Antigua's passport climbs to 23rd globally as 30-day CBI residency takes hold

The Antigua and Barbuda passport now ranks 23rd globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 155 countries, according to the 2026 mobility index. The ranking has held even as the Browne administration moved earlier this year to enact a mandatory 30-day physical residency requirement as a strict condition for Citizenship by Investment qualification — a response to the US State Department’s January 1, 2026 proclamation that cut B-1/B-2 visa validity for Antiguan nationals from ten years to three months with single entry.

Ambassador to the United States Sir Ronald Sanders has remained the lead channel of engagement with the State Department, and the country continues to prepare for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which Antigua and Barbuda is hosting in 2026.

For the diaspora, two practical signals: the new 30-day in-country residency requirement is now a hard gate for any CBI client referral, and travelling Antiguan nationals on the older long-validity US visas should plan US business travel inside the existing window, since visa extensions and renewals will now run on the shortened reciprocity schedule.

Source: Travel and Tour World mobility index 2026; IMI Daily CBI coverage; AP News CHOGM 2026 schedule.