23 Nov Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment [ 2023 Guide]
The Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Programme gives you and your family an Antigua and Barbuda passport in return for a minimum investment of just US $100,000. As a citizen, you will enjoy visa-free travel to over 150 countries, including the EU, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.
This is a fast-track programme, and the passport could be yours in just six months. This article describes the application process and the many benefits of the programme, covering these subjects:
- Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment options
- Benefits of the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program
- Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment requirements
- Steps to get Antigua and Barbuda citizenship
- Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment fees
- How strong is an Antigua and Barbuda passport?
- Which countries can I visit visa-free with an Antigua and Barbuda passport?
- What type of country is Antigua and Barbuda?
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Options
There are two options for Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment (CIP) applicants.
Option 1 – A contribution to the government’s National Development Fund. For a single applicant or a family of up to 4 members, this costs USD 100,000. For a family of five or more, the cost is USD 125,000. This option will also include significant processing, due diligence and agency fees.
Option 2 – An investment of US $200,000 in real estate projects approved by the Antigua and Barbuda government. This option can include hotel shares, villas and condos. The property becomes resalable after five years.
Once again, there will be additional processing, due diligence and agency fees. Contact Huriya Private, and we will guide you through the options and costs.
Benefits of the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program
Citizenship Antigua and Barbuda brings many benefits, the most immediately obvious being its beautiful resorts, tropical forests and 365 beaches of clean turquoise waters – that’s one for each day of the year!
Once you’ve recovered from the shock of the sheer beauty of the country, these are some of the other benefits to appreciate.
- Antiguan passport holders enjoy tax advantages including no capital gains tax, no estate tax and no taxation on worldwide income.
- There is no requirement to travel to the islands during the CBI application process.
- No interview, specific education or managerial experience is required – if you have the money, you can apply.
- Antigua and Barbuda passport holders enjoy visa-free travel to more than 150 locations, including the countries of the EU’s Schengen zone, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and many others.
- The Antiguan dollar is fixed to the US dollar for long-term stability.
- The country enjoys duty-free trading throughout the Caribbean.
- Antigua and Barbuda is a safe and stable country, being a member of the United Nations, the British Commonwealth, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of American States (OAS), among various other international organisations. It gained independence from Great Britain in 1981.
- As a member of the Commonwealth, Antigua and Barbuda allows its citizens certain privileges in the UK and other member states.
Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment requirements
The CBI application can be made for you and your family, including your spouse, dependent children under 31 (and their spouses and children), parents and grandparents over 55, and any of your unmarried siblings.
The CBI Program is overseen by an Antigua and Barbuda government body, the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). They process all applications, examining every detail of the application thoroughly, and sometimes asking applicants to attend an interview.
Strict due diligence checks are involved, but the actual documentation requirements are minimal and reasonable, and the procedures are generally straightforward. Huriya Private will guide you through the entire process and its conditions.
The CBI process takes up to six months from the submission of the application to the delivery of the passports, unless there are complications that lengthen the process. For example, with the property purchasing option, the time frame will vary depending on the nature of the real estate project you are investing in.
The best advice here is to select a project where the developer provides all the required paperwork. Once again, Huriya Private can help you navigate the maze and make the best purchase and investment choices.
After obtaining your passport, you are required to reside in Antigua and Barbuda for least five days during the first five years of your new citizenship.
Steps to get Antigua and Barbuda citizenship
The CBI process can be divided into six stages, as outlined below.
- Month 1: Step 1 – First, you must choose which of the two options you wish to pursue, donation or investment. You will then be asked to sign Huriya Private’s contract to engage us as your agent, and pay the initial retainer.
- Month 1: Step 2 – We will assist you in gathering the required documentation and completing the various government application forms for submission to the CIU.
- Month 1: Step 3 – After making your second payment, the application will be submitted.
- Months 2 to 4: Step 4 – The CIU will issue an approval letter, at which point the third payment falls due.
- Months 2 to 4: Step 5 – Your naturalisation certificate will be issued.
- Month 6: Step 6 – Your Antigua and Barbuda passports will be sent to our office. We can forward them to your address, or you can pick them up from the Huriya Private office.
Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment fees
Applying for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship involves a choice of investments:
- A real estate purchase with a minimum value of USD 200,000 from a government-approved real estate project. Two applicants can make a joint investment, as long as each applicant invests at least USD 200,000 in the property. The real estate must be held for at least five years.
- A contribution to the National Development Fund of a minimum non-refundable amount of USD 100,000.
- A non-refundable USD 150,000 contribution (minimum) to the University of the West Indies.
- The direct purchase by one applicant of a recognised business costing at least USD 1.5 million, or the joint purchase of a business with each person contributing at least USD 400,000, with a minimum outlay of USD 5 million.
In addition, you will pay due diligence, administration and agency fees.
How strong is Antigua and Barbuda passport?
The Antigua and Barbuda passport is currently ranked 27th in the world, giving holders access to more than 150 countries visa-free, and visa-on-arrival access to around 60 others.
Which countries can I visit visa-free with an Antigua and Barbuda passport?
Your Antigua and Barbuda passport will allow you visa-free travel in 45 European countries, including the UK and all the Schengen countries; 10 Asian and Middle Eastern countries, including Hong Kong and Singapore; 25 African countries, including Seychelles and South Africa; 27 American and Caribbean countries, including Brazil, Costa Rica and Jamaica; and five countries in Oceania, including Fiji.
The passport is valid for five years and will be eligible for renewal if the holder has spent at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda as a citizen during those five years.
What type of country is Antigua and Barbuda?
Antigua and Barbuda is a small independent Commonwealth state in the Eastern Caribbean consisting of two islands, with a population of just 95,900. The two main languages are English and Antiguan Creole, and the currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar at a rate of 2.70.
The country has a tourism-based economy, a reflection of its breathtaking natural beauty, tropical forests and magnificent seascapes. Tourism accounts for 60% of the country’s income. The next largest business sectors are financial services and government, and there is also a thriving trade based on exports of sugar, tobacco, cotton and ginger.
Recent investment in the airport on Antigua has boosted scheduled, charter and inter-island flights, and there are now regular direct flights to London, New York, Miami and Toronto, among others.
Citizenship by investment with Huriya Private
Huriya Private is an independent, international, award-winning private equity, immigration, multi-family office and corporate structuring firm with a head office in Dubai, UAE. We provide bespoke strategic management support to international clients in global markets.
Our citizenship by investment expertise covers many Caribbean and European countries, and other locations including Canada and Turkey. Our know-how in this area is second to none.
The Huriya Private team can guide you through an extensive range of citizenship programs and help you choose the option that best fits your domestic and business objectives and personal needs. We will help you maximise your investments, secure your family’s future, and ensure travel mobility whenever needed.
