St Lucia

Citizenship by Investment

St Lucia is an independent Commonwealth State. It gained independence from the UK on 22 February 1979. St Lucia celebrates this day each year with a public holiday.

The country is in the Eastern Caribbean and has beautiful mountainous terrain. Its landscape includes Mount Gimie and the Pitons, which are the island’s most famous landmarks.

St Lucia is a United Nations, OECS, and CARICOM member. The regional currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD), which is pegged to the US Dollar at EC$2.70 to US$1.00.

An educated workforce and improvements in roads, communications, water supply, sewerage and port facilities continue to attract significant foreign investment in the tourism and offshore banking industries. Tourism remains the country’s main source of jobs and income. This industry accounts for around 60% of the GDP.

Requirements/Investment Options

St Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment requires you to make a significant financial investment in the country. In return, you and your family receive citizenship.

As the main applicant, you must be over 18 years of age and meet the due diligence requirements. You may select one of the following three investment options:

  • Make a non-refundable donation to the National Economic Fund starting from $240,000
  • Purchase of non-interest-bearing Government Bonds from $300,000
  • Buy real estate in a government-approved project worth at least $300,000
  • Invest a minimum $250,000 in an approved Enterprise Project

Donation

The National Economic Fund (NEF) is a special fund established under Section 33 of the Citizenship by Investment Act with the sole purpose of receiving contributions to finance government-sponsored projects.

You can include your spouse and children up to 30 years old who are fully dependent on you. Additionally, you can add parents or grandparents over 55 years old who live with you as dependents.

Real Estate

You can also opt to purchase a property with a minimum value of USD 200,000 from an approved real estate project. This option requires you to hold the property for at least five years.

Government Bonds

The National Action Bonds (NAB) option offers the opportunity to invest in non-interest-bearing bonds with a minimum value of USD 300,000, which must be held for five years. There is also a non-refundable administrative fee of USD 50,000. Regular due diligence and passport fees apply.

Business Project

Invest at least USD 100,000 in a government-approved project. These include overseas universities, research institutions, and specialty restaurants. There is a non-refundable administrative fee of USD 15,000.

Process Overview

The process will take seven to eight months from submission to issuance of the passport, assuming the application has no areas of concern.

Qualifying Dependants

As the main applicant, you must be over 18 years old, have never been prosecuted for anything other than a minor traffic offence, are not the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, and are not considered by a court or doctor to be mentally incapacitated.

You can add your spouse as a dependant. Your application may include dependent children or stepchildren up to 30 years of age who you fully support. Children or stepchildren of any age who are mentally or physically challenged are also eligible. You can also include dependent parents and parents-in-law over the age of 55. If either are mentally or physically challenged, they can be of any age. If you have siblings under the age of 18, you may add them too as long as their parent or guardian consents.

Dual Citizenship

St Lucia has no restrictions on dual citizenship.

Taxation

St Lucia’s individual income tax is a progressive rate that starts at 10% and goes up to 30%. They do not impose capital gains or inheritance taxes.

Non-residents are only taxed on income received in St Lucia. Those who make St Lucia their primary place of residence will be taxed on world-wide income.

The corporate tax rate is 30%. However, certain companies may qualify for attractive tax reductions depending on if they are based in St Lucia.

The sales tax is 12.5% and property tax is 0.25% on all properties.

Summary of Key Advantages

Visa-free travel to 148 countries, including the EU, Singapore, and Hong Kong

Full citizenship with passport granted to you, your spouse, children, parents, and grandparents

Required donation starts at USD 100,000

Lowest capital outlay for a single applicant across all Caribbean programmes

No minimum presence

A genuine, natural landscape of gorgeous palm-fringed beaches, miles of unspoiled rainforest, and the majestic Piton Mountains indulges every taste

Process Overview

Month 1

Initial due diligence

Following the successful screening, we will provide you with a Client Agreement (CA) to review and sign.

Upon receiving the signed agreement and retainer payment, our processing team will complete all necessary government forms and supporting documents.

If the programme requires a property investment, you will need to execute a sales and purchase agreement with the developer.

We will liaise with the property developer and the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Unit on your behalf.

Months 2-3

Before submitting your documents, we comprehensively review your application to ensure your file complies with the Citizenship by Investment Unit’s requirements.

Our processing team will complete its final checks before submitting the relevant forms.

The Citizenship by Investment Unit will undertake its own due diligence and reviews all the paperwork.

We will continue to work closely with them throughout the process to ensure your application is timely and efficiently processed.

As the main applicant, the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Unit will interview you in person or online. This is to verify your identity. This mandatory interview will also eliminate any information gaps that can potentially exist in the application process.

Months 7-8

The Citizenship by Investment Unit will assess your application, and upon approval, you must make all necessary contributions and pay any applicable government fees.

We will then arrange for all relevant passports to be sent out.