Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC ConsultantOn 14 July 2026 Prime Minister Gaston Browne presented the Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Bill 2026 to the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda. The bill raises the residency requirement for citizens by investment from five days to 30 days and places the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) under mandatory independent audit.
The Prime Minister said the amendments align the Citizenship by Investment Act with the agreement establishing the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), the regional regulator created by the five Caribbean CBI states.
Residency requirement: 30 days in the first five years
Under the current rule, a new citizen under the Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment programme must spend five days in the country during the first five years. The bill replaces this with 30 days over the same five-year period, an average of six days a year, for successful applicants and their dependants. The period runs after citizenship has been granted.
Trade reporting on the bill states that days may be counted cumulatively across family members. We have not been able to confirm that point from the text of the bill, so applicants should obtain it in writing from their licensed agent.
Audits and reporting to ECCIRA
- Annual financial audit: an independent audit of the CIU every year.
- Biennial operational audit: an independent review of the Unit's operations every two years, to internationally accepted standards.
- Regional reporting: six-monthly reports from the CIU to ECCIRA, in addition to its reports to Parliament.
- Compliance: the Unit's leadership must ensure the programme follows ECCIRA's directives and standards.
Status of the bill
The bill was tabled on 14 July 2026. We have not found confirmation that it has completed its passage through both Houses, so the amendments should be described as proposed. However, Mr Browne told Parliament that the 30-day requirement has already been implemented administratively, which means applicants should plan for it now and not wait for the statute.
What this means for applicants
For a US or Canadian family, 30 days over five years is a modest obligation: Antigua has direct flights from several North American cities, and the requirement can be met through ordinary holidays. The point to respect is record-keeping. Entry and exit stamps, boarding passes and accommodation records should be kept for each family member, because presence is likely to be checked when a passport is renewed.
The costs are unchanged: the National Development Fund contribution remains US$230,000 for a single applicant or a family of up to four. Applicants should also bear in mind that Antigua and Barbuda is named in US Presidential Proclamation 10998, which matters to US or Canadian residents on other passports who still need US visas.
We view the audit and residency provisions as steps that support the passport's standing with the EU and the UK, set against a requirement most families can meet without difficulty. To plan an Antigua application and the presence schedule for your family, book a consultation.