St. Lucia Golden Visa: Citizenship by Investment [5 Steps]

With recently decreased minimum investment amounts, the St. Lucia Golden Visa is one of the most affordable citizenship-by-investment programs in the world. 

Earlier this year, the St. Lucia golden visa program shaved off a whopping $100,000 from its initial investment amounts. 

The program began in 2015 and has since welcomed hundreds of new citizens who made qualifying investments. 

With no minimum stay requirements and obtaining a new passport as a direct result, the St. Lucia Golden Visa could be exactly what you need to diversify both your assets and your lifestyle. 

The St. Lucia Golden Visa also allows immediate and extended family members to be included in the application. So, applicants can grant the entire family St. Lucian citizenship. 

With a processing time of just four months, the St. Lucia Golden Visa is also one of the quickest ways to obtain a second passport. 

In this article, we’ll review the benefits of the St. Lucia Golden Visa, eligibility requirements, investment options, and how to apply for it. 

What is a Golden Visa?

Before we dive into the details of the St. Lucia Golden Visa, we should first understand exactly what these kinds of visas are. 

A golden visa allows applicants to receive residency and sometimes citizenship by making a qualified investment in the country. 

Oftentimes, these investments are donations to national funds, purchasing real estate, starting or developing a business, and more. 

Each country’s golden visa requirements differ greatly, so it’s important to find the one that fits both your lifestyle and financial goals. 

Benefits of the St. Lucia Golden Visa

While the main reason people choose to apply for the St. Lucia Golden Visa is that they are granted citizenship, there are many other benefits to this unique opportunity. 

Directly Obtain Citizenship

There aren’t many golden visas available that grant citizenship right away. 

Most of them make you live in the country for a few years and pass lengthy and expensive language and citizenship tests. 

With the St. Lucia Golden Visa, applicants will receive citizenship and a new passport directly after their applications are approved. No tests. No long waiting times. 

Plus, St. Lucia’s passport is fairly valuable, with visa-free access to 150 countries, including the UK and the Schengen Area. 

Favorable Tax Rates

St. Lucia is known for having extremely tax rates for its citizens and corporations. 

As a St. Lucia citizen, you will not be taxed on your foreign-earned income, capital gains, inheritance, or wealth. 

So, applicants can strategically plan to keep their finances and wealth safe from high tax rates in other countries through the St. Lucia Golden Visa.

No Minimum Stay Requirement

Technically, you can become a citizen with the St. Lucia Golden Visa without ever stepping foot in St. Lucia. 

With no minimum stay requirement, you do not have to reside in St. Lucia to benefit from being a citizen. 

Family Inclusion

The St. Lucia golden visa allows applicants to include their family members. 

These family members include spouses, dependent children younger than 30, parents and grandparents older than 55, and unmarried siblings under 18. 

Family members will be granted citizenship upon approval of the application. 

Dual Citizenship Allowed

St. Lucia allows dual citizenship, which is excellent news for wealthy individuals and retirees interested in applying for the golden visa. 

So, applicants can keep their original citizenship while accepting their new St. Lucia passport.

Of course, this also depends on if their original nationality also allows dual citizenship.

Low Investment Cost

The St. Lucia golden visa has one of the most affordable citizenship-by-investment opportunities in the world. 

With the recent decrease in the minimum investment amount, applicants may now save $100,000 when applying for this visa. 

Who is Eligible for the St. Lucia Golden Visa?

Along with making a qualifying investment, there are other eligibility requirements applicants must meet. 

The eligibility requirements for the St. Lucia golden visa are below:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Be of good character
• Be in good health
• Have a clean criminal record
• Pass a thorough background check

Along with meeting the above requirements, applicants must also make the required investment and pay due diligence and processing fees. 

St. Lucia Golden Visa Investment Options

There are currently four investment options available for the St. Lucia golden visa program. 

National Economic Fund

St. Lucia golden visa applicants can make a nonrefundable donation to the National Economic Fund (NEF). This fund contributes to projects that enhance and benefit the infrastructure and quality of life in St. Lucia. 

The investment amounts for the NEF are as follows:

• Individual Applicants: $100,000
• Couple Applicants: $140,000
• Family of Four: $150,000
• Qualifying dependents in addition to a family of four: $15,000
• Additional qualifying dependents: $25,000 

Real Estate Investment

Applicants may purchase real estate in St. Lucia for a minimum of $200,000 to qualify for the St. Lucia golden visa. 

There is an additional state fee of $30,000 when purchasing real estate. 

Golden visa holders must own the purchased real estate for at least five years before selling it to remain qualified. 

National Action Bond

Another investment option for St. Lucia golden visa applicants is a no-interest government bond that can be returned in five years. 

The minimum investment amount is $300,000, no matter how many family members you’re applying with. 

There is an additional $50,000 administrative fee, which will not be returned with the money invested in the bonds. 

Enterprise Investment

The most expensive investment option for the St. Lucia golden visa is an enterprise investment of at least $3.5 million for individual investors. The company must also create three full-time jobs. 

If investing with other people, the minimum total investment is $6 million, with each shareholder investing a minimum of $1 million. 

The company can operate in the following qualifying industries: 

• Specialty restaurants
• Agro-processing plants
• Cruise ports and marinas
• Pharmaceutical 
• Offshore universities
• Ports, bridges, roads, and highways
• Research facilities or institutions

There are additional non-refundable administrative fees of $50,000 for individual applicants, $35,000 for each additional dependent over 18, and $25,000 for each additional dependent under 18. 

How to Apply for the St. Lucia Golden Visa

Along with being one of the most affordable and quickest golden visas, the St. Lucia golden visa application process is likely one of the easiest in the world. 

In just four steps, you can have a second passport in your hand in a matter of months.

Step 1: Choose Your Investment

The first step in applying for the St. Lucia golden visa is choosing your investment. There are four investment options ranging from $100,000 to $3.5 million, depending on the option. 

Before beginning the application process, it’s important to review the investment options and consider which one is right for your finances and overall goals. 

It’s a very personal decision that only you can make. However, there are advisors who can help you make an informed decision. 

Step 2: Find an Authorized Agent

It is not possible to apply for the St. Lucia golden visa on your own. You must file the application with an authorized agent. 

You can find a list of authorized agents on the the St. Lucia golden visa official website here.

Step 3: Submit Application

Before making your investment, you will submit your St. Lucia golden visa application. You’ll include a proposal of your investment and additional required documents. 

You may be asked to include the following documents:

• Certified Copy of Birth Certificate
• Certified Copy of Name Change (if applicable)
• Six passport photos 
• Copy of passport
• Military records (if applicable)
• Proof of residence
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Resume/CV (for anyone over 18 years old)
• Criminal background check
• Professional reference letters
• Medical certificate
• Bank reference letter
• Records of custody (if applicable)
• Academic degrees or certificates (for anyone over 18 years old)

Officials may request additional documentation. 

You must also submit the paid receipt for the due diligence and processing fees. 

The due diligence fees are $7,500 for the main applicant and $5,000 for each additional dependent. 

The processing fees are $2,000 for the main applicant and $1,000 for each additional dependent.

Your authorized agent will submit your application and documents to the necessary authorities and organizations to review. 

Step 4: Make Your Investment

After submitting your application, the CBI committee will complete their due diligence checks on anyone over 16 years old in your application. 

Once these are completed, you will receive an approval in principle. This means you will have 90 days to complete your proposed investment. 

Step 5: Obtain Passport

The entire process can take four to six months. Once everything is complete, you will have your new citizenship and passport in your hand. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Applying for a golden visa can be overwhelming as there are a lot of regulations surrounding them. Even with a detailed article like this, you may still have some questions. 

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about the St. Lucia golden visa.