Antigua and Barbuda strengthens its CBI programme: independent audits and extending residency to 30 days

Antigua and Barbuda has amended the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Act 2013, changing the rules for the programme’s governing body, the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). Under the updated framework, the CIU will now undergo annual independent financial audits and biennial operational audits. In addition, the required residency period after citizenship is granted has been increased from five days to 30 days.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne introduced the Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Parliament on Tuesday, Antigua Observer reports.

The aim of the changes is to bring the programme in line with the regional agreement of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA). ECCIRA is expected to be operational in September and will serve as the supervisory regulator for five OECS countries developing CBI programmes.

New requirements: audits, reporting and ECCIRA oversight

Under the amendments, operational audits must be conducted according to internationally recognised audit and financial reporting standards.

In addition, the CIU will submit reports every six months to ECCIRA. At the same time, the unit will continue reporting to the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.

The amendments also spell out the CIU head’s responsibilities: the programme CEO must ensure that the CBI is administered in accordance with the regulator’s standards and directives.

The residency change applies to successful applicants and their dependants.

In Parliament, Browne stressed that the 30-day requirement is already being applied administratively, and that the bill simply removes any potential inconsistencies between domestic law and the regional agreement.

Coincidence or a response to external pressure?

The bill was tabled shortly after the European Commission sent letters to all five Caribbean states with CBI programmes, asking them to wind down the relevant mechanisms by June 2028. Because of the timing, some observers may link the events directly; however, experts note that the regional reform had been in preparation for some time.

For example, Patrick Peters of Client Referrals believes the amendments are not a direct reaction to recent European headlines. In his view, the changes are tied to the process of regional harmonisation that underpins the creation of ECCIRA.

He suggests that the EU’s stance may be “reinforcing” the importance of implementing reforms, but he describes the timing as more likely coincidental than causal.

Nuri Katz, President of Apex Capital Partners, reasons similarly: according to him, the region had already agreed the 30-day requirement earlier, and the current update is simply another step to enshrine the principle in legislation.

30 days is not “every year” — it’s the rule over a five-year period

A key point is the clarification Peters offers in response to incorrect interpretations. He says there is a circulating view that new citizens must spend 30 days in Antigua and Barbuda every year.

In practice, the requirement is different: 30 days in total over five years. The rule also starts to apply only after citizenship has been granted and passports issued—meaning that travel to the country becomes routine for passport holders.

Peters expects no major hit to programme popularity: Antigua and Barbuda already had residency-related requirements, and for most families, 30 days of vacation over five years in a tropical destination is “quite feasible” and may even be viewed positively.

Katz is less optimistic. While he agrees the rule applies to new applicants only, he believes it will add significant costs to the programme—not only financially, but also in terms of time that would have to be taken away from work. For a family of four, he estimates that flights to Antigua from many countries could total tens of thousands of dollars. As a result, he expects demand for CBI to decline due to the additional barrier.

“We need audits”: why transparency is seen as a key factor

Peters also views the audit provisions positively. He is convinced that well-managed and transparent programmes will perform better in the long run. In his logic, “the cream rises to the top,” which is why he urges: “Let’s have audits, let’s have transparency, and let’s have compliance with the rules.”

For the same reason, he discusses how funds raised through CBI should be used. Whether the money goes toward creating jobs in the hospitality sector, film production, affordable housing, or new schools, local people must be able to see the real value delivered by the programme. Without a visible impact, public support tends to fade over time.

A window for dialogue or a countdown to restrictions?

Peters points to the 24-month transition period built into the European approach. In his view, the EU is not aiming to immediately suspend visa-free travel—Brussels already has tools to do that if needed.

Instead, he interprets the situation as keeping the “door open” for continuing negotiations.

He also argues that the transition period gives the roll-out of ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) time to demonstrate its effectiveness as an additional layer of checks. As an analogy, he cites the Canadian eTA model: visa-free entry remains in place, but travellers are electronically screened before boarding. In Peters’ view, ETIAS could provide the EU with a comparable risk-management mechanism.

Katz, by contrast, does not see a “window” in this approach. He argues that European bureaucracy is inherently opposed to the idea of buying citizenship, framing it as a security issue, even though—he claims—Europe has seen almost no incidents linked to citizens obtained through CBI programmes.

Looking ahead, Peters believes the decisive factor will not be whether CBI programmes will exist, but rather which jurisdictions can prove that they are well governed, responsibly administered, and deliver economically meaningful outcomes.

He expects that countries with strong due diligence systems, appropriate volumes, transparent oversight, and real economic benefit will hold better positions than those unable to meet these criteria.

The five CBI countries sent a joint response to the European Commission’s letter and agreed to organise a high-level mission in Brussels. The next formal checkpoint is in December, when the EU is expected to publish its next report on the visa suspension mechanism.

If you’re considering citizenship by investment in Antigua and Barbuda, the updates to the CBI Act are a clear signal: stronger independent audits, more structured reporting, and an extended residence requirement are being introduced. To understand how the new rules may affect your plan and timeline, talk through the details with the team at Digital Nomad.

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