Permanent Residency in Antigua and Barbuda

Main Pathway to Permanent Residency

You can apply for permanent residency in Antigua and Barbuda after four years of legal residence in the country [6]. During this time, you must demonstrate your intention to permanently reside there and must live in Antigua and Barbuda for at least half of the time that your residence permit is valid [2].

Required Documents

When applying for permanent residency, you'll need to provide:

• Police certificate of character from Antigua and Barbuda, plus one from any country where you've resided for over six months [1]
• Health certificate issued by a medical practitioner as directed by the Immigration Department [1]
• Letter from Statutory Boards showing you have contributed to the country [1]

Alternative: Citizenship by Investment

If you prefer a faster route, Antigua and Barbuda offers a Citizenship by Investment program that grants citizenship directly (which includes residency rights). This requires either:

• A government donation of at least USD $230,000, or
• A real estate investment of minimum USD $300,000 [5]

This program is processed through authorized agents licensed by the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) [3]. Successful applicants gain the right to live and work in Antigua and Barbuda as well as other CARICOM member states [9]. You'll be required to spend a minimum of five days in Antigua and Barbuda during your first five years of citizenship [8].

Historical Note

If you were a Commonwealth citizen who established permanent residency and lived in Antigua for at least seven years before October 31, 1981, you may have acquired citizenship automatically under the nationality law [7][10].

Always verify current requirements with official sources as immigration rules change.