The following questions are commonly asked by clients who apply for citizenship in Saint Lucia under its new citizenship by investment programme (CIP)

How much time it takes for St Lucia passport?

3-4 months. You will be issued citizenship certificate and passport. No requirement to visit St Lucia. It takes 3 months to get the approval, and another 1-2 weeks to issue passport.

Is citizenship reported to other countries?

No citizenship is confidential/discrete and is not reported to other countries by Saint lucia government.

what are the costs involved?

Your fees is composed to two parts: Government fee and Agency fee. The Government fee involves investment, application fee, passport fee) plus Agency fee. You will  ONLY pay the full investment, only after receiving approval from government which takes 3 months.

You can start the initial application process paying only Government application fee ($2000), Due diligence fee ($7500). There is also a local agent fee (approx $3000 to $5000) depending on single or family application depending on how many people apply. There are no hidden or any other fee.

Remember you will only pay initial govt fee plus due diligence fee to start the application process. The rest is only after application approval by government.

What is the cheapest and fastest option?

Donation to economic fund US$ 100,000, plus $1000 application fee per person, $7500 due diligence fee plus agency fee. Additional costs such as courier fee, bank fee applies.

Why Government bond option is so popular?

It is the limited time offer with 50% discount. The Corona bonds issued by Government are debt securities is a fully refundable investment guaranteed by Government of St Lucia after 5-6 years. with no interest.  The minimum required bond investment is USD 250,000 and family of 5 can apply for this sum without increasing the bond sum. This is only issued for limited time due to Covid situation

WHAT are the additional costs for family dependants?

Please refer to the fee structure in pdf format

WHAT restrictions apply for family members?

It is important to remember married siblings, son/daughter above 32 years cannot be included as dependant (exception is handicapped or mentally challenged).

Eligible family dependants

  • A spouse of the applicant;
  • A child of the applicant or of his or her spouse who is twenty-one years of age or below;
  • A child of the applicant or of his or her spouse who is no more than thirty years of age and who is fully supported by the applicant;
  • A child of the applicant or of his or her spouse, of any age, who is physically or mentally challenged and who is fully supported by the applicant; (no age limit)
  • A parent of the applicant or of his or her spouse who is above fifty-five years of age and who is fully supported by the applicant;
  • A parent of any age who is physically or mentally challenged and who is fully supported by the applicant;
  • An unmarried sister or brother of the applicant who is below eighteen years of age and who has received the consent of his or her parent or guardian to make an application for citizenship by investment.

What is the reputation of Saint Lucia passport?

St Lucia passport is ranked No 37 best passport in world passport rankings with visa free travel to 146 countries in the world according a survey Henley passport . The visa free travel access includes United Kingdom, European schengen states such as Germany, France, Switzerland, Ireland etc. Economic Citizens of Saint Lucia (passport holders) still need visa to travel to Canada and United States.

What are the requirements to qualify under CIP programme?

Citizenship by Investment Programme in Saint Lucia requires meet the following minimum criteria:

  • Be at least 18 years of age;
  • Satisfy a minimum qualifying investment in one of the following categories –
    • The Saint Lucia National Economic Fund $100,000;
    • An approved Real Estate development $200,000;
    • An approved Enterprise project $1 million; or
    • The purchase of Government bonds $300,000
  • Provide details and evidence of the proposed qualifying investment;
  • Pass a diligence background check along with their qualifying dependents over the age of 16;
  • Provide full and frank disclosure on all matters pertaining to the application; and
  • Pay the requisite non-refundable processing, due diligence and administrative fees upon application.

Can i include children over 18 years in the family application?

Yes you can

Who is not eligible to apply?

Russians, Iranians cannot apply at the moment. If you have a visa refusal from countries with visa waiver agreements, you will be refused.

Is the citizenship lifetime and can it be passed on to future family generations?

Yes citizenship is lifetime and it can be passed on to future generations.

What if citizenship is refused?

You are only required to pay the full amount, only after receiving “Letter of Approval” from Government. You will have 60 days time to commit to the investment. If you are refused it could be of the following reasons.

  • You have not passed background and due diligence checks done by the Government
  • You have prior criminal convictions or visa denials.
  • You have lied or provided false information in your application.
  • Have been convicted of a criminal offence except a minor traffic offence.
  • Have been denied any category of visa to a country to which Saint Lucia has visa free access and been unsuccessful in subsequently obtaining visa.
  • Have been declared bankrupt by a court; and
  • Have been declared, by a court or qualified health practitioner to be mentally incapacitated.

Can i include parents above 65 years in the citizenship application

Yes you can,  but parents must be fully supported by main applicant.

What documents are required to apply for  St LUCIA CITIZENSHIP?

  • Birth Certificate (original and copy)
  • Medical Health Certificate (less than 3 months old)
  • Police certificate (less than 6 months old)
  • Letter of recommendation from the head of the school/university for children between 12 and 18 years old
  • Proof of payment of relevant fees.
  • Affidavit of Source of Funds.
  • Detailed Business Background Reports/Resume
  • Two(2) professional references
  • Letter of Employment/ Financial Statements
  • Recommendation from applicant’s Bankers
  • Two (2) Personal references
  • Eight (8) passport size photos for each applicant
  • Marriage Certificate/Dissolution of Marriage if required
  • Notarized copies of University/College diplomas.
  • If documents are not in english (both original and translated ones ) must be given.

What are CHANGES MADE TO Citizenship by investment SAINT LUCIA?

Saint Lucia has announced several amendments to its citizenship by investment programme which are effective from January 1st, 2017.

Please see below the details of the approved changes:

  1. Removing the requirement for an applicant to provide a sworn affidavit to declare financial resources of at least US$3,000,000.00;
  2. Removing the limit of the number of applications which could be granted by the Board, previously set at a maximum of 500 applications;
  3. Providing the option for successful applicants to sign the oath of allegiance before an attorney-at-law, a Consular Officer of Saint Lucia, an Honorary Consul of Saint Lucia, a Notary Royal or a Notary Public;
  4. Adding a non-refundable administration fee of US$50,000.00 to the purchase of non-interest bearing Government Bonds;
  5. Changing the qualifying investments in the National Economic Fund. The new qualifying investments are as follows:

Applicant applying alone

US$100,000

Applicant applying with spouse

US$165,000

Applicant applying with spouse and up to two other qualifying dependants

US$190,000

Each additional qualifying dependant at any age

US$25,000.

HOw do i apply for citizenship in Saint Lucia?

Your Authorised Agent will be able to assist you to ensure that your application forms as per the legislation and guidelines issued by the Citizenship by Investment Board. We work with several authorized agents in St Lucia.

Can i apply directly to the Citizenship unit of Saint Lucia without approaching authorised agents?

Every applicant MUST use a licenced Authorised Agent to submit their application to the Citizenship by Investment Unit. The Unit will not process any application which has been submitted by anyone other than a licenced Authorised Agent.

What language should my supporting documents be in?

All supporting documents must be submitted in the original language. Where the original language of the supporting document is NOT English, then you MUST also submit an authenticated English translation of the original. Therefore in the cases where the original supporting document is not in English, you will have two submissions – one of the original document accompanied by the English translation. Where the original supporting document is in English, only the English document is required.

What are the application processing steps followed by Government under CIP programme?

1.Application received;
2. Compliance check completed;
3. Due diligence background check completed;
4. Unit recommendation sent to the Citizenship by Investment Board;
5. Board decision made;
6. In the event that the application is approved, qualifying investment made by applicant;
Certificate of Citizenship granted.

Note: Only a licenced Authorised Agent can act on your behalf and handle your citizenship application for you.

What if application for Citizenship by Investment is denied?

You can appeal the denial of your application if you feel that there are good grounds to do so. Your Authorised Agent can advise you on how to make an appeal.

Is it possible to get citizenship under fast track option under the investment programme?

There is no accelerated processing of an application. The maximum time frame is 3 months.

What is National Economic Fund?

Saint Lucia National Economic Fund is a special fund established under Section 33 of the Citizenship by Investment Act No. 14 of 2015. The National Economic Fund is established for the sole purpose of receiving qualifying investments of donations under the Citizenship by Investment Programme. Funds collected via the National Economic Fund will be used for purposes which have been approved by Cabinet as part of the national development agenda.

What are the major cities in St Lucia?

The capital city (Castries) is located in the northern section of the island and represents approximately 40% of the population. Other major population centers include Vieux-Fort and Gros-Islet.

Rank Quarter Population
1 Castries 60,263
2 Gros Islet 22,647
3 Vieux Fort 14,632
4 Micoud 14,480
5 Dennery 11,874
6 Soufrière 7,747
7 Laborie 6,507
8 Anse la Raye 6,033
9 Choiseul 5,766
10 Canaries 1,915

What is the main economy of St Lucia?

Tourism aggregates to 60% of GDP followed by agriculture.

Population: Approximately 183, 657
Area: 238 sq miles/616.4 sq km
Official Language: English
Local Language: French Creole
GDP Per Capita: 6,847.6 (2014)
Adult Literacy: 72.8% (2010 Census)
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$)
Exchange Rate: US $1 = EC $2.70
Time Zone: EST +1, GMT -4

How is the health care in St Lucia?

St Lucia has thirty-three (33) Health Centers, three (3) public hospitals, one (1) private hospital, and one (1) psychiatric hospital.

What are the places worth visiting in Saint Lucia?

The Pitons are two volcanic mountains our very own World Heritage Site in St. Lucia, linked by a ridge called Piton Mitan. The two Piton Mountains are perhaps the most photographed feature on the island. The larger of these two mountains is called the Gros Piton and the other is called Petit Piton. The famous Sulphur Springs is the hottest and most active geothermal area in the Lesser Antilles. The park is approximately 45 hectares and is billed as the Caribbean’s only drive-in volcano. There are man-made hot pools where locals and visitors alike frequent for the healing properties of the mineral-rich water.

How is the climate in Saint Lucia?

The local climate is tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds, with a dry season from 1 December to 31 May, and a wet season from 1 June to 30 November.

Do Saint Lucia has tax treaty with US government?

On June 30, 2014, St. Lucia signed a Model 1 agreement with the United States of America in relation to Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). As at September 1, 2016, the status of the agreement is listed as “In Force”.