A free PDF guide — a contribution from $240 000 for a family of up to 4
A guide to citizenship of SaintLucia: terms, cost and risks
The programme in which a family of four pays what a single applicant pays. We work through the two options, the structure of the fees, the tightening of 2025-2026, the check on the applicant and how the process runs.
- PDF in English
- Free of charge
- Verified on 11.08.2026
- Sent by email, WhatsApp or Telegram
Preliminary information is not a guarantee of approval. Whether the programme is available and the final cost are determined once the applicant has been checked.
01 / The essentials first
What to know about the programme before the calculation
Four things that decide both whether the programme is open to you and what the total will be.
- A family of four pays what a single applicant pays
The contribution to the National Economic Fund is $240 000 and covers the applicant with three dependants. Each further person adds $10 000 under 18 and $20 000 from 18.
- A visa refusal closes the programme
The law obliges the CIU to refuse an applicant who has been refused a visa by a country with which Saint Lucia has visa-free travel. That is checked before filing, not after.
- The rules tightened in 2025-2026
An annual cap on approvals, compulsory biometrics and a requirement to hold valid status on the documents were introduced. Filing is possible only through a licensed agent.
- Property returns part of the investment
A share in an approved property from $300 000 is sold after 5 years. In return the government administrative fee is charged for every participant in the application.
02 / Cost
The cost for your family
Set out the family — the quotation is recalculated for both options on the programme’s official fees.
03 / The two options
The fund or property: what the difference is
Both roads lead to the same status. They differ in the size of the investment, in whether the money comes back and in the structure of the government fees.
The values were checked against the official material on 11.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | The fundThe National Economic Fund | PropertyA share in an approved property |
|---|---|---|
| The size of the investment | from $240 000 for a family of up to 4 | from $300 000 |
| The return of the investment | none, the contribution is non-refundable | the share may be sold after 5 years |
| The government fee | included in the contribution | $30 000 for the applicant and then by family |
| The extra payment for dependants | $10 000 under 18, $20 000 from 18 | through the government fee for each |
| Due diligence | $8 000 the applicant, $5 000 from 16 | $8 000 the applicant, $5 000 from 16 |
| The time to completeA BRIDGES estimate | 3-6 months | 3-6 months |
| Who it usually suitsA BRIDGES estimate | Those who want the lowest total and a simple structure | Those ready to hold an asset for a partial return |
- The size of the investment
- from $240 000 for a family of up to 4
- from $300 000
- The return of the investment
- none, the contribution is non-refundable
- the share may be sold after 5 years
- The government fee
- included in the contribution
- $30 000 for the applicant and then by family
- The extra payment for dependants
- $10 000 under 18, $20 000 from 18
- through the government fee for each
- Due diligence
- $8 000 the applicant, $5 000 from 16
- $8 000 the applicant, $5 000 from 16
- The time to completeA BRIDGES estimate
- 3-6 months
- 3-6 months
- Who it usually suitsA BRIDGES estimate
- Those who want the lowest total and a simple structure
- Those ready to hold an asset for a partial return
Due diligence is not charged for dependants under 16. The final amount is fixed by the agreement once the applicant has been checked.
04 / The destination
What the destination looks like
A short account of the country and of what shapes the terms of the programme.
- Saint LuciaThe cover of the guide: the destination and the key terms of the programme.
- The essentials firstWhat to know before the calculation: the key facts of the programme.
- The terms of the programmesThe parameters of the programme in one table on the official terms.
- The road mapThe process step by step — from the check to the documents.
- The check on the applicantWhat is examined before the status is granted and where people stumble.
- The limitsThe limits that affect the timing and the amount.
- Your teamWho runs the case and what each specialist answers for.
05 / How the process runs
How the process is arranged
The preliminary check comes first: the law closes the programme to applicants with certain visa refusals, and that is settled before any expense.
- The preliminary check
The family, the citizenships, the sources of funds and any previous visa refusals. A refusal by a country with visa-free travel closes the programme by law, so that is settled first.
- Choosing the option and the calculation
We compare the contribution to the fund and a share in an approved property. We fix the all-in total together with the government fees and the preparation of the documents.
- Preparing the documents
A medical report for every applicant, police certificates, evidence of the source of funds, translations and the apostille.
- Filing through a licensed agent
The CIU accepts an application only through a licensed agent. The processing fee and due diligence are paid.
- The check and the decision
Everyone aged 16 and over is checked. The average time to a decision on the application is around 90 days with a complete set of documents.
- The investment and the passports
The contribution or the purchase of the share is made after approval. The passport is issued for 10 years and the process is run remotely.
07 / The check on the applicant
What is examined before the status is granted
Every participant in the application aged 16 and over is checked. Refusals come not from the amount but from a history that is not transparent.
- Previous visa refusals
A refusal by a country with which Saint Lucia has visa-free travel is a ground for refusal by law. It is disclosed before filing; a hidden refusal means losing the fees.
- The source of funds
A transparent chain from the earnings to the account the investment leaves: contracts, tax returns, statements for the period.
- No criminal record
Certificates from the country of citizenship and from the countries where the applicant lived for more than six months in recent years. They have a limited validity and are obtained close to filing.
- The medical report
Required for every participant in the application, children included. It is completed on the programme’s prescribed form.
The processing and due diligence fees are not returned whatever the decision, so the file is prepared before filing rather than along the way.
08 / The limits
What to allow for in advance
Five limits of the programme that affect the timing, the amount and whether an application is possible at all.
The annual cap on approvalsThe programme limits the number of applications a year
Once the quota is used up, consideration moves to the next period. That matters for planning if the status is needed by a particular date.
Checks from the age of 16The fee is charged for every participant aged 16 and over
$8 000 for the main applicant and $5 000 for each of the others. Children under 16 are not charged.
Only a licensed agentFiling with the CIU directly is not possible
An application is accepted only through an agent with a current licence. A promise to file directly is the mark of a bad-faith intermediary.
The contribution to the fund is not returnedThe fund option is an expense, not an investment
If part of the money coming back matters, the option to consider is a share in an approved property with the right to sell after five years.
The mobility of the passport changesThe lists of visa-free countries are reviewed
Over the past two years a number of countries have changed the regime for Caribbean passports. We prepare the current list as at the date of the request rather than taking it from general rankings.
09 / Your team
Who runs your case
The work is run by specialists who deal with the Caribbean programmes.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 11 August 2026
- Last updated
- 11 August 2026
The official sources
- The Citizenship by Investment Unit of Saint Lucia — the official site of the programmeGovernment of Saint Lucia, CIU · checked 11.08.2026The terms of the programme, the list of approved projects and the list of licensed agents.
- The Government of Saint Lucia — the official portalGovernment of Saint Lucia · checked 11.08.2026The publication of laws and secondary legislation, including the changes to the programme in 2025-2026.
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 — the list of countries for visa-free entryThe Official Journal of the European Union · checked 11.08.2026Visa-free access to the Schengen area is checked against it, not against summary rankings.
10 / Common questions
Questions about the Saint Lucia programme
What does citizenship of Saint Lucia cost for a family?
The contribution to the National Economic Fund is $240 000 for the applicant and up to three dependants: a family of four pays what a single applicant pays. Each further dependant adds $10 000 under 18 and $20 000 from 18. On top of the contribution come the processing fee, due diligence and the preparation of the documents. The all-in total for a single applicant starts from $252 000, and for a family of four with two children under 16 from $260 000.
Who may be included in the application?
The spouse, the children of the applicant or the spouse within the age thresholds set, financially dependent parents and, in some cases, brothers and sisters. The family directly affects the total and is checked before filing.
Do I have to travel to Saint Lucia?
No. The process is run remotely and there is no residence requirement. Biometrics are taken under the programme’s rules in the agreed way.
How long does the process take?
Around 90 days to a decision on the application with a complete set of documents, and 3-6 months for the whole process. Delays most often come from the documents on the source of funds.
When is the investment made?
After the application is approved. Until then the processing fee and due diligence are paid — and they are not returned whatever the decision.
What if there was a visa refusal in the past?
If the refusal was by a country with which Saint Lucia has visa-free travel, the law obliges the CIU to refuse. Such cases are worked through before filing so that the fees are not lost.
Can the property be sold?
Yes, after 5 years of ownership. The property is chosen from the list approved by the programme, not from the open market.
How long is the passport issued for?
For 10 years, and it is renewed thereafter. The citizenship passes to children by descent.
Free
Take the guide and a quotation for your family
We will send the PDF with the terms of both options and the calculation for your family.
- The terms of the two options and the investment thresholds
- An all-in quotation with the government fees
- What is checked before filing and what refusals come from
- How the process runs and the real timings