Antigua and Barbuda passport renewal and other citizens’ obligations and rights

The oath is a mandatory condition for the first passport renewal. Investors and their family members must spend at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda in the first five years of being its citizens. And they may take an oath there or choose one of the remote ways.

To renew an Antigua and Barbuda passport, one should provide proof of visiting the islands and taking an oath:

• a certified copy of the sworn Allegiance, if the original was not passed to the Unit beforehand;

• entry and exit stamps in your Antigua and Barbuda passport;

• a boarding pass on visiting Antigua and Barbuda;

• a hotel receipt or a confirmation from your real estate management.

Antigua and Barbuda passport renewal fees are $1,000 for an adult and $500 for a minor under 18. The investor can renew the passport remotely; it is unnecessary to come to the country.

Required documents. To start the passport renewal process, an investor should collect all the necessary documents. These ones are on the basic list for the first passport renewal:

• the expiring passport;

• a certified copy of the Certificate of registration;

• certified copies of Birth and Marriage certificates;

• documents proving that the investor and their family have spent five days in Antigua and Barbuda and have taken the Oath of Allegiance;

• documents proving that the investor has been owning real estate for five years or has a share in a local company;

• completed forms and photos for a new passport.

If the supporting documents contain spelling mistakes in your name, you’ll need to attach an affidavit.

Application form for Antigua and Barbuda passport renewal

All citizens 16 years of age and older fill out a Form L to apply for an Antigua and Barbuda passport renewal. It includes questions on the reasons for application, the national status, place of birth and previous passport. Source: Antigua and Barbuda High Commission

How to apply for renewal. The full list of the necessary documents is provided by a licensed agent when the investor turns to the company for an Antigua and Barbuda passport renewal. Immigrant Invest helps investors collect documents and get a new passport in time.

Obtaining Antigua and Barbuda citizenship doesn’t impose strict obligations. For example, the investor does not need to live in the country, become a tax resident or serve in the military. But some obligations still arise.

Taking an oath after approval of the citizenship application is a mandatory requirement for Antigua and Barbuda passport holders. The new Antigua and Barbuda citizens swear allegiance to the Queen of Great Britain. The country gained independence in 1981, but the British monarch remained the formal head of state.

The oath can be taken remotely, and it is not necessary to go to Antigua and Barbuda. In this case, the investor takes the oath at a country’s embassy or consulate or via videoconference in the presence of a notary.

Spending five days in Antigua and Barbuda during the first five years of citizenship is mandatory for investors.

The first passport is valid for five years. After that, the investor doesn’t need to come to the country to get it: a passport and naturalisation certificate are sent by courier.

During the validity period of the first passport, the investor must come to Antigua and Barbuda and stay in the country for at least five days. It is a prerequisite for the CBI program. If the investor doesn’t fulfil it, they won’t maintain their citizenship and get a new passport.

Paying taxes on income earned in Antigua and Barbuda. If the investor is a tax resident of another country, he may be required to pay taxes on income earned in Antigua and Barbuda. The rules for paying taxes depend on the country’s legislation of tax residence.

The investor gets new opportunities for travelling, doing business and improving the quality of the family’s life with Antigua and Barbuda citizenship.

Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries and the UK. The Antigua and Barbuda citizen can enter freely and stay in:

Countries available for visit with the Antigua and Barbuda passport

• the Schengen Area — 90 days in half a year;

• the UK — 180 consecutive days;

• Singapore — 30 consecutive days;

• Hong Kong — 90 consecutive days.

The Antigua and Barbuda passport provides free entry to 150 countries: 118 countries don’t require a visa, and 32 countries issue visas at an airport upon entry.

US tourist visa for ten years. An Antigua and Barbuda citizen can get a B‑1/B‑2 visa to the United States. The visa allows stay in the country for up to 180 days a year. The visa is issued for business travel, tourism or medical treatment in the USA. However, the visa holder cannot work, do business, or study at school or university with a B‑1/B‑2 visa.

Retaining other citizenships. The Antiguan legislation allows the country’s citizens to have passports from other states. So if the first citizenship country allows having a second citizenship, then its citizens don’t have to give up their first passport when getting the Antiguan one.

Please note that in some countries, one needs to notify the migration service about obtaining a second citizenship.

Study at British universities on preferential terms. Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. It unites Great Britain and its former colonies. Citizens of the Commonwealth countries can get scholarships and grants to study at British universities.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK accepts applications from future students. Grants are given to pay for travel, tuition, books, equipment, and accommodation. The list of scholarship programs is published on the Scholarship Commission’s website.

Free education at the University of the West Indies. If the investor contributes to the University of the West Indies Fund, one of their family members can get a year of free study at the university.

The University of the West Indies has over 400 education programs, including management, finance, law, economics, psychology, social sciences and sports.

Citizenship for family members. The citizenship application can include:

• a spouse;

• children under 30;

• spouses’ parents over 55;

• spouses’ unmarried siblings.

Family members can get citizenship simultaneously with the investor or ex-post. If the investor has already obtained the passport, they still can add to the program:

• an investor or their child’s spouse;

• spouses’ parents;

• minor children;

• investor’s minor grandchildren whose parents received citizenship under the program.

Other relatives can only be included in the initial application together with the investor.

Tax optimisation. Antigua and Barbuda tax residents and non-residents pay taxes differently. Citizenship does not automatically grant tax residency. To become a tax resident, a citizen needs to live in the country for at least 183 days a year.

Antigua and Barbuda doesn’t have taxes on personal and global income, capital gains and inheritance. In this case, the rule applies to both tax residents and non-residents.

The withholding tax is levied at 25% when dividends, interest on deposits and royalties are paid to non-residents. Residents are exempt from paying the tax. Therefore, registering a company in Antigua and Barbuda and becoming a tax resident can help reduce the tax burden.

Business and taxes in the Caribbean

If a company is registered in Antigua and Barbuda, it pays the corporate tax on profits gained in the country and abroad at 25%. Social contributions from wages are 6%.

Opening accounts in European banks. If a foreigner wants to open an account in a European bank, they must pass Customer Due Diligence. In addition, the applicant provides proof of income sources, place of work and residence.

Antigua and Barbuda citizens pass Due Diligence a little easier than citizens of some other countries. The Antiguans are not so strictly checked, and they are less likely to be refused.

The Antigua and Barbuda CBI program offers four investment options:

1. From $100,000 — a non-refundable contribution to the National Development Fund (NDF).

2. From $150,000 — a non-refundable contribution to the University of the West Indies Fund. The option is available for families of 6 or more people. In addition, one of the family members can study at the university in Antigua and Barbuda for free for a year.

3. From $200,000 — a purchase of hotel real estate from the list of government-approved projects. The investor can buy a share in the project. Then, after five years of ownership, the investor can sell the property.

4. From $1,500,000 — to opening or purchase of a business.

The investment amount depends on the number of family members included in the application. The investor’s spouse, children under 30, parents over 55 and unmarried siblings can obtain citizenship. All relatives except the spouse must be financially dependent on the main applicant.

In addition, the applicant pays Due Diligence, processing and passport fees.

The procedure for obtaining Antigua and Barbuda citizenship takes three to six months. The longest stage is the government’s Due Diligence.

Immigrant Invest conducts preliminary Due Diligence before signing an agreement with an investor. The check helps reduce the risk of application rejection to 1%.