# Antigua and Barbuda: Citizenship by Investment (CBI) > Antigua and Barbuda citizenship: NDF contribution from USD 230,000, UWI option for large families, and 5-day presence requirement over 5 years. Author: Алёна Дунаева — юрист, Family Office (https://wiki.private.law/authors/dunaeva) Last modified: 2026-07-14T09:31:00.000Z Canonical: https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-antigua Topics: migration Jurisdictions: global Semantic tags: permanent-residence --- ## History Antigua & Barbuda launched its program in 2013 and bet on families from the start: a single contribution covers several people, and large families get a discounted route through the university fund. Over a decade the program travelled from a US$100,000 entry to a twice-as-expensive, tightly regulated instrument — and in 2026 found itself at the centre of external pressure: it was Antigua (together with Dominica) that the US named in the December proclamation imposing partial visa restrictions, citing CBI directly. ## Investment Options Four options. The non-refundable contribution to the **National Development Fund (NDF)** — from **US$230,000** for an applicant or family of up to four. For families of six or more — the **University of the West Indies (UWI) Fund** from **$260,000**, covering processing for six (+$10,000 per extra member) and giving one family member a one-year tuition-only scholarship. Real estate — from **$300,000** in an approved project with a five-year hold. The business option — from **$1.5m** individually or $5m jointly (from $400,000 per participant). ## Fees and the All-In Cost The official schedule: processing $10,000 for a single applicant / $20,000 for a family of up to four (+$10,000 per additional member); due diligence $8,500 for the main applicant, $5,000 for the spouse, $4,000 per dependant 18–30 and parent 55+, $2,000 per child 12–17 (under 12 — free); passport $300 each. All-in, a single applicant runs about **$249,000**; an NDF family of four — around **$265,000**. Adding dependants after the grant costs more: $10,000 for a child under 5, $25,000 for ages 6–17, $50,000 for an adult. ## Family The broadest scope in the region: spouse, children under 30, parents and grandparents 55+, unmarried siblings of any age; a benefactor structure is allowed. One file often covers three generations — that is the economic point of the Antiguan route. ## Process, Timelines and the Presence Requirement Filing is through a licensed agent, then the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), mandatory due diligence and a remote interview. The investment is paid after approval. Historically Antigua was among the fastest; 2026 looks different: per industry measurements the average path from filing to passport is about **14 months** (range 10–18). The advertised "three to six months" should be read as marketing. The program's distinctive condition is presence: **5 days on the islands within the first five years** plus the oath (in Antigua or at an embassy/consulate). Without that minimum the passport cannot be renewed. And the bar is creeping up: in late 2025 parliament enacted a 30-day presence requirement (implementation deferred until the regional rollout), and PM Browne has publicly floated 90 days under US pressure. > ⚙️ Budget all-in: contribution plus processing, due diligence, passport fees and the agent. And plan for the real 10–18 months of waiting plus a trip to the islands for the oath. ## Mobility and the US Restriction The Antiguan passport ranks 24th in the Henley 2026 index with about **154 destinations** — a record high: Schengen, the UK (with ETA), Hong Kong, Singapore, visa-free China since May 2024, and a signed UAE waiver. But 2026 delivered two blows. Since 1 January the US restrictions under the proclamation of 16 December 2025 are in force: B1/B2 visitor visas for Antiguan citizens are cut to **three months, single entry** (visas valid as of 31 December 2025 were preserved under a bilateral arrangement), and immigrant categories are frozen. And in July 2026 PM Browne publicly warned the country could lose Schengen visa-free access by year-end — the EU demands a CBI wind-down by 1 June 2028 — while vowing the program will continue. > 🧭 The value of a Caribbean passport is largely set by third countries. For Antigua that is no longer theory: US visas are curtailed, and European visa-free access is the subject of bargaining between St John's and Brussels. Buying mobility, price this risk years ahead. ## The Regional Regulator (ECCIRA) Antigua is party to all the regional reforms: the $200,000 price floor (2024), the "six principles" with the US, the ECCIRA agreement (September 2025, headquartered in Grenada). The regulator becomes operational 30 days after the fifth ratification — which, as of July 2026, is still missing (St Lucia's). With ECCIRA's launch come common vetting standards, escrow, a shared denials database and that 30-day presence requirement. ## Taxes and Residency Citizenship and [tax residency](https://wiki.private.law/en/tax-residency-basics) are different things. Antigua levies no personal taxes on worldwide income, inheritance, capital gains or wealth — but the passport does not make you a tax resident; that requires moving and anchoring your centre of vital interests on the islands. Accounts remain visible through [CRS](https://wiki.private.law/en/crs-overview), and declaring a zero-tax jurisdiction while actually living elsewhere is a red flag for banks. ## Typical Mistakes 1. **Forgetting the 5 days and the oath.** It is a condition of passport renewal; ignored, it surfaces five years later when fixing it is late and expensive. 2. **Budgeting at the $230,000 headline.** Processing of $20,000 per family plus DD and passport fees add ~$35,000 to the family budget. 3. **Planning US trips by the old rules.** New B1/B2s are three-month single-entry; pre-2026 visas work until expiry, but renewals follow the new regime. 4. **Adding relatives "later".** Post-approval rates are multiples higher: $50,000 per adult versus inclusion in the original file. 5. **Ignoring the vector**: the 30-day presence requirement is already enacted and waiting for launch — the "zero-touch" Antigua is ending. ## Against the Neighbours Antigua wins on family composition and the price for four — where neighbours charge per person. [St Kitts](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-st-kitts) is more prestigious and faster, [Grenada](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-grenada) offers E-2 and a clean US standing, [Dominica](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-dominica) is cheaper for singles, [St Lucia](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-st-lucia) has the refundable bond. The full map is in the [CBI overview](https://wiki.private.law/en/citizenship-by-investment). ## Place in the Flag System > 🔗 **Related** > [Citizenship by Investment: overview](https://wiki.private.law/en/citizenship-by-investment) · [A second passport and Plan B](https://wiki.private.law/en/second-passport-plan-b) · [Grenada (CBI + E-2)](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-grenada) · [St Lucia (CBI)](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-st-lucia) · [Dominica (CBI)](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-dominica) · [St Kitts (CBI)](https://wiki.private.law/en/cbi-st-kitts) · [Passport indices](https://wiki.private.law/en/passport-index) · [Tax residency: basics](https://wiki.private.law/en/tax-residency-basics) In the [Five Flags](https://wiki.private.law/en/five-flags) system Antiguan citizenship is Flag 1: a passport and mobility detached from the obligation to live anywhere (almost — five days are still required). Tax status remains with Flag 2 — the place of actual living and the centre of vital interests. ## Primary Sources > 🔗 [CIP Antigua: official schedule of fees](https://cip.gov.ag/schedule-of-fees/) · [IMI: real processing times 2026](https://www.imidaily.com/analysis/caribbean-cbi-processing-times-2026-wait-per-program/) · [The Commission's 8th visa-mechanism report](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/225fea8b-3245-478f-a331-17868b0f9b56_en) > 🍓 The region's best price for large families — $230,000 for four, the UWI fund for six, children to 30, parents and siblings in one file. The trade-offs: ~14 months of waiting, 5 days of presence with an oath — and the status of a country under crossfire from the US and the EU, which turns the mobility horizon into something to monitor, not to assume. *This material is prepared for educational purposes and reflects an expert overview, not individual advice. Thresholds, fees and requirements change — verify current rules before applying and engage legal support if necessary.* --- --- ## Factual claims - Antigua & Barbuda launched its program in 2013 and bet on families from the start: a single contribution covers several people, and large families get a discounted route through the university fund. - The broadest scope in the region: spouse, children under 30, parents and grandparents 55+, unmarried siblings of any age; a benefactor structure is allowed. - The program's distinctive condition is presence: 5 days on the islands within the first five years plus the oath (in Antigua or at an embassy/consulate). - The Antiguan passport ranks 24th in the Henley 2026 index with about 154 destinations — a record high: Schengen, the UK (with ETA), Hong Kong, Singapore, visa-free China since May 2024, and a signed UAE waiver. - But 2026 delivered two blows. - Antigua is party to all the regional reforms: the $200,000 price floor (2024), the "six principles" with the US, the ECCIRA agreement (September 2025, headquartered in Grenada). - In the Five Flags system Antiguan citizenship is Flag 1: a passport and mobility detached from the obligation to live anywhere (almost — five days are still required).