How Much Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Costs in 2026: Investment, Fees and Real Budgets

When a family asks me what Antigua costs, I never answer with one number. The contribution is the part everyone remembers, but the final bill depends on how many people are in the application, how old they are and which option you choose. All figures below are in US dollars and come from the official CIU schedule of fees unless I say otherwise. The CIU itself notes that the fees are subject to change.

The investment itself

Option	Minimum	Who it usually suits
NDF contribution	$230,000 per application	A single applicant, a couple, a family of up to four
UWI Fund	$260,000 for a family of six, processing fees included	Families of six or more
Approved real estate	$300,000	People who want to keep an asset
Approved business	$1,500,000, or $5,000,000 jointly with at least $400,000 each	Investors with a real business project

The NDF and UWI contributions are not returned. Real estate stays yours, but it must be held for at least five years.

The official fees

Government processing fee

For the NDF, real estate and business options the processing fee is $10,000 for a single applicant and $20,000 for a family of up to four, plus $10,000 for each additional dependant. For the UWI option the $260,000 already includes the processing fees for six people, and each further dependant adds $10,000.

Due diligence

Who	Due diligence fee
Main applicant	$8,500
Spouse	$5,000
Each dependant aged 12 to 17	$2,000
Each dependant aged 18 and over	$4,000
Children under 12	No fee

Interview and passports

Since 15 December 2023 the CIU charges an interview fee of $1,500 per application, paid when the file is first submitted. Passport fees are $300 per person.

When each payment is due

The CIU sets a clear order. On submission you pay the full due diligence fees and 10% of the processing fee. After the approval letter you pay the balance of the processing fee, the passport fees and the investment. For the NDF and UWI options the contribution must be made within 30 days. For real estate the application can be filed once a binding sale and purchase agreement is signed with the developer of an approved project, and the full price is paid after approval.

Worked examples

These sums use only the official fees above. Agent, legal and document costs are not included, so treat them as the government part of the budget.

A single applicant, NDF

$230,000 contribution, $10,000 processing, $8,500 due diligence, $1,500 interview and $300 passport: $250,300. BRIDGES adds about $2,000 for translations, notarisation and apostilles and quotes from $252,300 in total.

A couple with children aged 10 and 14, NDF

$230,000 contribution, $20,000 processing, due diligence of $8,500 + $5,000 + $2,000 (the 10-year-old pays nothing), $1,500 interview and 4 passports at $300: $268,200.

A family of six, NDF or UWI

Take a couple, two children under 12 and two parents aged 55 and over:

• NDF: $230,000 + $40,000 processing ($20,000 for four plus $10,000 for each of the two extra dependants) + $21,500 due diligence + $1,500 interview + $1,800 passports = $294,800.
• UWI: $260,000 with processing for six included + $21,500 due diligence + $1,500 interview + $1,800 passports = $284,800.

For this family the UWI route saves $10,000, and one family member also receives a one-year, tuition-only scholarship at the University of the West Indies. For smaller families the NDF stays cheaper, and the UWI is not available to them anyway.

Real estate: what to add

With real estate the $300,000 buys a property in a project approved by the CIU. BRIDGES points out that purchase taxes, running costs and the cost of selling later are calculated separately, and that since 1 August 2024 two applicants can no longer share one $200,000 purchase: the threshold is $300,000 per investor. A sale is normally possible after the five-year holding period. BRIDGES also notes that the resale price is set by the market, so the money you get back is not guaranteed.

Mistakes I see in budgets

• Counting only the contribution and forgetting fees that are charged per person.
• Using figures from before August 2024, when the thresholds were lower.
• Leaving a family member out and adding them later, which BRIDGES warns can cost more than including them from the start.
• Treating real estate as free money because the asset remains. It still carries fees and a five-year lock.

The BRIDGES article on the cost of Antigua and Barbuda citizenship has more scenarios, and the calculator on the programme page works out a budget for your family. The rest of the process is in my guide to the application and documents. Last checked 21 October 2026.