1. What the programme is
Antigua and Barbuda's programme grants citizenship through qualifying economic routes after government due diligence. The contribution or investment creates eligibility to apply; approval still depends on the applicant's background, financial evidence and family documentation, and the programme also carries its own post-approval presence rule.
The Antigua and Barbuda figures below were verified against current programme material on 2026-09-23. Recheck the CIU schedule before payment because contribution bands, processing charges and family fees can be amended.
2. Current investment routes
The current framework includes a National Development Fund contribution, approved real estate, the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Fund, or qualifying business investment. For Antigua and Barbuda, route choice changes more than the entry figure: processing charges, the treatment of a family of four, property holding rules and the UWI option can all alter the final economics.
3. What the headline minimum really means
The lowest widely published qualifying amount is US$230,000. The NDF contribution is currently US$230,000 for a single applicant or a family of up to four, with processing fees charged separately and higher costs for larger families. Budget the NDF amount separately from CIU processing, adult due diligence, passports, professional work and any banking or property expenses so the US$230,000 headline is not mistaken for the full invoice.
4. Real estate and recoverable capital
Approved real estate currently starts at US$300,000 and must generally be held for at least five years before resale, unless the applicant replaces it with another qualifying approved property under the rules. Treat an approved Antigua and Barbuda property as a citizenship-qualified asset, not a guaranteed investment. The five-year hold, project contract, running costs and eventual resale market deserve their own review.
5. Application and due diligence
Applications are made through a licensed local authorised agent and are subject to processing, due-diligence and passport fees. The programme also screens previous visa refusals and other eligibility issues. The authorised agent must present a file that explains both the applicant and the money. Business ownership, trusts, major transfers and any prior immigration issue should be documented coherently rather than left for the CIU to reconstruct.
6. Residence and physical presence
A CBI citizen must spend at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda during the first five calendar years after citizenship to satisfy the programme presence rule. Antigua and Barbuda is unusual among the Caribbean programmes because citizenship carries a five-day presence requirement during the first five calendar years. That obligation should be planned for even though long-term residence is not required.
7. Family eligibility
For Antigua and Barbuda, map every proposed dependant to the CIU definition before pricing the application. Pay particular attention to older children, parents and any person who may need to be added after approval.
8. What to verify before applying
The UWI route currently starts at US$260,000 inclusive of processing fees for the qualifying structure. Business investment has much higher capital thresholds than the contribution or real-estate routes. Before paying, confirm the selected Antigua and Barbuda route, the CIU-authorised agent, every dependant charge, the source-of-funds documents and—if property is involved—the exact hold and resale terms that apply to that project.
- Antigua and Barbuda's current qualifying amount and government charges
- CIU-authorised submission route and agent status
- Antigua and Barbuda dependant categories and later-addition rules
- Holding period, resale and refund rules
- Five-year presence obligation plus interview, oath or biometric steps
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