Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment in 2026

Antigua and Barbuda operates an active Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI) administered by the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). It is a route to citizenship, not a residence permit or ordinary investor visa.

Applicants should therefore keep CBI separate from Class D investor/entrepreneur residence, which is an Immigration residence category tied to a qualifying local work-permit history.

Who can be the principal applicant?

The CIU says a principal applicant must be over 18 years of age, meet the programme requirements, submit through an authorized/licensed agent and pass the required due-diligence process.

Citizenship is not purchased automatically by sending money. The application is investigated and must be approved before the qualifying contribution or investment is completed as directed under the official process.

Current 2026 investment options

The CIU publishes four main qualifying routes.

National Development Fund

The current minimum contribution is US$230,000 to the National Development Fund.

This is a non-refundable contribution. Processing, due-diligence and passport fees are additional unless the official option page expressly says otherwise for a particular family structure.

Approved real estate

The current minimum approved real-estate investment is US$300,000.

The CIU says qualifying real estate must be held for at least five years before resale, subject to the programme rules. Buying arbitrary residential property outside an approved CBI project does not automatically qualify.

Business investment

The official business option provides for:

  • a US$1.5 million minimum investment where one applicant makes the qualifying business investment; or
  • a qualifying joint business investment of at least US$5 million in total, involving at least two persons, with each contributing at least US$400,000.

The business must satisfy the programme's approval requirements; ordinary company formation alone is not enough.

University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Fund

For the qualifying family category, the UWI Five Islands Campus Fund option currently requires US$260,000. The official page states that this contribution includes the relevant processing fees for the prescribed family structure, while extra dependant and due-diligence charges can still apply under the published schedule.

Because family composition affects cost materially, applicants should calculate from the current CIU fee schedule rather than a generic headline figure.

Processing and due-diligence fees

The CIU's current schedule lists, among other charges:

  • US$10,000 processing fee for a single applicant under the NDF/real-estate structure;
  • US$20,000 processing fee for a family of up to four under those structures;
  • US$10,000 for each additional dependant beyond the included family size;
  • due diligence of US$8,500 for the principal applicant;
  • US$5,000 for a spouse;
  • US$2,000 for a dependant aged 12–17;
  • US$4,000 for a dependant aged 18 or older; and
  • US$300 passport fee per person under the current schedule.

The CIU currently lists no due-diligence charge for a child aged 0–11 on the fee schedule reviewed for this guide.

These programme charges can change, and option-specific fees differ. Confirm the live schedule at the time the application is submitted.

Application process

The CIU application guidance requires applicants to work through an authorized representative. The process typically includes:

  1. choose a qualifying investment/contribution option and licensed agent;
  2. prepare identity, civil-status, police, financial and source-of-funds documents;
  3. submit the application with the required initial processing/due-diligence payments;
  4. undergo CIU due diligence and application assessment;
  5. receive approval in principle if successful;
  6. complete the approved contribution or investment as instructed; and
  7. complete citizenship/passport issuance formalities.

The official public pages reviewed on 16 September 2026 do not provide one guaranteed universal end-to-end processing time for every application. Due diligence, source-of-funds complexity, family composition and document requests can affect timing.

Source of funds and due diligence

CBI is a regulated nationality process. Applicants should expect scrutiny of identity, criminal history, source of funds, business background, sanctions/adverse information and family relationships.

A qualifying investment amount does not override due diligence. An application can fail even where the applicant can afford the investment.

Dependants

The CIU's dependant guidance allows specified family members to be included where they meet the programme definitions. Depending on circumstances, these can include:

  • spouse;
  • financially dependent children within the published age rules;
  • certain dependent children with qualifying disability provisions;
  • dependent parents or grandparents meeting the published age/dependency requirements; and
  • certain unmarried siblings under the programme definition.

Each dependant must be documented and can trigger additional processing, due-diligence, investment or passport costs.

Five-day physical-presence requirement

The CIU says a person who acquires citizenship through the programme must spend at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda during the first five calendar years after obtaining citizenship. Failure to meet the programme's presence condition can expose the citizenship to deprivation under the applicable rules.

This is a modest physical-presence requirement compared with ordinary residence pathways, but it is still a legal requirement and should be planned rather than ignored.

CBI versus residence and tax residence

CBI grants nationality. It does not mean the new citizen automatically becomes tax resident in Antigua and Barbuda or is physically resident there.

Conversely, a person can hold an Antigua resident permit without using CBI.

Tax residence depends on separate law, including physical-presence and other connecting tests. Applicants with international businesses, investment income or multiple homes should obtain tax advice independent of the citizenship application.

Real estate: CBI property versus ordinary home ownership

The US$300,000 figure belongs to approved CBI real estate. It should not be described as the minimum price for ordinary retirement/homeowner residence.

Likewise, buying an ordinary home does not automatically produce citizenship. The property must fit the approved CBI real-estate framework for that option.

Is CBI a shortcut to a work permit?

Citizenship changes the legal position because citizens are not foreign work-permit applicants in the same way as non-citizens. But applicants should not market CBI merely as a “work visa.” It is acquisition of nationality and carries the rights and obligations associated with citizenship.

Anyone who only wants to take a local job may find the work-permit route more directly relevant.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest Antigua CBI contribution in 2026?

The current National Development Fund minimum is US$230,000, before applicable processing, due-diligence, passport and other charges.

What is the minimum CBI real-estate investment?

US$300,000 in approved real estate, subject to the programme's holding and project rules.

How much is the sole business investment option?

The current minimum for a qualifying sole business investment is US$1.5 million.

Do I need to live in Antigua full time after CBI?

No full-time residence rule is published for maintaining CBI citizenship, but the programme requires at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda during the first five calendar years after citizenship is obtained.

Is citizenship by investment the same as investor residence?

No. CBI is citizenship; Class D is a separate Immigration residence category.

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