Antigua and Barbuda citizenship fees and family members

Antigua and Barbuda opened its Citizenship by Investment Programme in 2013, and it has become known for its family pricing and its broad definition of who counts as a dependant. The Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) publishes the fee schedule, the investment options and the dependant rules on its official website, and those pages are the reference point for this article as of October 2026.

How Antigua sits among its neighbours is covered in our overview of Caribbean citizenship by investment and the EU deadline. Here we look at what a family actually pays and who it can include.

The four investment options

The CIU lists four ways to qualify.

1. A contribution of US$230,000 to the National Development Fund.
2. A purchase of approved real estate worth at least US$300,000, held for five years.
3. A contribution of US$260,000 to the University of the West Indies Fund, which the CIU states includes processing fees for a family.
4. A business investment of at least US$1.5 million alone, or a joint investment of at least US$5 million in which each investor contributes at least US$400,000.

The NDF is the route most families compare first, since it involves no asset to manage or resell. Real estate suits buyers who want a property in Antigua, though the holding period and the approved-project list limit the choice. Our comparison of Caribbean real estate investment routes sets the five-year hold against other islands.

Government processing fees

On the NDF, real estate and business routes, the government processing fee is US$10,000 for a single applicant and US$20,000 for a family of up to four. Each additional dependant adds US$10,000. According to the schedule of fees, 10% of the government fee is paid on submission of the application, with the balance due after approval.

A passport fee of US$300 applies to each person. These amounts are in addition to the investment itself and to the due diligence fees below.

Due diligence fees

The CIU’s schedule sets due diligence fees by family role and age.

Person	Due diligence fee

|—|—|

Main applicant	US$8,500
Spouse	US$5,000
Child aged 0 to 11	Nil
Child aged 12 to 17	US$2,000
Dependant aged 18 to 30	US$4,000
Parent or grandparent aged 55 or over	US$4,000

For a couple with two young children under 12, the due diligence cost is therefore US$13,500 on the official schedule. How screening works in practice is described in our guide to due diligence in Caribbean citizenship by investment.

For a step-by-step view of how an Antigua and Barbuda application is prepared and filed, our Antigua and Barbuda citizenship page sets out each stage.

Who counts as a dependant

The CIU’s dependants page is unusually broad. The following can be included:

• a spouse;
• children up to the age of 30 who are financially dependent on the main applicant;
• children over 18 with a physical or mental disability;
• parents or grandparents of the main applicant or spouse aged 55 or over who are dependent on the main applicant;
• unmarried siblings of the main applicant or spouse, subject to the conditions published by the CIU.

The programme also allows certain people to be added after citizenship is granted. A future spouse can be added for a fee of US$50,000. A dependent child’s future spouse can be added if the child is 35 or under, and a future child of a dependent child can be added for US$10,000 if under six or US$25,000 if aged six to 17.

Adding a dependant later

Where a child is born or adopted after citizenship, or another eligible person is added later, the CIU lists fees of US$10,000 for a child aged up to five, US$25,000 for a child aged six to 17 and US$50,000 for a person aged 18 or over. Antigua’s approach can be compared with the other programmes in our article on family members in Caribbean citizenship programmes.

Residence requirement and restrictions

Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few Caribbean programmes with a stated physical presence rule. The CIU states that new citizens must spend at least five days in the country during the first five calendar years after registration. Failure to do so can lead to deprivation of citizenship, with no refund of the investment.

The CIU’s frequently asked questions also list restricted countries: Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan. Nationals of those countries may still be considered if they left before adulthood or have held permanent residence elsewhere for at least ten years, and keep no economic ties to the restricted country, subject to full due diligence. Successful applicants may not change their name for the purpose of the passport.

Points to weigh

The family pricing makes Antigua attractive for larger households, particularly where adult children or parents are included. Applicants should still allow for the full fee schedule rather than the headline contribution, and for the political uncertainty created by the European Commission’s 2026 request to phase out Eastern Caribbean programmes by June 2028.

If you would like to talk through how these rules might apply to your own circumstances, our team would be glad to help. You can call +357 979 42 388 or write to us through our contact page.

Sources

• Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda, Schedule of fees, as of October 2026.
• Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda, Dependants, as of October 2026.
• Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda, Citizenship, as of October 2026.
• Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda, Real estate, as of October 2026.
• Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua and Barbuda, Frequently asked questions, as of October 2026.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. Figures are stated as of 2026 and may change; confirm current requirements with the relevant authority and an independent adviser before acting. AT Express is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government or official programme.

Featured image: “Antigua English Harbour Nelson's Dockyard 2” by Dr. Thomas Liptak, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.