Gizane Campos
The St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act No. 2 for 2022 remains the latest official legislation governing the country’s citizenship program. However, following the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding (MoA), the St Lucia government implemented amendments in July 2024.
What is the citizenship act in St Lucia?
St Lucia’s Citizenship Act is the primary law governing citizenship and nationality in St Lucia. It lays the rules for acquiring, renouncing, or losing St Lucian citizenship. The Act lists the ways to citizenship status, birth, descent, marriage, naturalization, and investment.
It also covers dual citizenship and citizens’ rights and obligations. Additionally, it addresses the provisions of citizenship revocation, including fraud and national security. The Act works alongside regulations like the Citizenship by Investment Act, which governs citizenship through foreign investment and financial contribution to the country’s economy.
History of the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act
The Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act was introduced in 2015 to drive economic and social development in the country by attracting foreigners to invest in St Lucia.
The citizenship program allows foreign investors to gain citizenship in exchange for a significant investment or financial contribution to the country’s economy, such as a donation to the National Economic Fund, real estate investment, investment in a government-approved enterprise project, or acquisition of government bonds.
Over time, the act has been amended to increase transparency, improve due diligence, and align with international standards to ensure the program’s credibility and sustainability.
St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act 2024 Amendments
In July, some crucial changes to St Lucia’s citizenship by investment program came into effect. The St Lucia Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Act, 2024 saw the St Lucia government raise the minimum investment requirement to obtain a St Lucia Caribbean passport to align with the regional minimum investment threshold of $200,000 agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Revised investment threshold
National Economic Fund (NEF): The minimum financial contribution to the St Lucia National Economic Fund was raised from $100,000 to $240,000.
Real estate investment: The minimum cost to invest in approved real estate projects was raised from $200,000 to $300,000.
Enterprise investment: The minimum cost to invest in approved enterprise projects remained the same at $250,000 for a joint investment worth $6 million and $3.5 million for a sole investor.
Government bonds acquisition: The minimum cost to acquire national action government bonds remained at $300,000.
Revised family eligibility requirements
A big draw of applying for St Lucia’s passport by investment is that the main applicant’s family members also qualify for St Lucia citizenship.
St Lucia amended the family requirements to include a broader set of flexibilities for family members.
The following family members were eligible to apply following the June 2020 amendment to the citizenship act.
- Spouse
- Children under 21 years old
- Dependent children aged between 18-30
- Mentally or physically challenged dependent children and/or parents.
- Parents and/or grandparents aged 55 or above
- Inclusion of siblings of the main applicant, if below the age of 18, unmarried, and who’ve received consent from his or her parent or guardian to apply for citizenship by investment
Minimum investment requirement
Under the previous minimum investment threshold of $100,000, the minimum investment required an additional contribution to include family members in the citizenship application. The introduction of the $240,000 National Economic Fund donation option allows a single applicant or a family of up to four to apply for St Lucian citizenship by investment. The Government treasury bonds acquisition option requires a $300,000 investment, but five years, investors are reimbursed their entire investment while maintaining citizenship status.
Why consider St Lucia citizenship?
St Lucia citizenship by investment is attractive for investors looking to relocate to the Caribbean and obtain second passports.
The St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act benefits include:
- A 10 to 12-month to obtain a St Lucian passport
- Family eligibility, include a spouse, children, parents, and grandparents
- Second citizenship starting from $240,000, with the option to include up to three qualifying dependents
- Visa free travel to over 140 countries including, EU’s Schengen Area, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK
- Tax freedoms, including no worldwide income, capital gains, or inheritance taxes
- The only CBI program of the five Caribbean CBI programs that has a government bonds option
Why use Global Citizen Solutions?
Global Citizen Solutions is a multidisciplinary firm offering bespoke residence and citizenship solutions in Europe and the Caribbean. In a world where the economy and politics are unpredictable, having a second citizenship opens up opportunities and creates flexibility for you and your family.
So, why work with Global Citizen Solutions to obtain St Lucia citizenship?
- Authorized International Marketing Agent. Global Citizen Solutions have official certification by the Government of St Lucia to promote and market their Citizenship by Investment program. You can find a copy of our certificate by clicking the image on the right
- Global approach by local experts. We are corporate members of the Investment Migration Council, with local expertise in all five Caribbean CBI programs.
- 100 percent approval rate. We have never had a case rejected and will offer you an initial, free-of-charge, due diligence assessment before signing any contract.
- Independent service and full transparency. We will present to you all the investment options available, and all expenses will be discussed in advance, with no hidden fees.
- An all-encompassing solution. A multidisciplinary team of immigration lawyers, investment specialists, and tax experts will take into consideration all your and your family's mobility, tax, and lifestyle needs.
- Confidential service and secure data management. All private data is stored within a GDPR-compliant database on a secure SSL-encrypted server.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act
What is the latest amendment to the Saint Lucia Citizenship Act?
Besides the raised investment amount for the Saint Lucia CBI program, government lawmakers elected to revise the country’s citizenship act concerning descent. Under the new amendment, second and third-generation descendants of a St Lucian citizen will be allowed to obtain Saint Lucia citizenship by descent.
When was St Lucia's CIP investment reduced from $200,000 to $100,000?
St Lucia initially dropped its minimum non-refundable donation to government fund from $200,000 to $100,000 back in 2017. However, after the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding went into effect on 30 June 2024, compliance with the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act now requires a minimum investment of $240,000.
