Feb 3, 2020

Citizenship by investment in Antigua and Barbuda – from 20,000 USD

What benefits does Antiguan citizenship bring? How can you acquire a passport of Antigua and Barbuda in exchange for investment? How much does the citizenship cost? What obstacles might appear in the way? If you already know the answers to all these questions, please click on the link below and pass on to the questionnaire that will allow choosing the best second passport option in the fastest manner. Otherwise, please read on to learn more about the exciting opportunity to obtain citizenship of this Caribbean country.

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Why you should buy Antiguan citizenship

Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean basin is a very popular tourist destination in the region. The population of the country is 91,000 people but the number of tourists visiting the islands every year exceeds 240,000. Antigua is sometimes called ‘the island of 365 beaches’. Tourists love snorkeling, diving, fishing, and sailing near these beaches. In addition to that, there is a water park where you can swim with the guitarfish.  

In case you would like to be alone in the nature’s lap, we suggest that you should visit the neighboring island of Barbuda. A large number of people come to the island for their marriage ceremonies or honeymoons. Many hotels there offer the full range of related services.

Besides, since the new airport terminal was opened in 2014, Antigua has become an important transportation hub that connects the Caribbean Islands with North America and Europe. The seaport in the capital city of St Johns can accommodate several cruise ships at a time.

A great many duty-free shops and nice restaurants are to be found near the seaport. Jolly Harbour in the southeast part of the island is the main port for smaller private vessels. There is also a golf course nearby and a few villa communities.

Antigua is also famous for its sailing regattas that bring together the most beautiful and most expensive yachts in the world. Nelsons Dockyard in the English Harbour was an important seaport for the British colonists back in the 17th century. Today it has been turned into a museum even though a large number of private yachts still dock in the Harbour.

At the same time, Antigua and Barbuda is more than a popular tourist destination. In April 2013, the Law on Citizenship was published in the official Government newspaper and it went into effect in September the same year. On October 10, the citizenship by investment program was officially launched and by the end of 2014, two hundred families became new citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.

According to the Law mentioned above, new immigrants have to spend minimum five days a year in the country over the first five years in order to retain the citizenship. Some other Caribbean states that offer citizenship in exchange for investment do not have this requirement. For this reason, the necessity to visit Antigua and Barbuda every year may be thought of as a disadvantage. However, when investors see the beaches on the islands, they begin thinking of this requirement as an advantage of acquiring Antiguan citizenship rather than a disadvantage.

If you hold an Antiguan passport, you can travel visa-free to over 150 countries of the world including the Schengen zone countries and Great Britain, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. The legislation of Antigua and Barbuda also allows dual citizenship. The timeframe of the citizenship acquisition is between four and six months since the date when the application is filed.  

The Antiguan authorities changed the laws in 2013 and now fiscal residents of the country are not taxed on their worldwide income. This possibility is available to those who stay in Antigua for 183 days a year or more.

Who can buy citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda

The applicant to the citizenship by investment program shall be over 18 years of age and shall be able to make the required financial contribution. The applicant’s spouse and minor children can also be included in the application for citizenship. In case the main applicant has children between 18 and 28, they can be included too on the condition that they are attending a university and are financially dependent on the main applicant. Parents over the age of 58 can also be included in the application.

Citizens of several countries are unable to obtain Antiguan citizenship. The restricted countries include the following ones: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan. However, if the applicant was born in one of the ‘black list’ countries but left it when he or she was a child and moved to Great Britain, Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia or the UAE, he or she can apply. Besides, if the applicant has been a legal resident of one of the countries listed in the previous sentence, he or she can also apply for citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda.  

How citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda can be purchased

The Antiguan citizenship by investment program resembles the one of St Kitts and Nevis very much. There are three alternative ways to acquire Antiguan citizenship:  

  1. By making a donation to the National Development Fund (NDF);
  2. By purchasing real estate in a government-approved development project;
  3. By investing into business in Antigua and Barbuda.

Let us consider each of these options in more detail.

Citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda for a donation to the NDF

In case a single person or a family of maximum four people is applying for citizenship, the required contribution to the NDF is US$ 100,000. The application processing fee is US$ 25,000. If a family of five or more people is applying, the required contribution is US$ 125,000 and the application processing fee increases by US$ 15,000 per each extra family member.  

Citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda for purchasing real estate in the country

Purchase of a house or an apartment in a government-approved residential complex constitutes legal grounds for acquiring Antiguan citizenship. The minimum cost of the residential accommodations shall be US$ 400,000. Besides, a joint investment into a larger place of residence will make both (or all) investors qualified for citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda on the condition that each of them has contributed at least US$ 400,000.

In addition to that, there is an opportunity to make a joint investment of US$ 200,000 each into real estate on the islands thus becoming qualified for Antiguan citizenship. The overall cost of the property shall be not less than US$ 400,000. This opportunity has time limits, though. The application processing fee is US$ 50,000 for those who apply for citizenship by investment into real estate in Antigua and Barbuda.

Citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda for investment into business in the country

You can also become a full citizen of Antigua and Barbuda by investing minimum US$ 1,500,000 into business in the country. The Government will have to approve the business project, however. Apart from that, there is a possibility to make a joint investment into a business project in Antigua and Barbuda. In this case, each individual contribution shall amount to at least US$ 400,000 and the overall worth of the investment shall be at least US$ 5,000,000.

There is also a new donation program that has been launched quite recently. If you donate US$ 150,000 to the University of West Indies fund, you can save a considerable amount of money in case you are bringing a large family with you (of six or more members). This sum will suffice for the whole family and besides, one family member will be entitled to attend the University free of charge over one academic year.

Citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda through investment: additional charges

In addition to the donations, investments, and application processing fees described above, several other fees are also due. Please mind that 10% of the processing fee shall be paid at the moment of filing the application for citizenship. In case the application has been rejected, the processing fee is not refundable.

Due diligence fees:

    • US$ 7,500 – for the main investor
    • US$ 7,500 – for the main investor’s spouse
    • US$ 2,000 – for the main investor’s children between 12 and 17 years of age
    • US$ 4,000 – for dependent children of 18-28 years and parents over 58 years of age
    • US$ 0 – for children of 11 or younger

If you wish to purchase citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda, you can make all the associated payments not only in US dollars but also in East Caribbean dollars, in euros, or in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoins, for example. 

If you are interested in acquiring Antiguan citizenship by making a donation to the NDF, purchasing real estate in the country, or investing into business there, please contact us at [email protected] and we will gladly assist you in this endeavor.

Please complete the questionnaire below to help us choose the best second passport option for you.