The Antigua and Barbuda Passport: Travel, the 30-Day Rule, Renewal and Taxes

People usually come to Antigua for the passport, so this is the part I want them to understand without any marketing gloss: what it opens, what it does not, and what you must do to keep it working after five years.

Where the passport takes you

BRIDGES deliberately avoids quoting one total number of visa-free countries, because visa regimes change. It describes four real entry regimes instead, and I find that more honest too:

• No visa needed in advance, including short trips to the Schengen countries under the visa waiver agreement between the EU and Antigua and Barbuda (signed in 2009 and applied since 2015, according to BRIDGES).
• An electronic authorisation before travel. For the United Kingdom a regular visa is not needed for a qualifying short trip, but an ETA must be obtained before the journey. The EU is preparing ETIAS, which is also an authorisation and not a visa.
• A visa on arrival in some countries.
• A visa in advance everywhere else. A second passport does not cancel visas issued earlier and does not hide your first citizenship.

Check the current rules of the country you are going to before every trip.

The EU deadline of 1 June 2028

On 7 August 2026 BRIDGES reported that the European Commission had set 1 June 2028 as the date by which the investment citizenship programmes of five Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, should be wound down, otherwise the visa waiver with the Schengen area may be suspended. This is not an automatic cancellation. The waiver is in force today, and the Commission will look at each country again in its next report. If Schengen access is the main reason you are considering the programme, keep this date in mind.

The presence rule after citizenship

The CIU website says that a citizen may be deprived of citizenship if they do not spend at least 5 days in Antigua and Barbuda during the first five calendar years, and that the investment is then not repaid. On 14 July 2026 a bill raising this to 30 days was tabled in parliament, and the prime minister said the 30 days are already applied in practice. BRIDGES plans every case around 30 days, and so do I.

It is 30 days in total over five years, not per year. Many families combine them with a holiday on the islands.

The passport and its renewal

The first passport is valid for 5 years. The CIU says it will be considered for renewal if the holder has met the presence requirement. The renewal form (AB10) asks each applicant, children included, for proof of the stay in the form of any two of the following: entry and exit stamps in the Antigua and Barbuda passport, a hotel receipt, a boarding pass, or a confirmation from property management if you own a home there. For real estate and business investors it also asks for evidence that the investment was held for the five years.

So my advice is practical: keep your boarding passes and hotel receipts from the start.

What the passport does not give

• The right to live or work in the EU. Antigua and Barbuda is not an EU member.
• Automatic voting rights. The CIU notes that you would need to qualify under the Representation of the People Act.
• A guarantee with banks. BRIDGES points out that every bank and service provider runs its own checks.

Dual citizenship

Antigua and Barbuda allows dual citizenship, so it does not ask you to give up your current passport. Whether your home country lets you keep its citizenship is a separate question. Some countries allow it and some do not, and some ask you to report a second citizenship. Check this before you apply.

Taxes

BRIDGES notes that Antigua and Barbuda has no personal income tax, and no tax on worldwide income. But citizenship and tax residence are different things. A passport on its own does not make you a taxpayer of Antigua and Barbuda, and it does not end your tax obligations elsewhere. Where you pay tax depends on where you actually live and on the law of each country involved.

Citizenship for future generations

Whether a child born later becomes a citizen depends on the circumstances of the birth and the citizenship rules in force. BRIDGES also reports that a child born after you obtain citizenship can be added to the family’s status later. It is worth planning this with your adviser rather than assuming.

More on mobility is in the BRIDGES article on the Antigua passport and visa-free travel. How Antigua compares with its neighbours is in my guide on Antigua and the other Caribbean programmes. Last checked 21 October 2026.