Antigua and Barbuda passport: investments and conditions for obtaining one

Antigua and Barbuda's passport is the strongest among Caribbean nations

Antigua and Barbuda's passport has been recognized as the most powerful among Caribbean countries. It can be used to travel freely to 165 countries around the world, including the UK, USA.

What has changed in visa-free destinations for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship holders

Recently, the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda have been actively signing international treaties that allow citizens to visit other countries of the world without hindrance. For example, agreements have been reached with Russia, Bolivia, Kosovo, India and the UAE.

Among the 165 countries where Antigua and Barbuda passport holders can travel freely are the following:

1. 10 overseas French collectivities;
2. 124 sovereign states;
3. 6 Dutch territories;
4. 13 British territories
5. 3 possessions of other countries.

Antigua and Barbuda's Minister Chet Green said this strong international outreach is aimed at increasing the influence of the nation's passport in the world. The government's goal is to ensure that passport holders are able to visit as many countries as possible without hindrance. Antigua and Barbuda does not plan to stop at the achieved results: diplomats are actively working on expanding the list of available states.

Briefly about the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship for Investment Program

The local program is one of the most popular not only in the Caribbean, but also in the world. As the passport “strengthens” it is expected that the number of investors will increase. This, in turn, will lead to the development of the tourism sector, improving infrastructure.

The economic situation in Antigua and Barbuda is improving over time. This is due, among other things, to the fact that most investors invest in government projects. These are non-refundable investments. The total number of investors in Antigua and Barbuda's economy is 2,300.

Now the authorities are redirecting investments to the development of the tourism sector. Hotels and resorts are being actively built in the country. Funds are invested mainly in real estate. This money is returned to investors after five years.

Obtain a passport for Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is an island country in the Caribbean Sea, little known in the world. Why has it come to the attention of foreign investors who seek to obtain citizenship here?

For almost 4 centuries the islands were under British rule. And although in 1981 Antigua and Barbuda formally gained independence, the head of state is still the monarch of Great Britain. The country is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is this fact that determines the value of its passport.

Advantages of citizenship

The passport of Antigua and Barbuda opens a wide range of opportunities for its holder:

• being in the zone of influence of the British legal system;
• visa-free travel to more than 150 countries of the world;
• opening of accounts in the most reliable banks;
• minimum terms of obtaining citizenship - 3-5 months;
• loyal tax system;
• participation in the program for the whole family without overpayments;
• raising the age for children of dependents, who can participate in the application together with the investor;
• possibility for elderly parents without their own income to participate in the program;
• confidentiality of information;

Citizenship of this island country has the advantage of being hereditary.

Procedure and mechanisms for obtaining citizenship

The most popular and in demand remains the investment way of obtaining citizenship. Since 2013, the country has a program to attract foreign capital into the national economy in exchange for a passport.

Requirements to the applicant

The investor must be of legal age, have an impeccable reputation and good health.

The main conditions are:

• absence of any travel bans in the European Union, UK, USA and Canada;
• no criminal record and no problems with the law;
• provide proof of the legitimacy of the origin of the capital to be invested.

The law also obliges the applicant to stay on the territory of the state for 5 days during 5 years (this is the period for which the passport is issued and further extended).

The following family members may apply for an Antigua and Barbuda passport together with the applicant:

1. spouse; Children who are under 28 years of age and are being supported;
2. children of any age with disabilities;
3. the investor's parents or spouse over the age of 58 if they have no income of their own. Investment

Objects and Amounts

One of the features of the investment program is that the investment amount will be the same for both one applicant and three members of his/her family. If the investor has more than 3 dependents, then the amount of financial investments will be larger. This is a very favorable offer for couples. Additional expenses are the state fee and security check.

Migration legislation provides 3 ways of obtaining citizenship through investments:

• Irrevocable financial investment in the State Fund, which is used for the development of the economy of Antigua and Barbuda. The amount of the contribution is not less than 100 thousand dollars. If the applicant has more than three dependents, the amount increases to 125 thousand dollars.
• Buying real estate on the islands. Government agencies determine objects for investment and form lists with offers. The cost of real estate must be higher than 400 thousand dollars. In this case, the number of family members of the applicant does not affect the amount of financial investment.
• Investments in business in the territory of Antigua and Barbuda. The size of the contribution should be from 1.5 million dollars. There is also a possibility of joint financing. Then the fund will be 5 million dollars and more, and each investor must contribute a minimum of 400 thousand dollars.

Our company Garant.in will help to accurately calculate all costs and prepare the necessary documents for the application.

Obtain a passport for Antigua and Barbuda

Attracting investments into the economy in exchange for “golden passports” has been working effectively since 2013. Garant.in specialists note with confidence that the cheapest non-refundable contribution to the national fund remains the most popular method among our clients. Recently, there have been discussions about launching another avenue for investment in the University of the West Indies Foundation. The question of the possibility of conducting transactions using cryptocurrency has also been raised repeatedly. Therefore, it is difficult to predict what innovations will be and whether there will be any at all this year. We can only follow the events and respond promptly if necessary.