A guide to citizenship of Antigua andBarbuda: terms, cost and risks

The Citizenship by Investment Unit lists four: a contribution to the National Development Fund from $230 000, a contribution to the University of the West Indies Fund of $260 000 for a family of 6 or more, the purchase of approved property from $300 000, and direct investment in a business — $1 500 000 alone or $5 000 000 jointly with a contribution of at least $400 000 from each participant. In practice clients are costed on the first three.

The contribution to the Development Fund — $230 000 — does not depend on the number of applicants: it is the same for one person and for a family. What grows is the fees: the processing fee is $10 000 for a single applicant and $20 000 for a family of up to four, then $10 000 for each further person. Due diligence is paid separately: $8 500 for the main applicant, $5 000 for the spouse, $2 000 for a dependant aged 12-17 and $4 000 for a dependant aged 18 and over; there is no fee for children under 12. The passport fee is $300 per person. The total under the Development Fund programme for a single applicant is from $250 800, including a pack of translations and apostilles of up to $2 000.

The UWI option is open to a family of 6 or more, and the contribution of $260 000 already includes the processing fees for up to 7 people. Each further person adds $10 000. With a large family it usually works out cheaper than the Development Fund, because under the NDF every applicant beyond four adds $10 000 in fees. In addition one member of the family receives a one-year scholarship at the University of the West Indies. The calculator above shows both options for your family.

The contributions to the Development Fund and to the UWI Fund are not returned — they are non-refundable payments. Property stays your own and may be sold after 5 years of ownership, but the selling price is set by the market and is not guaranteed. Calling property a «refundable investment» is not correct.

The official Dependants section lists the spouse, dependent children from 0 to 30, adult children with a physical or mental disability living with the applicant, dependent parents and grandparents of the applicant or the spouse aged 55 and over, and unmarried brothers and sisters. A future spouse and the children of dependent children are described separately, with their own fees. The right to include a particular relative is confirmed before filing.

Yes, presence is required — and that is the material difference from the neighbours in the region. The official material warns that citizenship may be revoked if the person has not spent at least 5 days in the country during the 5 calendar years after obtaining it. The oath of allegiance is taken on the first visit to the country or at a diplomatic mission of Antigua and Barbuda.

The applicant and the adult members of the family go through the mandatory check, and the fees are paid on filing and are not returned if the application is refused: $8 500 for the main applicant, $5 000 for the spouse, $4 000 for a dependant aged 18 and over and $2 000 for a dependant aged 12-17. What is examined: the background, the citizenships, tax residency, the source of funds and the source of wealth, banking relationships, corporate structures, court proceedings, sanctions and PEP factors, and publications in open sources.

The due diligence fees are paid when the application is filed. The contribution and the passport fees are paid after approval: under the UWI Fund programme 30 days from approval are officially allowed for that, and under the other programmes the payment schedule is fixed by the agreement before the work begins.

The Citizenship by Investment Unit publishes no processing standard in its open material. Any period an adviser quotes is practice, not an obligation of the state: the Unit may request further information and postpone its decision. Under the property programme the time to find the property and close the transaction is added to the processing time.

The list of visa-free countries is set by the destination states themselves and changes without any involvement of Antigua and Barbuda. The European Union has tightened its scrutiny of countries with citizenship-by-investment programmes and introduced a mechanism for suspending visa-free travel, so we do not publish a figure of «so many countries» as a promise. We check the current regime for the destinations you need as at the date of travel and show it with the source.

By itself, no. Citizenship does not end tax obligations in other countries and does not make the applicant a tax resident of Antigua and Barbuda automatically. Residency is determined by the law of the particular countries and by the facts — where you live, where the centre of your interests lies, how many days a year you spend there.

Yes, citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda is inherited: children born after the status is obtained acquire it by descent, without a new investment. The procedure for registering the child is confirmed against the process in force at the time.

Yes. The decision is taken by the Citizenship by Investment Unit after its own check. A complete file does not mean automatic approval, and the due diligence fees are not returned if the application is refused. No adviser may guarantee the outcome.

The set depends on where the capital came from. Usually it is the contracts and documents for the sale of a stake or an asset, dividend resolutions and statements, income certificates and tax returns, documents on an inheritance or a gift, bank statements for the period required with explanations of large transactions, and evidence of the ownership structure of the business. The first consultation takes place without handing over any documents.