ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Country Profile
Antigua and Barbuda is a dual-island nation located in the Caribbean Sea, with a history of colonial rule by Britain. Traces of this past are still reflected in its official language, laws, and culture. Antigua, the larger of the two islands, is an important flight transfer hub for the region. Barbuda suffered significant damage in the 2017 hurricane season, resulting in its entire population being evacuated to Antigua. China stepped in as a major partner in the island’s rebuilding efforts. Antigua and Barbuda remains highly reliant on tourism as a primary source of income, and is known for its 365 beaches.
- Official name: Antigua and Barbuda
- National anthem: Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee
- Location: Caribbean, Americas
- Capital city: St John’s
- Official language: English
- Independence: 1 November 1981, from the United Kingdom
- Government type: Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
- Head of State: Monarch represented by the Governor General
- Head of Government: Prime Minister
- Basis of legal system: English common law
- Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar
- Climate: Tropical
The Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Programme
- Established by the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Act, 2013
- Four investment alternatives:
- A contribution to the National Development Fund (NDF). Current contribution thresholds were proposed under a limited time offer that was indefinitely extended in October 2019
- Purchase of Government-approved real estate, to be held for five years. Current minimum thresholds were introduced in March 2020. There is also an option, for families of up to four, to make a joint investment with a ‘related party’ (one with the same Licenced Agent as the applicant)
- Investment into an eligible, Government-approved, business project, with an option to make a joint investment with another applicant
- For families of at least six persons only, an investment in the University of the West Indies Fund (UWIF). In addition to receiving citizenship, one member of the family is also entitled to a one year, tuition-only scholarship. This option was introduced in October 2018 but modified significantly in May 2020
- Government and Due Diligence Fees apply for three of the four investment alternatives (no Government Fee is due for families of six under the UWIF option). In all cases, ten per cent of the Government Fees are due upon submission of the application and are non-refundable
- Some delays in application processing by the Citizenship by Investment Unit
- A May 2019 passport recall (whose deadline was extended to 30 June 2020) was announced to ensure that all economic citizens hold e-passports
- Antigua and Barbuda restricts applications from nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan unless certain criteria is met. The temporary ban on Russian and Belarusian nationals was lifted on 8 July 2022, but the ban against Ukrainian nationals remains in place
- No mandated interview or knowledge-based test
- Travel requirement to the nation, or to an embassy or consulate, to sign an oath of allegiance
- Citizenship is conditional on the applicant spending five days on Antiguan or Barbudan soil within five years of obtaining citizenship. This requirement is waived for children until after they turn 18. At present, in light of Covid-19 travel restrictions, this requirement is suspended until 31 August 2022
