ANTIGUA & BARBUDA Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP)

Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship-by-Investment Programme (“CIP”) offers eligible individuals and their families the opportunity to obtain full legal citizenship and passports upon making a qualifying significant investment in Antigua and Barbuda.

Currently, there are four qualifying investment options:

National Development Fund

• USD 100,000 contribution for a family of up to 4
• USD 125,000 contribution for a family of 5 or more

University of West Indies (UWI) Development Fund

• USD 150,000 contribution for a family of up to 6
• USD 15,000 for each additional dependent

Real Estate

• USD 400,000 investment into an approved real estate project to be held for a minimum of 5 years
• USD 200,000 per applicant for a joint investment

Business Investment

• USD 1,500,000 investment into a qualifying business as a sole investor
• USD 400,000 per applicant for a joint investment into a qualifying business totaling at least USD 5,000,000

Processing fees, due diligence fees, legal fees, government fees and bank fees are additional to the investment amounts above.

To qualify for citizenship, the primary applicant must be over 18 years old, of good character and must make an investment or contribution in one of the qualifying investment options.

Ineligible applicants are those who:

• Provide false information on their application
• Are or have family members who are suffering from a contagious disease and/or have serious health problems, as stated by a medical practitioner
• Have not received a pardon, and have been convicted in any country, of an offence for which the maximum custodial penalty is in excess of 6 months imprisonment that is not considered as ‘spent’
• Are the subject of a criminal investigation
• Pose a national security risk to Antigua and Barbuda, or any other country
• Are involved in any activity likely to cause disrepute to Antigua and Barbuda
• Have been denied a visa to a country with which Antigua and Barbuda has visa-free travel and who have not subsequently obtained a visa to the country that issued the denial.

Restricted applicants are those who are nationals of:

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Iran
• Iraq
• North Korea
• Russia
• Somalia
• Yemen
• Sudan

Nationals of the listed restricted countries are eligible to apply for citizenship through the Antigua and Barbuda CIP if they meet the following:

• Migrated before the age or majority; and/or
• Have permanent residence in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, or USA for a period of not less than 10 years and maintain no economic ties to any restricted country.

• Spouse of the main applicant
• Dependent children of the main applicant or spouse up to 30 years old (proof of attendance at a recognized educational institution is required for children between 18-30 years old)
• Dependent children at least 18 years old and physically and/or mentally challenged who are living with and fully supported by the main applicant
• Parents or grandparents of the main applicant or spouse above 55 years old living with and fully supported by the main applicant
• Unmarried siblings of the main applicant or the Spouse
• A future spouse of the main applicant
• A future spouse of dependent children where the dependent child is financially dependent on the main applicant
• A future child of a dependent child

Antigua and Barbuda’s passport allows visa-free travel to over 150 jurisdictions including Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, the UK, and the Schengen Area. A full list can be accessed on the CIP website here: https://cip.gov.ag/how-to-apply/passport-visa-requirements/

Multiple citizenship is permitted and citizenship is valid for a lifetime.

The processing time is approximately 6 months including application preparation, approval, and issue of certificate of registration and passport.

No, there is no requirement to travel or reside in Antigua prior to obtaining citizenship. However, citizens should spend at least 5 days in Antigua and Barbuda within 5 calendar years after obtaining citizenship and swear an Oath in Antigua. However due to the worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic this requirement is currently suspended.

Yes, applicants are required to show that they have enough funds to make the investment and that the funds have been legally obtained. The type of documents required will vary depending on the source of the investment funds.

Yes, applicants can include money that has been gifted by a friend or family member for the investment. In most cases, additional documents will be required from the sponsor regarding their source of funds. The type of documents required will vary depending on the source of the investment funds.