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St. Lucia is a preeminent tourist destination in the Americas. From its majestic mountains to its lush forests, rugged coastlines, and pristine beaches, there are numerous things to do and places to explore in this Caribbean country.
The best way to enjoy unhindered access to St. Lucia’s wonders is to become a citizen. Fortunately, a St. Lucia passport is one of the most powerful in the world. It allows you to travel visa-free to multiple countries worldwide, including renowned tourist and investment destinations.
Read below as we unpack everything there is to know about St. Lucia’s passport, with a focus on its visa-free privileges.
Benefits of Acquiring A St. Lucia Passport
St. Lucia is unbelievably beautiful. This island country teems with natural splendor, making it a top tourist destination in the Caribbean.
Among the many benefits of acquiring a St. Lucia passport is that you can freely soak yourself in the country’s natural wonders without needing a visa. Like a regular citizen, you can escape to any of the island's tourist highlights, from its scenic towns like Soufrière to picturesque villages like Marigot Bay.
Becoming a St. Lucian citizen also comes with commercial benefits.
For starters, St. Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM). The former is an economic bloc comprising 20 countries (including 15 member states and 5 associate members), while the latter consists of 15 Caribbean community states.
CARICOM and CARIFORUM members enjoy favorable tariffs and minimal trade barriers. As an investor, you can freely export goods to member nations without being subjected to double taxation.
CARIFORUM also inked a trade deal with the European Union (EU), known as the CARIFORUM-EU EPA, which provides even more benefits between members of the two economic blocs. Most notable are duty-free-quota-free market access to the EU of all CARICOM-originated goods, freedom of CARICOM members to set up commercial branches in the EU, and cultural cooperation.
Still on the business front, becoming a St. Lucian citizen lets you tap into the country’s thriving economy. St. Lucia has a gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.59 billion US dollars as of 2024. While tourism is the country's economic mainstay, there are other lucrative sectors, including transport and real estate.
The island’s location in the Caribbean also offers access to ready markets in both North and South America.
Lastly, as already hinted, St. Lucia passport holders can access numerous destinations visa-free.
St. Lucia’s Passport Strength
According to the Visa Guide, a St. Lucian passport grants visa-free access to 114 destinations. These include prime tourism and investment countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, France, and Denmark.
Seventeen countries allow St. Lucian passport holders to apply for eVisas. They include Bahrain, Georgia, India, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Applying for a St. Lucian eVisa is similar to applying for a traditional visa, except that it lets you complete the whole process online. It's a convenient option for on-the-go travelers who may not have the time to visit visa application centers physically.
Once your St. Lucian eVisa application goes through, you'll receive an email confirmation and an additional document you must print out. Many countries will require the print-out before allowing you to cross their borders.
The third category of countries issues visas to St. Lucian's on arrival. Examples are Armenia, Cambodia, Egypt, Jordan, Maldives, Seychelles, Tonga, and 25 other nations. These countries typically maintain a visa on arrival (VOA) section at their airports, where you submit your passport and other relevant documentation to apply for a visa.
Lastly, 63 countries require St. Lucian citizens to have a valid visa before entering their territories. Notable mentions include Saudi Arabia, Japan, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and China.
How to Become A St. Lucian Citizen
Like many countries, St. Lucia provides several ways to obtain citizenship.
The traditional way to become a citizen is by birth. Two principles apply here, including the principle of jus soli (birth in St. Lucian soil) and jus sanguinis (birth in a foreign land to parents of St. Lucian nationality).
You can also obtain a St. Lucian citizenship by naturalization. This applies to foreign nationals who have lived in the island country consistently for a specified duration.
Lastly, St. Lucia is one of the countries that maintain a citizenship by investment (CBI) program. Citizenship by investment is an initiative that grants foreign nationals St. Lucian citizenship upon pledging a predefined investment or donation in the country.
More About the St. Lucian Citizenship by Investment Program
The St. Lucian Citizenship by Investment is open to foreign nationals aged 18 years with a demonstrated capacity to meet the investment threshold. All applicants should have a clean police record.
The investor may explore the CBI program alone or tag along with their close family members. Eligible relatives include a legal spouse, children under 30 years, parents over 55 years, and siblings under 18 years.
There are four different investment options for St. Lucia’s CBI applicants. They include:
Making a minimal contribution of $100,000 to the St. Lucian state fund
An applicant with a spouse would need to pay $140,000, while an applicant, their spouse, and two dependents would have to part with $150,000.
For more than three dependents, the investor is required to pay another $15,000 for every additional relative
Investing at least $200,000 in a government-approved real estate project
The property is typically a resort complex or 5-star hotel.
This investment option is subject to various fees. The primary investor pays $30,000 for themselves and $15,000 for their significant other. They're also charged an additional $5,000 for relatives under 18 years old and $10,000 for relatives aged 18+ years old.
Investing at least $300,000 in a government bond
Bonds are redeemable after five years, during which an investor may recoup their return on investment (ROI).
Investing a minimum of $1 million in a business enterprise
Final Word
The benefits of acquiring a St. Lucian passport are immense. There are equally many ways to become a St. Lucian citizen, with the CBI program being the most famous avenue for foreign investors.
Should the investor have more than three dependents, they are forced to pay an additional fifteen thousand dollars for each additional relative. gorilla tag