Antigua and Barbuda citizenship: moving to crypto paradise
Living in Kenya, I looked for crypto‑friendly jurisdictions to relocate my business and optimise taxes. My wife wanted to move rather far off from Africa. The Caribbean region was on our country’s wishlist. Fortunately, five countries have citizenship by investment programs. We chose Antigua and Barbuda.
Jasper, 38 years old
Co-owner of a cryptocurrency exchanger
Clients’ names and photos have been changed
Jasper’s family planned his immigration for many years. They couldn’t feel free and travel at any time considering close borders. The Kenyan passport is not strong enough and permits visiting African countries mostly. Also, Jasper and Aluna wanted to get more opportunities for business development and live in a country where laws are observed.
Jasper’s wife Aluna is a Crypto asset service. She manages crypto portfolios for other people. She knew the Caribbean region was a developing place welcoming crypto business people.
The couple is expecting a baby. Aluna has always dreamed of a peaceful life on an exotic island.
Under the law, only a licensed agent of the investment program can apply for citizenship on the investor’s behalf. Jasper found Immigrant Invest in Google. He checked the company licence and requested an online meeting.
Negotiation with Immigrant Invest experts
Under the Caribbean program, Investors contribute $100,000 to the state fund or buy real estate for at least $200,000 to obtain citizenship. Real estate investments can be returned in several years. The timeframe depends on program conditions and object type.
Investors don’t take language proficiency tests or history exams to get citizenship. An investor’s relatives can get passports under the program.
Caribbean investment options
Contribution to the fund
Investment return
Real estate purchase
Investment return
$100,000
$0
$200,000
In 5 years
$100,000
$0
$300,000
In 5 years
$100,000
$0
$200,000
In 5 years
$150,000
$0
$200,000
$200,000 — in 7 years
$400,000 — in 5 years
$150,000
$0
$220,000
In 5 years
Every Caribbean country offers investment opportunities in real estate. Jasper paid more attention to St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda as the most developed regions with a high level of medicine and other vital services.
Jasper hoped to return the investment in a short time. That’s why he was interested in the real estate purchase option. St Kitts and Nevis offers the most powerful passport among Caribbean CBI programmes with visa‑free access to 157 countries. But the program includes a minimum $400,000 expenses for participating with the possibility of returning money in 5 years.
The Antigua and Barbuda investment program offers investment return in 5 years, spending $200,000. The Obtaining period takes 3—6 months. The family started preparing documents.
Antigua and Barbuda has no taxes on personal income, inheritance or capital gains. Tax residents don’t pay taxes on dividends, interest or royalties. Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash are now accepted in many places across Antigua and Barbuda, including shops and restaurants
Process of obtaining Antigua and Barbuda’s passport
Before starting the obtaining process, Aluna gave birth to Victoria. Considering her age, they spent only $300 extra for Victoria’s Antigua and Barbuda passport. Under investment program conditions, Due Diligence fee calculated from age 12. Minimum investment amount remains the same no matter how many participants in one application.
1. Preliminary Due Diligence Check. The compliance department checks investors before signing a contract. Anti-money laundering officer identifies potential risks that may lead to the rejection of the application. This is how we reduce the risk of refusing an application for citizenship by investment to 1%.
Jasper and Aluna passed the test successfully and could participate in an investment program.
2. Choosing property. The Immigrant Invest property database includes five-star hotel complexes in Antigua and Barbuda. We offer real estate projects from reliable developers. Such properties are more likely to bring profits to investors.
Zlata Erlach,
Head of the Austrian office
Investors can rent the property out. A developer and a management company are responsible for hotel maintenance. The investor doesn’t have to monitor the property or look for tenants themselves. The yield of properties in Antigua and Barbuda is 2—5% per annum.
Obtaining an Antigua and Barbuda passport can be a remote process. But Jasper and Aluna planned to move to Antigua and Barbuda. They come to the island to select a property for participation and living.
The investor chose shared ownership in the hotel. The cost of the object was $220,000. Jasper signed a preliminary agreement with the seller and paid 10% of its cost to reserve an object. Also, Immigrant Invest experts helped investors to find a residential house to move in.
Examples of properties in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Philip
1 
1 
56 m² — 619 m²
3. Sending documents. Within 5 days, we collected a package of the required documents for Jasper, made copies, notarised, apostilled and submitted them for consideration to the government of Antigua and Barbuda.
The Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit has accepted the documents. They started Due Diligence checks, which took about two weeks. After that, they filed papers for final processing.
4. Approving application and paying investment. Two months later, Immigrant Invest received a positive response about Jasper and Aluna’s participation in the investment citizenship program. Approval of the program is the basis for the transfer of investments.
5. Getting passports. When the bank confirmed the investment, the CBI printed the passports and certificate of naturalisation. And two weeks later, Jasper and Aluna got their passports.
4 months and $265,900 to obtain Antigua and Barbuda citizenship
15 April, 2022
Conclusion of an agreement with Immigrant Invest
+ 1 day
Preliminary Due Diligence
+3 weeks
Choosing an object$220,000 Property cost
+5 days
Sending documents
+2 weeks
Due Diligence$15,000
+2 months
Final approval$30,000 State fee
25 July 2022
Receiving passports$900
Jasper and Aluna’s life after obtaining Caribbean citizenship
Antigua and Barbuda passports allow travelling freely in the Caribbean region. Jasper and Aluna are going to visit Grenadines first. Bequia is a bitcoin island in the Grenadines archipelago.
The owner of the island, crypto investor Storm Gonsalves, plans to build 39 luxury villas, bars, shops, restaurants, a club, a gym and a private cinema on the island. Residents will pay for real estate, goods and services exclusively with cryptocurrency.
Aluna enjoys her new house near the sea and has found new clients for consultations. When she is busy at work, little Victoria spends time with a babysitter or attends a daycare in the neighbourhood.
In the evenings the family gets together. They explore the island on foot to find a new cafe for dinner.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for government programs in the European Union and the Caribbean.
