Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Cost
Every published fee for Antigua & Barbuda citizenship by investment, family member by family member, with the official source beside each figure. From US$230,000 through the National Development Fund, or US$300,000 in approved real estate.
Investment routes and minimums.
Antigua & Barbuda publishes four routes. The minimum is what qualifies; it is not what you wire. Every fee in the sections below is added on top.
| Route | Minimum | Who it covers | Holding period |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Development Fund | US$230,000CIU source · checked 8 Nov 2026 | Same amount for any family size | None (non-refundable contribution) |
| University of the West Indies Fund | US$260,000CIU source · checked 8 Nov 2026 | Same amount for a family of up to four; includes processing fees | None (non-refundable contribution) |
| Approved real estate | US$300,000CIU source · checked 8 Nov 2026 | Same amount for any family size | 5 years before resaleCIU source · checked 8 Nov 2026 |
| Business investment | US$1,500,000CIU source · checked 8 Nov 2026 | US$1,500,000 for a single investor, or US$5,000,000 joint (at least two people, each US$400,000 or more) | Confirm with the unit |
Government and processing fees.
Charged by the government on top of the qualifying investment, and different for each route.
Government processing fees on the National Development Fund and the approved real estate routes
| Who | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single applicant | US$10,000 |
| Family of up to four | US$20,000 |
| Each dependant beyond four | US$10,000 |
10% is due, non-refundable, on submission; the balance after approval.
Government processing fees on the University of the West Indies Fund route
| Who | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single applicant or family of up to four | Nil |
| Each dependant beyond four | US$10,000 |
Due diligence fees by family member.
These apply on every route. They are charged by person and, for children, by age, so the same headline minimum costs a different amount for every family.
| Family member | Due diligence | Passport |
|---|---|---|
| Main applicant | US$8,500 | US$300 |
| Spouse | US$5,000 | US$300 |
| Child under 12 | Nil | US$300 |
| Child 12 to 15 | US$2,000 | US$300 |
| Child 16 or 17 | US$2,000 | US$300 |
| Dependant 18 to 30 | US$4,000 | US$300 |
| Parent 55 or over | US$4,000 | US$300 |
As the unit publishes them:
- Due diligence. Main applicant: US$8,500 · Spouse: US$5,000 · Dependant child 0 to 11: Nil · Dependant child 12 to 17: US$2,000 · Dependant 18 to 30: US$4,000 · Dependant parent 55 or over: US$4,000. Payable on submission and non-refundable.
- Passport. Each person: US$300. The schedule says these fees are subject to change.
Biometrics
The CIU’s schedule of fees lists no biometric fee (checked 8 November 2026). The passport fee is US$300 per person.
Processing time
The fee schedule does not state a processing time. Confirm with the unit.
What buying the property costs.
On the real estate route the purchase carries its own costs, charged by the state on the transfer rather than by the citizenship unit.
| Charge | Rate | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty (buyer’s share) | 2.5% of value | — |
| Non-Citizens Land Holding Licence | 7% of market value | No published source settles whether a citizenship purchase is exempt. Ask your lawyer before you sign; it is worth 7% of the price. |
| Legal and conveyancing fees | Not published | Set by the law firm. ABST at 17% applies. |
Source: Stamp Act; Non-Citizens Land Holding Regulation Act as amended 2020 (verified 10 Aug 2026). Rates checked 10 August 2026.
What the published figures add up to.
Totals at the minimum investment, with every published government, due diligence and per-person fee, and on the real estate route the purchase costs that have a published rate. Agent fees are not included, and legal fees only where the law sets a maximum.
| Family | National Development Fund | Approved real estate |
|---|---|---|
| Single applicant | US$248,800 | US$326,300plus 2 items to confirm |
| Couple | US$264,100 | US$341,600plus 2 items to confirm |
| Family of fourtwo children under 12 | US$264,700 | US$342,200plus 2 items to confirm |
| Family of fivechildren 8 and 14, a student of 19 | US$281,000 | US$358,500plus 2 items to confirm |
Figures change. Confirm before you commit. For any other family, use the cost calculator, or set Antigua & Barbuda against the other four on the cost comparison.
Official sources for this page
- CIU, Schedule of Fees, read 8 November 2026
- CIU, Real Estate investment option, read 8 November 2026
- Purchase costs: Stamp Act; Non-Citizens Land Holding Regulation Act as amended 2020 (verified 10 Aug 2026)
What Antigua & Barbuda citizenship does for a US family.
Plan B, not a tax play. The reason most American families do this is security: a second passport for every member of the family on the application, a place with the legal right to live, and a document that does not depend on any one government’s politics.
Dual citizenship. Antigua & Barbuda allows dual citizenship, and the United States does not ask you to give anything up when you add a second nationality. You keep your US passport and enter the United States on it.
Buying from the US. The application is filed through an agent authorised by the CIU; nobody files directly. Due diligence covers every adult on the file, including the source of the funds, so the paperwork starts with your bank statements and tax returns. On the real estate route, ask before you pay a deposit whether it is held in escrow by a lawyer or a regulated agent rather than paid to the developer, and when it is released.
Your US tax position does not change. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live, and none of the five Caribbean citizenship countries has a US income tax treaty. Owning property abroad can add reporting. Ask a US tax professional who works with foreign assets before you fund anything; that conversation is theirs, not a property adviser’s.
The wider case is set out in second citizenship for Americans.
Antigua & Barbuda citizenship costs: questions.
What is the minimum cost of Antigua & Barbuda citizenship by investment?
The lowest published minimum is US$230,000 through the National Development Fund. The lowest real estate minimum is US$300,000. Government, due diligence and other fees sit on top of both.
What does Antigua & Barbuda citizenship cost for a family of four?
For a couple with two children under 12, the published figures add up to US$264,700 on the National Development Fund and US$342,200 on the Approved real estate route at the minimum price, including the purchase costs with a published rate. Agent fees and any item the unit does not price are extra.
How long must the real estate be held?
5 years before resale.
Where do these figures come from?
From the Citizenship by Investment Unit’s own published pages, read on 8 November 2026, and for purchase costs from the statutes, verified 10 August 2026. Figures change. Confirm before you commit.
Get the figures for your own family.
The tables above are the schedule. The calculator works it for your family, and the cost sheet puts every line in writing with its source. When you want to talk through routes and properties, apply for private access.
More on Antigua & Barbuda: the programme guide, real estate for sale, and citizenship-approved real estate.