immigration to Antigua and Barbuda
About Antigua and Barbuda
The combined size of 442 sq. km. and population of over 90,000 people make Antigua & Barbuda the ninth-largest country by size in the Caribbean.
This economic citizenship program facilitates you and your family’s comfort of visa-free travel to more than 100 countries.
Antigua & Barbuda recognizes dual citizenship, which can prove advantageous for business expansion and tax relief.
Other benefits include the following:
- Fast processing within 3-4 months;
- Inclusion of financially-dependent children under 30;
- Inclusion of financially-dependent parents over 55;
- Inclusion of physically or mentally handicapped children living with, and fully supported by the main applicant;
- Inclusion of unmarried sibling of the main applicant or the spouse;
- Inclusion of a future spouse, future spouse of a qualified dependent child, or a future child of a qualified dependent;
- No requirement to travel to Antigua & Barbuda during the application process;
- No interview, education or managerial experience required;
- Visa-free travel to more than 130 countries, including the Schengen zone, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and others;
- No tax on worldwide income.
Qualification Process
Antigua & Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Program was established in 2012. To qualify for citizenship in Antigua & Barbuda, applicants must fulfill one of the investment options in addition to meeting the following criteria:
- Be of outstanding character;
- Hold no criminal record;
- Have excellent health;
- Have a high personal net worth;
- 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 after being granted citizenship.
Individuals born in countries on Antigua & Barbuda’s restricted countries’ list but who have migrated before the age of majority and/or have maintained permanent residence in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for a period of not less than 10 years and maintain no economic ties to any restricted country may qualify for application.
Steps & Timeline
The entire process takes about an average of 4-5 months. Depending on the complexity of your application, the process may take more time.
File preparation.
A pre-approval letter is issued.
Advisory and due diligence fees are due at this step.
Citizenship file submission.
Government’s Citizenship-by-Investment Unit issues Approved in Principle Letter.
Investment made in selected option.
Payment of government fees, if applicable.
Naturalization Certificate is issued.
Submission of passport application.
Passport issued.
Investment options
Being proactive in facilitating investors, the government has adopted the citizenship by investment program as one of the mechanisms to promote economic growth, attract developments, and increase the inflows of foreign direct investment to the country.
National Development Fund Contribution or Charitable Donation
High net worth individuals may choose to make a monetary contribution of US$ 100,000 (up to four people) or US$ 125,000 (five or more people) to the National Development Fund or an approved charity.
Real Estate Investment
Applicants may purchase a property with a value of US$ 400,000 / US$ 200,000 in a pre-approved real estate development area. The investment must be maintained for a minimum of five years. Property registration, processing fees and taxes must be paid in addition to the property purchase.
Financing options may be available upon request.
Business Establishment
Applicants may invest US$ 1.5 million to establish a business and qualify to apply for citizenship. Two or more applicants may make a joint business investment where the individual threshold must be a minimum of US$ 400,000 and the total investment must be a minimum of US$ 5 million.
University of West Indies Funds
For an investment of US$ 150,000, a family of six (6) is eligible to apply for citizenship. The investment amount includes processing and government fees, however, customary due diligence fees do apply for each qualified dependent. In addition, one member of the family is entitled to a 1-year scholarship at the University of West Indies. Additional government processing fees are applicable for larger families.
Application Fees
Advisory fees are based on the number of dependents, country of origin, residence and other retained services, as well as service and legal fees related to the submission of citizenship and passport application for the main applicant. The advisory fees are non-refundable and are payable in two equal installments.
All application fees charged by the government of Antigua & Barbuda and by Acker Choquette are subject to change. These fees depend on the number of applicants and the complexity of the process. Please contact us if you have any questions or need more information.