• Home
• /
• KT Network

A uniquely attractive, wide-ranging programme for second citizenships

Antigua and Barbuda’s highly ranked citizenship-by-investment programme is gaining in popularity, especially with larger families

In 2021, applications to Antigua and Barbuda’s citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programme rose by 36 per cent, with 498 people seeking to become part of a multicultural society made up of authentically warm and friendly people that enjoy a fantastic quality of life.

The programme was launched in 2013, after the government had carried out extensive research into investment migration and established a Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) to manage it. “The applications started coming in and we soon realised that a lot of people are very interested in becoming citizens and investing in the multitude of opportunities available in this country,” reveals Charmaine Quinland-Donovan, CEO CIU.

She states that Antigua and Barbuda is a singularly attractive option for CBI. “For example, out of the five countries in this region that have a programme, Antigua and Barbuda has the most convenient airlift as we are positioned right in the middle of the Caribbean archipelago. Our passport also opens up access to over 160 countries visa-free,” she confirms.

The twin-island nation has the competitive advantage of having a highly advanced healthcare system and first-class international education institutions that run from primary schools to a University of the West Indies campus that ranks among the top 1.5 per cent of universities worldwide. “Our programme is structured to be the most competitive and affordable for large families. Living in Antigua and Barbuda provides comfort as the quality of real estate construction is outstanding,” Quinland-Donovan asserts.

There are numerous other reasons to pick the islands as a second-citizenship destination. It is a stable and safe democracy with parliamentary and legal systems based on those of the UK that guarantee the protection of investments and the rights of individuals. The business-friendly nation also imposes no taxes on local or international income, inheritance, capital gains or investment returns.

Another major benefit of CBI in Antigua and Barbuda is the application process itself, which is simple and can be completed online. The wide-ranging programme offers four pathways to citizenship for investors. “The first is to make a contribution to our National Development Fund of $100,000 for a family of four or fewer, which rises to $125,000 for larger families. The second option is to purchase real estate. The minimum threshold for one applicant is $200,000, although most units that are currently available are priced at $400,000 or above, but it is also possible to co-own a property with another applicant, if each invests at least $200,000,” she explains.

The third path is unique to Antigua and Barbuda: investing in a business. According to Quinland-Donovan, “This can be an existing local business or you can set up a new one. For a single investor, the minimum investment would be $1.5 million or a partnership of investors would need to reach a threshold of at least $5 million.”

The programme’s final route is investment in the further development of the country’s University of the West Indies campus and the CEO is confident that there is no better CBI option for large families anywhere in the world: “The minimum number of family members that can apply for this is six, who would invest a total of $150,000. That includes government processing fees, although larger families incur additional fees of $15,000 per person.”

The other three pathways to citizenship all involve processing charges of $30,000 for applications with up to four people, which increases by $15,000 for every extra individual. “There are also due-diligence costs, as we pride ourselves on applying the highest standards in that respect. These range from $7,500 for applicants and their spouses to zero for children under 12,” she adds.

The Middle East is a market of focus for the CIU, as Quinland-Donovan made clear when she visited Dubai Expo 2020 in November 2021. “We hosted several events for our stakeholders and diaspora on Antigua and Barbuda’s national day. Some other countries see CBI as a purely

transactional process, but citizenship is an emotional issue for us and I wanted our diaspora to know that Antigua and Barbuda is their home: they are free to bring their family to live here, work from the beach and watch the waves rolling on the sand at any time.”