Comparison of Antigua and Barbuda & St Kitts and Nevis passports

Antigua and Barbuda or St Kitts and Nevis: which citizenship is better considering visa-free destinations

Antigua and Barbuda passport holders travel to 150 countries visa-free, and citizens of St Kitts and Nevis 一 to 156 states. 

Although the number of visa-free countries is different, popular destinations are equally available to citizens of both states: the Schengen Area, the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong. For a visit to the US, Caribbean citizens get 10-year B-1/B-2 visitor visas.

Terms of Caribbean citizenship by investment programs

To quickly compare visa-free countries for the passport holders of St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda, we check the differences with icons ❌ and ⚠️:

• ❌ means that citizens of Antigua and Barbuda need a visa, and St Kitts and Nevis’s don't, or the other way round;
• ⚠️ means that the entry conditions are slightly different. For example, Antigua and Barbuda citizens have visa-free entry, while St Kitts and Nevis’s get visas on arrival.

Comparison of conditions for investors and their families

Antigua and Barbuda or St Kitts citizenship benefits are pretty much the same. But the conditions of getting their passports by investment are very different, and investors compare citizenship programs by costs and time frames. 

Investment options The Antigua and Barbuda program offers four investment options, and St Kitts and Nevis’s 一 three. 

Fund contributions are non-refundable, and investment in real estate can be returned in 5 or 7 years. The government approves real estate projects: five-star hotels, resort complexes, and infrastructure such as marinas.

Antigua and Barbuda also offers large families of six or more to contribute to the University of the West Indies Fund and get a year of studying at the university for free. Besides, there is an option to invest in local businesses.

Comparison of investment options 

Conditions for the investor’s family. Investor’s relatives can participate in a citizenship program with the main applicant. Each CBI unit sets unique age limits and conditions for family members. 

The program terms of Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis are very similar. There is a distinction only for siblings. All adult family members, except the spouse, must be financially dependent on the investor or the spouse.

Age limits for family members

The more investor’s relatives participate in the program, the higher the costs. For example, for spouses and two minor children, participation in the program will cost about $147,000, including fees if the investor contributes to the Antigua and Barbuda government fund.

Individual cost
calculation of the Antigua
and Barbuda citizenship

Get the cost calculation

Validity of Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis passports

Program participants get naturalisation certificates and passports of Antigua and Barbuda or St Kitts and Nevis. The passports have to be renewed every 10 years, and there is no need to renew the certificates.

To renew a passport, the investor submits documents 2 months before the expiration:

• an expiring passport;
• a naturalisation certificate;
• a birth certificate;
• a certificate of no criminal record;
• photos for a new passport.

Adult holders of Antigua and Barbuda passports must prove that they took the oath and spent at least 5 days within the first 5 years in Antigua. They can’t renew the passport for the first time without proof of visit to the country.

Also, the holder pays a renewal fee of approximately $370 for a document in St Kitts and Nevis and $1,000 in Antigua and Barbuda. A new passport is issued within 4 weeks.

Individual cost
calculation of the St Kitts
and Nevis citizenship

Get the cost calculation

Obligations and rights of the passport holders

The duties of Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis citizens are similar. They must provide truthful information, including investors. Providing false information can be deprived of citizenship.

Rights and duties of Antigua and Barbuda citizens

Investors who chose the real estate option keep property investment for 5 or 7 years subject to the terms of the programs.

Participants of the Antigua and Barbuda program must visit the country at least 5 days within the first 5 years after getting citizenship. Also, they take the oath.

Right 一 visa-free travelling. All passport holders can freely travel to the countries which signed visa waiver agreements with their citizenship state.

Right 一 adding relatives to the citizenship program. An investor with a passport of Antigua and Barbuda or St Kitts and Nevis have the right to add the relatives to the citizenship program after getting their passport. The list of qualifying family members is the following:

Rights and duties of St Kitts and Nevis citizens

• a spouse;
• children;
• grandchildren;
• parents;
• siblings.

Their age must meet the limits of the program. Relatives can be of the investor's spouse.

Right 一 relocation. They can move to the country of second citizenship anytime and live, do business, work, or study without a residence permit or special permission. If the investor lives in the state for 183 days or more, they must get a tax ID and pay taxes.

Tax systems of the two countries: St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda

Both Antiguan and St Kitts tax systems can be convenient for investors. Sometimes, wealthy people from developed countries move to the islands to cut their tax payments. 

For example, there are no income taxes and taxes on dividends, interest, royalties in the countries.

Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis taxes for individual residents

How to get citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis or Antigua and Barbuda

Stages and timing of the CBI programs are similar. Differences appear only at the steps of taking the oath and visiting the country for investors in Antigua and Barbuda. The St Kitts CBI unit doesn’t require it.

PT5M

1 day

Preliminary Due Diligence

Preliminary Due Diligence

The investor contacts the licensed agent of the program, Immigrant Invest. An Anti-Money Laundering Officer of the company conducts a preliminary Due Diligence. The stage allows to identify the rejection risks.

2 to 4 weeks

Preparation of documents

Preparation of documents

The lawyers prepare investor’s documents: collect, translate and notarise them. Also, lawyers fill out government forms and file affidavits. The application and documents are submitted to the CBI unit.

2 to 6 months

Due Diligence

Due Diligence

The CBI unit checks investors and their family members aged over 12 years in Antigua and Barbuda and over 16 years in St Kitts and Nevis. 

If the CBI unit has any questions about the investor or the family members, it requests additional documents and explanations. A detailed affidavit helps avoid additional questions.

Up to 30 days

Investment terms fulfilment

Investment terms fulfilment

After the agent gets approval of the investor’s application from the CBI unit, the applicant has 30 days to fulfil investment conditions of the Antigua and Barbuda program and 90 days to fulfil conditions of the St Kitts and Nevis program.

Up to 4 weeks

Getting passport

Getting passport

The naturalisation certificates and passports are issued within 4 weeks after fulfilling financial conditions. The investor obtains documents at the agent’s office or by delivery service.

1 day

Oath of allegiance

Oath of allegiance

The investor and all the adult family members must take the oath of allegiance. The procedure can take place by videoconference, at the nearest national consulate or in Antigua and Barbuda.

Moving to Antigua and Barbuda or St Kitts and Nevis

One must get a temporary or permanent residence permit for moving to St Kitts and Nevis or Antigua and Barbuda. Wealthy people with second citizenship by investment can relocate to the country and become their tax residents anytime they want.

Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis’ living conditions are similar. The countries are on islands with a tropical climate, warm sea all year round, good medicine, schools and universities. 

Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis passports offer matching opportunities. Therefore, we recommend calculating the costs for both programs for your family composition. If there is no possibility or desire to come to Antigua and Barbuda to fulfil all program conditions, we advise choosing the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship program.

Frequently asked questions