Since its inception almost a decade ago, Antigua and Barbuda’s economic citizenship program is one of the most popular CBI programs from the Caribbean. Here we look at how much it cost and the time it will take to obtain citizenship and passport through this program.
Established in 2012, the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program offers investors an opportunity to obtain citizenship and a passport from the country in exchange for qualified investments. The program was initiated by the Antigua and Barbuda government to raise foreign investment and improve the country’s economic stability. With the minimum investment requirement being USD 100,000 and a processing time of 4-6 months, it is one of the cheapest and fastest citizenship by investment programs originating from the Caribbean. In this write-up, we’ll look into the overall cost & the exact timeframe required to obtain an Antigua and Barbuda citizenship through investment.
Antigua and Barbuda – The Caribbean’s Island Paradise
The country with a beach for every day of the year. Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation cradled in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Although Barbuda is the larger of the two islands, most of the country’s population resides in Antigua itself. Owing to its diverse landscape, Antigua and Barbuda is a favourite destination among tourists all through the year.
Citizenship by Investment Options & Cost in Antigua and Barbuda
The country currently provides investors with an opportunity to gain alternate citizenship and passport from the country through three distinct investment routes:
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Donation to NDF
Although the donated sum is non-refundable, the required donation is only USD 100,000 -
Invest in Real Estate
The investor must invest a minimum of USD 200,000 in the country’s real estate. Investors can sell the property after a period of 5 years. -
Invest in Local Business
To secure citizenship & passport through this option, the investor is required to invest USD 1.5 million in a local business. If there are multiple applicants, the minimum donation needed would be USD 400 million.
Who Can Apply for Citizenship Through the Program?
The basic requirements that one should fulfil to be eligible under the program is simple enough. A successful applicant should be:
- Above 18 years of age
- Should hold no criminal record
- Should be good health
- Must be capable of meeting the investment requirements
- Citizens from Afghanistan, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, and Iran are not permitted to apply under the program
- Must be willing to undergo the due diligence check by the Antigua and Barbuda CBI Unit.
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Timeline
As mentioned, it can take anywhere between 4-6 months from the initial application phase to finally receiving the passport. Here is a simple timeline to help you understand the process in a better manner:
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Month 01
Applicant’s eligibility check by DM Citizenship by Investment Consultants, Collection and preparation of the application, partial payment of all government and agency fees -
Month 02
Official submission of the application, due diligence checks by the CBI unit through a trusted third-party service provider, approval of the application. -
Month 03
Applicant is required to make the necessary investment along with all remaining government fees -
Month 04
Citizenship & Passport is officially issued; all remaining agency fees are to be paid at this time.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda has mandated that all alternate citizenship applications are to be made through government-approved citizenship by investment agent. The time required to complete the process can increase based on the number of dependents.
