Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship By Investment
Antigua & Barbuda
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Antigua & Barbuda Country Overview
The Caribbean nation has a population of about 100,000 people, making it one of the larger Eastern Caribbean states. English and French are widely used throughout the country.
Antigua & Barbuda’s smaller size hasn’t hindered its economy, as it continues to punch over its weight with a GDP per capita of $14,900, highlighting the country’s economic prowess within one of the world’s smaller but extremely vital regions.
Antigua & Barbuda’s economy relies heavily on tourism and agriculture. It is also greatly aided by the country’s illustrious Citizenship by Investment Program, which continues to bring in massive amounts of FDI into the Caribbean country.
Antigua & Barbuda's Citizenship by Investment Program
Antigua and Barbuda offer a citizenship-by-investment program, which allows individuals to obtain citizenship in exchange for investing in the country’s economy. This program provides numerous benefits, including visa-free travel to over 150 countries, a favorable tax system, and the ability to live and work in Antigua and Barbuda. The investment options include real estate, business, and government bonds, and the amount required varies depending on the option chosen. The citizenship by investment program in Antigua and Barbuda has become increasingly popular as individuals seek to diversify their citizenship and investment portfolios.
Antigua & Barbuda launched its Citizenship by Investment Program in 2012, and since then, it has become a magnet for global high-net-worth individuals seeking to quickly obtain a second passport and citizenship.
The program’s premise is extremely simple, as applicants with a clean criminal record only need to make a qualifying contribution to the country’s economy through an approved investment corridor to obtain citizenship for themselves and their family members.
Antigua & Barbuda’s formidable passport, which grants visa-free access to over 150 destinations worldwide, including the UK and EU, is one of the main attractions of the program. The ability to get citizenship and a passport without needing to reside o travel to Antigua is another major boost.
At our firm, we specialize in helping individuals navigate the citizenship by investment process in Antigua and Barbuda, making it easier for them to obtain a second citizenship.
Antigua & Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Program offers investors four different investment options to choose from:
- A non-refundable donation to the government's National Development Fund (NDF) with a minimum investment starting at $ 100,000
- A real estate investment with a minimum investment starting at $200,000
- A non-refundable donation to the University Of West Indies Fund (UWI) with a minimum investment starting at $150,000
- A business establishment investment option starting at $1,500,000
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Qualification Criteria
- Be over 18 years of age
- Have a clean criminal record
- Have the sufficient means to make an eligible investment
- Not have a visa rejected by one of the countries that Dominica has a visa-free treaty with
- Not be a national of any restricted nationalities (Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea) unless they have migrated before the age of majority and have a permanent residence elsewhere for the last ten years
Eligible Family Members
Investment Options
Antigua & Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Program has four different investment categories for investors to choose from. All of them have in common the following due diligence and passport fees.
| Common Fees | Single Applicant | Family of Four | Additional costs for family larger than four |
| Due Diligence | $7,500 | $7,500 + $7,500 for spouse | $2,000 per dependent 12-17, $4,000 per dependent 18 and over |
| Passport Fee | $300 per person | $300 per person | $300 per person |
1) Real Estate Option
In Antigua and Barbuda, real estate investors have three options to choose from: purchasing property valued at $400,000, co-owning half of a property for $200,000, or singly owning a property valued at $200,000. The most popular choice is the latter.
Investors can also purchase preferred shares in five-star resorts, giving them ownership and rights to dividends from the resort operations. However, these shares don’t include administrative rights.
When making a real estate investment, it is important to note that investors must hold onto their investment for five years. During this time, they can still benefit from their investment by earning rental income from actual property, or by collecting dividends from the resort shares.
The investment amount of $200,000 remains the same regardless of the family composition, but the processing fees will increase with the addition of more family members.
| Real Estate Costs | Single Applicant | Family of Four | Additional costs for family larger than four |
| Processing fees | $30,000 | $30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons | $30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons with incremental payments of $15,000 for each additional dependent. |
| Real Estate Investments | $200,000.00 | $200,000.00 | $200,000.00 |
2) Non-refundable contribution to the National Development Fund (NDF)
The non-refundable government donation to the NDF is the first investment option available to investors. Priced at $100,000 for a family of up to four, this remains a very affordable route.
For a main applicant and spouse, the investment amount will increase to $125,000 and the processing fee for a family of four is set at $30,000, with an additional $15,000 for each dependent after the fourth.
The NDF donation option is a one time payment with no asset ownership or future obligations; it is also the option with the lowest outlay for smaller families.
| NDF Costs | Single Applicant | Family of Four | Additional costs for family larger than four |
| Processing fees | $30,000 | $30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons | $30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons with incremental payments of $15,000 for each additional dependent. |
| Contribution | $100,000 | $100,000 | $125,000 |
3) Donation to the Universities of West Indies Fund
The UWI fund is an ideal investment option for larger families looking to apply for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship, as it offers discounted processing fees and a non-refundable contribution of $150,000 for a family of six with no additional costs for additional family members.
This makes the UWI fund one of the most affordable options for larger families, with its processing fee of $30,000 for a family of six and an additional fee of $15,000 per applicant after the sixth family member.
| UWI Costs | Family of Six | Family of Seven or More |
| Processing fees | $15,000 for each additional dependent. | |
| Contribution | $150,000 (inclusive of processing fees) | $150,000 |
4) Business Investment
Investors in Antigua and Barbuda have two business investment options available to them. The first option requires an individual to invest $1,500,000 in an approved business. The second option allows two applicants to make a joint investment of $5,000,000, provided that the lowest amount one of the investors invests is no less than $400,000.
In addition, the government requires a processing fee of $30,000 for a family of four and $15,000 for any additional family members.
| Business Investment Options Fees | Single Applicant | Family of Four | Additional costs for family larger than four |
| Processing fees | $30,000 | $30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons | $30,000 for a family of up to 4 persons with incremental payments of $15,000 for each additional dependent. |
| Single Investor investment amount | $1,500,000.00 | $1,500,000.00 | $1,500,000.00 |
| Joint Investment* | $5,000,000.00 | $5,000,000.00 | $$5,000,000.00 |
The Process
Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment Program has a streamlined process consisting of a very short list of steps:
The Benefits
Getting an Antigua & Barbuda passport comes with a lot of benefits, including:
- Elevated global mobility: Antigua & Barbuda's passport is a very formidable travel document, granting its holder visa free access to over 150 destinations worldwide, inlcuding the UK and EU.
- A strong Plan B: Having a second passport is the best method to hedge against political and economic instability in one's home country.
- Wealth management solutions: Antigua & Barbuda have a strong financial district with international banks and trust management companies that offer a wide array of financial solutions.
- Tax breaks: Antigua & Barbuda doesn't impose global income tax on its citizens. The country also doesn't levy wealth, capital gains, or inheritance taxes.
- Remote and simple process: Antigua & Barbuda'sCitizenship by Investment Program has a simple process with a quick processing time averaging 3-6 months.