(NORWAY) Border officers in Norway have begun turning away travelers who arrive with Caribbean “Citizenship by Investment” documents, even though those passports still carry visa‑free access on paper to the Schengen Area, according to multiple confirmed cases and reports from industry watchers. The refusals, which started quietly in summer 2025, have hit holders of CBI passports from Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Lucia. At least five travelers were refused entry at Oslo and Bergen airports between August and November 2025, with several placed straight back on outbound flights and told there was no practical appeal at the border.
Confirmed incidents and timing
One of the clearest incidents occurred on August 9, 2025, when an Indian national traveling as a tourist on a Saint Kitts and Nevis CBI passport was stopped at Bergen Airport and denied entry. Officers reportedly focused less on the traveler’s plans and more on how the passport had been obtained, probing the idea of an “investment passport” and treating that acquisition path as a problem in itself.
A Norwegian immigration lawyer hired in the case said the refusal matched a new practice that began that summer and that, once the removal decision was issued, there was no effective way to contest it before the person was put back on a plane.
Other confirmed cases involved Dominican CBI holders who reached Norway through the same air gateways and were quickly removed. In those accounts, travelers said their passports were held during processing and returned only at the aircraft door, moments before departure, on flights routed via Istanbul.
The repetition of the same approach at both Oslo and Bergen airports over several months suggests this was more than an isolated officer’s judgment; removals came fast enough that people had little chance to call family, employers, or counsel before they were gone.
Reported scope and official silence
Cross-Border Freedom (CBF), a mobility research group, said it received communication from Dominican representatives confirming that Norway is enforcing the practice against all five Caribbean CBI programs named above, regardless of the traveler’s background, past travel history, or reason for entry.
IMI Daily, which tracks investment migration, called it the first documented case of a Schengen state systematically refusing Caribbean CBI citizens.
As of December 16, 2025, there has been no public Norwegian announcement describing a policy shift, and the visa‑free status of these nationalities within Schengen remains unchanged on official lists. Many travelers therefore only discover the risk after they have bought tickets and arrived at passport control.
“Citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis are visa-free to Norway and the Schengen area, and there have been no recent changes.” — quoted UDI response (August 2025)
Despite that statement from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), the reported frontline practice continued, creating a gap between paper rules and border practice. Travelers are advised to check guidance on the official UDI site at UDI, although the reported practice is not described there.
Legal basis and how rules are being applied
The legal hook cited in the reports is Section 17(1)(a) of Norway’s Immigration Act, which allows police to remove a person who does not have a “valid passport or other approved travel document.”
Reportedly, border officials are treating certain CBI passports as not “valid” for Norway’s entry purposes because CBI applicants usually do not appear in person before the issuing authority when the passport is issued. In effect, Norway appears to be applying its own standards for how a passport should be issued—standards built around physical appearance and identity checks—to documents issued by sovereign states under their own laws.
This approach lets Norway keep formal compliance with Schengen’s visa‑free framework while still blocking entry in practice, because the refusal is framed as a document‑validity issue rather than a visa requirement.
Practical impact on travelers
The distinction between legal framework and frontline practice is cold comfort for those caught in it. Travelers arriving visa‑free often expect routine questions about hotel bookings or return flights, not an argument over whether their passport counts as a passport.
Common reported consequences:
- Being detained in the transit zone and separated from luggage.
- Having passports held during processing and returned only at the aircraft door.
- Facing costs for new tickets, missed work, or lost deposits.
- Little or no time to call family, employers, or legal counsel.
- Worry that a recorded refusal in one Schengen country may complicate later trips (the reports do not state how or whether Norway is sharing these decisions across borders).
Several mobility advisers said clients now ask airlines for written confirmation before flying, but Norway has not published guidance to address this practice.
Airlines, operators, and operational friction
Because the passports remain visa‑free in Schengen databases, carriers may board passengers as usual only for them to be refused on arrival. This creates operational and customer‑service problems for airlines and tour operators, which are left in the middle.
Travelers are being advised by the reports to:
- Contact Norwegian authorities before departure.
- Be ready to show any other citizenship they may hold.
- Seek written guidance from airlines where possible.
However, the reports stress that Norway’s apparent focus is on the method of acquisition rather than the traveler’s wider profile.
Policy context in Norway (2025)
The episode appears amid a broader tightening tone in Norway’s immigration debate in 2025. Relevant measures include:
- Return Strategy 2025–2030: A government plan aimed at making returns faster and more consistent.
- Raised income requirement in family immigration cases: a future income threshold of NOK 396,890 from February 1, 2025.
These steps are separate from the airport refusals but form part of the background in which border officers may take a harder line. VisaVerge.com reports that investment‑migration documents have become a growing focus for European border agencies as governments face pressure to show tougher document checks without reopening visa waiver treaties outright.
Implications for Caribbean governments and CBI holders
For Caribbean governments that run CBI programs, the Norway reports highlight a sensitive tension: passports are issued by recognized states, yet CBI’s core pitch—rapid citizenship without residence—can attract political scrutiny abroad.
For individual travelers, the immediate consequences are practical and personal:
- Missed conferences, weddings, or family visits.
- Financial losses (flights, accommodation, deposits).
- Public embarrassment or uncomfortable interactions with airline staff and fellow passengers.
The accounts indicate the refusals can apply regardless of traveler background, meaning even long‑standing, compliant travelers may face the same outcome.
What’s next: ETIAS and additional screening
Uncertainty may grow as Europe rolls out new border systems:
- Entry/Exit System (EES): upcoming layer of border data collection.
- European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS): due to start in 2026 for visa‑exempt visitors, adding another layer of pre‑travel screening.
The source material flags ETIAS as a potential additional point of questioning at the border, even for those who do not need visas.
Key takeaways
If you hold a Caribbean CBI passport from Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, or Saint Lucia and plan to travel to Norway:
– Expect the possibility of being challenged at passport control despite visa‑free status.
– Consider contacting Norwegian authorities before departure and be prepared to present any alternate citizenship documentation.
– Be aware there is currently no public Norwegian policy statement that explains the reported practice.
– Check official guidance at UDI and seek written confirmation from carriers where possible.
Affected countries (reported)
| Country (CBI program) |
|---|
| Dominica |
| St. Kitts and Nevis |
| Antigua and Barbuda |
| Grenada |
| Saint Lucia |
If you want, I can convert this into a printable checklist for travelers, an email template to contact Norwegian authorities, or a short briefing you can give to clients or staff. Which would be most useful?
Since summer 2025, Norwegian border officials have been refusing entry to holders of CBI passports from Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Lucia at Oslo and Bergen airports. At least five incidents involved rapid removals and limited appeal options, with officials citing document validity under Section 17(1)(a) of Norway’s Immigration Act. The UDI says visa‑free status remains unchanged, creating a gap between formal rules and border practice. Travelers are advised to contact Norwegian authorities and carry alternate citizenship documentation before travel.
