Country Profile

Antigua and Barbuda is an independent twin-island Caribbean country located between the Caribbean Sea & the Atlantic Ocean in the West Indies. It consists of two main inhabited islands & a number of smaller islands, covering a total area of 442 sq. kms. (170 sq. miles).

Blessed with 365 stunning white-sand beaches & surrounded by the azure seas of the Atlantic Ocean & the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s physical beauty and strategic location has earned it the title, the “Gem of the Caribbean”. It’s English Harbour is a yachting hub & the site of historic Nelson’s dockyard. It’s festive pageants & carnivals are a major tourist attraction. Notable sports personalities from Antigua and Barbuda include cricketing legends like Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Brian Lara, Richie Richardson & Curtley Ambrose.

With its near-perfect climate (which ranges from 77ºF (25ºC) to 90ºF (32ºC) through the year), breath-taking coastline, peace & stability of the government, friendliness of the people & investor friendly government, Antigua and Barbuda has become an attractive place to reside & invest.

The country has been independent since 1981 and has established itself as a progressive, stable and multi-cultural democracy, with English being the predominant & official language.

Education :

Antigua and Barbuda has a more than 90% literacy rate, which is aided to a large extent by the fact that education is free & compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 & 16 years. The system of education is based on the British educational system. Having adopted a national mandate in 1998 to become the pre-eminent provider of medical services in the Caribbean, and having three foreign-owned for-profit offshore medical schools, Antigua and Barbuda has built the most technologically advanced hospital in the Caribbean, the Mt. St. John Medical Centre.

Business :

In recent years, Antigua and Barbuda has enacted many laws to create a very business friendly environment. It has an open economy with no foreign exchange controls or other barriers to repatriation of profits. The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (ECD) has been pegged at 2.7 to the U.S. Dollar since 1976, hence providing financial stability & freedom from currency fluctuation risks.

With English as the official language & a 90% literacy rate, Antigua and Barbuda offers investors a readily available educated & English speaking workforce. Bolstered by generous government incentives, a stable currency, strong investor protection & a one-stop-shop approach to giving all approvals for establishing a business, Antigua and Barbuda has been able to rapidly develop its economy, resulting in the country having one of the highest GDP per capita in the sub-region.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has identified Tourism, Real Estate and Financial Services as priority investment sectors. Other sectors include Business Support Services, Education, Logistics & e-commerce. Within the Agriculture and Agribusiness sector, the country has seen success in recent years and the sector has good potential to develop further. The Antiguan and Barbuda government has been lately promoting investment in the manufacturing sector (it has a strategic advantage of being geographically in close proximity with the U.S.).

The investor-friendly government provides support, in terms of generous tax incentives & other waivers, to projects that meet certain criteria. It is easily approachable, unlike many other countries, hence offering easy access to key decision makers. It has an open economy with no foreign exchange controls or other barriers to repatriation of profits. Private property ownership laws, based on the United Kingdom (UK) law, are well developed & supported by the country’s High Court System.

Apart from the direct flights that are available from various countries in the Caribbean, there are also many direct international flight options to get to Antigua from the US, UK, Canada, Italy & Germany. Many airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines & other airlines operate flights from/to the V. C. Bird International Airport in Antigua.

Due Diligence

Due Diligence is carried out by both us at Migratesmart® and the government of Antigua and Barbuda. The due diligence process period would depend on the circumstances of each client.

KEY FACTS

  • Also known as : GEM OF THE CARIBBEAN & Land of 365 beaches
  • Government : Parliament democracy under a constitutional monarchy
  • Capital : St. John’s
  • Main Towns : St. John’s, All Saints, Liberta, Potters Village, Bolans, English Harbour & Codrington
  • Official Language : English
  • GDP : 1.535 billion
  • Per Capita Income : USD 26,300 (PPP)
  • Time Zone : GMT – 4 hours
  • Currency : Eastern Caribbean Dollar (ECD) pegged to the US Dollar at 2.7 for the last 40 years
  • Legal System : English Common Law
  • Main Industries : Tourism, Real Estate, Financial Services, Education, Logistics, e-commerce, agriculture & manufacturing
  • Main Airport : V.C. Bird International Airport, Antigua
  • Calling Code : +1 268

Benefits | Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship | Q & A