Antigua and Barbuda Passport Application: Steps and Timeline 2026

Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC Consultant· Last updated: September 2026

An Antigua and Barbuda passport application takes four to eight weeks to prepare with us and then 14 months on average at the Citizenship by Investment Unit, with a range of 10 to 18. Everyone aged 16 and over is interviewed and gives biometrics; the donation is paid only after approval in principle.

Antigua and Barbuda passport application: key facts and timeline

• About 15–20 Months Total Processing Time. preparation plus 14 months average CIU processing
• Filed by a Licensed Antiguan Agent. we prepare and manage; no direct filings accepted
• Due Diligence + 10% Processing Paid at Filing. US$9,500 single; non-refundable
• Interview Required for Everyone 16+. with biometrics; mandatory under ECCIRA
• Donation + 90% Processing Paid After Approval. US$230,000 NDF; deadline set in the approval letter
• Passport at US$300 Each with 5-Year Validity. renewed for 10 years with biometrics
• 30 Days in Antigua Within 5 Years After Citizenship. 2026 amendment
• No Travel to Antigua Required to Apply. required later for the 30-day rule

Antigua citizenship application process and processing times

Durations reflect our recent files, not best-case estimates.

1. Eligibility screening and route selection (1–2 weeks)

On a first call we take your nationality, residence history, family and source of funds, and advise whether the Antigua CIU is likely to accept the file and what it costs on the NDF, UWI and real estate routes. Restricted nationalities and prior refusals are checked with the CIU before you spend anything. You sign our engagement and the licensed agent's authority.

2. Document preparation and source-of-funds file (4–8 weeks)

You order police clearance certificates (FBI, RCMP, home country), medical certificates and bank references; we draft the source-of-funds narrative, arrange translations and notarisation, and complete the CIU forms. A US or Canadian professional with well-documented tax returns typically completes this in four weeks; a business owner with income from several countries takes eight or more.

3. Submission and first payment (1 week)

The licensed Antiguan agent files. You pay due diligence (US$8,500 principal, US$5,000 spouse, per-child fees from age 12) and 10% of the processing fee, both non-refundable. The CIU issues a file number.

4. Due diligence (6–12 months)

The CIU and its international vetting firms verify identity, criminal history, adverse media, sanctions exposure and the source-of-funds evidence, and check the ECCIRA database for prior refusals. We answer CIU queries within days so processing is not interrupted. This stage and the next account for most of the 14-month average.

5. Interview and biometrics (2–6 weeks to schedule)

Every applicant aged 16 or over attends a mandatory interview, by video or at a designated location, and gives fingerprints and a photograph. The questions cover background, family, reasons for applying and source of funds; answers must match the file. Children under 16 are not interviewed.

6. Approval in principle and payment (2–4 weeks)

The CIU issues approval in principle. You pay the US$230,000 NDF donation (or US$260,000 UWI, or complete the real estate purchase into escrow) and the remaining 90% of the processing fee by the deadline in the letter. If the CIU refuses, you receive the reasons and the donation has not been paid.

7. Certificate of registration and passports (4–8 weeks)

The CIU issues the certificate of registration of citizenship; we pay US$300 per passport and the passports are couriered to you through the agent. The first passport is valid five years, renewal is for ten with biometrics, and the 30-day presence requirement runs for five years.

Antigua CBI interview, biometrics and our role in the application

The interview. Mandatory for everyone aged 16 and over since ECCIRA took effect in December 2025. It is a compliance interview, not a test of your knowledge of Antigua: identity, employment, how you accumulated the donation, why you want a second citizenship, and any visa refusals or charges. We prepare you for it, because inconsistency with the written file is the most common cause of delay in an otherwise straightforward case.

Biometrics. Fingerprints and a photograph at interview and at every passport renewal. The December 2025 settlement with the US committed Antigua to biometric compatibility, which is why the CIU is strict about it.

What we do. Screen eligibility; price all routes; build the source-of-funds narrative; collect, review and translate documents; complete CIU forms; instruct the licensed Antiguan agent; answer CIU queries; prepare you for the interview; manage every payment deadline; forward the certificate and passports; remind you about the 30-day rule and renewal.

What you do. Order police certificates on day one; attend a medical; provide bank statements and tax returns; sign before a notary; attend the interview; pay on time; spend 30 days in Antigua and Barbuda within five years. Neither you nor we can shorten the CIU's processing queue.

What delays processing. An expired document and a late reply to a CIU query. Police certificates and medicals have validity periods, so we sequence them so nothing expires while the file is with the CIU. Figures verified 27 September 2026.

Antigua application process for US and Canadian applicants

For US and Canadian citizens

Your file is usually the quickest to prepare: one police certificate from home, tax returns that explain your wealth, no restricted-nationality questions. The interview is done from wherever you are. You do not need to tell US or Canadian authorities you are applying, but a US citizen must report any Antiguan bank account on FBAR and Form 8938 once one exists.

For US and Canada residents on another passport

Start the home-country police certificate immediately; from India, Nigeria, Pakistan or Vietnam it is often the slowest item. Money that has moved between countries needs a documented chain, and some nationalities go through enhanced due diligence, which adds months. Applying does not affect your US or Canadian status, and the passport you receive does not replace your US visa or Canadian permit.

Book an Antigua and Barbuda eligibility assessment

In a 30-minute consultation we assess whether the Antigua CIU is likely to accept your file, what it costs and when you can expect to hold the passport. No fee for the first call. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Antigua and Barbuda passport application take from start to finish?

About 15 to 20 months in total: four to eight weeks to prepare the file, then 14 months on average at the CIU with a realistic range of 10 to 18, then four to eight weeks for payment, certificate and passports. Antigua is the slowest of the five Caribbean programmes. We do not quote 60 or 90 days because no current application finishes in that time.

Do I have to travel to Antigua for the interview?

Usually not. The mandatory interview for applicants aged 16 and over can be conducted by video or at a designated location, with biometrics captured at the same time. The CIU decides the format. You will need to visit later: citizens granted under the 2026 rules must spend 30 days in Antigua and Barbuda within the first five years.

When do I pay the US$230,000 donation?

Only after the CIU issues approval in principle, within the deadline in the approval letter. Before that you pay only the due diligence fees and 10% of the processing fee, US$9,500 for a single applicant. If the application is refused, the donation is never paid and the earlier fees are not refunded.

Can I add my spouse or a child after I am approved?

Yes, dependants can be added after the grant, including a new spouse or a child born later, subject to the same due diligence and the fees for that dependant. It is cheaper to include everyone at the outset because the NDF price covers four people.

What can delay an Antigua application?

Slow police certificates from a home country, an incomplete source-of-funds trail, a name or visa refusal not disclosed, enhanced due diligence for some nationalities, and late replies to CIU queries. The CIU's own queue accounts for most of the 14 months and is outside anyone's control. We manage the parts we can and tell you which parts we cannot.

This guide is part of our Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment overview.

Official sources and references

1. Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit
2. Antigua and Barbuda CIU, schedule of fees