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Antigua & Barbuda residency & citizenship

AGCaribbean & Central AmericaHigh confidenceupdated 2026-09-14 · checked 2026-10-12
Clear pathway
Years to citizenship
CBI: immediate (3–6 months); naturalization: 7 years residence
Passport
150 visa-free
Remote-work visa
Nomad Digital Residence ENDED; no current DN visa
Tax, remote workers
0% (no personal income tax)
1-bed rent / month
~$800

Monitoring

Recent changes
August 1, 2024 — investment thresholds raised (NDF $230,000, Real Estate $300,000); NDR programme ended.

Overview

Antigua & Barbuda operates a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme launched in 2013 under the Citizenship by Investment Act 2014. The programme offers four investment routes with citizenship granted in 3–6 months. A 5-day physical presence requirement applies within the first 5 years. The passport grants visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to ~150 countries including Schengen, UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Dual citizenship is recognized. [1]

A Nomad Digital Residence (NDR) visa was previously available but has ended. [2]

Residency Programs

Type Official Program Key Conditions Duration Detail
investment_residency Not separate — CBI grants direct citizenship See #citizenship-by-investment — —
passive_income_residency Not available — — —
digital_nomad_visa Nomad Digital Residence (ENDED) Was $50,000 income; $1,500 single / $2,000 couple / $3,000 family Was 2 years #digital-nomad-visa
highly_skilled_employment Work permit Job offer; employer-sponsored 1 yr, renewable —
startup_entrepreneur Not available — — —
employment_residency Work permit Job offer from local employer 1 yr, renewable —
student_residency Student visa Enrollment in approved institution Course duration —
family_reunification Dependent permit Sponsor with valid permit Matches principal —
retired_residency Not available — — —
citizenship_by_investment CBI Programme NDF Donation $230,000 / Real Estate $300,000+ / Business $400,000+ / UWI $260,000 3–6 months #citizenship-by-investment

Per-Program Detail

citizenship_by_investment

  • Official name: Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP)
  • Conditions: Four investment routes:
  • NDF Donation (National Development Fund): US$230,000 non-refundable contribution (family of up to 4); +$25,000 per additional dependent. [3]
  • Real Estate: Minimum US$300,000 in government-approved real estate; must hold 5 years. [4]
  • Business Investment: US$1,500,000 sole investor, or joint investment of US$5,000,000+ with each investor contributing minimum US$400,000. [5]
  • UWI Fund (University of the West Indies): US$260,000 minimum (family of 6+); includes 1-year tuition scholarship. [6]
  • Processing fee: US$30,000 for family of 4; due diligence: ~US$7,500 main applicant.
  • Duration / renewal: Citizenship is permanent and irrevocable. Passport renewal every 5 years (now biometric). 5-day physical presence required within first 5 years of citizenship.
  • Path to citizenship: Direct citizenship upon investment completion. No prior residence needed. No language exam. Mandatory interview (virtual or in-person) per 2024 OECS MoA.
  • Official source: https://cip.gov.ag/citizenship
  • Community verdict: Works well (mature programme; price increased August 2024 to $230,000 NDF and $300,000 real estate per OECS MoA; 5-day visit requirement is minimal friction).

digital_nomad_visa

  • Official name: Antigua & Barbuda Nomad Digital Residence (NDR)
  • Conditions: Programme has ended. Previously required: age 18+, employed outside Antigua, minimum US$50,000 annual income, clean criminal record. Fees were $1,500 single / $2,000 couple / $3,000 family. [7]
  • Duration / renewal: Was 2 years. Not currently accepting applications.
  • Path to citizenship: N/A (programme ended).
  • Official source: https://nomad.gov.ag/ui/ndrVisa.php
  • Community verdict: Ended (programme discontinued; no replacement announced).

Citizenship

  • By investment: Direct upon qualifying investment + due diligence. 5-day physical presence in first 5 years.
  • By naturalization: Available after 7 years of legal residence.
  • Dual citizenship: Fully recognized.

Tax

  • No personal income tax (abolished 2016). No capital gains tax. No inheritance tax. No wealth tax. No worldwide income taxation.
  • Corporate tax: 25%.

IT / Digital Nomad

Nomad Digital Residence programme has ended. No current digital nomad visa. Remote workers may enter as tourists (visa-free for many, up to 6 months).

Yacht / Maritime

Antigua & Barbuda operates an international ship registry. Yacht registration available. Major yachting hub — English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour are key Caribbean marinas.

Notes for RU citizens

  • CBI is open to Russian nationals but with enhanced due diligence post-2022. Some agents report longer processing.
  • No visa-free Russia access with Antigua passport.
  • No requirement to visit during application; 5-day visit within 5 years only.

Community pulse

  • CBI: Well-established, predictable. 2024 price increase aligned with OECS MoA. Processing 4–6 months typical.
  • NDR programme: Discontinued — no replacement.
  • Work permits: Small market; employer-driven.

Country Card

Antigua & Barbuda is a twin-island eastern Caribbean nation and one of the five OECS Citizenship by Investment (CBI) states. Its CBI programme, launched in 2013, is mature and well-regarded, offering direct citizenship in 3–6 months with four investment routes from US$230,000 (NDF donation) or US$300,000+ (real estate). The passport provides visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to ~150 destinations, including Schengen, UK, and Singapore. The country has zero personal income tax (abolished 2016) and requires just 5 days of physical presence in the first 5 years after citizenship. Its Nomad Digital Residence programme has ended.

Strong points

  • CBI: direct citizenship in 3–6 months; no prior residence required
  • Strong passport: ~150 visa-free destinations including Schengen, UK, Singapore
  • Zero personal income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, wealth tax
  • Minimal physical presence: 5 days in 5 years after citizenship
  • English-speaking with stable democracy (FH 84/100)
  • Major Caribbean yachting hub (English Harbour, Falmouth Harbour)

Known problems

  • CBI is expensive: US$230,000 NDF donation minimum (family of 4)
  • Investment thresholds raised August 2024 under OECS MoA; price-sensitive market
  • Nomad Digital Residence programme ended — no current digital nomad visa
  • No mid-tier residence options; must go CBI or standard work permit
  • Small island economy; limited job market outside tourism/finance
  • Hurricane risk; infrastructure vulnerability

Country Snapshot

FieldValueSource
Population~101,000 (2024)World Bank ✓
Main religionChristianity (Anglican ~18%, Seventh-day Adventist ~12%, Pentecostal ~12%)CIA World Factbook ✓
Main languageEnglish (official); Antiguan Creole widely spokenCIA World Factbook ✓
Main city (capital or largest)St. John'sWikipedia ✓
On the coast?Yes (island nation; Caribbean Sea + Atlantic Ocean)~
Tourism impact in seasonHigh — peak Dec–Apr; luxury resort market; cruise ship arrivals seasonal~
GDP per capita (PPP)~$26,000 (2023)World Bank ✓
Median net monthly salary~EC$ 2,500 (~$925)Numbeo ~
Cost of living index67.2 (NYC=100, Numbeo 2025)Numbeo ~
Monthly rent, 1-bedroom apartment~$800Numbeo ~
Effective personal tax rate for remote workers0% (no personal income tax)tax
Remote-work / self-employment residence available?Nomad Digital Residence ENDED; no current DN visadigital nomad visa
Years to citizenshipCBI: immediate (3–6 months); naturalization: 7 years residencecitizenship
Maximum permitted absence during residenceCBI: 5 days physical presence in first 5 yearscitizenship by investment
Passport strength after citizenship~150 visa-free destinations (Henley Q3 2025)Henley & Partners ✓
Rule of Law Index0.62 (rank 42/142, WJP 2024)WJP ✓
Freedom House score84/100 (Free)Freedom House ✓
Average annual sunshine hours~2,900 hWikipedia / Climate ✓
Average annual temperature~27 °CWikipedia / Climate ✓

Extended Snapshot

49/55 fields · ✓ official   ~ estimate or secondary source, may be outdated   ? unverified · fields without reliable data are hidden

Geography & size 7/7
Area440 km² (2024)World Bank ✓
Population density213 /km² (2024)World Bank ✓
Urban population24% (2025)World Bank ✓
Coastline153 km (CIA World Factbook)cia.gov ✓
Highest pointBoggy Peak (Mount Obama), 402 men.wikipedia.org ~
Typearchipelago (island nation)en.wikipedia.org ~
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST), no DST; Moscow -7hen.wikipedia.org ~
Climate 8/8
Avg precipitation1030 mm/yr (2022)World Bank ✓
PM2.5 exposure8.4 µg/m³ (2023)World Bank ✓
Climate zoneTropical savanna (Aw), warm year-rounden.wikipedia.org ~
Temp winter / summerSt. John's: Jan avg 25°C, Jul avg 28°Cen.wikipedia.org ~
Rainy days~110 days/year (St. John's)en.wikipedia.org ~
Humidity~79% avg annualen.wikipedia.org ~
Natural hazardsHurricanes, tropical storms; INFORM Risk not rated (small island)drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu ✓
Air quality~8 µg/m³ PM2.5 annual mean (IQAir 2023 estimate)iqair.com ~
Economy 9/12
GDP (nominal)$2.3B (2025)World Bank ✓
GDP growth5.0% (2025)World Bank ✓
Inflation (CPI)1.4% (2025)World Bank ✓
Tourism receipts70% of exports (2020)World Bank ✓
Remittances0.9% of GDP (2025)World Bank ✓
Credit ratingNot rated by S&P/Moody's/Fitchtheglobaleconomy.com ~
CurrencyXCD (East Caribbean Dollar), pegged to USD at 2.70state.gov ✓
Top industriesTourism ~60% GDP, financial services, constructionen.wikipedia.org ~
Economic ComplexityNot ranked (small island state)atlas.hks.harvard.edu ~
Technology 9/10
Internet users73% of population (2024)World Bank ✓
Fixed broadband subs10.7 per 100 people (2022)World Bank ✓
High-tech exports0.0% of manufactured exports (2024)World Bank ✓
Global Innovation IndexNot ranked (GII, small state)wipo.int ✓
E-Government (UN EGDI)0.5535, rank 121 (UN EGDI 2024)publicadministration.un.org ✓
Median broadband speedNot in Ookla Global Index; ~40 Mbps estimatedspeedtest.net ✓
5G5G launched 2021 (Flow, Digicel)itu.int ~
Online paymentsStripe not available; PayPal availablestripe.com ~
Startup ecosystemNot ranked (small state)startupblink.com ~
Human development & health 3/3
Life expectancy77.8 years (2024)World Bank ✓
Hospital beds3.4 per 1000 (2023)World Bank ✓
HDI0.838, rank 55 (UNDP HDI 2023)hdr.undp.org ✓
Safety 2/2
Global Peace IndexNot ranked (GPI, small state)?
US travel advisoryLevel 1: Exercise normal precautions (2024)travel.state.gov ✓
Money & tax 3/5
FATF statusNot on FATF black or grey list (as of 2026-06-19)fatf-gafi.org ✓
Wealth / inheritance / CGTNo wealth tax; no inheritance tax; capital gains tax varies (PwC)taxsummaries.pwc.com ~
CFC rulesNo CFC rulestaxsummaries.pwc.com ~
Business 2/2
Company setup~19 days; cost ~10% GNI per capita (WB Doing Business)archive.doingbusiness.org ~
Corporate tax25% (standard rate)taxsummaries.pwc.com ~
Family & education 1/1
Top universityUniversity of the West Indies (Open Campus); not QS rankedtopuniversities.com ✓
Connectivity 1/1
Visa-free for RussiansVisa-free for Russian citizens up to 180 days (as of 2025)embassies.net ~
For Russian citizens 1/1
Sanctions positionGenerally aligned with UN positions; CBI program under scrutiny?
Quality of life 3/3
World Happiness rankNot ranked (World Happiness Report, small state)worldhappiness.report ✓
Expat friendlinessNot listed (Expat Insider)internations.org ~
Local language needEF EPI not ranked; English is the official languageef.com ~

  1. https://cip.gov.ag/citizenship ↩

  2. https://nomad.gov.ag/ui/ndrVisa.php ↩

  3. https://cip.gov.ag/citizenship ↩

  4. https://cip.gov.ag/citizenship ↩

  5. https://cip.gov.ag/citizenship ↩

  6. https://cip.gov.ag/citizenship ↩

  7. https://nomad.gov.ag/ui/ndrVisa.php ↩

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