Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment from Dubai
Citizenship from $248,800 with Schengen visa free access.Check the EU 2028 request and the US visa limits.
Antigua and Barbuda offers citizenship from a $230,000 National Development Fund contribution that covers a main applicant and family of up to four. The EU has asked for the route to close by 1 June 2028 and the US has tightened visas for Antigua and Barbuda citizens, so we explain both before you decide.
- Official cost of about $248,800 for one adult: a $230,000 contribution plus $10,000 processing, $8,500 due diligence and a $300 passport fee
- Applications go only through a licensed agent in Antigua and Barbuda, and no official decision time is published
- We never promise approval or future visa free access, which belong to the governments involved
Three things can change what this passport is worth: the EU 2028 request, US visa limits and a 5 day renewal rule.
The European Commission asked for the route to close by 1 June 2028, the US now limits new visas for Antigua and Barbuda citizens to a single entry, and the passport needs 5 days spent in the country to renew. We give our fee in writing before you pay anything.
Short stays of up to 90 days in any 180 day period. The EU lists Antigua and Barbuda as visa exempt today. This is the access the EU has said it may suspend, see the 2028 warning below.
Citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling. It is an online application, not a visa. The UK has already imposed visas on Dominica, Vanuatu, Nauru and Saint Lucia, so this can change.
Antigua and Barbuda is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so ESTA is not available. New visas have been limited to a single entry, and a visa bond of $5,000 to $15,000 may be set at the interview.
Antigua and Barbuda belongs to the regional Caribbean community, so citizens can generally travel across most of the Caribbean without a visa.
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment at a Glance
- Programme
- National Development Fund (NDF) contribution route to citizenship. The other routes are the University of the West Indies (UWI) Fund, approved real estate and business investment.
- Government contribution
- $230,000 for an individual applicant or a family of up to four (official Citizenship by Investment Unit schedule of fees)
- Total, one adult
- About $248,800: the $230,000 contribution plus $10,000 processing, $8,500 due diligence and a $300 passport fee
- Couple with two children under 12
- About $264,700 in total
- Decision time
- No official timeline is published. Agents quote several months.
- Presence rule
- None to apply. The passport is valid for 5 years and renewal needs 5 days spent in Antigua and Barbuda within those 5 years.
- Schengen Area
- Visa free for up to 90 days in any 180
- United Kingdom
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) required
- United States
- Visa required, no ESTA. New visas have been limited to a single entry.
- EU deadline
- The European Commission has asked Antigua and Barbuda to close the route by 1 June 2028.
- Application route
- Only through a licensed agent in Antigua and Barbuda, engaged through an authorised representative
- Restricted nationalities
- Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan, with exceptions
The EU 2028 Warning You Should Know About
In letters dated 25 June 2026 the European Commission asked Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia to phase out their investor citizenship programmes by 1 June 2028, to reinforce vetting by September 2026 and to exclude anyone subject to EU sanctions in the meantime.
Under the EU’s revised visa suspension rules (Regulation 2025/2441), running an investor citizenship scheme can itself be grounds to suspend visa free access. The 1 June 2028 date is a request, not an automatic cancellation. Existing citizens would keep their citizenship but could lose visa free travel to the Schengen Area, as happened to Vanuatu.
The Commission cited weak vetting and low rejection rates. Its figure for Antigua and Barbuda in 2024 was 1.7%.
US Visa Restrictions
The US placed partial visa restrictions on Antigua and Barbuda in December 2025, and in March 2026 new visas were reported as limited to a single entry valid for three months. Antigua and Barbuda has also been added to the US visa bond pilot, where some visitor applicants may be asked to post a refundable bond of $5,000 to $15,000 at the interview. Visas issued earlier remain valid. The Citizenship by Investment Unit has published statements on both measures.
If you plan to travel to the US often, read this before you choose this passport.
How the Application Works
- Speak to an authorised representative. The Unit recommends this first step because representatives can pre screen you and explain the documents.
- A licensed agent in Antigua and Barbuda submits the file. The agent is based in Antigua and Barbuda, files in person with the payments and is the only contact with the Unit.
- Forms and documents. Application forms AB1 to AB5 cover the application, photographs and signature, medical certificate, investment confirmation and agent form. Police certificates are required.
- Due diligence. Due diligence fees and 10% of the government processing fee are paid on submission and are non refundable. An interview may be required.
- Approval and payment. After the approval letter, the contribution, the balance of the government fee and any developer payments are due.
- Certificate and passport. The agent then arranges your passport application.
What It Costs
- National Development Fund
- $230,000 for an individual or a family of up to four. Non refundable.
- UWI Fund
- $260,000, inclusive of processing fees. Non refundable.
- Real estate
- From $300,000 in an approved development project
- Business investment
- $1,500,000 for a sole investor, or $5,000,000 for a joint investment with at least $400,000 per investor
- Government processing fee
- $10,000 single applicant, $20,000 for a family of up to four, plus $10,000 for each additional dependant beyond that (not charged separately on the UWI route)
- Due diligence
- Main applicant $8,500, spouse $5,000, child 12 to 17 $2,000, dependant 18 to 30 or parent 55 and over $4,000, child under 12 nil. A $5,000 benefactor fee is also listed on the schedule.
- Passport
- $300 per person (subject to change)
- Adding family later
- Child aged 0 to 5 $10,000, child 6 to 17 $25,000, dependant 18 and over $50,000, future spouse $50,000
- Not included
- Agent and legal fees, medical certificates, police certificates and courier costs
Source: the official schedule of fees published by the Citizenship by Investment Unit. Fees can change.
Is the Money Refundable?
The NDF and UWI Fund contributions are not refundable. They are paid to the government and you do not get them back.
The real estate route is different. You own the property, but it cannot be re sold until 5 years after purchase unless you buy another approved property. You carry the risk of the developer, the resale price and rental income, and the fees paid at submission (due diligence and 10% of the government processing fee) are non refundable even if you are not approved.
Who Can Be Included
- Your spouse
- Children from birth to 30 who are financially dependent on you, and children of any age with a disability who live with you and are fully supported
- Parents and grandparents of you or your spouse aged 55 or over who are financially dependent on you
- Unmarried siblings of you or your spouse
A future spouse or child can be added after approval for the fees shown above.
What the Passport Gives
An Antigua and Barbuda passport is valid for 5 years. Citizens can enter the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa and travel to the UK with an Electronic Travel Authorisation. Public passport rankings put it at about 154 visa free or visa on arrival destinations in April 2026, but destination counts change and include online permissions. The passport does not give automatic voting rights.
Risks to Weigh Before You Decide
- EU 2028 request. Visa free Schengen access can be suspended even though your citizenship stays valid.
- US limits. Single entry visas and a possible visa bond make US travel harder than with a passport from a Visa Waiver Program country.
- Presence on renewal. You need 5 days in Antigua and Barbuda in each 5 year passport period.
- Nationality limits. Citizens or people born in Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen or Sudan face extra tests.
- Moving rules. Prices rose in 2024 after EU pressure and rules can change again before you apply.
- Bank scrutiny. Some banks ask more questions about investor citizenship.
Antigua and Barbuda Compared With Other Passport Routes
Government cost
- Antigua and Barbuda
- $230,000 contribution plus about $18,800 fees for one adult
- Grenada
- $235,000 contribution plus $9,000 fees for one adult
- St Kitts and Nevis
- $250,000 contribution plus $10,000 government background check fee for one adult
Presence rule
- Antigua and Barbuda
- 5 days in 5 years to renew the passport
- Grenada
- 30 day rule deferred, no start date
- St Kitts and Nevis
- None confirmed, genuine link reform planned
EU 2028 request
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Asked to close by 1 June 2028
- Grenada
- Asked to close by 1 June 2028
- St Kitts and Nevis
- Asked to close by 1 June 2028
How Visa Doctor Will Help
Visa Doctor FZC is a UAE registered immigration services company (trade licence 4417571.01, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone). We are not a government authorised agent for any programme.
Antigua and Barbuda applications can only be submitted by a licensed agent in Antigua and Barbuda, engaged through an authorised representative. We explain the rules and costs honestly, check your eligibility and documents, and, if you decide to proceed, help you reach an approved agent. We give our fee in writing before you pay anything. We never promise approval or future visa free access, which belong to the governments involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment cost?
The National Development Fund contribution is $230,000 for an individual applicant or a family of up to four. Government fees are on top: processing $10,000 for a single applicant or $20,000 for a family of up to four, due diligence $8,500 for the main applicant (spouse $5,000, children 12 to 17 $2,000, dependants 18 and over $4,000, children under 12 nil) and a $300 passport fee per person. One adult pays about $248,800 in total, and a couple with two children under 12 pays about $264,700. Agent, legal, medical and police certificate costs are extra. Visa Doctor gives its own fee in writing before you pay anything.
Does an Antigua and Barbuda passport give visa free access to the Schengen Area?
Yes. Citizens can currently enter the Schengen Area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 day period, and the EU lists Antigua and Barbuda as visa exempt without conditions. The European Commission has asked for the programme to close by 1 June 2028, and under the EU visa suspension rules an investor citizenship scheme can itself be grounds to suspend visa free access, so this is not guaranteed.
Do I have to live in or visit Antigua and Barbuda?
Not to apply. The passport is valid for 5 years, and renewal is subject to the holder having spent a total of 5 days in Antigua and Barbuda within that 5 year period. An interview may be requested during due diligence.
How long does the application take?
The Citizenship by Investment Unit does not publish a standard decision time. Agents quote several months, so treat any promise of a fixed fast approval with caution.
Can I apply directly to the government?
No. Applications can only be submitted through a licensed agent based in Antigua and Barbuda, who is engaged through an authorised representative approved by the Unit.
Which nationalities are restricted?
The Unit’s restricted countries list, updated by Cabinet on 26 February 2020, includes Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan. An applicant born in a listed country can still qualify if they migrated before reaching the age of majority, or have held permanent residence in a non listed country for at least 10 years with no economic ties to a restricted country. Every applicant must also pass due diligence, and the list should be confirmed before any payment.
Can the EU take my citizenship away?
No. The EU cannot cancel a citizenship granted by another country. The risk is that it suspends visa free travel to the Schengen Area for Antigua and Barbuda passport holders, as it did for Vanuatu.
Is Visa Doctor a licensed agent for Antigua and Barbuda?
No. Visa Doctor FZC is a UAE registered immigration services company (trade licence 4417571.01, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone) and is not a government authorised agent for any programme. Applications must go through a licensed agent in Antigua and Barbuda.
Sources and Last Check
Last checked 3 November 2026. Sources: the official Citizenship by Investment Unit schedule of fees, its dependants page, passport page, how to apply page and FAQ; EU Regulation 2018/1806 for Schengen visa exemption; reporting on the European Commission letters of 25 June 2026; and reporting on the US visa measures. Agent sources are used only for timing. This page is general information, not legal advice.
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