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Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Program

Antigua and Barbuda is an independent state in the Eastern Caribbean. The country gained independence for the UK in 1981. Antigua is a member of the United Nations (UN), the British Commonwealth, CARICOM and the Organization of American States (OAS), among many other international organizations. Antigua and Barbuda is a constitutional monarchy with a British style parliamentary system of government. The Queen has her representative, an appointed Governor General, representing the Queen as the Head of State. Like many economies of the Caribbean, Antigua’s key industry is tourism and tourism-related services. Tourism generates around 60% of the island’s income, with key target markets being the US, Canada and Europe. Other important employers are the finance services sector and the government.

In 2012, in an effort to restructure and overcome the debt and to support the local economy, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda introduced a citizenship-by-investment program. The program has already become popular among the international investors due to the value of Antiguan passport. The program allows investor and his close family members get a full lifetime citizenship and second passport.

Benefits of Antigua & Barbuda citizenship:

  1. The Antiguan passport allows visa-free travel to 150 countries including the Schengen Zone, UK, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and others. Citizens of Antigua require a visa to enter the US but the validity of this visa if granted is 10 years.
  2. Antigua and Barbuda recognize dual citizenship.
  3. Fast and straightforward processing within 3-4 months; no requirement to travel to Antigua and Barbuda during the application process; no interview, education or managerial experience required; very modest residency requirement (only 5 days during the first five years after citizenship is granted);
  4. There is a possibility to include dependent children under 28 years, and dependent parents or grandparents over 58 years;
  5. Favourable tax system. Residents of Antigua and Barbuda benefit from no capital gains tax or estate taxes. Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda are not taxed on their worldwide income but only on income sourced within Antigua and Barbuda. Income taxes are progressive to 25 % but are levied only in case investor relocates and actually reside in the country. In case investor opts to continue residence in his home country after becoming citizen of Antigua and Barbuda his tax residency will remain unchanged.

Eligibility: To qualify for citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda, applicants need to fulfill one of the investment requirements, in addition to the following criteria:

  1. Be of outstanding character;
  2. Hold no criminal record;
  3. Have excellent health;
  4. Have a high personal net worth;
  5. Reside (with the family members who are included in the application) in the country for a minimum of 5 days within a period of 5 years.

Investment Options:

  1. National Development Fund contribution. Applicants may choose to make a monetary contribution (donation) of USD 100,000 (for a family of up to four persons) to the National Development Fund.
  2. Real estate investment. The property purchased must equal a minimum of USD 200,000 in a pre-approved real estate development area. The investment must be maintained for a minimum of 5 years.
  3. Establish business in Antigua. An applicant may invest USD 1,500,000 to establish a business and qualify to apply for citizenship. Two or more applicants can make a joint business investment where the individual threshold must equal a minimum of USD 400,000 and the total investment must equal a minimum of USD 5,000,000.

Government Fees (in USD):
For both NDF contribution and real estate investment options: 30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons (investor + 3 family members) and additional 15,000 for each family member from the 5th.

Due Diligence Fees (in USD)

Principal Applicant – 7,500
Spouse – 7,500
Dependent child 0-11 years old – 0
Dependent child 12-17 years old – 2,000
Dependent child 18-28 years old – 4,000
Dependent parent over 58 years old – 4,000

Stages of the Procedure and Timeframe:

  1. Preparation of the application and supporting documents (1-2 months depending on the case).
  2. Upon submission of your application, you will be asked to pay the due diligence fees and 10% of the government processing fee. Processing time for citizenship applications are up to 3 months.
  3. Upon approval in principle of your application you will be required to pay the balance of the government-processing fee and your USD 100,000 contribution to NDF.
  4. Within 1 month from the investment, certificates of registration and passports will be issued for the applicant and his/her family members. They will be sent to the applicant by FedEx or another courier post.
  5. When you first visit Antigua and Barbuda, you can take the oath of allegiance. Alternatively, you can visit an Embassy, High Commission or Consular Office of Antigua and Barbuda to fulfill this requirement (it must be done within one year from the date you receive the citizenship).

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: We currently consider investment in order to get citizenship in Antigua & Barbuda. When shall we be expected to take oath of allegiance under the program?
Answer: The oath can be taken anytime in the first year of citizenship issuance. It can be done either on Antigua or you can do it at any Antiguan embassy or consulate (Toronto, London, etc.)
The passports can be picked up in Antigua (during your first trip) or sent to you by courier anywhere you ask.
Question: I always thought that before certificate of naturalization and passport can be issued the applicant must take oath of allegiance (the normal sequencing in many countries is like this). And from your message I can see that in Antigua you can get passport before and take oath after. Please, dispel my doubts.
Answer: The legislation in Antigua is flexible in this regard. Citizenship certificates and passports first; oath after.

If you have any question regarding above-mentioned material or wish to use our legal assistance in obtaining second citizenship in Antigua & Barbuda, contact us today. When you send us an e-mail, please, indicate your current citizenship, country of residence, and age of every family member to be included into application in order we could quote the fees and expenses applicable in your case.

Updated 24.07.2023


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