Nestled in the Caribbean, St. Lucia offers an intriguing mix of natural beauty, cultural richness, and warm hospitality. With its agreeable climate, diverse landscapes, and low crime rate, it ensures an outstanding quality of life for residents and potential second-home buyers. St. Lucia's cultural heritage, friendly locals, and commitment to safety further enhance its allure. Additionally, the country boasts excellent air connections, facilitating seamless travel to key destinations. In summary, St. Lucia stands as an appealing destination for individuals seeking a new place to live or invest.
Saint Lucia is a breathtakingly beautiful country in the Caribbean, boasting a fascinating history influenced by the native Caribbean people, Africans, the British and the French. It’s a natural paradise on earth, a major tourist destination in the Caribbean with majestic mountainous landscapes and sparkling beaches that attract tourists worldwide.
In 1967, St. Lucia became a federated state and declared independence from the United Kingdom. Despite gaining independence in 1979, the country sustained its affiliation with the British Commonwealth and enjoys Commonwealth privileges.
As a member of the United Nations, CARICOM, OECS, and ECCU, St Lucia uses a regional currency, the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD), to the US Dollar. With an educated workforce and improving infrastructure, such as roads, communications, water supply, sewerage, and port facilities, St Lucia has attracted foreign investment in various sectors, including tourism, petroleum storage, and transhipment. St Lucia’s offshore banking and tourism industries are the primary sources of revenue, making it a desirable location for foreign business and investment.
The Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program was established in 2016 under Citizenship by Investment Act No. 14, 2015. Thanks to this act, individuals and families can obtain Saint Lucian citizenship upon making a qualifying investment. As a relatively young citizenship program, it attracts investors mainly from the United States, China, India, and Turkey. Russians and Iranians are currently banned from applying for the St. Lucia program.
The program requires applicants to make a significant economic contribution to the country. In exchange, and subject to a stringent application process and due diligence checks, the applicants and their families are granted full citizenship. The principal applicant must be at least 18 years of age to qualify, meet the application requirements, and select one of the following investment options:
St. Lucia CIP requires investors to contribute economically to the St. Lucia government. Within this context, applicants have the following investment options:
The first and most favourable option to qualify for St. Lucia citizenship by investment program is to donate to the National Economic Fund (NEF). The donation is non-refundable, and the donation amount changes according to the number of applicants:
For a single applicant, the NEF requires a grant of US$100,000.
If you’re applying with your spouse, the donation amount increases to US$140,000 for a family of two.
Whereas if you’re applying with a spouse and up to two other qualifying dependents, the donation amount is US$150,000 for a family of four. Note that any additional qualifying dependents, regardless of age, require a donation of US$25,000.
Donation options could be financially wiser, particularly for Single Applicants. Additional governmental fees and costs will also apply.
Santa Lucia government offers non-interest-bearing bonds that can benefit investors with long-term investments. The investment terms vary depending on the number of applicants.
A single applicant can invest US $250,000 for a five-year term, while a family of four can invest up to US $300,000 for five years. Additional dependents can be included in the investment for a fee of US $15,000 each.
For now, Santa Lucia is the only jurisdiction offering government bonds as a route to apply for citizenship in the Caribbean. Investing in government bonds is always considered a wise financial decision. It should be noted that additional government administration and processing fees and costs will also apply.
St. Lucia stands among the Caribbean nations’ natural beauty and luxurious touristic facilities. Therefore, investors planning to move to St. Lucia and obtain second citizenship can consider real estate as an alternative to the donation option.
To qualify, you must purchase a government-approved real estate development valued at a minimum of US $200,000 and hold it for at least five years. Please note that in addition to investing within the minimum required threshold by law, government fees and additional costs starting from US$30,000 for a Single Applicant and US$45,000 for a Spouse will also apply and vary based on the number and age of dependents included in your application.
In addition to complying with the above-mentioned investment requirements, the principal applicant must be over 18 years of age, and his/her family members shall have a clean personal background. They shall be healthy enough to apply for and obtain St. Lucia citizenship successfully.
The application process should take at most four months from submission to issuance of the certificate of citizenship, assuming there are no areas of concern with the application. Where, in exceptional cases, it is expected that the processing time will be longer than three months, Henley & Partners will inform the applicant of the reason for the anticipated delay.
The Citizenship by Investment Board, which oversees a dedicated Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), will consider a citizenship application. Its outcome may be to either grant, deny, or delay for cause. Citizenship by investment application will be submitted in electronic and printed form by Henley & Partners on behalf of the applicant. All applications must be completed in English.
All requisite supporting documents must be attached to an application before the CIU can process it. All applications must be accompanied by the relevant non-refundable processing and due diligence fees for the principal applicant, their spouse, and each qualifying dependent. Where an application has been approved in principle, the CIU will notify Henley & Partners that the qualifying funds and requisite government administration fees must be paid before the certificate of citizenship can be granted.
The primary applicant must remit the required funds for the qualifying option within 90 calendar days after notice of approval of their application. A successful applicant shall sign the oath or affirmation of allegiance before an attorney-at-law, notary royal, or public. The minister may, by order, revoke a grant of citizenship in exceptional circumstances as deemed necessary.
For now, it takes around 6-9 Months to obtain Santa Lucia citizenship by Investment and then issuance of the new passports, provided the application is duly submitted per rules and followed up diligently.
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St. Lucia is a beautiful tropical country with no military service requirement and is learning the official language to apply for this programme. In addition to this, there is no minimum residency requirement. It also allows dual & multiple citizenships.
The principal applicant can involve the spouse, dependent children under 30, and dependent parents of the principal applicant & spouse over 55 in the program.
While obtaining St. Lucia Citizenship, applicants do not have to travel to St. Lucia.
St. Lucia’s passport holders have opportunities for visa-free travel to 147 countries, including Europe’s Schengen Area, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, and many others.
Sure. St. Lucia is a country that implements tiny amounts of taxation to investors considering obtaining St. Lucian citizenship by Investment. State authorities of St. Lucia do not collect any wealth, inheritance, or foreign income tax from its citizens, thus keeping a moderate taxation rate.
Indeed, St Lucian CIP is regulated through several legislative texts, with the Citizenship by Investment Act, which came into effect on the 24th of August 2015, being the most important one. This Act provides detailed information and is critical for grasping insights into the St. Lucian Citizenship program.
Yes. We offer approved projects for St. Lucian Citizenship. We can advise you by presenting approved projects and luxurious, high-end hotels available to apply for the St. Lucian Citizenship program.
No, there is neither a language requirement nor an interview, business experience or educational requirements for the citizenship application.
There are no restrictions on dual citizenship in St. Lucia.
