Antigua and Barbuda: offer to close its citizenship programme by 2030

The government of Antigua and Barbuda proposes to end its citizenship by investment programme by the end of 2030, on condition that the European Union agrees to a longer transition and provides financial and technical assistance. The Prime Minister sets this out in a letter dated 30 October addressed to the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.

The closure date communicated by the European Commission is 1 June 2028. According to the source, there is no indication that the EU has accepted the extension. This is therefore a commitment conditional on negotiations, not an unreserved decision to close the programme.

At a technical meeting in Brussels on 20 October, three options were presented: continue the programme at the risk of losing visa-free access, close it in June 2028, or commit to ending it while negotiating time and support. The country chose the third option and has until 12 November 2026 to formally communicate its decision.

According to the Prime Minister's account, if the programme continued without an agreement, the EU could announce a suspension of the visa exemption in January 2027, with effective restrictions around March or April. An initial suspension of 12 mois could then be extended or become permanent.

The Prime Minister highlights the programme's role in post-hurricane reconstruction, infrastructure, social services and tourism. Citing the International Monetary Fund, he states that higher inflows contributed to a primary budget surplus close to 5 % of GDP in 2025, and that public debt fell from around 101 % of GDP in 2020 to an estimated 68 % in 2025.

He also mentions approved developers whose contractual obligations depend on the programme, as well as loans from local and regional banks backed by expected revenues. According to him, a transition until 2030 would make it possible to repay or restructure these commitments under the supervision of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

The source does not say how the European Commission will respond, or what amount of assistance is being requested. It states only that no specific funding envelope exists for countries ending such programmes under the 2028-2034 financial framework, and that the country wants the Commission to acknowledge its commitment in its December report.

For citizenship applicants, the source does not specify what will happen to pending or future applications during the transition. The assessment of the consequences is due to be submitted to the Commission by March 2027.