Changes
02 February, 2021
Reading Time: 5 min

Antigua and Barbuda has abolished the oath on the islands

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has simplified the oath of citizenship by investment programme. It is now possible to take the oath not only in the islands themselves but also at the country’s 15 overseas representations or by videoconference.

Albert Ioffe

Author •Albert Ioffe

Legal and Compliance Officer

Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment: Where to Take the Oath During the Pandemic in 2021

Antigua and Barbuda has abolished the oath on the islands

Under the terms of the investment programme, the foreigner takes an oath before receiving a certificate of naturalisation and an Antigua and Barbuda passport.

Previously, the ceremony was only held on the islands, but because of the pandemic and closed borders, investors could not fly to the Carribean. The government has therefore allowed investors to take the oath online or in other countries where Antigua and Barbuda have official offices.

How to take the oath online

The online oath takes place in a videoconference format such as Zoom or Skype. The ceremony is held in the presence of a notary.

Only a licensed program agent applies for the online oath. In the application, the agent indicates:

  • investor application number;

  • the names of applicants over 18 who wish to take the oath;

  • three dates on which the applicants would like to take the oath. Dates must be selected with a margin of three weeks from the date of application;

  • place of taking the oath;

  • the name and license of the notary who will be present during the ceremony.

The licensed agent’s lawyer also completes form AB11, which is attached electronically to the investor’s application.

The programme department confirms the date, time and place of the oath, and approves the notary. The investor then pays the online swearing-in fees.

Online oath cost

Fees

The amount for the investor

The amount for each additional participant

State service fee

500 $

+ 100 $

Bank checking and fees

225 $

+ 155 $

Total

725 $

+ 255 $

On the day of the oath, the investor and the notary contact the department by video link at a strictly designated time. The dress code of the ceremony is office or formal business dress. The oath procedure is recorded on video.

Online oath impossible to organise from Russia

The oath takes place in English in the presence of a notary. He confirms the identity of the investor and certifies his signature on the document with the text of the oath.

Russian notaries, by law, may only carry out procedures in Russian. This condition is enshrined in the “Fundamentals of Legislation of the Russian Federation on Notaries” of 11.02.1993 N 4462-1”.

Decision. If the investor is in Russia, then he has only one option – to personally take the oath at the Antigua and Barbuda office in Moscow.

If the investor is abroad, e.g. in Vienna, he can take the oath online. For this purpose, Immigrant Invest lawyers will arrange with a foreign notary who will be present at the oath with the investor. Immigrant Invest will also arrange a video call with the programme department in Antigua and Barbuda.

In which countries are Antigua and Barbuda representative offices

The investor chooses one of the 15 representations approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda. The representations are listed in the official notification from the programme department.

Representative offices where it is possible to take the oath

Country, city

Representation

ru-flag

Russia, Moscow

The Honorary Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda

gb-flag

UK, London

High Commission of Antigua and Barbuda

es-flag

Spain, Madrid

Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

gr-flag

Greece, Athens

Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

tr-flag

Turkey, Ankara

The Honorary Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda

us-flag

USA, Washington

Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

us-flag

USA, Miami

Consulate General of Antigua and Barbuda

ca-flag

Canada, Toronto

Consulate General of Antigua and Barbuda

cu-flag

Cuba, Havana

Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

jp-flag

Japan, Tokyo

The Honorary Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda

kr-flag

South Korea, Seoul

The Honorary Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda

jo-flag

Jordan, Amman

Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

lb-flag

Lebanon, Beirut

Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

ma-flag

Morocco, Rabat

The joint embassy of the Eastern Caribbean countries

kw-flag

Kuwait, Safat

The Honorary Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda

Whether an investor needs to fly to Antigua and Barbuda

Oath in Moscow or another city

Oath in Antigua and Barbuda

You must fly to Antigua and Barbuda within the first five years of obtaining your passport in order to meet the mandatory condition of staying in the country for 5 days.

Due to the pandemic, investors were allowed not to fly to the islands until August 31, 2021. The government can extend this period of the epidemic situation in the world does not improve.

An investor does not need to fly additionally if he spent 5 days in the country at once.

If an investor wants to take the oath in one of Antigua and Barbuda’s overseas offices, an application must first be submitted to the programme department

Applications are accepted only from licensed agents of the programme. The agent specifies:

  • the number of the investor’s application;

  • the names of the applicants over 18 years of age who wish to take the oath;

  • three dates on which applicants would like to be sworn in. The dates should preferably be chosen two weeks ahead of the date of application;

  • the applicant’s country of residence, if it is different from the country in which the investor intends to take the oath. In this case, the dates of arrival and departure to the country should also be indicated.

The amount of fees for the oath has not yet been specified.

The investor should also check that there are no restrictions on entry into the chosen country. For example, whether a certificate of negative coronavirus test is required and whether you have to stay for some time in quarantine upon arrival in the country.

Whether an investor needs to fly to Antigua and Barbuda

An investor must fly to Antigua and Barbuda within the first five years of obtaining a passport in order to meet the mandatory condition of staying in the country for 5 days.

Because of the pandemic, investors are not allowed to fly to the islands until 31 August 2021. The government may extend this deadline if the global epidemic situation does not improve.

Online oath in Moscow or another city

Oath in Antigua and Barbuda

Need to fly to Antigua and Barbuda after 31 August 2021

No need to fly in addition if you spend 5 days in the country at once

How to Obtain Citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2021

Antigua and Barbuda grant passports to foreigners who invest in the country’s economy. In 2020, 366 investors from around the world took advantage of the opportunity. They added 115.7 million Eastern Caribbean dollars, or about US$42.8 million to the country’s budget.

How much and what to invest in. Four investment options are available to investors:

  • $100,000 — non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund;

  • from $150,000 — contribution to the University of the West Indies Foundation. The option is only valid for families of six or more people;

  • from $200,000 — purchase of a share, apartment or villa in a government-approved property;

  • from $1.5 million — investment in a local business.

Contributing to the National Transformation Fund is the most popular option. It is chosen by around 80% of programme participants. In second place is the purchase of real estate: the annual return on rental properties in Antigua and Barbuda is around 4%. It takes 5 years to own the property and then the property can be sold to recover the investment.

Programme costs: Contribution and purchase of real estate

Cost item

Investor

Investor with spouse and children under 11 years old ‍ ‍ ‍

Minimum investment amount: contribution or purchase of real estate

100 000 $
or 200 000 $

100 000 $
or 200 000 $

State fee

30 000 $

30 000 $

Due diligence

7500 $

15 000 $

Passport fee

300 $

1200 $

Bank fee

300 $

1200 $

Total

138 100 $
or 238 100 $

147 400 $
or 247 400 $

Duration and procedure for participation in the programme. An Antigua and Barbuda passport can be obtained in three to six months. The Department begins processing the investor’s application as soon as it receives it and copies of the documents electronically. The originals can be sent later, as can the fees and due diligence checks.

We’ve talked about all the latest changes to Antigua and Barbuda’s citizenship programme in the article 'What’s New in the Caribbean'.

The passport of Antigua and Barbuda is a convenient travel document with which you can visit 165 countries of the world without visas. Among them are the Schengen countries, Great Britain, Singapore and Hong Kong. Also, citizens of Antigua and Barbuda can apply for a visa to the United States for 10 years using a simplified procedure that is not available to Russians.

Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent of the Antigua and Barbuda citizenship programme. If you wish to obtain a second passport, seek advice from the investment programme experts.