1. Start with the legal routes
Antigua and Barbuda currently offers a National Development Fund contribution, approved real estate, the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Fund, or qualifying business investment. Saint Lucia currently offers a National Economic Fund contribution, National Action Government Bonds, approved enterprise investment and approved real-estate structures under the current legislation. Both can grant citizenship after approval, but the way capital is contributed or invested is materially different.
2. Headline minimums
Antigua and Barbuda's lowest widely published qualifying amount is US$230,000. Saint Lucia's is US$240,000. These figures are not all-in prices: family composition, government charges, due diligence and professional costs must be added.
3. Family pricing
Antigua and Barbuda keeps the NDF contribution at US$230,000 for a household of up to four, although processing fees are separate and larger families cost more. Saint Lucia's National Economic Fund uses US$240,000 for the main applicant plus as many as three qualifying dependants, with supplements beyond that band. The family totals therefore need to be compared from the fee schedules, not from the two headline numbers alone.
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. By comparison, Saint Lucia’s official current programme page lists approved real estate at US$300,000 plus applicable administration fees, with projects limited to approved programme developments. Because the approved-project list and administration charges can change, verify the live project list before committing. The better economic structure depends on whether the applicant values simplicity or wants capital to remain in an asset.
5. Due diligence and process
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. Applications must be filed through an authorised agent and are subject to due diligence, source-of-resources checks and current biometric or interview requirements. Current forms show the US$240,000 NEF threshold. Neither programme should be treated as an automatic transaction once the investment money is available.
6. Presence requirements
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. The standard CBI programme is not structured around a multi-year residence period before citizenship, but applicants must comply with whatever identity, biometric and procedural attendance rules are in force. Applicants should distinguish ordinary residence from interviews, oaths, biometrics and limited post-citizenship presence conditions.
7. Programme-specific cautions
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. Saint Lucia has changed its CBI framework repeatedly since launch, so older brochures and cached fee tables can be misleading. Applicants should rely on the live programme pages and current official forms when calculating a filing. These details can matter more than a small difference in the headline contribution.
8. How to compare them for your own case
For a final Antigua-versus-Saint-Lucia comparison, price the same household under both current fee schedules and place the presence rule, contribution route and property option beside that total. The more suitable structure depends on the actual family and investment preference, not on a generic claim that one island is always cheaper.
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