EU asks Antigua and Barbuda to end citizenship by investment programme by June 2028
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the request was expected and affects every OECS state with such a programme, including St Kitts and Nevis.
ST JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda. The European Union has asked Antigua and Barbuda to discontinue its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme by June 2028, according to the Antigua and Barbuda government.
EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner formally informed Prime Minister Gaston Browne of the request in a letter.
Antigua and Barbuda is one of several OECS countries that offer citizenship to foreign investors who make significant contributions to national development. Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis run similar programmes.
Visa Suspension Mechanism
The request rests on the EU's revised Visa Suspension Mechanism, which now treats the operation of any CBI programme as a reason to potentially suspend visa-free travel, regardless of how the programme is managed.
The EU proposed a 24-month transition period. It also called for stricter screening, including excluding individuals under EU sanctions and strengthening background checks by September 2026.
Antigua and Barbuda's response will be included in the EU's Visa Suspension Mechanism Report, expected in December 2026.
Browne: decision was expected
Browne said the decision was expected, as his government had received prior notice and had already begun regional consultations.
He noted that the EU's move affects not only Antigua and Barbuda but all OECS countries operating citizenship by investment programmes.
For the region's CBI states, the stakes are high: the programmes are tied to visa-free access to Europe, which the EU's revised mechanism now places at risk for any country that continues to operate one.
