ST LUCIA CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMME

St. Lucia is a beautiful Caribbean paradise, famed for its upscale boutique tourism and yachting. It is a small, neutral and democratic British Commonwealth and OECS member state with easy and direct access to the Americas and Europe.

The country has a population of up to 186,000 people and is willing to warmly welcome newcomers who need a second passport from a neutral jurisdiction: St Lucia will grant citizenship based on investment to any foreign individual who can pass the rigorous background checks and is willing to invest in the country’s future.

Saint Lucian culture and cuisine is a fascinating melting pot of African, East Indian, French and English Traditions. The island’s terrain is defined by volcanic land and mountains with fertile valleys. St Lucia is the only country in the world to boast a drive-through volcano as a tourist attraction.

How does Economic Citizenship (Citizenship by Investment) of St Lucia Work?

One of the remits of the government of Saint Lucia is to prudently manage the economy, nurturing the funds the country generates from tourism, agriculture, and financial services amongst other foreign revenue earners. The foreign investments category includes investments from new or future citizens who wish to become part of St Lucia, typically via investments in the tourism sector or by making a donation to the government-sponsored National Economic Fund of St Lucia.

Benefits of Obtaining a St. Lucia Passport

Dual citizenship is a primary benefit offered by St Lucia’s CIP (Citizenship-by-Investment Program) Most foreign citizens who successfully pass Saint Lucia’s citizenship application and due diligence process will end up with dual citizenship automatically: their citizenship of origin and citizenship of Saint Lucia. St Lucia permits dual citizenship and/or multiple citizenship, subject to the sole condition that when entering or departing from St Lucia you should use your St Lucia passport.

It is then up to the client to decide if they wish to renounce their citizenship of origin. Most prefer to keep their options open, maintaining their St Lucia passport as a “Plan B” citizenship. Dual or multiple citizens generally have more doors and opportunities open to them than citizens of just one country.

• Visa-free travel: The opportunity to hop on a plane and travel without visas to up to 145 countries around the world, currently including the UK, EU, Schengen zone, Singapore, and Hong Kong. (Visa free travel naturally depends on the destination country and can change over time, but it is St Lucia’s foreign policy to maintain neutrality and friendly relations)

• There is no requirement to visit Saint Lucia before, during or after the application process - although we recommend it.

• A strict background check is carried out on all applicants. Whilst this can seem frustrating during the application process, keeping out undesirable citizens protects the reputation of the citizenship program and thereby the international strength of the St Lucian passport.

• Tax benefits: Saint Lucia imposes no tax on income from other countries: no wealth taxes, inheritance taxes, or capital gains taxes. The country does not charge taxes on non-residents. You can choose to apply for a residence permit in another country based on your St Lucia passport.

• Citizenship for descendants: Qualified citizens’ families can enjoy inheritable citizenship, meaning you can pass on your St Lucia citizenship as the ultimate heirloom to future generations.

• Speedy processing: Applications are usually processed within 2 – 6 months of submission.

• Family friendly: Inclusion of dependent children under age 25 is possible, as is inclusion of dependent parents above 65 years who are residing with applicants.

There are some basic rules you should understand about how to obtain a St Lucia passport. First of all, in St Lucia there is no such thing as a golden passport. All St Lucia citizens are entitled to carry regular blue passports.

The term “golden passports” was invented by the popular press to describe citizenship by investment programs. It was presumably based on the idea of “gold card” credit cards originally popularised by the American Express company.

To obtain a Saint Lucia passport, you must absolutely be a citizen of Saint Lucia. St Lucia does not issue non-citizen or refugee passports, so there are no exceptions to this rule. The good news is that once you obtain citizenship of St Lucia, obtaining a passport is easy.

You can apply yourself directly at the Passport Office in Castries, St Lucia or at one of St Lucia’s diplomatic missions worldwide. Processes for issue of passports vary depending on the diplomatic mission.

If you have been granted St Lucia citizenship under the CBI program via NTL Trust, then our status as licensed agents with the government allows us to process your passport applications on your behalf. We will then courier your passports to the nearest NTL Trust office or directly to your home or office address.

NB: it is important to know that only authorised agents are allowed to help the principal applicants with the necessary paperwork and processing of their applications. The authorised agents who prepare applications on behalf of applicants are assessed by the Citizenship by Investment Board (CBIB).

This requirement was necessitated by the legislation, the Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Act, document guidelines issued by the Citizenship by Investment Board, and other document guidelines issued related by the CBI regulators.

REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN ST. LUCIA CITIZENSHIP

The following are prerequisites for any aspirant to obtain the status of Saint Lucia Citizenship.

• Applicants must be of a good character.

• Applicants must have no criminal record.

• Applicants’ age must be above 18 years (family members under 18 may of course be included as dependants)

• He/she must pass all the due diligence and background checks.

• Applicants must be able to fulfil one of the qualifying investments.

• Applicants must provide all supporting documents – Documents submitted must be submitted in the official language of St Lucia which is English.

• Applicants must pay the required non-refundable processing, due diligence, and administrative fees.

Saint Lucia Citizenship is not difficult to get if you have the correct information and an experienced and professional immigration agent such as NTL Trust working on your behalf. There are different means of obtaining a Saint Lucia citizenship such as marriage or descent, but the fastest, easiest and most popular investment route today is the Citizenship by Investment Program.

About the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program (CBI Program)

This program was launched in 2014 to generate more means of income destined for the development of the country. It is important to note that the CBI application process requires strict due diligence on the main applicant and his or her dependents. The different investment options for obtaining a St. Lucia citizenship through Citizen by Investment Programs are as follows.

The National Economic Fund (NEF) was established in 2015 by the Citizen Investment Act to receive donations under the official St Lucia Citizen by Investment Program. The government of Saint Lucia created the Fund to receive financial funding for government-approved projects to help the national development agenda. This fund is usually contributed to by successful, free thinking persons of means who are interested in obtaining St Lucian citizenship.

The CIP launched the National Action Bond (NAB) as a new non-interest-bearing Government bond - to replace the Special COVID-19 Relief Bond. It's also an available investment route under the Saint Lucia CBI Programme. Applicants and qualified citizens must hold the bonds for a minimum of 5 years and then they can recoup their initial investments. This makes this option one of a kind among all the others.

This is also an investment program in which the principal applicant is allowed to invest in. The applicant is required to execute a purchase agreement for real estate or shares in an approved project. Unlike in other Caribbean nations offering similar programs, the real estate option in St Lucia’s CBI is rarely used. This is probably because the government has only approved a few developments so the real estate program has failed to gain traction.

Otherwise referred to as investing in a business project. Investors may invest in approved enterprise projects, including pharmaceutical products, ports, bridges, roads and highways, research institutions and facilities, agro-processing plants, specialty restaurants, cruise ports and marinas, and offshore universities. Investing in any approved enterprise project must directly create at least three jobs in the economy. This option is also little used, although NTL Trust’s office in St Lucia is familiar with the process and can advise non suitable opportunities.

In addition to the investment option selected, foreign investors must expect to pay government fees, professional fees, passport administrative fee, and due diligence fees. The total cost to the investor depends on the foreign investors family members included in the application and their age. NTL Trust will be happy to provide personalised quotations.

How Much Does it Cost to Become a Citizen of St. Lucia?

If the applicant chooses the simplest and fastest route, that is donation to the National Economic Fund, the starting outlay for becoming a citizen is at least US$ 100,000, plus due diligence fees and administrative fees.

These investment requirements for St Lucia citizenship currently vary from US$ 100,000 to up to US$ 500,000, depending on the investment options chosen and the number of accompanying family members. The diligence fee is typically US$ 7,500 for the main applicant and US$ 5,000 per dependent, though it may increase in more complex cases such as politically exposed individuals or third party sponsorships. Administrative fees up to US$ 50,000 and processing fees could be up to US$ 10,000.

Note: A fee of US$ 5000 will now have to be paid by qualified citizens - who have been a citizen of Saint Lucia for 12 months or less - to include a new-born dependent through the country’s National Economic Fund.

Can US Citizens Apply for Dual Citizenship with St Lucia?

St. Lucia’s principal historic affiliation is with the United Kingdom via its membership of the British Commonwealth. However, St. Lucia offers United States citizens the chance to participate in its St Lucia Citizenship by Investment program if they can contribute the minimum investment required. Applicants interested can therefore apply for the St. Lucia golden passport through NTL Trust, selecting any available avenues under the Citizenship by Investment Program.

How Long Does it Take to Get Saint Lucia Citizenship?

Usually, from the date of application, it takes up to 3 – 6 months to process the application, though we have seen cases of approval in 1-2 months. It’s important to note that the process is subject to the discretion of the government and no guarantees can be made as to time frame. 

Note: the only Caribbean citizenship by investment program with an official “rush” option for an extra expedite fee, guaranteeing routine processing in 60 days, is the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship-by-Investment Program.

It’s worth noting that the principal applicant must make investment contributions only after the application is approved in principle. In other words, you don’t have to make the investment until after you are approved.

Is Saint Lucia Passport Powerful?

St. Lucia’s passport is very desirable because of its high mobility score and high ranking. The Saint Lucia Passport can gain St. Lucian citizens visa-free access into around 145 countries (including both visa free access or visa on arrival access.) According to the Passport Ranking Index, the Saint Lucia Passport ranks 31st globally in terms of travel freedom for its citizens. Impressive!

The Saint Lucia Passport ranking, compared with other ranked global passports, is calculated by adding up the number of countries that Saint Lucians can enter without a visa. Some of the countries that St Lucia passport holders can visit with free visa access, and visa on arrival include Singapore, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Israel, and the entire European Union.

How can I become a Citizen of St. Lucia?

The following step-by-step guidelines explain how to become a citizen of Saint Lucia through the Citizenship by Investment application.

• First, choose a licensed and authorised agent to process your applications. The Agent must have been endorsed by the Citizenship by Investment Board. NTL Trust provides these services and has been processing citizenship applications in the Caribbean for more than twenty years.

• The Authorised Agent is responsible for “holding your hand” through the application process.  They are there to guide you on the best way to obtain and submit your documents.

• Complete all your application forms and submit them via your agent. Also, provide all necessary supporting documents as requested for the application.

• All submitted applications are carefully vetted by the government to ensure that they pass the due diligence and background checks. This can take some weeks or months.

• If the application passes background checks, the Citizenship by Investment Unit will approve the application. The approval is done by a committee. Upon approval, a letter is issued to the applicant via the Authorised Local Agent, with detailed instructions on making his or her investments.

• Once the investment process is verified, the applicant will be issued the certificate of citizenship registration or the Naturalization certificate. He is then granted citizenship of Saint Lucia, and he can then of course receive the Saint Lucian Passport and be recognized as a citizen.

What documents are usually required to be submitted to obtain St. Lucia Passport?

It is important to note that only an authorised agent is allowed to process the submissions of the Saint Lucia Citizenship application of intending citizens. Prospective foreign investors should submit the required documents via NTL Trust in order to expedite the process.

• An original copy of the applicant’s birth certificate;

• A certified copy of proof of name change (if applicable);

• National identity card or domestic passport of the applicant;

• Permanent residence card in country of residence;

• Coloured copy of current passport showing applicant’s name, photograph, nationality, date, place of issue, expiry date, passport number, signature, and issuing country;

• Signature of applicant;

• 6 original passport-sized photos of each applicant taken within the last six months;

• Proof of residential address issued within the last 3 months. E.g utility bill showing the address of the applicant or a bank statement showing his full name and address;

• Marriage or divorce certificate;

• Affidavit from spouse or ex-spouse relating to children;

• Affidavit of support for dependents;

• Education certificates and transcripts;

• Professional and academic certificates – dependants over 18 years are expected to submit copies;

• Professional reference letters (from Attorney, Chartered Accountant, or any other profession of similar standing) – valid within 6 months immediately before submitting the application.

• Certified copies of current and expired visas;

• Police certificate from country of birth, not more than 6 months old;

• Custody of legal guardianship records;

• Statutory declaration of a non-accompanying parent bearing his/her signatures, confirming that he/she has no objections for his offspring to obtain St. Lucia's citizenship – for dependents under 18 years;

• A certified copy of the photo ID of a non-accompanying parent bearing his/her signature.

Documents that are required as supporting documents must be certified and authenticated according to the laws in the originating jurisdiction. The above listing is intended as a general guide, but it could vary depending on your circumstances. For this reason it’s advisable to consult with an experienced agent such as NTL Trust.

Since the official language of St. Lucia is English, all documents not originally issued in English must be translated into English. They should be submitted alongside the originals to ensure that they were translated correctly and there is no potential security risk.

A professional translator must certify the translation of such documents and be qualified to act professionally in this capacity. The professional translator must be thorough and faithful to the original document. All the seals, signatures, and texts (for example: certification texts)  in the original document must also be translated into English.

Can the St. Lucia Citizenship Application be Denied?

Applications made under the St. Lucia Citizenship by Investment program are rarely denied. The most common cause of denial is where the applicant must have provided false documents or misleading or incomplete information.

For example, not declaring a current or former country of residence, marriage, bankruptcy or business connection. Things like this will invariably be discovered during the background checks. Failure to declare creates suspicion and results in a breach of the requirements of the process.

• Having a criminal record in a third country;

• Failure or inability to execute the investment options chosen by the applicant;

• The applicant did not pass the strict background checks carried out;

• The applicant has been declared bankrupt by a court;

• The applicant has been declared mentally incapacitated by a medical practitioner.