Antigua doubles down on its passport program as the engine keeping taxes off citizens' backs

Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership has reaffirmed the Citizenship by Investment Programme as central to the economy, pointing to more than EC$1.4B in non-tax revenue raised over roughly eleven years — money used, the government argues, to fund development without raising taxes on residents. Entry to the program starts around US$230,000 for a family, via a National Development Fund contribution, real estate or business routes.

The wider story is regional tightening: the Eastern Caribbean’s five CBI states are coordinating due diligence and standards under U.S. and EU pressure, and Antigua is one of the two whose U.S. visa terms were recently downgraded.

What this means for you: If you are considering Antigua citizenship, the program is stable and politically backed — but read it for what it now is. The fiscal case for Antigua is strong; the U.S.-mobility case has weakened after the visa downgrade. Match the passport to your actual goal (tax residency and asset protection vs. travel access) rather than to the brochure.