St Lucia citizenship cost: investment options
The fastest way to become a St Lucia citizen is to participate in the investment program. The minimum investment amount is $100,000, and the final cost depends on the family composition.
The main applicant should be over 18 years old and have no criminal record. Having the legal origin of income for investments under the program is also crucial.
Who may participate with the main applicant:
- a spouse;
- children under 30;
- parents over 55;
- siblings under 18.
The four options to get St Lucia citizenship by investment
The investment amount or total costs depend on family composition. For example, a sole investor may contribute $100,000 to the national fund, while a minimum investment amount for a family of four is $150,000. Also, there are some government fees paid for each family member.
Most of the options allow you to return the investment, and only contribution to a national fund is non-refundable. You may sell the purchased real estate or get a bond redemption five years after obtaining citizenship.
Participation in the investment program is a faster way to a St Lucia passport than obtaining citizenship by naturalisation. Investors receive passports within 3—6 months after the submission of documents. They don’t need to live in the country for several years or even visit it.
Cost of obtaining St Lucia citizenship when contributing to the state fund
Investors and their families can make a non-refundable donation to the St Lucia National Economic Fund (NEF). This is the most affordable way to get citizenship by investment because the amount of investment starts from $100,000. The final cost depends on the family composition.
Cost of obtaining St Lucia citizenship by contribution to the state fund
| Contribution to the fund | Due Diligence | Other fees | |
| Investor | $100,000 | $7,500 | $2,850+ |
| Married couple | $140,000 | $12,500 | $4,350+ |
| Family of 4+ | $150,000 for a family of four +$15,00 for each qualifying dependent to a family of four, if the family includes the investor’s spouse +$25,000 for each additional dependent of any age | $7,500 for investor $5,000 for each family member aged 16 years or older | $7,350+ |
Cost of buying real estate in St Lucia
Investors can obtain St Lucia citizenship by the purchase of the real estate. The government provides an opportunity to invest in approved projects, for example, high-end resorts or boutique properties in St Lucia, and obtain citizenship. The minimum investment amount is $300,000 and does not depend on family composition.
The purchase and sale transaction can take place remotely. After five years, you may sell real estate and return the investment without affecting your citizenship.
In addition to the real estate investment, the applicants pay the administration fee. Its amount depends on the number and age of family members.
Cost of obtaining St Lucia citizenship by buying real estate
| Purchase of real estate | Due Diligence | Administration fee | Other fees | |
| Investor | $200,000 | $7,500 | $30,000 | $2,850+ |
| Married couple | $200,000 | $12,500 | $45,000 | $4,350+ |
| Family of 4+ | $200,000 | $7,500 for investor +$5,000 for each family member aged 16 years or older | $55,000+ $30,000 for the investor $15,000 for the spouse $5,000 for each family member under 18 $10,000 for each additional family member over 18 | $7,350+ |
Individuals and legal entities pay transfer tax and stamp duty when buying a property in St Lucia. The real estate transfer tax for individuals and companies is 2%.
The stamp duty is paid by both the buyer and the seller. The tax is 2% for the buyer, while the seller’s tax rate depends on their country of citizenship. Foreigners pay a tax of 10%, while the real estate value determines the rate for St Lucia citizens.
Example of real estate to buy to get St Lucia citizenship
Cost of obtaining a St Lucia passport by purchasing government bonds
From January 1st, 2023, investors can purchase non-interest-bearing government bonds for $300,000. The family composition doesn’t matter.
The period of ownership for government bonds is 5 years.
Cost of obtaining citizenship of St Lucia by purchasing bonds
| Bond value | Administration fee | Due Diligence | Other fees | |
| Investor | $300,000 | $50,000 | $7,500 | $2,500 |
| Married couple | $300,000 | $50,000 | $12,500 | $4,000 |
| Family of 4 | $300,000 | $50,000 | $7,500 for the investor $5,000 for each family member over 16 years old | $7,000+ |
| Family of 6 | $300,000 | $50,000 | $7,500 for the investor $5,000 for each family member over 16 years old | $8,500+ |
Сost of investing in a St Lucia business
The minimum investment for the investors who choose the enterprise option is $3.5 million. This investment amount is for one applicant. In this case, the entrepreneur should create at least three jobs in St Lucia.
If two or more applicants plan to invest together in a St Lucia business, the minimum investment is $6 million. In this case, investors should create at least six jobs in St Lucia, and each participant must contribute at least $1 million.
Cost of obtaining citizenship of St Lucia by investing in business
| Costs | One investor | Joint venture |
| Investment amount | $3.5 million | $6.5 million Each participant must contribute at least $1 million. |
| Administration fee | $50,000 + $25,000 for a dependent under 18 + $35,000 for a dependent over 18 | $50,000 + $25,000 for a dependent under 18 + $35,000 for a dependent over 18 |
| Due Diligence | $7,500 +$5,000 for each family member over 16 years old | $7,500 $5,000 for each family member over 16 years old |
| Other fees | $2,850+ | $2,850+ |
There are seven business categories you can invest in:
- speciality restaurants;
- cruise ports and marinas;
- pharmaceutical products;
- agro-processing plants;
- ports, bridges, and highways;
- offshore universities;
- research institutions.
How to get a St Lucia passport in five steps
Once you have chosen your investment path, you may be wondering how to apply and finally get a St Lucia passport.
Since it is not possible to apply individually, you need to contact a licensed agent. Our lawyers study the investor’s situation and recommend solutions suitable for the case.
Immigrant Invest lawyers tell the investor what documents are needed. Then they translate documents, notarise copies, fill out forms and send them to the CBI Unit of St Lucia.
The St Lucia CBI Unit conducts a Due Diligence check for every applicant over 16 years old. This process usually takes about three months.
After successful completion of Due Diligence, applicants make the investment.
You can obtain your passport at the Immigrant Invest office or by courier.
Case studies: why investors choose St Lucia and how they get citizenship
St Lucia citizenship in 4 months for a large family. Maxim is an artist from Minsk who often performs in the EU. He decided to obtain second citizenship for himself and his entire large family to have visa-free entry to European countries.
Maxim chose to get St Lucia citizenship by the purchase of government bonds because the additional costs were minimal. This option also allows recovering most of the initial investment later on. The total expenses for Maxim and his family of 12 were $422,500.
St Lucia citizenship for a former civil servant. Jacob is a former judge from South Africa and now works as a legal consultant for a private law firm. With his wife, he got St Lucia citizenship to travel visa-free worldwide.
Judges are supposed to be politically exposed persons, so the Due Diligence for obtaining St Lucia citizenship for Jacob was stricter than for some other applicants. However, the political status did not prevent Jacob and his wife from obtaining citizenship: they met all the requirements and received a St Lucia passport by investing $200,000 in the state fund.
Saint Lucia citizenship by investment in bonds and the state fund. The brothers Kiran and Dasya decided to obtain second citizenship to travel visa-free to the Schengen states and other countries with their families.
Both investors are professional brokers. Therefore, they chose to purchase government bonds under the St Lucia citizenship by investment program. However, at the last moment, one of the brothers decided to change the investment option and make a non-refundable investment of $150,000 to the state fund.
Frequently asked questions
The amount of investment for St Lucia citizenship starts from $100,000. The cheapest way is to make a non-refundable donation to the St Lucia National Economic Fund (NEF). The final cost depends on the family members with whom you are applying.
Another option is to buy pre-approved real estate in St Lucia. The minimum cost is $300,000.
The minimum investment in non-interest-bearing government bonds is $300,000. The family composition doesn’t matter.
If you want to run a business in St Lucia, you can take part in the citizenship program by investing in a local business. In this case, the entrepreneur must contribute at least $3,5 million, or $6 million, jointly with other investors. Each participant must contribute at least $1 million.
No, but you can participate in investment program to obtain citizenship in Saint Lucia.
The minimum investment amount is $100,000. This way is faster than, for example, obtaining citizenship by naturalisation. You do not need to live in the country for eight years to apply for the investment program, as in the case of naturalisation. Investors receive passports within 3—6 months after the submission of documents.
There are several ways to become a citizen of St Lucia, for example, through marriage to a citizen of the country or naturalisation. But the fastest way is to take part in the investment program. Investors can contribute to the national fund, buy real estate, purchase government bonds, or make business investments, and get citizenship of Saint Lucia in 3—6 months.
First, you need to contact a licensed program agent, then collect the necessary documents and pay the Due Diligence fee. The St Lucia CBI Unit conducts Due Diligence, and if everything is all right, an applicant gets a passport.
