Cayman Islands Nomad Visa

Is the Cayman Islands digital nomad visa still open?

No. The Global Citizen Concierge Program, the Cayman Islands' remote-work permit, stopped accepting applications on 31 October 2022. That deadline is written into the regulations that created the programme.

The same regulations were set to expire on 30 November 2024 unless Cabinet chose a later date by notice. The Cayman Islands Government's consolidated index of laws, as at 28 February 2026, lists no amendment after the 2023 revision, and we found no official notice reopening the programme. EY's March 2026 global immigration index also describes the programme as suspended since October 2022.

Some travel and visa websites still describe the programme as open. If you see one, check the date: the scheme has not taken new applicants for several years.

What was the Global Citizen programme?

The programme launched in October 2020 under the Immigration (Transition) (Global Citizen Exemption) Regulations. It let people employed outside the islands live in the Cayman Islands and work remotely under a Global Citizen Certificate issued by WORC, the islands' immigration and workforce agency.

When it was open, the regulations required:

• A job outside the Cayman Islands that the applicant intended to keep, with income generated outside the islands.
• A minimum continuous annual income of US$100,000 for one person, US$150,000 with one dependant, rising by US$18,000 per extra dependant to US$222,000 with five.
• Good character, a valid passport, and health insurance that WORC considered adequate.
• An annual fee of $1,230 for the applicant and one dependant, plus $420 for each additional dependant. The regulations state these in Cayman Islands dollars.

Holders could stay for up to 24 months, had to be physically present for at least 90 days in each year, and could not offer goods or services to anyone in the islands. A certificate ended automatically if the holder's job ended.

Can Nigerians enter the Cayman Islands?

Yes, but with a visa. Nigeria appears on the Customs and Border Control list of countries whose nationals need a visa unless they fall into an exempt group.

The waiver for people who hold a valid US, Canadian or UK visa applies only to nationals of Jamaica, India and China, so it does not cover Nigerians. Separate exemptions exist for people who live in the US, Canada or the UK and travel directly from there with proof of their status and a return ticket. These waivers allow stays of up to 30 days.

Nigerians apply online for a visitor visa. The fee is CI$92 (US$112.20), non-refundable, and processing takes seven to ten working days. You need a passport valid for six months beyond your stay, a bank statement, proof of employment, and an original police clearance certificate less than six months old. You can apply no earlier than three months before you travel. A visitor visa is for short visits, not for living there and working for a year.

What are the alternatives for remote workers?

There is no current Cayman route built for remote workers. The islands' other long-stay permits run through WORC and are generally tied to a job with a local employer or to substantial investment, so check WORC's own pages before planning around them.

For most Nigerian remote workers, the realistic option in the region is the Barbados Welcome Stamp. It is still taking applications in 2026, asks for expected income of US$50,000 over 12 months, half the old Cayman threshold, and does not require Nigerians to get an entry visa. Similar programmes in Bermuda and Antigua and Barbuda have closed.

All of these routes assume you already earn from abroad. If you are still looking, start with remote jobs with foreign employers.

Working hours if you visit

The Cayman Islands keep UTC-5 all year with no daylight saving, so they are six hours behind Lagos. That matches US Eastern time in winter and is one hour behind it in summer, which suits American clients but pushes Nigerian working hours into the early morning.