Antigua and Barbuda · Citizenship by investment · Citizenship

Antigua and Barbuda National Development Fund

Citizenship for eligible applicants contributing to the National Development Fund, with qualifying family members.

Value scoreCheckingPassport data under review

5-year costCheckingone applicant, not recoverable

DecisionCheckingComparable time under review

Official program page

Value: what the National Development Fund gives you

Passport reach 25 pts weightChecking

Path to citizenship 25 pts weight100

Work, family, healthcare 20 pts weight100

Stay rule 15 pts weightChecking

Tax on foreign income 10 pts weightChecking

Policy stability 5 pts weight30

Passport: visa-free destinations: Checking
Years to permanent residence: Checking
Years to citizenship: ImmediatelyOfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15Direct citizenship route, subject to approval; not residence followed by ordinary naturalisation.
Leads to citizenship: YesOfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15This is a direct citizenship route; successful applicants obtain citizenship rather than a residence status excluded from naturalisation.
Can work for a local employer: YesOfficialGovernment of Antigua and Barbuda, checked 2026-11-15Labour Code F3(a) exempts citizens from the work-permit division; F4 restricts non-citizen employment.
Same application for spouse and children: YesOfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15
Public healthcare: YesOfficialMedical Benefits Scheme Antigua and Barbuda, checked 2026-11-15Nationals may register using passport and Social Security Card; benefits generally require six months of contributions and cover specified services.
Minimum stay per year: CheckingCIU still publishes five days in five years; 2025 ECCIRA agreement contains different obligations, but commencement/provisional-application evidence was not resolved.
Tax on foreign income: Checking
Dual citizenship allowed: Checking
Rule changes, last 24 months: Under reviewAdviser or pressCharmaine Donovan, CIU CEO; copy hosted on third-party CDN, checked 2026-11-1512 November 2026 CIU memo says applications continue while government negotiates its proposed wind-down; requested 2030 transition is not an agreed closing date.

Cost: what the National Development Fund costs over five years

Government fees: $12kAdviser or pressAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15USD 10,000 NDF processing + 300 passport + 1,500 mandatory interview per application; the interview amount comes from a CIU-authored memorandum hosted by a third party.
Non-refundable contribution: $230kOfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15
Due diligence: $8,500OfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15
Compulsory extras, first year: CheckingCIU requires certified/authenticated supporting documents; jurisdiction-dependent notarisation and apostille charges are unquantified.
Renewal fees, first 5 years: Checking
Investment you may get back: $0OfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15NDF is a one-time contribution, not an asset purchase.
Minimum income per month: Checking
Extra for a spouse and two children: CheckingOfficialAntigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit, checked 2026-11-15Additional processing and three passports cost USD 10,900; spouse due diligence adds USD 5,000 and each child aged 12–17 adds USD 2,000, so unspecified child ages prevent one exact family total.
Typical adviser fees (not in the total): Checking

USD estimates use the 13 November 2026 reference rates of the European Central Bank, Central Bank of Armenia and Central Bank of the UAE, and the Central Bank of Uruguay rate for UYU. The Panamanian balboa uses its official one-to-one parity.

Speed: how long the National Development Fund takes

Official processing time: Checking
Reported processing time (median): Checking
Approval to card or passport: Checking

Sources

National Development Fund, Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit. Checked 2026-11-15.
Schedule of Fees, Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit. Checked 2026-11-15.
Antigua and Barbuda Passport, Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit. Checked 2026-11-15.
Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code, Division F, Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Checked 2026-11-15.
Medical Benefits Scheme — registration and eligibility, Medical Benefits Scheme Antigua and Barbuda. Checked 2026-11-15.
Certification of Documents, Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit. Checked 2026-11-15.
CIU remains operational — CEO memorandum, 12 November 2026 (third-party-hosted copy), Charmaine Donovan, CIU CEO; copy hosted on third-party CDN. Checked 2026-11-15.
Eastern Caribbean CBI Regulatory Authority Agreement Act 2025, Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Checked 2026-11-15.
CIU CEO memorandum of 15 December 2023 — Mandatory Interviews (third-party-hosted copy), Charmaine Donovan, CIU CEO; copy hosted by Investment Migration Insider. Checked 2026-11-15.

Every figure on this page last reviewed 2026-11-15. General information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the contact page.

Related programs

Compare Antigua and Barbuda with another country · Back to the visa and citizenship rankings