Saint Lucia

If you’re looking to build a life in a seaside paradise, then there is no better option than Saint Lucia. Abundant coral reefs and pristine beaches make this idyllic island the perfect choice. Its two islands, Rodney Bay and Soufrière, make for a picturesque and soulful home.

The Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program, inaugurated in December 2015 in accordance with Act No. 14 of 2015, known as the Citizenship by Investment Act enacted on August 24th, 2015, provides a streamlined pathway to obtain citizenship for foreign investors. Under this program, there are three distinct investment options that qualify individuals for citizenship in St. Lucia, as outlined in the citizenship-by-investment program (CIP) regulations.

• Visa-free travel to 146 countries
• A strong passport
• No income, wealth, or inheritance taxes
• Relatively quick and easy application process: 56 days
• No residency requirements
• Variety of investment options
• No requirement for college acceptance letters or job offers for citizenship application 
• Flexible, Visa-free travel to 146 countries, including UK, Hong Kong, and the Schengen States
• Dependent parents above age 65 and dependent children below age 16 (including children/parents with physical/mental disabilities) are covered
• Zero tax on worldwide income 
• Benefits of the CARICOM Double Taxation Relief treaties

The Saint Lucian government has introduced substantial modifications to its citizenship by investment program for the year 2023. Saint Lucia is now more cost-effective for families, with reduced prices applicable to both family applicants and the real estate investment option.

Furthermore, the application process has been streamlined with the introduction of a dedicated digital CBI platform, allowing all applicants to submit their applications online. It’s important to note that for all investment routes, there is an additional agency fee mandated by law firms.

Ineligible: Nationals of Russia, Belarus, Iran are not eligible to apply for Saint Lucia CIP as per new rules. 

Applicants who qualify for the Saint Lucia citizenship have to: 

• Certified copy of Birth certificate
• Certified copy of all passport pages
• Provide a CV / Resume for anyone 18 and over
•  Original birth certificate needed when applying for passport
• Persons above the age of 18
• Persons with no history of violence and no criminal record
• Persons possessing sound physical and mental capabilities
• Persons of outstanding character
• Persons having high net worth and great business acumen

The flourishing commercial market in Saint Lucia offers highly-attractive avenues to investors. The offshore banking and tourism industries, in particular, are very lucrative for foreign investments.

The St. Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program was initiated in December 2015. This program enables foreign investors and their families to attain citizenship in Saint Lucia through various investment options, which include:

• Real estate 

Interested applicants can purchase property in Saint Lucia with a minimum investment of USD$200,000, in addition to the relevant government, legal, and application processing fees. Properties must be held by the applicants for a period of 5 years, after which they become eligible for sale. 

Currently only two real estate projects approved by government for the purpose of CIP. Only investing in these approved developments will make investors eligible for citizenship by investment.

• Canelles Resort
• Alpina Hotel

• Commercial projects

Applicants who wish to set up commercial establishments and business houses in Saint Lucia must make a minimum investment of USD$3.5 million and be able to create a minimum of 3 jobs. Two applicants can make a joint minimum contribution of USD$6 million and create 6 jobs in the company. Rules for the registration of a business differ based on industry and product/service category. 

Specialty Restaurants

Cruise Ports and Marinas

Agro-processing Plants

Pharmaceutical Products

Ports, Bridges, Roads, and Highways

Research Institutions and Facilities

Offshore Universities

Option 1: For individual applicants, a minimum investment of US$3,500,000 is required.

Option 2: In the case of joint ventures with more than one applicant, a minimum investment of US$6,000,000 is necessary, with each applicant contributing no less than US$1,000,000.

• Contribution to government funds – National Economic Fund (NEF)

The Saint Lucia National Economic Fund represents a dedicated fund established in accordance with Section 33 of the Citizenship by Investment Act. Its sole purpose is to receive eligible cash investments aimed at financing government-sponsored projects.

Investors are obligated to make a one-time payment of $100,000 to the fund in exchange for lifetime citizenship. This donation to the fund is the most cost-effective, expedient, and straightforward means of obtaining citizenship in Saint Lucia.

For individual applicants: $100,000

For applicants applying with a spouse: $140,000

For applicants applying with a spouse and up to two (2) other qualifying dependents: $150,000

Additionally, for each extra qualifying dependent, regardless of age: $25,000  

• Government Bonds

Citizenship in St. Lucia can also be obtained by purchasing non-interest-bearing Government bonds valued at US$500,000, with a mandatory 5-year lock-in period.

For individual applicants, the required investment is US$500,000. If applying with a spouse, the amount is US$535,000, and for a spouse with up to two (2) additional qualifying dependants, the investment is US$550,000. Each extra qualifying dependant, regardless of age, incurs an additional cost of US$25,000.

Non-refundable administrative fees for Government bond purchases:

Principal applicant: US$50,000

Each qualifying dependent (18 years of age and over): US$35,000

Each qualifying dependent (under 18 years of age): US$25,000

• How long does a St Lucia Passport take? 

Usually, it takes 3-4 months for a citizenship certificate and a passport to be issued. You do not have to visit Saint Lucia. It takes 3 months to get the approval and another 1 to 2 weeks to issue the passport.

• Which option is the cheapest and fastest? 

Donation to economic fund US$ 100,000, plus $7500 due to diligence fee plus agency fee.

• Why is the Covid government Bond so popular?

It is a limited-time offer with a 50% discount. The Corona bonds issued by Government are debt securities and are a fully refundable investment guaranteed by the Government of St Lucia after 5-6 years. with no interest. The minimum required bond investment is USD 250,000 and a family of 5 can apply for this sum without increasing the bond sum. This is only issued for a limited time due to Covid situation

• What is Saint Lucia passport’s reputation? 

The St Lucia passport is placed No. 37 in the world passport rankings, providing visa-free access to 146 countries. The United Kingdom, as well as European Schengen states such as Germany, France, Switzerland, and Ireland, have visa-free travel access. Visas are still required for economic citizens of Saint Lucia (passport holders) to travel to Canada and the United States.

• Who is not eligible to apply? 

At this time, Russians and Iranians are unable to apply. You will be denied if you have a visa refusal from a country with which you have a visa waiver agreement.

• What happens if citizenship is denied?

Only after receiving a “Letter of Approval” from the government, you are only required to pay the full amount. You will have 60 days’ time to commit to the investment. If you are refused it could be for the following reasons.

1. You have not passed the government’s background and due diligence procedures.
2. You have a criminal record or have been denied a visa in the past.
3. You have lied or provided false information in your application.
4. Have been convicted of a criminal offense except for a minor traffic offense.
5. Have been denied any type of visa to a nation to which Saint Lucia has visa-free entry and have been unable to obtain a visa after that.
6. Have been declared bankrupt by a court; and
7. Have been declared, by a court or qualified health practitioner to be mentally incapacitated.

• Can I include parents over the age of 65 in the application for citizenship? 

Yes, but the main applicant must totally support the parents.

• What are the application processing steps followed by the government under the CIP program? 

1.  Application received;
2. Compliance check completed;
3.  Due diligence background check completed;
4. Unit recommendation sent to the Citizenship by Investment Board;
5. Board decision made;
6. In the event that the application is approved, qualifying investment made by the applicant;
   Certificate of Citizenship granted.

Note: Only a licensed Authorised Agent can act on your behalf and handle your citizenship application for you.

Make Saint Lucia your second home 

Visa-Free Countries

184,751
POPULATION
US$13,708
GDP (per capita)
US$2.480 billion (2020)
GDP (purchasing power parity)

CAPITAL CITY
Castries
TIME ZONE
Eastern Caribbean Time Zone (UTC-04:00)
TOTAL AREA
617 km2
LANGUAGES
English, French
CURRENCY
ECD $
MAIN INDUSTRY
Tourism, Agriculture
SCHENGEN/ EU
EU travel–Visa Free

KEY ADVANTAGES

• Possibility to Invest in Government bonds
• Favorable tax regime

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Disclaimer
The materials contained in this page are provided for general information purposes only and are not intended to provide legal or other professional advice. Processing times and costs will vary depending on a number of factors. CitizenMatch is not responsible for any changes to the time and cost estimates; we can provide specific information on an individual basis. All rights reserved.