Summary
Launched in 2016, St Lucia has the newest citizenship by investment programme in the Caribbean. Inheriting decades of experience from its island neighbours, St Lucia’s programme is an amalgamation of practices from its surrounding islands and provides a wide range of benefits for investors and locals alike.
An idyllic spot for nature seekers, history buffs, and relaxation-seekers, St Lucia offers citizens all of the tropical benefits of the Caribbean, along with visa-free entry to an additional 145 countries or territories. Read on to discover how you can apply for St Lucian citizenship, and benefit from CS Global Partners’ CBI initiative.
The St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Programme provides an opportunity to apply for St Lucia citizenship and a huge range of benefits including:
- Visa-free travel to around 145 countries and territories
- Right to hold dual citizenship
- Citizenship for life, with the right to live and work in the country
- Four investment options
OPTION 01
THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC FUND
- The National Economic Fund (NEF) was established to receive qualifying investments to fund Government-sponsored projects on the island. Applicants can obtain citizenship by making a monetary contribution to the NEF via one of the prescribed contribution levels. Due diligence and processing fees apply.
Main applicant
USD 100,000 - Main applicant and spouse
USD 140,000 - Main applicant, spouse and up to 2 other family members
USD 150,000 - Each additional family member of a main applicant applying with a spouse and 2 other family members
USD 15,000 - Each additional family member for other family structures
USD 25,000
OPTION 02
REAL ESTATE
Applicants may obtain citizenship by purchasing Government-approved property valued at a minimum of USD 300,000. This property must be owned and maintained for a minimum of 5 years after citizenship has been granted. Due diligence fees apply.
The following Government administration fees are applicable:
- Main applicant
USD 30,000 - Main applicant and spouse
USD 45,000 - Family member aged 18 years or above
USD 10,000 - Family member under 18 years
USD 5,000 - Each additional family member where the main applicant is applying with a spouse and four other family members
USD 10,000 each
OPTION 03
PRE-APPROVED ENTERPRISE PROJECT
Applicants can obtain citizenship by making an investment, either independent or joint, in a pre-approved enterprise project. Independent investment must be valued at USD 3.5 million and create at least 3 permanent jobs. For joint investments, each investor must contribute at least USD 1 million, resulting in a joint investment worth USD 6 million and creating at least 6 permanent jobs. Due diligence, processing, Government administration fees apply.
- Minimum independent investment
USD 3,500,000 (creation of 3 local jobs) - Minimum joint investment
USD 1,000,000 (creation of 6 local jobs)
OPTION 04
GOVERNMENT BONDS
Applicants may choose to invest in government bonds to obtain citizenship. Once citizenship has been granted, investments in government bonds must be held in the applicant’s name for a fixed period of time that varies according to the applicant’s family structure. The bonds must not attract a rate of interest for the duration of this period.
Due diligence and Government administrative fees apply. The following is applicable under a Limited Time Offer expiring on 31 December 2021:
- Main applicant
USD 250,000 (to be held for 5 years) - Main applicant and 1 family member
USD 250,000 (to be held for 6 years) - Main applicant and up to 4 family members
USD 250,000 (to be held for 7 years) - Main applicant and up to 4 family members
USD 300,000 (to be held for 5 years) - Any additional family member
USD 15,000 each
AFRICA
Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Cape Verde Comoros Djibouti Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho |
Madagascar Malawi Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Morocco Mozambique Reunion Rwanda Sao Tome Senegal |
Seychelles Somalia South Africa St Helena Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe |
AMERICAS
Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bolivia Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Chile Colombia Costa Rica |
Cuba Curacao Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador French Guiana Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Montserrat |
Nicaragua Panama Peru St Eustatius and Saba St Lucia St Maarten St Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos IsI. United States Uruguay Venezuela |
ASIA
Bangladesh Brunei Cambodia Hong Kong Indonesia Japan Kazakhstan |
Kyrgyzstan Laos Macao Malaysia Maldives Nepal Philippines |
Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste |
EUROPE
Albania Andorra Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Faroe Islands Finland France Germany |
Hungary Iceland Ireland (Rep.) Italy Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia (FYROM) Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland |
Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City |
MIDDLE EAST
Armenia Iran |
Israel Jordan |
Palestinian territory |
OCEANIA
American Samoa Australia Cook Island Fiji French Polynesia Guam Kiribati |
Marshall Islands Micronesia New Caledonia New Zealand Niue Palau Papua New Guinea |
Samoa Solomon lsl. Tonga Timor-Leste Tuvalu Vanuatu |
St Lucia Citizenship by Investment application process consists of seven steps, which are:
- Step 1:
Application and pre-approval by Globalciti - Step 2:
Submission of citizenship application - Step 3:
Government processing and due diligence checks - Step 4:
Approval in principle - Step 5:
Investment in the National Economic Fund, pre-approved real estate, pre-approved enterprise project, or government bonds - Step 6:
Citizenship certificate issued - Step 7:
Passport application
Is there a residency requirement?
No residency is required.
How long does it take to process a citizenship by investment application?
From submission of the application to an approval in principle, applicants are generally expected to wait three months.
What are the investment options under the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Programme?
- Contribution to the Government’s National Economic Fund
- Pre-Approved real estate option
- Enterprise option
- Government bonds option
Applicant eligibility
Applicants for citizenship should be at least 18 years of age, in good health and of good character, without a criminal record, and able and willing to make the required contribution.
Which family members can I include in my application for economic citizenship?
You can include:
- Spouse
- Children of the main applicant or of the spouse aged 21 or below
- Children of the main applicant or of the spouse aged no more than 30 and fully supported by the main applicant
- Children of the main applicant or of the spouse, of any age, who are physically or mentally challenged, and fully supported by the main applicant
- Parents of the main applicant or of the spouse if aged 55 or above and fully supported by the main applicant
- Parents of the main applicant of any age if physically or mentally challenged and fully supported by the main applicant
- Siblings of the main applicant aged under 18, unmarried, and in receipt of consent from their parent or guardian to make an application
What does the due diligence process in St Lucia entail?
You will be vetted by multiple entities:
- KYC (know-your-customer) checks performed by local authorised agents.
- Internal checks including AML (anti-money laundering) and CTF (counter-terrorism financing) vetting by the Citizenship by Investment Unit.
- Mandated international due diligence firms perform online and on-the-ground checks.
- Regional and international crime prevention bodies check that you aren’t on any wanted or sanctions lists.
Are citizens of certain countries not allowed to apply?
The following nationals cannot apply for citizenship by investment in St Lucia, as due diligence checks cannot be effectively performed in these countries:
- Iran
The Unit has also warned of difficulties with processing applications from Syria.
All other nationalities are eligible to apply
Is this programme for me?
The following may be a good fit for the programme:
- Individuals/businesspeople looking to establish overseas businesses
- Families seeking better global mobility
- Professionals who want to broaden their horizons
- Families who would like their children to go to prestigious universities
Where do the funds go?
The National Economic Fund (NEF) was established to receive qualifying investments to fund Government-sponsored projects on the island.
Contact us for a free consultation here