Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment: contribution from US$230,000, a passport for the whole family

The lowest option is a non-refundable contribution to the National Development Fund of US$230,000 for a single applicant or a family of up to 4. On top: processing fee US$10,000 (single) or US$20,000 (family of up to 4), due diligence US$8,500 for the main applicant and US$2,000–5,000 per family member, passport US$300 each. A single applicant pays about US$248,800 in total, a couple with two children aged 12–17 about US$268,700.

The CIU publishes no statutory processing term. The advertised six months are a promise, not a rule. By open data the road to the passport can take more than a year: in one publicly described case, approval took 15 months and the document took about nine more weeks. Planning should be on a realistic schedule, with answers to typical CIU queries prepared in advance.

Not before applying. After citizenship is granted, current law requires you to spend at least 5 days in the country within the first 5 years. Antigua has already passed the law on the regional regulator ECCIRA (Act No. 18 of 2025): once the agreement enters into force, for new applications this becomes 30 days in the first 5 years for the family combined, with each family member present for at least 5 days in the first year; the country may also apply it to pending applications at its discretion. A bill that also proposes 30 days was introduced in Parliament in July 2026; its text has not been published. As of 16.10.2026 neither the agreement nor the bill is in force, but according to press reports the Prime Minister told Parliament that 30 days are already applied in practice, so we plan trips on the basis of 30 days. Without meeting the condition the passport is not renewed and citizenship can be revoked with no refund of the investment. The oath can be taken on your first visit or at an Embassy, High Commission or Consular Office of Antigua and Barbuda.

The first passport is issued for 5 years. Renewal is considered provided you have spent a total of at least 5 days in the country since citizenship was granted. Passport validity and citizenship are different things: replacing the document means going through the procedure and proving the obligations were met. For an Indian-origin family that has surrendered its Indian passport, this is now the only passport, so renewal is never left to the last months.

No. India does not permit dual citizenship, so taking Antigua and Barbuda citizenship means surrendering the Indian passport. Families who mainly want mobility and a base abroad are often better served by a residence programme; both options should be compared before any payment is made.

The contribution is easier to evaluate: US$230,000 is spent on the status and does not come back. Real estate from US$300,000 is an asset that cannot be sold for 5 years and must be maintained; a promised buy-back is not a guaranteed refund, the developer's financial standing and the contract terms matter. Sometimes a higher non-refundable cost is clearer than a formally refundable investment with an uncertain exit. Every property should be assessed as a standalone asset.

Anyone with a conviction carrying a sentence over 6 months, under criminal investigation, posing a security risk, or refused a visa by a country with which Antigua and Barbuda has visa-free travel without obtaining one later. The CIU does not accept nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan, except those who left before the age of majority or have lived at least 10 years in another country with no economic ties to a restricted one.

Antigua and Barbuda citizenship and visa-free entry to the EU are separate legal questions. The revised visa suspension mechanism, in force since 31 December 2025, explicitly names investor citizenship schemes as a ground for suspension. By a letter of 25 June 2026 the European Commission asked Antigua and Barbuda to phase out its programme by 1 June 2028 (a 24-month transition period, interim measures by September 2026). The government has said the programme will continue; talks are under way. A possible change to visa-free access should be priced into the decision today.

Since 1 January 2026 the United States has suspended the entry of Antigua and Barbuda nationals on immigrant visas and on B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, and consulates reduce the validity of other nonimmigrant visas (Proclamation of 16.12.2025). Visas issued before that date are not revoked. The restriction does not apply to dual nationals travelling on a passport of a country not subject to restrictions. This should be taken into account when choosing a programme.

Not by default, but the CIU reserves the right to request additional information or call an interview. The applicant should be prepared in advance: source of funds, biography, purpose of citizenship.

Bank statements, sale agreements, dividends, inheritance: any lawful source with a paper trail. The CIU runs the check with external agencies and due diligence fees are not refunded, so the funds history should be assembled before filing. For resident Indians the remittance goes through the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which has a per-person annual cap, so the funding structure across family members is planned in advance.

Yes, by a separate application with set fees: a child up to 5 US$10,000, aged 6–17 US$25,000, 18 and over US$50,000, a future spouse US$50,000. Every added family member passes due diligence.

File preparation takes 3–6 weeks; after that the timing depends on the CIU: there is no statutory term, and by open data approval can take a year or longer, followed by 30 days for payment and passport issuance. Three months end to end should not be counted on.

Yes. Children of the applicant or spouse are included up to age 30 if financially dependent on the applicant; children with a disability have no age limit if fully supported. Parents and grandparents of the applicant or spouse from age 55 who are dependent on you. Unmarried siblings of the applicant or spouse are also allowed. No extra fund contribution is needed for them, only due diligence and passport fees.

The NDF contribution of US$230,000 does not change for a family of up to 4 and stays the same for larger families. What grows is the processing fee (US$10,000 single, US$20,000 family of up to 4, then US$10,000 per person), due diligence (spouse US$5,000, dependant 18 and over US$4,000, aged 12–17 US$2,000) and the US$300 passport per person. A couple with two teenage children: about US$268,700 in total. For a family of 6 or more there is the UWI Fund at US$260,000 with the processing fee included.