Comparison of Antigua and Barbuda & St Lucia passports

Investors choose the second passport by evaluating the opportunities the documents provide. First, there are the main visa-free destinations.

Terms of Caribbean CBI programs

Visa-free destinations. Citizens of St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda travel to the Schengen Area and the UK visa-free. Also, they can get B‑1/B‑2 visitor visas to the US.

We marked different entry conditions in the tables below with icons:

• ❌ means that citizens of Antigua and Barbuda need a visa, and St Lucia’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 Lucia’s get visas on arrival.

General program conditions. Each program offers four investment options, which differ in their conditions.

Both programs offer two similar options: a contribution to a government fund and buying real estate. The contribution is non-refundable and requires minimum investments. Purchasing a property is a refundable option: an investor can sell investment real estate after 5 years of ownership.

Usually, getting St Lucia’s second passport is faster than Antigua and Barbuda’s. Participation in the St Lucia program takes 3 to 4 months and 3 to 6 months in Antigua and Barbuda.

Investment options of the Antigua and Barbuda CBI program:

1. A non-refundable contribution to the National Development Fund is $100,000 for single investors and families of up to five. If the family includes six members or more, the contribution is $125,000. Also, a single investor pays fees of $37,500, and families of up to five members pay $67,000.

2. Refundable buying of real estate worth at least $200,000. The government of Antigua and Barbuda approves real estate projects for participating in the citizenship program. Thus, investors can’t buy any property but can sell the investment one 5 years after the purchase. Government-approved facilities may be hotels, resorts, and marinas. Associated fees are at least $30,000.

3. A non-refundable contribution to the University of the West Indies Fund is $150,000. The option is for families of 6 or more only. One family member can study at the university for one year for free.

4. Business investments are at least $400,000. It’s the least popular option among CBI program participants.

Individual cost calculation for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship

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Investment options under the St Lucia citizenship program are the following:

1. A non-refundable contribution to the National Economic Fund is $100,000 for single investors, $140,000 for married couples, and $150,000 for families of up to four. Also, a single investor pays fees of $10,000, and families of up to four members pay $30,000.

2. Refundable buying of real estate worth at least $200,000. Properties are selected from a list of government-approved projects. Five years after the purchase, the property can be sold. Associated fees are at least $30,000.

3. Refundable purchase of government bonds implies investments of at least $300,000. The option attracts about 30% of investors because they can return the invested money in 5 years, and there are no maintenance costs and hassles of owning real estate.

4. Business investments start at $1,000,000. It’s the least popular option among participants of the CBI program.

Terms for relatives. Family members can get second citizenship through a government program with the investor: obtain passports at the same time as the investor or after the investor has got their passport.

Adding relatives after the investor’s participation is more expensive. For example, there is no processing fee for a spouse if they participate in the Antigua and Barbuda program with the investor. On the other hand, the processing fee for the spouse is $50,000 after the investor obtains Antigua and Barbuda passport.

Adult relatives other than the spouse must depend financially on the investor or the spouse.

Program participants get naturalisation certificates and passports. The сertificates are indefinite, but passports must be renewed every 5 or 10 years.

Antigua and Barbuda passports are renewed every 10 years. But CBI program participants can’t renew their passports without proof of visiting the country. Under the program conditions, investors and their adult relatives must take the oath and spend 5 days within the first 5 years in Antigua and Barbuda.

St Lucia passports are renewed every 5 years. Program participants are not required to visit the country and take the oath.

To renew a passport, you submit 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;

• receipt of paying the passport fee 一 $1,000 in Antigua and Barbuda and about $100 in St Lucia.

To renew their passport, investors can contact the licensed agent of the program. For example, Immigrant Invest.

Individual cost calculation for St Lucia citizenship

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Antigua and Barbuda or St Lucia residency by investment is an opportunity for passport holders to relocate to the country and change their tax residence. Thus, if you live in a country for at least 183 days a year, you must get a tax ID and become a tax resident.

St Lucia tax rates on income, interest, and royalties are higher than in Antigua and Barbuda. For example, there is no personal income tax in Antigua and Barbuda. The St Lucia personal income tax is levied on the income earned in the country. Income received outside of St Lucia is not taxable.

St Lucia income tax rates are the following:

• up to EC$18,400 一 0%;

• EC$18,401 to EC$28,400 一 10%;

• EC$28,401 to EC$38,400 一 15%;

• EC$38,401 to EC$48,400 一 20%;

• EC$48,401 and over 一 30%.

Investors’ children can study at international schools and major universities; for example, the University of the West Indies is one of the most popular ones in the Caribbean. Its campuses operate in Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and three more countries.

St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda are members of CARICOM, a commonwealth of 15 Caribbean states. If you have a St Lucia or Antigua and Barbuda passport, you can live, study, and work in these 15 countries without a special residence permit.

Caribbean states of CARICOM:

1. Antigua and Barbuda.

2. The Bahamas.

3. Barbados.

4. Belize.

5. Dominica.

6. Grenada.

7. Guyana.

8. Haiti.

9. Jamaica.

10. Montserrat.

11. St Kitts and Nevis.

12. St Lucia.

13. St Vincent and the Grenadines.

14. Suriname.

15. Trinidad and Tobago.

If you’re considering obtaining St Lucia or Antigua and Barbuda citizenship, you can compare their requirements and benefits with those of other Caribbean countries to make an informed choice:

• comparison of St Lucia and Dominica passports;

• comparison of St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis passports;

• comparison of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica passports;

• comparison of Antigua and Barbuda & St Kitts and Nevis passports.

Passports of both countries allow investors to visit the same popular destinations visa‑free, so we recommend choosing the program by cost.

1. If you are a single investor ready to contribute non-refundably, choose St Lucia’s program: the cost will be approximately $110,000 against $138,100 for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship.

2. If you are an investor with a family of 4 or 5, choose Antigua and Barbuda’s program with a non-refundable contribution to a state fund 一 the costs will be minimal.

3. If your family includes 6 or more members, choose Antigua and Barbuda’s program with a non-refundable contribution to the university fund 一 the costs will be minimal.

4. If you plan to come to the country of second citizenship for vacation, choose to buy real estate. Usually, real estate purchasing is buying a share in a hotel. You will be able to stay at the hotel for 1 to 2 weeks a year for free.

5. If you want to refund the investment, choose buying state bonds under St Lucia’s program. You can return invested money in 5 years, and there are no maintenance costs and hassles of owning real estate.