Moving to Antigua and Barbuda: Costs and Investment Opportunities

Why Move to Antigua and Barbuda?

Moving to Antigua and Barbuda gives many benefits. The most remarkable ones include:

Favorable Tax System

Living in Antigua is beneficial because there are no capital gains, inheritance, or wealth taxes. Thanks to this, the country is very attractive for expats.

Citizenship By Investment Program

The country offers a widely known citizenship-by-investment program, which is specifically designed for investors, who, in exchange for a financial contribution, will be granted citizenship.

Growing Real Estate Market

Investing in the real estate market is one of the options for getting an Antigua and Barbuda passport, which ranks 27th in the world. In 2023, there were 930,000 visitors in Antigua and Barbuda, which is 43% more than during the previous year. Considering the high interest among tourists, investing in real estate and then renting it may give you high returns.

Fancy Beaches and Nice Climate

It’s often said that Antigua and Barbuda have 365 beaches: one beach for each day of the year. Besides being a paradise for beach lovers, the weather here is warm and tropical, suggesting a more relaxed lifestyle.

Residency and Citizenship by Investment Programs

There are several programs for those who want to acquire a residency in Antigua and Barbuda. Let’s discuss each of them:

Tax Residency Program

For this program, you don’t need to permanently reside in Antigua and Barbuda. All you need to do is:

• Have a residential address in Antigua and Barbuda
• Spend at least 30 days of the year in the country
• Have at least $100,000 yearly income
• Pay a flat tax of $20,000 per year

The required documents for this program are:

• Passport-size photo
• Valid passport
• Medical Insurance
• Clear Criminal Records
• Proof of annual salary of at least $100,000
• $20,000 annual tax receipt

Digital Nomad Program

The digital nomad residency program is designed for those who want to have Antigua and Barbuda residency while working remotely. To be eligible for the program, freelancers and remote workers need to:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have remote work outside of Antigua and Barbuda
• Have an annual salary of at least $50,000
• Have a clean criminal record

The required documents for this program are:

• Passport-size Photo
• Valid Passport
• Medical Insurance
• Clean Criminal Records
• Proof of annual salary of at least $50,000

As for getting citizenship, there are 4 main options:

• Citizenship by Descent
• Citizenship by Marriage
• Citizenship by Naturalisation
• Citizenship by Investment

Let’s discuss the last one - citizenship by investment.

There are 4 main investment options:

• Non-refundable Contribution to National Development Fund: The applicant should invest in industries like healthcare, education, and agriculture with at least $230,000.
• Non-refundable Donation to a Higher Educational Institution: The investor is required to have at least 5 family members with him/her in the application. All the applicants need to make at least $260,000 donation together.
• Property Investment: The applicant needs to invest at least $300,000 in real estate. It’s important to buy the property from the list of government-approved real estate․
• Business Investment: As an investor, the applicant has 2 main options to make a business investment. Either he/she can at least spend $1.5 million to develop a company in Antigua and Barbuda or make a group investment of at least $5 million, where each investor can invest at least $400,000.

Each of these options comes with a different range of additional costs and fees like processing fees and due diligence. You can learn more about the expenses from here.

After finding the perfect option for you, you’ll need to make sure you are eligible to submit an application. Here are the criteria you need to meet:

• Be at least 18 years old,
• Have a clean criminal record,
• Have proof of sufficient funds,
• Have no serious illness,
• If you are the main applicant and you’re married, your spouse needs to have no criminal records,
• For the children, there’s no age limitation if they have mental or physical incapabilities and are fully supported by you,
• The parents or grandparents need to be at least 55 years old, and fully dependent on you. They also don’t have any age limitations if they have mental or physical incapabilities and are fully supported by you,
• Siblings need to be unmarried and have parents’ or guardian’s consent if under 18.