Antigua and Barbuda is the only Caribbean CBI program with a residency obligation: the main applicant (and co-applying spouse) must spend at least 5 days in Antigua within 5 years of being granted citizenship. Failing this triggers a potential revocation review. As of May 13, 2026, the program runs $230K for a family of four, 6-12 month processing, three-generation coverage — and is the best dollar-per-head value in the Caribbean for four-person households.

I have done this work for 11 years. I have personally seen 300+ approvals through the door, including the first Chinese-applicant São Tomé approval in January 2026. Antigua is the program where I see the most "looks simple but the details bite" pattern. Let me walk through the 5-day landing rule the way most agents will not.

What is Antigua's 5-day landing requirement?

Antigua CBI launched in 2013. Under the Citizenship by Investment Act 2013, the main applicant (and a co-applying spouse) must accumulate at least 5 days of physical presence in Antigua within 5 years of the date citizenship was granted. The 5 days can be one continuous trip or five single-day visits — but each entry must be recorded with an official entry stamp.

Children, parents, and other dependents have no landing obligation. Only the main applicant — and the co-applying spouse, when applicable — is bound by the 5-day rule.

Can the 5 days actually be completed?

For most clients, yes — technically. A single 5-day Caribbean family vacation closes the obligation. But once you step into the operational detail, several things go wrong:

Core data (as of May 13, 2026)

ItemData
Investment$230,000 (NDF contribution, family of four)
Processing6-12 months
Visa-free150+ countries (Schengen / UK 180 days / U.S. E-2 ✗ / China ✗)
Landing requirementMain applicant plus co-applying spouse, 5 days cumulative within 5 years
Landing window5 years from the date citizenship is granted
Non-compliancePotential revocation review
Family coverageThree generations (main + spouse + children + parents 55+)

What happens if you do not land 5 days?

This is the question that keeps clients up at night. The real answer comes in three layers:

First, legally there is a revocation risk. The Citizenship by Investment Act 2013 gives the immigration authority the power to initiate a citizenship review where the landing obligation is unmet. A review can end in revocation. This is not theoretical text.

Second, enforcement has been light to date. As of May 13, 2026, in publicly available records I have seen, revocations driven solely by missed landing days are rare. Most revocations also involve DD failures, false declarations, or criminal history.

Third, the 2025-2026 Caribbean tightening cycle raises the probability that this clause gets activated. My direction to every client: treat the 5-day requirement as a hard target. Do not bet on "nobody checks."

Four things 90% of agents will not tell you

Real case: a family of four's Antigua landing plan

Client case (anonymized, recent)

A manufacturing HNW family of four (couple plus two minor children). We filed Antigua in 2024. Approval came in early 2025. The client asked: "When should we do the 5 days? Early or late?" My direction: first, schedule a Caribbean family vacation between 2025-2027 and close the obligation in one trip. Second, both spouses fly because they were co-applicants. Third, fly directly into V.C. Bird International, secure the entry stamps, and save the passport pages. Fourth, keep hotel and flight e-receipts as supporting evidence. They went for six days in December 2025. Obligation fully closed.

Ken's call: The 5 days are not hard. But they must be done early — not deferred to year five. I have had clients who delayed to year four, hit hurricane season, ran into reschedule pressure, expensive flights, and school-calendar conflicts. Our principle has not changed: not the most expensive, not the cheapest — only the most appropriate.

Who Antigua fits — $230K family-of-four value

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Full archive plus 70+ real approvals: WWW.USA60.COM · Antigua page: WWW.USA60.COM/antigua-passport/ · Decision map: WWW.USA60.COM/decision-map/

FAQ

Q: Will I lose my Antigua citizenship if I do not land for 5 days?

A: Legally, revocation is a real risk. As of May 13, 2026, enforcement has been light in publicly available records — but the 2025-2026 Caribbean tightening cycle raises the probability of activation. Treat the 5-day rule as a hard target.

Q: Can I leave the 5 days to year five?

A: Technically yes. Practically no. Caribbean hurricane season (June-November) destabilizes flights. School holidays often collide with hurricane season. I direct clients to close the obligation in years 2-3, with a 2-year buffer.

Q: Antigua or Saint Kitts for a family of four?

A: Antigua $230K with 5-day landing; Saint Kitts $250K with no landing. The $20K gap. If a Caribbean vacation is a win for your family Antigua. If you absolutely will not land Saint Kitts.

Q: Do children need to land for 5 days?

A: No. Only the main applicant — and a co-applying spouse if applicable — has the 5-day obligation. Children, parents, and other dependents are exempt.

Q: How does Ken see Antigua in 2026?

A: It is the four-person value benchmark. We are government-licensed for Antigua with 11 years of case history. The 2026 issue is not approval timing — it is client execution of the 5-day rule. Do it early. Do it real.

Info card · Antigua CBI (as of May 13, 2026)