Comparison of Antigua and Barbuda & St Lucia passports

How to compare passports of St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda

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

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.

Terms of Caribbean CBI programs

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.

Europe

North America

South America

Asia

Oceania

Africa

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 of the Antigua
and Barbuda citizenship

Get the cost calculation

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.

Age limits for relatives

Validity of Antigua and Barbuda and St Lucia passports

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 of the
Saint Lucia citizenship

Get the cost calculation

Taxes in St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda

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%.

Comparison of taxes in Antigua and Barbuda and St Lucia for individual tax resident

How to get Antigua and Barbuda or St Lucia citizenship

There isn’t the easiest Caribbean island to get citizenship by investment, but the procedures of all programs are similar. Due Diligence is the main stage of any citizenship by investment program. Lawyers who work for a particular licensed company prepare investor’s documents for the check and submit them to the CBI unit, program’s department. It is only possible to apply for participation in the program through a licensed agent.

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. It’s a mandatory step that allows lawyers to identify 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 affidavit helps avoid additional inquiries and clarifications and get through the Due Diligence of the CBI unit faster.

Lawyers submit the application and investor’s documents to the CBI unit of the chosen country.

At least 3 months

Due Diligence

Due Diligence

The CBI unit conducts Due Diligence of investors and their family members aged over 12 in Antigua and Barbuda and over 16 in St Lucia.

If information about the investor and the relatives is incomplete, the CBI unit makes additional inquiries, which prolongs Due Diligence.

Up to 30 days

Investment terms fulfilment

Investment terms fulfilment

The agent gets approval of the investor’s application from the CBI unit. The applicant fulfils investment conditions within 30 days of the Antigua and Barbuda program and 90 days of the St Lucia’s.

Up to 4 weeks

Getting passport

Getting passport

The agent confirms fulfilling the financial conditions of a citizenship program, and then the naturalisation certificates and passports are issued within 4 weeks.

Investors obtain naturalisation certificates and passports at the agent’s office or by delivery service.

1 day

Oath of allegiance

Oath of allegiance

Participants of the Antigua and Barbuda program take the oath of allegiance. Investors can visit the state, or the procedure can take place by videoconference or at the nearest national consulate.

St Lucia program participants don’t have to take the oath and visit the country.

Which island is better: Antigua or St Lucia

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.

Checklist for investors who decide to obtain Antigua and Barbuda or St Lucia 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.

Frequently asked questions