Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment through Real Estate
Saint Lucia citizenship by real estate investment appeals to global investors drawn to the island’s majestic Piton mountains, lush landscapes, and unspoiled beaches. This tropical island offers a unique combination of natural beauty, modern infrastructure, and a thriving tourism industry, making it an attractive choice for those looking to invest in luxury real estate.
St Lucia real estate investment: can it be profitable?
Tourists come to St Lucia all year round for beach holidays, to attend jazz and flower festivals, and go yachting. Investors buy apartments and villas to rent out and sell to return the invested money. Renting out on the St Lucia real estate market brings an income of 2—10% per annum.
Buying real estate in St Lucia under the citizenship program is even more profitable. Cosmopolitans and their family members get second passports allowing them to travel without visas to more than 140 countries.
Property prices in Saint Lucia
The cost of a square metre of housing in St Lucia coincides with the average value for the Caribbean region: $5,000 to $8,000.
Properties on the coast or near local attractions are more expensive. The highest prices are in Castries, the capital of St Lucia.
Cosmopolitans buy St Lucia properties to get the country’s citizenship and spend the winter months on the island. At this time, the Caribbean Sea is warm and calm, and there is no rain. At other times, an apartment or a house can be rented out; housing on an exotic island is always in demand by tourists.
St Lucia citizenship benefits
Investors get Caribbean passports to travel the world without visas, do international business, and open accounts in foreign banks.
140+ countries without visas. St Lucia passport allows staying 90 days in half a year in the EU countries and entering the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong without visas.
Citizens of St Lucia can obtain a US B-1/B-2 visitor visa for 10 years. The visa allows the whole family to stay in the US for up to 180 days a year.
Education in the UK. The children of a St Lucia citizen can study at universities in the UK on preferential terms.
Tax optimisation. St Lucia doesn’t have taxes on capital gains, dividends and inheritance for individuals. Legal entities don’t pay taxes on capital gains and dividends, too; they are sometimes exempt from VAT.
Terms of buying a property under the St Lucia real estate citizenship program
A real estate investor participating in the St Lucia citizenship program does not pay stamp duty or buy a licence to own land. In total, the investor saves up to 3.5% of the cost of housing. To purchase real estate and obtain citizenship, one must fulfil several conditions.
Minimum investment. The country’s government determines the minimum investment under the program — $200,000.
Approved properties. To apply for citizenship, an investor purchases a property approved by the government of Saint Lucia for participation in the program. The property list changes as properties are sold, and new projects emerge.
Term of ownership. To keep the passport of St Lucia, cosmopolitans sell the object no earlier than after 5 years of ownership.
