)? Contact us for more information about the steps and conditions. If you are ready to apply, our team can help you during the application process with the Chief Immigration Officer.
We offer complete services to individuals who are ready to open a company in the Cayman Islands in 2024 and also relocate here. You can rely on our expertise if you wish to start a business.