Antigua St. John’s – George Georges and his family of four on Monday became the first people to receive Antigua & Barbuda citizenship under the recently-established Citizenship by Investment Programme.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, during a brief ceremony, presented Georges with his Certificate of Citizenship by Registration and his Antigua & Barbuda passport. Earlier in the day, Georges was administered the Oath of Allegiance by Minister of National Security and Labour Dr Errol Cort.

Prime Minister Spencer, in welcoming Georges to the Antigua & Barbuda family, thanked him for the confidence he has exhibited in the process and Antigua & Barbuda, and noted that he is looking forward to Georges opening up avenues for investment for Antigua & Barbuda.

The country’s leader said that Georges, who is based in Dubai, has already indicated interest in a number of developmental projects and has introduced a number of investors to the government in the field of tourism.

Georges, who gained citizenship through his contribution to the National Development Fund, said that he is delighted to have been accepted for Antiguan & Barbudan citizenship, and it is his intention to work in the interest of his newly adopted country.

Citizenship Benefits

Citizenship in Antigua & Barbuda presents diverse benefits such as visa-free travel to 131 countries including European destinations and Canada.

Coupled with the travel privileges of a British Commonwealth passport is the opportunity to reside in one of the most desirable destinations in the Americas.

The Government is offering the program to select individuals who invest in approved tourism projects.

Once you receive your Antigua & Barbuda citizenship, you and your family will enjoy many benefits:

VISA-FREE TRAVEL to approximately 131 countries including Canada, the U.K., Switzerland, the European Union countries including all 28 Schengen states and most other British Commonwealth countries

DUAL & LIFETIME CITIZENSHIP for you and eligible family members

TAX ADVANTAGES – Antigua & Barbuda has no capital gain or estate taxes; income generated outside of the country is not taxed

MINIMAL RESIDENCY – 35 days residency in the first five years*

LIFESTYLE – New citizens can spend as much time in Antigua & Barbuda as the wish. The nation offers a stress-free lifestyle in one of the most comfortable climates in the world

The Antigua & Barbuda Program is one of the most desirable for its flexibility and value but also because this independent British Commonwealth nation is one of the Caribbean region’s true gems for its beauty and friendly population.

*Please note that in August 2014 the government of Antigua & Barbuda announced that they were considering revising the minimum residency requirement and reducing it to five days residency in the first five years of citizenship.

Process

The government welcomes the opportunity for new investors and citizens to come to Antigua & Barbuda under the new Citizenship Act 2013.

The process of acquiring citizenship in Antigua & Barbuda via a property purchase is relatively straightforward though the government Citizenship Investment Unit (CIU) is extremely stringent when reviewing applications and performing due diligence hence it is important to have qualified and expert legal representation throughout the process.

We estimate a property closing and application processing timeframe of three to four months.

Example Process Snapshot

Step 1

Execute Reservation Agreement

Property 10% deposit payable

Sign Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS)

Step 2

Execute forms and submit citizenship application to government

Government Due Diligence fees payable

Government Application Fees 10% deposit payable

Step 3

Within 3 months

The Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship Investment Unit (CIU) shall notify Approved Agent in writing whether the application has been approved, denied or delayed for cause and is still being processed.

CIU Approval-in-principle received

Property Purchase Price balance payable

Government Application Fees balance payable

Property purchase closes

Property ‘Certificate of Title’ sent to CIU

Submit Passport Application (10 days processing time)

Buyer receives :-

Citizenship Certificate

Certificate of Title

Passport

PLEASE NOTE:  Applications must be submitted to the Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship Investment Unit by a Licensed Agent.

Antigua Estates is an affiliated licenced agent, please contact us.